April 2008 News History Archives

April 2008 News:
2008 Election News

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April 30, 2008 News URL: #April-30-2008-News
20080430 Wednesday

- Don Young - Connie Mack - Money - Politics - Law - Alaska - Michigan - Florida - Road - Real Estate
"Young blasts Mack over Coconut Rd.." ... "[Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) on Wednesday defended changes his staffers made to the notorious Coconut Road [in Florida] earmark, the third time in a year he took to the House floor in an attempt to justify one of his suspect pet projects." ... "Young also accused his GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] colleague, [Florida Republican Representative] Rep. Connie Mack (Fla.[Florida]), of first supporting the earmark in 2005, and then distancing himself from it once watchdogs and the media began raising concerns." ... "Ethics watchdogs have raised red flags over the Lee County, Fla., road project, the language of which was changed after that measure passed the House and the Senate but before it reached the president’s desk. Such a change may have violated House rules, which prohibit substantive alterations to bills during the enrollment process, the formal procedure in which a measure is recorded before it moves on to be signed by the president." ... "The earmark has been tainted by controversy. Lobbyist Rick Alcalde represented both FGSU [Florida Gulf State University] as well as the company owned by Daniel Aronoff, a real estate developer who owned 4,000 acres along Coconut Road and helped organize a fundraiser for Young during one of his visits to the area in 2005. Both entities requested the Coconut Road earmark." ... "Young flew to FGSU for a town hall meeting in 2005 on a chartered plane owned by a Michigan company; the owner told the Naples Daily News that the Aronoffs were among his biggest clients." ... "After the town hall, Young went directly to a fundraiser at the Hyatt Coconut Point, which Aronoff helped organize." ... "Young said Mack invited him to the town hall meeting." ... "Young also posted documents and photos on his website in an effort to demonstrate that Mack was deeply involved in the earmark. In one letter in March 2006 to FGSU’s president, Mack supported it." -By Susan Crabtree -TheHill.com

- John McCain - 2008 Election - Poll - Economy
"NBC/WSJ Poll: Bush a liability for McCain." ... "In the survey, 43 percent of registered voters say they have major concerns that [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain is too closely aligned with the current administration." ... "According to the poll, 73 percent of respondents disapprove of [Republican President] Bush’s handling of the economy and 81 percent believe the United States is in a recession." (1, 2) -By Mark Murray -MSNBC

- US - Pakistan - Afghanistan - Iraq - Military - Terrorism - Intelligence
"US report says al-Qaida gaining strength." ... "Al-Qaida has rebuilt some of its pre-[September]Sept. 11 capabilities from remote hiding places in Pakistan, leading to a major spike in attacks last year in that country and neighboring Afghanistan, the [Republican President] Bush administration said Wednesday." ... "Attacks in Pakistan more than doubled from 375 to 887 between 2006 and 2007, and the number of fatalities jumped by almost 300 percent from 335 to 1,335, the State Department said in its annual terrorism report." ... "In Afghanistan, the number of attacks rose 16 percent, to 1,127 incidents last year, killing 1,966 people, 55 percent more than the 1,257 who died in 2006, it said." ... "The report said attacks in Iraq dipped slightly between 2006 and 2007, but they still accounted for 60 percent of worldwide terrorism fatalities, including 17 of the 19 Americans who were killed in attacks last year. The other two were killed in Afghanistan." -By Matthew Lee -AP via -SeattleTimes

- US - Worldwide - Intelligence - Terrorism - Politics
"More Suicide Bombers, New Tactics, More Victims: U.S. [United States] Has Bad News on Terror War." ... "Are we winning? Looking at the just-released State Department report on terrorism, the answer appears to be "no."" ... "The number of terror victims killed or injured is on the rise worldwide, according to the report, and al Qaeda's senior leadership has restored some of its control over the terror group's operations, and increased its mobility and ability to plan attacks." ... "Most dramatically, there was a 50 percent increase worldwide in suicide bombings last year. All told, 66,995 people were killed or wounded in terror attacks in 2007 (up from 59,327 in 2006 and 39,469 in 2005)." -By Jonathan Karl and Kirit Radia -ABCNEWS.com

- US - Pakistan - Afghanistan - Global - Usama bin Ladin - Military - Terrorism - Intelligence
"Country Reports on Terrorism 2007." ... "Chapter 1 -- Strategic Assessment." ... "AL-QA’IDA AND ASSOCIATED TRENDS: Al-Qa’ida (AQ) and associated networks remained the greatest terrorist threat to the United States and its partners in 2007. It has reconstituted some of its pre-9/11 operational capabilities through the exploitation of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), replacement of captured or killed operational lieutenants, and the restoration of some central control by its top leadership, in particular Ayman al-Zawahiri. Although Usama bin Ladin remained the group’s ideological figurehead, Zawahiri has emerged as AQ’s strategic and operational planner." ... "AQ and its affiliates seek to exploit local grievances for their own local and global purposes. They pursue their own goals, often at large personal cost to the local population. These networks are adaptive, quickly evolving new methods in response to countermeasures. AQ utilizes terrorism, as well as subversion, propaganda, and open warfare; it seeks weapons of mass destruction in order to inflict the maximum possible damage on anyone who stands in its way, including other Muslims and/or elders, women, and children." ... "Despite the efforts of both Afghan and Pakistani security forces, instability, coupled with the Islamabad [Pakistan's capital] brokered cease-fire agreement in effect for the first half of 2007 along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, appeared to have provided AQ leadership greater mobility and ability to conduct training and operational planning, particularly that targeting Western Europe and the United States. Numerous senior AQ operatives have been captured or killed, but AQ leaders continued to plot attacks and to cultivate stronger operational connections that radiated outward from Pakistan to affiliates throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe." -State.gov

- Lurita Doan - Money - Politics - Hatch Act - Investigation - Election - Law
"GSA Head Doan, Under Fire From Democrats, Resigns (Update1)." ... "Lurita Doan resigned as head of the [Republican President Bush run] General Services Administration following criticism from Democrats about her political activity and handling of contracts." ... "A House committee has investigated whether Doan used her office to support Republican political candidates and the awarding of a contract to a company that had been accused of fraud in earlier contracts." ... "GSA [General Services Administration], the government's acquisitions and property management agency, awards approximately $69 billion in contracts each year." ... "Doan has been investigated for allegedly asking GSA officials during a briefing how they could ``help our candidates,'' referring to Republicans, win the next election." ... "The Hatch Act prohibits partisan activity on government property. Six GSA political appointees who appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voluntarily testified that she made the statement about helping Republicans." -By Christopher Stern -Bloomberg

- Hillary Clinton - Indiana - Workers - 2008 Election - US - China - Military - Technology - Manufacturing - Corporation
"Clinton blasts Bush for not stopping a project Bill OK'd." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Hillary Clinton loves to tell the story about how the Chinese government bought a good American company in Indiana, laid off all its workers and moved its critical defense technology work to China." ... "It’s a story with a dramatic, political ending. Republican President George W. Bush could have stopped it, but he didn’t." ... "If she were president, Clinton says, she’d fight to protect those jobs. It’s just the kind of talk that’s helping her win support from working-class Democrats worried about their jobs and paychecks, not to mention their country’s security." ... "What Clinton never includes in the oft-repeated tale is the role that prominent Democrats played in selling the company and its technology to the Chinese. She never mentions that big-time Democratic contributor George Soros [who also contributed to Republican John McCain's 2000 Presidential Candidacy] helped put together the deal to sell the company or that the sale was approved by her husband's [former Democratic President Bill Clinton's] administration." ... "In response, the Clinton campaign said that Bill Clinton's administration had gotten assurances at the time it approved the deal that production would remain inside the United States, and that the shift of jobs to China didn't occur until under the Bush administration." ... "In 2001, it [the Chinese manufacturing company] closed its original plant in Anderson, Ind[Indiana]." ... "And in 2003, it decided to close the Valparaiso [Indiana] plant, laying off its 225 workers." ... "Indiana politicians asked the Bush administration to intervene." ... "The [Republican President Bush] administration didn't block the move." -By Steven Thomma -McClatchyDC.com

- Agriculture - Factory - Companies - Poor - People - Nutrition - Health - US -  - World - Biofuel - Air - Soil - Water - Environment - Animals - Plants - Science
"Shortages Threaten Farmers’ Key Tool: Fertilizer." ... "Some kinds of fertilizer have nearly tripled in price in the last year, keeping farmers from buying all they need. That is one of many factors contributing to a rise in food prices that, according to the United Nations’ World Food Program, threatens to push tens of millions of poor people into malnutrition." ... "Rising demand for food and biofuels prompted farmers everywhere to plant more crops." ... "Fertilizer companies are confident the shortage will be solved eventually, noting that they plan to build scores of new factories. But that will probably create fresh problems in the long run as the world grows more dependent on fossil fuels to produce chemical fertilizers." ... "The demand for fertilizer has been driven by a confluence of events, including population growth, shrinking world grain stocks and the appetite for corn and palm oil to make biofuel. But experts say the biggest factor has been the growing demand for food, especially meat, in the developing world." ... "Fertilizer is plant food, a combination of nutrients added to soil to help plants grow. The three most important are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The latter two have long been available. But nitrogen in a form that plants can absorb is scarce, and the lack of it led to low crop yields for centuries." ... "That limitation ended in the early 20th century with the invention of a procedure, now primarily fueled by natural gas, that draws chemically inert nitrogen from the air and converts it into a usable form." ... "Environmental groups fear increased use, particularly of nitrogen fertilizer made using fossil fuels. Because plants do not absorb all the nitrogen, much of it leaches into streams and groundwater. That runoff has long been recognized as a major pollution problem, and it is growing." ... "A barometer of the pollution is the rising number of dead zones where rivers meet the sea. In the Gulf of Mexico, for instance, nitrogen runoff from fields in the Corn Belt washes downstream and feeds plant life in the gulf. The algae blooms suck oxygen from the water, killing other marine life." (1, 2) -By Keith Bradsher and Andrew Martin -NYTimes

- Clinton - McCain - Obama - Infrastructure - Auto - Transportation - North Carolina - 2008 Election - Oil - Companies - Politics
"Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday slammed as bad idea." ... "The [gas] tax is used to fund the Highway Trust Fund that builds and maintains roads and bridges." ... "Economists said that since refineries cannot increase their supply of gasoline in the space of a few summer months, lower prices will just boost demand and the benefits will flow to oil companies, not consumers." ... ""You are just going to push up the price of gas by almost the size of the tax cut," said Eric Toder, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama criticized the plan as pure politics and said the only way to lower the price of gas is to use less oil." ... ""It would last for three months and it would save you on average half a tank of gas, $25 to $30. That's what Senator Clinton and Senator McCain are proposing to deal with the gas crisis," he said on Tuesday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina." ... ""This isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer, it's an idea designed to get them through an election."" (1, 2, 3) -By Alister Bull with contributions by Bill Trott -Reuters

- Chinese - Child - Labor - Human Rights - Politics
"Chinese children sold "like cabbages" into slavery." ... "Thousands of children in southwest China have been sold into slavery like "cabbages", to work as labourers in more prosperous areas such as the booming southern province of Guangdong [China], a newspaper said on Tuesday." ... "China announced a nationwide crackdown on slavery and child labor last year after reports that hundreds of poor farmers, children and mentally disabled were forced to work in kilns and mines in Shanxi province and neighboring Henan." (1, 2) -Contributed to by Nick Macfie and Valerie Lee -Reuters

- Racism - Texas - Prison - History - People - DNA - Human Rights
"DNA frees Texas man imprisoned for 27 years." ... "James Woodard [a black male], 55, spent more time in prison than any other wrongfully convicted inmate in U.S. [United States] history who was subsequently freed by DNA testing, local media reported." ... "He was also the eighteenth person freed in Dallas County [Texas] based on a post-conviction DNA analysis, according to the Innocence Project, a New York-based legal center that specializes in righting grave miscarriages of justice." ... "That is more than any other U.S. county, highlighting problems in the local justice system that include what critics have said is a history of racism and racial profiling." -By Ed Stoddard with contributions by Todd Eastham -Reuters

- McCain - Clinton - Obama - Transportation - Infrastructure - Federal - Money -Arizona - New York - Illinois - 2008 Election - Labor_Day - Memorial Day -Consumer - Car - Gas - Politics
"What a gas: Candidates seem far less presidential when they talk about 'gas tax holidays' rather than the nation's ongoing needs." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's idea to give Americans a summer holiday from federal gas taxes is about as weighty as a Barbie Dream Car, yet he can't stop driving it into the ground." ... "Neither can [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator] Sen. Hillary Clinton. The two presidential contenders can't resist the chance to pander to voters and, as a bonus, paint [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama as an elitist. By doing so, they're missing an opportunity to show leadership on some major long-term challenges -- such as updating the nation's crowded roads and aging bridges." ... "In a speech on April 15, McCain proposed that the federal government suspend the 18.4-cent-per-gallon gas tax and the 24.4-cent-per-gallon diesel tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day. ... "McCain's idea is problematic on several levels. First, it would begin and end several months before the next president takes office, so it's more of a thought balloon than a plan. Second, the tax relief would save the typical American family only about $40 per car, while also siphoning $10 billion from the cash-strapped federal highway fund." ... "What's more, leading economists say the tax break would do little to lower the prices at the pump. More likely, the slightly lower prices would lead to higher demand, which would push the prices back up, allowing oil companies to make more money while federal tax coffers go hungry." ... "This is an election-year sop, not a plan for the future. " -Oregonian

- Military - NC -US - Afghanistan - Worldwide
"Army widens probe after finding bad conditions at Fort Bragg." ... "Army officials said Tuesday they are inspecting every barracks building worldwide to see whether plumbing and other problems revealed at Fort Bragg, N.C. [North Carolina], last week are widespread." ... "[Brigadier General] Brig. Gen. Dennis Rogers, who is responsible for maintaining barracks throughout the Army, told reporters at the Pentagon that most inspections were done last weekend but he had not seen final results." ... "Rogers said it was too soon to know whether the Fort Bragg problem was an isolated incident. He acknowledged the revelations from a video shot by the father of an 82nd Airborne Division soldier showing poor conditions such as mold inside the barracks, peeling interior paint and a bathroom drain plugged with sewage." ... "The soldier's father, Ed Frawley, said he was disgusted by the conditions that greeted his son and the rest of his 82nd Airborne unit that returned on April 7-8 after a 15-month tour of duty in Afghanistan." -By Robert Burns -AP via -SeattleTimes

- Military - North Carolina
"Dad: 'Good things are happening' after Fort Bragg video." ... "A man who posted a video online showing deplorable conditions in his son's barracks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, said Tuesday that "good things are happening" regarding repairs." ... "Edward Frawley's 10-minute video shows still photos from throughout the barracks, which include shots of mold and rust in several areas. The video is posted on the popular file-sharing site YouTube and Frawley's business Web site." ... "Paint, which Frawley says is lead-based, is chipping off. Ceiling tiles are missing. A broken drain pipe allows sewer gas into the building, while another one has tissues stuffed into it in an apparent effort to stop the gas from coming in." ... "Photos from the communal bathroom show some of the most disturbing images. In one, a soldier stands in a sink to avoid what Frawley says is 3 inches of sewage that covered the floor when toilets overflowed." ... "At times, "sewage water backs up into the sinks in the lower floors of these barracks," Frawley says in his narration." -

- Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Media - Politics - Religion - 2008 Election - Maryland
"Is Jeremiah Wright a colossal disaster for Barack Obama or a press trick?" ... "The [Reverend] Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn't have done more damage to Barack Obama's campaign if he had tried. And you have to wonder if that's just what one friend of Wright wanted." ... "Shortly before he rose to deliver his rambling, angry, sarcastic remarks at the National Press Club Monday, Wright sat next to, and chatted with, Barbara Reynolds." ... "It also turns out that Reynolds - introduced Monday as a member of the National Press Club "who organized" the event - is an enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporter." ... "On a blog linked to her Web site- www.reynoldsnews.com- Reynolds said in a February post: "My vote for Hillary in the Maryland primary was my way of saying thank you" to Clinton and her husband for the successes of Bill Clinton's presidency." ... "Wright has, unquestionably, been caricatured and vilified unfairly. The feeding programs, prison outreach and other social services he has built over more than 30 years are commendable, and his reading of the Judeo-Christian tradition as an epic story of people trying to escape slavery is far more right than wrong - and not something to be caricatured or compressed into a 10-second sound bite." ... "But Wright should have known - and his friend and ally Reynolds, a media professional, surely knew - that bickering with the press can only harm Wright and, by extension, Obama. " -By Errol Louis -NYDailyNews.com

- Barack Obama - 2008 Election - Religion - Politics
"The Pastor Casts a Shadow." ... "The [Reverend] Rev. Jeremiah Wright went to Washington on Monday not to praise Barack Obama, but to bury him." ... "Smiling, cracking corny jokes, mugging it up for the big-time news media — this reverend is never going away. He’s found himself a national platform, and he’s loving it." ... "It’s a twofer. Feeling dissed by Senator Obama, Mr. Wright gets revenge on his former follower while bathed in a spotlight brighter than any he could ever have imagined. He’s living a narcissist’s dream. At long last, his 15 minutes have arrived." ... "The question that cries out for an answer from Mr. Wright is why — if he is so passionately committed to liberating and empowering blacks — does he seem so insistent on wrecking the campaign of the only African-American ever to have had a legitimate shot at the presidency." -By Bob Herbert -NYTimes

- Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Accounting - Indiana - North Carolina - Illinois - New York - Colorado - 2008 Election
"Obama Heads for Superdelegate Edge." ... "The 795 superdelegates, who can vote for any nominee, fall into one of two groups -- the elected and the unelected." ... "The elected are the party's 28 governors, 234 House members, 49 senators and assorted big-city mayors and state officeholders." ... "The nonelected superdelegates are the more than 400 national and state party officers of the Democratic National Committee." ... "Among elected officials, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator Barack] Sen. Obama leads in endorsements from governors and senators. He is behind among House members by one, but both camps expect him to pull ahead unless he does badly in next Tuesday's Indiana and North Carolina primaries. If he doesn't stumble, enough elected Democrats are expected to back Sen. Obama after the last primaries June 3 to give him the delegate majority needed for nomination." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator Hillary] Sen. Clinton still leads in endorsements from nonelected officials. Many have known her and former [Democratic] President Clinton since the couple's White House years, or worked for them then." ... "About 300 of the 795 superdelegates remain uncommitted; they don't have to endorse anyone until [August] Aug. 27 at the Democrats' Denver [Colorado] convention." -By Jackie Calmes -WSJ.com

- Ron Paul - John McCain - Nev - 2008 Election
"Nev. GOP recesses state convention, angering Paul supporters." ... "Outmaneuvered by raucous [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Ron Paul supporters, Nevada Republican Party leaders abruptly shut down their state convention and now must resume the event to complete a list of 31 delegates to the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] national convention." ... "Outnumbered supporters of expected [2008 Election] Republican presidential nominee John McCain faced off Saturday against well-organized Paul supporters." ... ""I've seen factions walk out. I've never seen a party walk out," said Jeff Greenspan, regional coordinator for the Paul campaign." -AP via -SeattleTimes
 

- Elizabeth Edwards - Edwards - Biden - Barack Obama - Media - Television - Corporations - Sports - Politics - 2008 Election - Pennsylvania - Freedom - Health
"Bowling 1, Health Care 0." ... "For the last month, news media attention was focused on Pennsylvania and its [2008 Election] Democratic primary. Given the gargantuan effort, what did we learn?" ... "Well, the rancor of the campaign was covered. The amount of money spent was covered. But in Pennsylvania, as in the rest of the country this political season, the information about the candidates’ priorities, policies and principles — information that voters will need to choose the next president — too often did not make the cut. After having spent more than a year on the campaign trail with my husband, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] John Edwards, I’m not surprised." ... "Why? Here’s my guess: The vigorous press that was deemed an essential part of democracy at our country’s inception is now consigned to smaller venues, to the Internet and, in the mainstream media, to occasional articles. I am not suggesting that every journalist for a mainstream media outlet is neglecting his or her duties to the public. And I know that serious newspapers and magazines run analytical articles, and public television broadcasts longer, more probing segments." ... "But I am saying that every analysis that is shortened, every corner that is cut, moves us further away from the truth until what is left is the Cliffs Notes of the news, or what I call strobe-light journalism, in which the outlines are accurate enough but we cannot really see the whole picture." ... "Did you, for example, ever know a single fact about [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Joe Biden’s health care plan? Anything at all? But let me guess, you know [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama’s bowling score. We are choosing a president, the next leader of the free world. We are not buying soap, and we are not choosing a court clerk with primarily administrative duties." ... "What’s more, the news media cut candidates like Joe Biden out of the process even before they got started." ... "News is different from other programming on television or other content in print. It is essential to an informed electorate. And an informed electorate is essential to freedom itself. But as long as corporations to which news gathering is not the primary source of income or expertise get to decide what information about the candidates “sells,” we are not functioning as well as we could if we had the engaged, skeptical press we deserve." ... "If voters want a vibrant, vigorous press, apparently we will have to demand it." (1, 2) -By Elizabeth Edwards -NYTimes
 

- Military - Religious - Freedom - Politics - Kansas - US - Iraq
"Soldier Sues Army, Saying His Atheism Led to Threats." ... "When Specialist Jeremy Hall held a meeting last July for atheists and freethinkers at Camp Speicher in Iraq, he was excited, he said, to see an officer attending." ... "But minutes into the talk, the officer, [Major] Maj. Freddy J. Welborn, began to berate Specialist Hall and another soldier about atheism, Specialist Hall wrote in a sworn statement. “People like you are not holding up the Constitution and are going against what the founding fathers, who were Christians, wanted for America!” Major Welborn said, according to the statement." ... "Major Welborn told the soldiers he might bar them from re-enlistment and bring charges against them, according to the statement." ... "Last month, Specialist Hall and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group, filed suit in federal court in Kansas, alleging that Specialist Hall’s right to be free from state endorsement of religion under the First Amendment had been violated and that he had faced retaliation for his views. In November, he was sent home early from Iraq because of threats from fellow soldiers." ... "Specialist Hall’s lawsuit is the latest incident to raise questions about the military’s religion guidelines. In 2005, the Air Force issued new regulations in response to complaints from cadets at the Air Force Academy that evangelical Christian officers used their positions to proselytize." ... "To Specialist Hall and other critics of the military, the guidelines have done little to change a culture they say tilts heavily toward evangelical Christianity. Controversies have continued to flare, largely over tactics used by evangelicals to promote their faith. Perhaps the most high-profile incident involved seven officers, including four generals, who appeared, in uniform and in violation of military regulations, in a 2006 fund-raising video for the Christian Embassy, an evangelical Bible study group." (1, 2) -By Neela Banerjee -NYTimes

- Obama - McCain - Clinton - Law - Politics - 2008 Election
"Obama-DNC Fundraising Deal." ... "After a series of discussions, the [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have decided to file papers with the Federal Election Commission establishing a “joint fundraising agreement.” Under the law, such a committee can accept up to $28,500 from individuals, most of which would go to the DNC." ... "[2008 Election] Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has already formed such an alliance with the Republican National Committee." ... "The fact that the Obama campaign is moving forward and Clinton is not at this time reflects certain important realities: Obama’s team is more confident that he will win the nomination than is Clinton’s — and Obama’s campaign has the necessity and luxury of thinking about and planning for the general election to come." -By Mark Halperin -TIME.com

- Consumer - Opinion - History - Fuel - Employment - Houses - Cars - Michigan
"U.S. Economy: Sentiment Weakens More Than Anticipated (Update3)." ... "U.S. [United States] consumer confidence fell more than forecast in April to a 26-year low as record fuel prices and rising unemployment threatened to reduce spending." ... "The Reuters/University of Michigan sentiment index decreased to 62.6, from 69.5 the previous month. The measure was down from a preliminary estimate of 63.2 issued on April 11." ... "Consumers are growing increasingly anxious because the economy has lost almost a quarter million jobs so far this year, gasoline is up 17 percent and property values have fallen. Sales of houses and cars have declined as a result, contributing to a slowdown that may bring an end to the six-year expansion." ... "The index of consumer expectations for six months from now, which more closely projects the direction of consumer spending, dropped to 53.3 from 60.1 last month." ... "The economy lost 80,000 jobs in March, the most in five years, following a 76,000 drop in payrolls in each of the prior two months, according to figures from the Labor Department." ... "The average price of regular unleaded gasoline rose to a record $3.58 a gallon yesterday, according to data from AAA [American Automobile Association]." ... "Cars and light trucks sold at an average 15.2 million annual pace in the first three months of the year, the fewest since the third quarter of 1998." -By Bob Willis -Bloomberg

- WATCH - US - Iraq - Military - Government - Intelligence - Illegal - Psychological - Media -  - Marketing - Politics
"Government Curries Favor With Military News Analysts." ... "The Pentagon may influence the analysis of some retired military personnel who appear on television news programs, the New York Times recently reported. Media insiders discuss the details of this murky world of defense companies, the current administration and the war in Iraq.

[PBS NewsHour Reporter] JUDY WOODRUFF: These former generals and colonels have been a mainstay of commentary and analysis. And the networks paid them for their appearances.

Now, a lengthy New York Times investigation, published on Sunday, revealed the Pentagon targeted many of these analysts as part of an information apparatus to generate favorable news coverage of the administration's wartime performance.

Pentagon officials organized hundreds of private meetings with senior military leaders and the military analysts. They included talks with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

According to the Times, analysts were also taken on tours of Iraq and given access to classified intelligence. In turn, members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated.

It was also disclosed that most of the analysts have ties to military contractors [corporate military money ties].
...
JOHN STAUBER, Center for Media and Democracy [and author of the book, "Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq."]: Well, Judy, first of all, congratulations to the NewsHour for doing this report. And it's a shame on the networks who were duped this way that they didn't show up to defend or explain their actions.

What happened here was a psy-ops campaign [a psychological operations campaign], an incredible government propaganda campaign whereby Donald Rumsfeld and Torie Clark, the head of public relations for the Pentagon, designed a program to recruit 75, at least 75 former military officers, as your report said, most of them now lobbyists or consultants to military contractors, and insert them, beginning in 2002, before the attack on Iraq was even launched, into the major networks to manage the messages, to be surrogates.

And that's the words that are actually used, "message multipliers" for the secretary of defense and for the Pentagon. This program continues right up to now.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And is the essence of this that what they did was -- what the Pentagon did was illegal?

JOHN STAUBER: Yes, what they did was illegal. Now, the Pentagon might contest that, but we've had various laws on the books in our country going back to the 1920s. It is illegal for the U.S. government to propagandize citizens in this way.

In my opinion, this war could have never been sold if it were not for this sophisticated propaganda campaign. And what we need is congressional investigation of not just this Pentagon military analyst program, but all the rest of the deception and propaganda that came out of the Bush administration and out of the Pentagon that allowed them to sell and manage this war.

- Terrorism - Language - Radio - Politics - 2008 Election - Denver - Colorado
"Rush Limbaugh Calling For Riots In Denver." ... "Talk show host Rush Limbaugh is sparking controversy again after he made comments calling for riots in Denver [Colorado] during the [2008 Election] Democratic National Convention this summer." ... "He said the riots would ensure a Democrat is not elected as president, and his listeners have a responsibility to make sure it happens." ... ""Riots in Denver, the Democrat Convention would see to it that we don't elect Democrats," Limbaugh said during Wednesday's radio broadcast. He then went on to say that's the best thing that could happen to the country." -TheDenverChannel.com

- Military - Terrorism - Language - US - International - Politics - Religious - Vocabulary
"'Jihadist' booted from government lexicon." ... "Don't call them jihadists any more." ... "And don't call al-Qaida a movement." ... "Federal agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counter Terrorism Center, are telling their people not to describe Islamic extremists as "jihadists" or "mujahedeen," according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. Lingo like "Islamo-fascism" is out, too." ... "The reason: Such words may actually boost support for radicals among Arab and Muslim audiences by giving them a veneer of religious credibility or by causing offense to moderates." ... "For example, while Americans may understand "jihad" to mean "holy war," it is in fact a broader Islamic concept of the struggle to do good, says the guidance prepared for diplomats and other officials tasked with explaining the war on terror to the public. Similarly, "mujahedeen," which means those engaged in jihad, must be seen in its broader context." ... "U.S. [United States] officials may be "unintentionally portraying terrorists, who lack moral and religious legitimacy, as brave fighters, legitimate soldiers or spokesmen for ordinary Muslims," says a Homeland Security report. It's entitled "Terminology to Define the Terrorists: Recommendations from American Muslims."" ... ""Regarding 'jihad,' even if it is accurate to reference the term, it may not be strategic because it glamorizes terrorism, imbues terrorists with religious authority they do not have and damages relations with Muslims around the world," the report says." ... "Language is critical in the war on terror, says another document, an internal "official use only" memorandum circulating through Washington entitled "Words that Work and Words that Don't: A Guide for Counterterrorism Communication."" ... "The memo, originally prepared in March by the Extremist Messaging Branch at the National Counter Terrorism Center, was approved for diplomatic use this week by the State Department, which plans to distribute a version to all U.S. embassies, officials said." ... ""It's not what you say but what they hear," the memo says in bold italic lettering, listing 14 points about how to better present the war on terrorism." -By Matthew Lee -AP via -SeattleTimes

- John McCain - Prison - Labor - Alabama - Police - Politics - 2008 Election
"McCain campaign gets almost 80% off on Homewood gathering space, plus free labor from Homewood Jail inmates." ... "[2008 Election] Republican presidential candidate John McCain got a deal when his campaign rented gathering space from the city of Homewood [Alabama] for a private fundraiser earlier this week." ... "His campaign was given a discount of about 80 percent off the standard booking rate for Rosewood Hall. In September, Jefferson County Democrats rented the same facility and were charged the full rate." ... "The McCain campaign was charged $250 to use two rooms in the hall, which normally would book for $1,200 on a weeknight. The campaign also was given free labor from Homewood City Jail inmates to set up tables and chairs for the event, avoiding a $100 set-up fee, but did pay a standard $50 cleaning fee." ... "Homewood Mayor Barry McCulley said the rental rate was discounted because the event was on Monday, a slow day for business. City Council members say they always vote on such discounts but didn't get a say in this deal. They're upset, as are local Democrats." ... "Homewood police Chief Phil Dodd said city jail inmates had never before set up at Rosewood Hall, but did so at the mayor's request." (1, 2) -By Kim Bryan with contributions by Hannah Wolfson -al.com

- Criminal - Torture - Secret - Military - Prison - Censored - Intelligence - Law - Politics - Federal - New York
"CIA Foresaw Interrogation Issues: Agency Considered Investigations 'Virtually Inevitable'." ... "The CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] concluded that criminal, administrative or civil investigations stemming from harsh interrogation tactics were "virtually inevitable," leading the agency to seek legal support from the Justice Department, according to a CIA official's statement in court documents filed yesterday." ... "The CIA said it had identified more than 7,000 pages of classified memos, e-mails and other records relating to its secret prison and interrogation program, but maintained that the materials cannot be released because they relate to, in part, communications between CIA and Justice Department attorneys or discussions with the [Republican President Bush] White House." ... "Nineteen of those documents were withheld from disclosure specifically because the Bush administration decided they are covered by a "presidential communications privilege," according to the filings, made in federal court in Manhattan [New York]. Some were "authored or solicited and received by the President's senior advisors in connection with a decision, or potential decision, to be made by the president."" ... "Although the precise content of the documents is unknown, the agency's statements illustrate the extent to which senior White House officials were involved in decision-making on CIA detentions, interrogations, and renditions, a term for forced transfers of prisoners." -By Dan Eggen with contributions by Julie Tate -WashingtonPost

- US - Iraq - Military - Family - Photographs - People - Media - Politics - Virginia
"What the Family Would Let You See, the Pentagon Obstructs." ... "[Lieutenant Colonel] Lt. Col. Billy Hall, one of the most senior officers to be killed in the Iraq war, was laid to rest yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery [Arlington, Virginia]. It's hard to escape the conclusion that the Pentagon doesn't want you to know that." ... "The family of 38-year-old Hall, who leaves behind two young daughters and two stepsons, gave their permission for the media to cover his Arlington burial -- a decision many grieving families make so that the nation will learn about their loved ones' sacrifice. But the military had other ideas, and they arranged the Marine's burial yesterday so that no sound, and few images, would make it into the public domain." ... "That's a shame, because Hall's story is a moving reminder that the war in Iraq, forgotten by much of the nation, remains real and present for some. Among those unlikely to forget the war: 6-year-old Gladys and 3-year-old Tatianna. The rest of the nation, if it remembers Hall at all, will remember him as the 4,011th American service member to die in Iraq, give or take, and the 419th to be buried at Arlington. Gladys and Tatianna will remember him as Dad." ... "Journalists were held 50 yards from the service, separated from the mourning party by six or seven rows of graves, and staring into the sun and penned in by a yellow rope." ... "It had the feel of a throwback to Donald Rumsfeld's Pentagon, when the military cracked down on photographs of flag-draped caskets returning home from the war. Rumsfeld himself was exposed for failing to sign by hand the condolence letters he sent to the next of kin." -By Dana Milbank -WashingtonPost

- Military - Families - Financial - Law - Politics
"More U.S. troops battle foreclosure." ... "As the home foreclosure crisis sweeps across America, military and financial aid groups say they are hearing from a rising number of troops who say they are falling behind on their mortgage payments and struggling to keep their homes." ... ""The Army as a whole has seen an increase in soldiers and families seeking assistance for mortgage foreclosures," says Army [Lieutenant Colonel] Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb, an Army spokeswoman, citing data from branch legal offices trying to advise soldiers." ... "The VA and financial counseling services say they are hearing from more servicemembers fighting to stave off foreclosure. In the current crisis, 1.2 million foreclosures have occurred nationwide." ... "Troops have limited foreclosure protection under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Lenders can seek a court order to foreclose on a house, even if the soldier is in combat, federal housing records show." ... ""Anybody who's defending our nation should not be subject to this," says [California Democratic Representative] Rep. Bob Filner, a California Democrat who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He has sponsored legislation to address the problem. "Right now the VA home loan program is basically irrelevant to the crisis," Filner says." -By Gregg Zoroya -USATODAY

- Karl Rove - Corporate - Media - Politics - Network - US - Iraq - Military
"The Self-Loathing Liberal Media." ... "I've been thinking some more about [TIME-WARNER] CNN hiring [former Republican President Bush's spokesperson] Tony Snow as a commentator." ... "Coming in the wake of Newsweek's hiring of [Republican political operative] Karl Rove, and the New York Times' hiring of Bill Kristol, the mainstream media's embrace of these unabashed propagandists has revealed a self-loathing streak a mile wide." ... "What is it with these media outlets? Have they been so cowed by the Right's relentless branding of them as "liberal" that they feel compelled to show that they are not by sleeping with the enemy? And make no mistake, Rove, Kristol, and Snow are the enemies -- of honesty, truth, facts, reality, and the public's right to know. Anything." ... "Rove's commitment to deception is legendary. His entire career was built on it. Kristol is neoconservatism's crown prince. He was a prime mover in the push to invade Iraq, and his claims about the war's progress (or, rather, lack thereof) have been discredited again and again. His reward: a conservative slot on the Gray Lady's Op-Ed page. The Times might as well have given a weekly column to Jayson Blair." ... "Now CNN, the self-anointed "Most Trusted Name in News," has thrown its arms around Snow and handed him its international megaphone." ... "Are the cable network's execs all suffering from amnesia? Do they not remember the extremely distant relationship Snow had with the truth during his time as Bush's mouthpiece?" ... "Misinformation accomplished." ... "The fanatical right has put a modern media twist on Lenin: "Self-loathing liberals will hand us the microphone with which we will bludgeon them."" -By Arianna Huffington -HuffingtonPost.com

- Noteworthy - Government - EPA - Opinion - Science - Politics - Food - Drug - Oceanic - Atmospheric - Climate - Health - California - Investigation
"Hundreds of EPA Scientists Report Political Interference Over Last Five Years: UCS [Union of Concerned Scientists] calls for strengthened protections for federal scientists." ... "An investigation of the Environmental Protection Agency released today found that 889 of nearly 1,600 staff scientists reported that they experienced political interference in their work over the last five years. The study, by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), follows previous UCS investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and climate scientists at seven federal agencies, which also found significant administration manipulation of federal science." ... ""Our investigation found an agency in crisis," said Francesca Grifo, director of UCS's Scientific Integrity Program. "Nearly 900 EPA scientists reported political interference in their scientific work. That's 900 too many. Distorting science to accommodate a narrow political agenda threatens our environment, our health, and our democracy itself."" ... "The UCS report comes amidst a flurry of controversial activity swirling around the EPA. Congress is currently investigating administration interference in a new chemical toxicity review process as well as California's request to regulate tailpipe emissions. And in early May, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is expected to hold a hearing on political interference in the new EPA ground-level ozone pollution standard." ... "UCS's investigation revealed political interference is most pronounced in offices where scientists write regulations and at the National Center for Environmental Assessment, where scientists conduct risk assessments that could lead to strengthened regulations." ... ""The investigation shows researchers are generally continuing to do their work," said Dr. Grifo. "But their scientific findings are tossed aside when it comes time to write regulations."" ... "Nearly 100 scientists identified the [Republican President Bush's] White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the primary culprit." -UCSUSA.org

- Government - Environmental - Science - Politics - Human - Health - Law - Air - Ground - Water - Homes - Workplace - Industry - US - Global - Climate - Free Speech - Censorship
"Interference at the EPA: Science and Politics at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency." ... "The U.S. [United States] Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the simple yet profound charge "to protect human health and the environment."  EPA scientists apply their expertise to protect the public from air and water pollution, clean up hazardous waste, and study emerging threats such as global warming. Because each year brings new and potentially toxic chemicals into our homes and workplaces, because air pollution still threatens our public health, and because environmental challenges are becoming more complex and global, a strong and capable EPA is more important than ever." ... "Yet challenges from industry lobbyists and some political leaders to the agency's decisions have too often led to the suppression and distortion of the scientific findings underlying those decisions—to the detriment of both science and the health of our nation. While every regulatory agency must balance scientific findings with other considerations, policy makers need access to the highest-quality scientific information to make fully informed decisions." ... "Concern over this problem led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to investigate political interference in science at the EPA. The investigation combines dozens of interviews with current and former EPA staff, analysis of government documents, more than 1,600 responses to a survey sent to current EPA scientists, and written comments from EPA scientists." ... "The results of these investigations show an agency under siege from political pressures. On numerous issues—ranging from mercury pollution to groundwater contamination to climate change—political appointees have edited scientific documents, manipulated scientific assessments, and generally sought to undermine the science behind dozens of EPA regulations." ... "These findings highlight the need for strong reforms to protect EPA scientists, make agency decision making more transparent, and reduce politicization of the regulatory process. Congress, the next president, and the next EPA Administrator must restore independence and scientific integrity to the EPA by:"

• "   * Protecting EPA Scientists: Scientists should be free to report the distortion, manipulation, and suppression of their work without fear of retribution. Congress should pass a whistleblower law that includes protection for scientists. The EPA should adopt a communications policy that lets scientists speak freely to the press about their findings."
• "   * Making the EPA More Transparent: Too many decisions are made behind closed doors with little accountability. The EPA’s scientific findings should be freely available to the public. The EPA should open up its decision-making process to congressional and public scrutiny to help reveal misuses of science[.]"
• "    * Reforming the Regulatory Process: The White House should not change scientific findings in order to weaken, delay, or prevent new public protections."
• "    * Ensuring Robust Scientific Input to EPA's Decision Making: The EPA should review and strengthen how it uses the scientific expertise of its staff and external advisory committees to create policies—especially when scientific input is critical or required by law."
• "    * Depoliticizing Funding, Monitoring, and Enforcement: Problems with funding, monitoring and enforcement also need to be addressed by Congress and the next President to ensure that the EPA is the robust environmental agency that our country needs."

- Safety - Politics - I-35W Bridge Disaster - Investigation - Transportation - Construction - Minnesota
"Congressman, NTSB chairman clash on bridge investigation." ... "A Democratic congressman on Wednesday urged the National Transportation Safety Board to reverse its decision not to hold an interim public hearing on last year's deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis [Minnesota]." ... ""In the greater Minnesota area, there is huge skepticism about the objectivity of the board in conducting this inquiry," [Minnesota Democratic Represenative] Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn. [Democratic-Minnesota], told NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] chairman Mark Rosenker at a congressional hearing. "And I'm not asking you, I'm telling you, that a public hearing will dispel, go a long way to dispel, the questions raised and the lack of trust in the board's actions."" ... "The board's three Republicans, including Rosenker, voted against a public hearing, while the two Democratic board members voted to hold one." ... "Oberstar, the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said at a subcommittee hearing Wednesday that he's more concerned with a thorough investigation than a timely one." ... "A final cause on the [August] Aug. 1 bridge collapse, which killed 13 people and injured 145, won't be determined until later this year. But NTSB memos point to undersize steel plates and heavy loads of construction materials as the likely cause of the deadly collapse. In January, Rosenker called the undersized plates, known as gusset plates, "the critical factor" in the bridge collapse." ... "That early pronouncement has angered some Democrats, especially Oberstar, who has argued that it could commit the board to conclusions that will be difficult to change in light of further investigation. Meanwhile, the state's Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty, has viewed it as some vindication because the initial focus by critics had been on maintenance and upkeep." -By Frederic J. Frommer -AP via -SeattleTimes

- John McCain - Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton -Working - Women - Families - Poverty - Homes - Gasoline - Groceries - Corporate - Politics - Arizona - Nev - Illinois - New York - New Orleans -Louisiana - 2008 Election
"McCain opposes equal pay bill in Senate." ... "Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate and Arizona] Sen. John McCain, campaigning through poverty-stricken cities and towns, said Wednesday he opposes a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits." ... "Senate Republicans killed the bill Wednesday night on a 56-42 vote that denied the measure the 60 votes needed to advance it to full debate and a vote. [Nevada Democratic Representative and] Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.[Democratic-Nevada], had delayed the vote to give McCain's Democratic rivals, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Senators of New York and Illinois] Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, time to return to Washington to support the measure, which would make it easier for women to sue their employers for pay discrimination." ... "McCain skipped the vote to campaign in New Orleans [Louisiana]." ... ""Senator McCain has yet again fallen in line with President Bush while middle-class families are falling by the wayside," Clinton said in a statement following the vote. "Women are earning less, but Senator McCain is offering more of the same."" ... "Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Karen Finney said: "At a time when American families are struggling to keep their homes and jobs while paying more for everything from gasoline to groceries, how on Earth would anyone who thinks they can lead our country also think it's acceptable to oppose equal pay for America's mothers, wives and daughters?"" -By Libby Quaid -AP via -SeattlePI

- Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Workers - Pay - Legislation - Women - Minorities - 2008 Election
"Republicans block pay discrimination bill." ... "U.S. [United States] Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked legislation to reverse a Supreme Court ruling that makes it tougher for workers to sue for pay discrimination." ... "[2008 Election] Democratic presidential rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton interrupted their campaigns to return to the Senate to vote for the bill. The measure would lift tight time restraints to file claims that could expire before workers realize they were treated unfairly." ... "It is opposed by the [Republican President Bush] White House and business groups, which warn it would trigger an explosion of lawsuits and allow suits to be filed years and even decades after alleged offenses." ... "On average in the United States, women are paid about 23 percent less than men, while minorities receive even less -- despite laws that mandate equal pay for equal work." (1, 2) -By Thomas Ferraro with contributions by Richard Cowan and Peter Cooney -Reuters

- Mitch McConnell - Corporate - Politicians - Woman - Workers - Law - Kentucky
"Republicans Kill Fair Pay Bill." ... "[Kentucky Republican Senator] Mitch McConnell and company managed to torpedo a bill that would have undone the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision last year in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, which held that workers can't sue for ongoing pay discrimination if the statute of limitations has passed since their first discriminatory paycheck (even if, as in most cases, workers don't know at the time that they're being discriminated against). This demonstrates a rather breathtaking lack of empathy on the part of Senate Republicans, even by their usual standards: They're defending on the merits a situation in which if your company continually docks your pay because you're a woman, and you don't find out about it for several years, you can't sue to get your lost wages back." ... "Finally, this seems to me like a pretty clear abuse of the filibuster." -By Josh Patashnik -TNR.com

- Mary Peters - Covert - Language - Law - Politics - Greenhouse Gases - Clean Air Act - Environmental - Transportation - Auto - Makers - Fuel - Economy - San Francisco - California - Massachusetts - US - Global - Climate
"Bush fuel economy rules swipe at California." ... "When the [Republican President] Bush administration announced proposed regulations Tuesday to raise fuel economy standards for cars and trucks to 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015, even some environmentalists applauded. But then they read the fine print." ... "Tucked deep into a 417-page "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" was language by the Transportation Department stating that more stringent limits on tailpipe emissions embraced by California and 17 other states are "an obstacle to the accomplishment" of the new federal standards and are "expressly and impliedly preempted" by federal law." ... "California Attorney General Jerry Brown called it a covert assault on California's rules. Environmentalists said the language will be used by automakers in their legal challenges to two recent federal court rulings that sided with the states." ... "The language showed that beneath the bipartisan veneer of support for new fuel economy standards - approved by [the Democratic controlled] Congress and signed by [Republican] President Bush in December - the conflict is still raging between the White House and the states over who will set the nation's first limits on greenhouse gases." ... "Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who announced the proposed rules Tuesday, acknowledged that the preemption language was included in the document." ... "The Supreme Court ruled in the Massachusetts vs. EPA case last year that the Transportation Department's authority to set fuel economy standards should not impede other efforts under the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gases." ... "[California Democratic Representative and] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D[Democratic]-San Francisco [California], responded: "The administration is continuing to block climate change progress by asserting that California doesn't have the right to move forward with its own global warming regulations. That is completely unjustified."" -By Zachary Coile -SFGate.com

- Barack Obama - Hillary Rodham Clinton - Karl Rove -Terrorism - Politics - Osama bin Laden - Television - Ad - Money- History - Pennsylvania - Illinois - New York - Iran - Israel - US - Military - 2008 Election
"The Low Road to Victory." ... "The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it." ... "Voters are getting tired of it; it is demeaning the political process; and it does not work. It is past time for [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York] Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to acknowledge that the negativity, for which she is mostly responsible, does nothing but harm to her, her opponent, her party and the 2008 election." ... "If nothing else, self interest should push her in that direction. Mrs. Clinton did not get the big win in Pennsylvania that she needed to challenge the calculus of the Democratic race. It is true that [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama outspent her 2-to-1. But Mrs. Clinton and her advisers should mainly blame themselves, because, as the political operatives say, they went heavily negative and ended up squandering a good part of what was once a 20-point lead." ... "On the eve of this crucial primary, Mrs. Clinton became the first Democratic candidate to wave the bloody shirt of 9/11. A Clinton television ad — torn right from Karl Rove’s playbook — evoked the 1929 stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, the Cuban missile crisis, the cold war and the 9/11 attacks, complete with video of Osama bin Laden. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” the narrator intoned." ... "If that was supposed to bolster Mrs. Clinton’s argument that she is the better prepared to be president in a dangerous world, she sent the opposite message on Tuesday morning by declaring in an interview on ABC News that if Iran attacked Israel while she were president: “We would be able to totally obliterate them.”" -NYTimes

- Privacy - Politics - Drug - Enforcement - Virginia
"Supreme Court broadens police searches." ... "The Supreme Court offered unanimous support for police Wednesday by allowing drug evidence gathered after an arrest that violated [Virginia] state law to be used at trial, an important search-and-seizure case turning on the constitutional limits of "probable cause."" ... "The state had argued an arrest is constitutionally reasonable if officers have probable cause to believe a suspect has committed a crime. "This standard represents the best compromise between the needs of the citizens and the duty of the government to combat crime," Stephen McCullough, Virginia's deputy solicitor general, had told the high court." ... "But Moore's attorney, Thomas Goldstein, called an "extreme proposition" the idea that it would be reasonable "to go out and arrest someone for a non-arrestable offense and not only do that, but having committed that trespass at common law, to further search them."" -By Bill Mears -CNN

- John McCain - Ron Paul - Mike Huckabee - 2008 Election - Politics - Pennsylvania
"McCain Loses 27% of Pennsylvania Vote." ... "Pennsylvania had a Republican primary on Tuesday." ... "And more than 800,000 Pennsylvanians took Republican ballots. That's only about a third as many as voted in the Democratic primary, but its still a significant GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] turnout." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain finished with an uninspiring 73 percent of the vote Tuesday." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate Ron] Paul got 16 percent." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate Mike] Huckabee's non-candidacy took 11 percent." ... "When all the Republican votes were counted, more than 200,000 ended up in the columns of what can best be described as the Anybody-but-McCain candidates." -By John Nichols -TheNation.com

- John McCain - Corporate - Politics - Ohio - Factory - History - People - Poverty - 2008 Election
"McCain picks failing Ohio factory to laud free trade." ... "Standing before a nearly shuttered factory pocked with broken windows in a city devastated by the erosion of its industrial base, John McCain on Tuesday urged Americans to reject the "siren song of protectionism" and embrace free trade." ... "The hardships are all too real in Youngstown [Ohio]. The city has lost more than 40,000 jobs since its signature steel industry collapsed in the 1970s and '80s. Its population is less than half its peak of 170,000 in the 1950s. About 25 percent of those who remain live below the poverty line." ... ""It may be a photo op for John McCain but people in Youngstown and cities across America are really hurting from the Bush economy and are looking for real help," Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said. "McCain's only plan is to continue Bush's failed economic policies but the American people are saying enough is enough."" -By Matt Stearns -McClatchyDC.com

- KBR - Accounting - Politics - Government - Investigation - US - Military - Housing - Iraq - Afghanistan - World
"Ex-KBR Workers to Testify on Contract Fraud." ... "Two former KBR employees, Frank Cassaday and Linda Warren, are slated to testify before the Senate Democratic Policy Committee next Monday, according to the panel." ... "The two reportedly sued their former employer on behalf of the U.S. [United States] government, claiming KBR fraudulently boosted the number of soldiers using KBR-managed recreation facilities in an effort to inflate the fees it was paid." ... "Under a massive new Army logistics contract, KBR will be one of three firms to compete for as much as $150 billion in contracts to provide housing, laundry and other basic services in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world, the Army announced April 17." -ABCNEWS.com

- John McCain - Money - Politics - Military - Real Estate - Land - Lawsuit - California - Tucson - Arizona - Environment - 2008 Election
"A Developer, His Deals and His Ties to McCain." ... "Donald R. Diamond, a wealthy Arizona real estate developer [based in Tucson, Arizona], was racing to snap up a stretch of virgin California coast freed by the closing of an Army base a decade ago when he turned to an old friend, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona] Senator John McCain." ... "When Mr. Diamond wanted to buy land at the base, Fort Ord [in California], Mr. McCain assigned an aide who set up a meeting at the Pentagon and later stepped in again to help speed up the sale, according to people involved and a deposition Mr. Diamond gave for a related lawsuit. When he appealed to a nearby city for the right to develop other property at the former base, Mr. Diamond submitted Mr. McCain’s endorsement as “a close personal friend.”" ... "Writing to officials in the city, Seaside, Calif. [California], the senator said, “You will find him as honorable and committed as I have.”" ... "Courting local officials and potential partners, Mr. Diamond’s team promised that he could “help get through some of the red tape in dealing with the Department of the Army” because Mr. Diamond “has been very active with Senator McCain,” a partner said in a deposition." ... "A longtime political patron, Mr. Diamond is one of the elite fund-raisers Mr. McCain’s current presidential campaign calls Innovators, having raised more than $250,000 so far." ... "In California, the McCain aide’s assistance with the Army helped Mr. Diamond complete a purchase in 1999 that he soon turned over for a $20 million profit. And Mr. McCain’s letter of recommendation reinforced Mr. Diamond’s selling point about his McCain connections as he pursued — and won in 2005 — a potentially much more lucrative deal to develop a resort hotel and luxury housing." ... "In Arizona, Mr. McCain has helped Mr. Diamond with matters as small as forwarding a complaint in a regulatory skirmish over the endangered pygmy owl, and as large as introducing legislation remapping public lands. In 1991 and 1994, Mr. McCain sponsored two laws sought by Mr. Diamond that resulted in providing him millions of dollars and thousands of acres in exchange for adding some of his properties to national parks. The Arizona senator co-sponsored a third similar bill now before the Senate." ... "Mr. Diamond and his family have given more than $55,000 to Mr. McCain’s campaigns (and more than $600,000 to other federal candidates). More significantly, the developer has collected (or “bundled”) hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from others, and is now serving as a national co-chairman of the finance committee for Mr. McCain’s current presidential run." ... "Mr. Diamond is close to most of Arizona’s Congressional delegation and is candid about his expectations as a fund-raiser. “I want my money back, for Christ’s sake. Do you know how many cocktail parties I have to go to?”" ... "“Don Diamond has done very well through these land exchanges,” said Sandy Bahr, director of the Arizona chapter of the Sierra Club. “It is the public that got shortchanged.” " (1, 2, 3, 4) -By David D. Kirkpatrick and Jim Rutenberg with contributions by Kitty Bennett and Barclay Walsh -NYTimes

- John McCain - Accounting - Politics - Economics - History - 2008 Election - Arizona
"Stephanopoulos left unchallenged McCain's assertion that "every time you have cut capital gains taxes, revenues have increased"." ... "Summary: [DISNEY/ABC's] This Week's George Stephanopoulos did not challenge [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's assertion that "history shows every time you have cut capital gains taxes, revenues have increased -- going back to Jack Kennedy." Stephanopoulos did not note that, notwithstanding a potential short-term revenue increase, many economists have challenged the claim that revenue goes up over the long term as a result of capital gains tax rates being cut." ... "On the April 20 edition of ABC's This Week, host George Stephanopoulos did not challenge Sen. John McCain's assertion that "history shows every time you have cut capital gains taxes, revenues have increased -- going back to Jack Kennedy." McCain's claim echoed ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson's assertion, during the April 16 Democratic presidential debate, that "history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up." Additionally, during a panel discussion later on This Week, Washington Post columnist George F. Will asserted, "[I]t's true that when you raise capital gains taxes -- rates, you lower revenues from that." However, as Media Matters for America documented, notwithstanding a potential short-term revenue increase, many economists have challenged the claim that revenue goes up over the long term as a result of capital gains tax rates being cut. Indeed, the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimated in June 2006 that the 2006 extension of the 2003 cuts on capital gains taxes would result in decreased revenues of $20 billion over 10 years." ... "In a 2006 letter to Congress, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) stated, "In analyzing the relationship between capital gains tax rates and capital gains realizations, it is important to distinguish between the temporary and permanent effects of tax rate changes. Investors can generally choose when to realize their gains; if they believe that tax rates will change in the future, they may try to time their realizations to occur during a period with lower tax rates."" -By Eric H. Hananoki and Jenny Hoffman -MediaMatters.org

- Jack Abramoff - John Doolittle - Criminal - Money - Politics - Sports - Government - Texas - California
"Former Justice official pleads guilty in Abramoff probe." ... "The [Republican President Bush] Justice Department lost one of its own to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal Tuesday as a former high-ranking department attorney pleaded guilty to conflict of interest." ... "Robert E. Coughlin II admitted in federal court in Washington that he accepted meals, concert tickets and luxury seats at Redskins and Wizards games from a lobbyist while helping the lobbyist and his clients. He pleaded guilty to a single conflict-of-interest charge and faces up to 10 months in prison under a plea deal with the government." ... "The lobbyist is identified in court documents only as "Lobbyist A," but details make clear that he is Kevin Ring, a former member of Abramoff's lobbying team who also is under investigation." ... "Coughlin, now 36 and living in Texas, accepted the gifts from 2001 to 2003 while working on legislative affairs for the Justice Department. He later became deputy chief of staff of the department's criminal division - the same division handling the Abramoff probe - before he resigned a year ago, citing personal reasons." ... "Ring worked for [California Republican Representative John] Doolittle, who's retiring from Congress at the end of this year, before going to work for Abramoff." -By Erica Werner with contributions by Matt Apuzzo -AP via -Courier-Journal.com

- Corporate - Editorial - Politics - New York - US - Foreign
"Resignation tightens Murdoch's grip on the Journal." ... "Marcus Brauchli has resigned as managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, according to people familiar with the matter." ... "Mr Brauchli's departure comes just four months after the US financial newspaper and its parent company, Dow Jones, were taken over by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp in a $5bn deal." ... "Mr Brauchli, who joined the Journal in 1984 as a copy editor and served as a foreign correspondent in Asia, was appointed to the paper's top editorial job a year ago to replace Paul Steiger." ... "His resignation is expected to revive the debate about Mr Murdoch's stewardship of one of the world's most respected newspapers." ... "Many Journal reporters vehemently opposed Mr Murdoch's approach last year, arguing that the media mogul would tarnish the paper's reputation for journalistic integrity. Some even sent petitions to Dow Jones shareholders urging them to reject his $60-per-share offer." ... "Mr Murdoch, who long coveted the Journal, has also become a regular feature at the paper's lower Manhattan [New York] offices, according to people familiar with the matter, working diligently to put his stamp on the paper." ... "Some of his changes became apparent this week, including an expansion of the Journal's editorial page. Under Mr Murdoch, the paper also has been broadening its focus on political and lifestyle reporting." ... "That shift appears to be part of an effort to compete more directly with the New York Times for both readers and advertisers." ... "However, some critics have argued that those moves could also water down the paper's reputation for business and financial coverage and alienate its core readers." (1, 2) -By Joshua Chaffin -FT.com

- Consumer - Real Estate - History
"Regulator fears wave of bank failures." ... "US bank failures could rise above "historical norms" as a weakening economy puts pressure on badly underwritten loans, particularly in commercial real estate, according to a bank regulator." ... "In an interview with the Financial Times, John Dugan, who oversees about 1,700 national banks as comptroller of the currency, said the growing problems for lenders follow a period of almost four years in which no institution regulated by his agency had failed." ... "Mr Dugan's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is particularly worried about lending by smaller banks to commercial real estate developers for condominiums and other projects. More than a third of smaller community banks have made commercial property loans that exceed 300 per cent of their capital, the OCC [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency] says. By comparison, in 1987, when hundreds of banks failed amid a commercial property collapse, such banks had commercial property loans equal to 175 per cent of their capital." (1, 2) -By Daniel Pimlott, Krishna Guha and Joanna Chung -FT.com

- Smog - Science - Elderly - Children - Environmental - Safety - Government - Politics - Fuel - Industry - Clean Air - Law
"Scientists: Smog contributes to premature death." ... "Short-term exposure to smog, or ozone, is clearly linked to premature deaths that should be taken into account when measuring the health benefits of reducing air pollution, a National Academy of Sciences review concludes." ... "The findings contradict arguments made by some [Republican President Bush] White House officials that the connection between smog and premature death has not been shown sufficiently and that the number of saved lives should not be calculated in determining clean air benefits." ... "The report released Tuesday by a panel of the Academy's National Research Council says government agencies "should give little or no weight" to such arguments." ... ""The committee has concluded from its review of health-based evidence that short-term exposure to ambient ozone is likely to contribute to premature deaths," the 13-member panel said." ... "It added that "studies have yielded strong evidence that short-term exposure to ozone can exacerbate lung conditions, causing illness and hospitalization and can potentially lead to death."" ... "Ground-level ozone is formed from nitrogen oxide and organic compounds created by burning fossil fuels and is demonstrated often by the yellow haze or smog that lingers in the air. Ozone exposure is a leading cause of respiratory illnesses and especially affects the elderly, those with respiratory problems and children." -AP via -CNN

- Women's - Health - Science - Life-Expectancy - Washington
"Life Expectancy Drops for Some U.S. Women: Historic Reversal, Found in 1,000 Counties, May Be Result of Smoking and Obesity." ... "For the first time since the Spanish influenza of 1918, life expectancy is falling for a significant number of American women." ... "In nearly 1,000 counties that together are home to about 12 percent of the nation's women, life expectancy is now shorter than it was in the early 1980s, according to a study published today." ... ""I think this is a harbinger. This is not going to be isolated to this set of counties, is my guess," said Christopher J.L. Murray, a physician and epidemiologist at the University of Washington who led the study. It is being published in PLoS Medicine [PDF], an open-access journal of the Public Library of Science." ... "The study found a smaller decline, in far fewer places, in the life expectancy of men in this country. In all, longevity is declining for about 4 percent of males." ... "The phenomenon appears to be not only new but distinctly American." ... "Life expectancy is not a direct measure of how long people live. Instead, it is a prediction of how long the average person would live if the death rates at the time of his or her birth lasted a lifetime." ... "About 33 percent of women are now obese, compared with 31 percent of men. Extreme obesity is twice as common in women (7 percent) as in men (3 percent)." (1, 2) -By David Brown -WashingtonPost

- Corporate - Health Care - California - Woman
"Judge Awards Canceled Cancer Patient $9 Million." ... "A woman who had her medical coverage canceled as she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer has been awarded more than $9 million in a case against one of California's largest health insurers." ... "Patsy Bates, 52, a hairdresser from Gardena [California], had been left with more than $129,000 in unpaid medical bills when Health Net Inc. canceled her policy in 2004." ... "In fact, she was in the hospital getting prepped for surgery when she first learned Health Net was dropping her." ... "Some of the documents Health Net was forced to hand over revealed that senior analyst, Barbara Fowler, single-handedly dropped hundreds of policy holders like Bates from the rolls every year." ... "The shocker: the company awarded her bonuses based on how many policy holders she dropped." ... "The company called 2003 - the year Fowler dropped Patsy Bates - "a banner year" for her, for saving the company $6 million in what they call "unnecessary health care expenses."" -CBS4.com

- Don Young - Connie Mack - Money - Politics - Real Estate - Transportation - Construction - Florida - Alaska - History - Federal - Law - Investigation
"Q&A: Don Young and the Coconut Road controversy: EARMARK: $10 million put in 2005 highway spending bill is coming back to haunt him." ... "Last week, the U.S. [United States] Senate voted to ask the Justice Department to look into what happened in 2005 when Alaska's sole congressman earmarked $10 million in unasked-for money to study a highway interchange in southwest Florida." ... "The 64 to 28 vote was an unprecedented request on the part of the Senate for a federal inquiry into the actions of a member of the House of Representatives." ... "At the center of it all: Alaska [Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young, who acknowledged responsibility last week for the 2005 earmark, which shifted $10 million pledged to help widen Interstate 75 to the interchange study. If built, the interchange promised to benefit one of Young's campaign donors, a family friend whose real estate company owned property nearby. The earmark was one of thousands overseen by Young when he was responsible for pushing a multiyear highway spending bill through Congress." ... "Young has maintained that there was nothing wrong with what he did, and that the earmark was requested by the community." ... "But Young is already the subject of a federal investigation, and many questions remain about how the earmark showed up in the spending bill -- after the House and Senate had already voted on an alternative proposal." ... "The obscure Coconut Road earmark first came to the attention of transportation planners in Lee County, Fla. [Florida], in 2006, when they tried to figure out why they had received $10 million in federal money for a study of an intersection that wasn't on their list of transportation priorities." ... "The transportation board thought it was getting a $10 million earmark to go toward widening of Interstate 75. Instead, the money was earmarked to the study of an interchange that improves freeway access to land owned by real estate developer Daniel Aronoff." ... "In 2005, the Alaska Republican oversaw the multiyear transportation bill, a $286.4 billion spending plan for some of the biggest infrastructure projects across the U.S. (The bill also included $452 million for the Gravina Island and Knik Arm spans that came to be known as the bridges-to-nowhere.)" ... "Local newspapers, including the Naples Daily News, picked up on the controversy, and posed the question to Young, at the time the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In 2005, the Alaska Republican oversaw the multiyear transportation bill, a $286.4 billion spending plan for some of the biggest infrastructure projects across the U.S. (The bill also included $452 million for the Gravina Island and Knik Arm spans that came to be known as the bridges-to-nowhere.)" ... "Young refused to address the issue. The story failed to draw national attention until The New York Times wrote about it last spring. The article elaborated on the connections between the developers seeking the earmark and a 2005 campaign fundraiser Young attended in Bonita Springs, Fla., at the invitation of a local congressman, [Florida Republican Representative] Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla[Republican-Florida]. (The article also reported that when a Times reporter approached Young to speak to him about it, the congressman "responded with an obscene gesture.")" ... "Those donating money -- about $40,000 total -- to Young included Aronoff, whose family has long been friendly with Young. The earmark for the interchange study showed up not long after the fundraiser." -By Erika Bolstad -McClatchy via -ADN.com

- Elizabeth Edwards - John McCain - Government - Health Care - Politics - Drugs - Market - Occupations - Firefighting - Telecom - Arizona -2008 Election
"Elizabeth Edwards On Health Care: ‘This Is Not A Cheap Shot; It Is Potentially Life And Death’." ... [By Elizabeth Edwards:] "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain accused me of taking a “cheap shot” on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” yesterday for noting that people with preexisting conditions, such as he and I have, would not be able to get health care under his plan –- and that he perhaps was not as sensitive to this problem as he should be since he has been in government health care his whole life." ... "[Arizona Senator] Sen. McCain noted that he was not receiving government health care for the six years he was in captivity. That is true. But it has nothing to do with my point — which is that the problem with Sen. McCain’s health care plan is not how it affects us –- but how it affects the tens of millions of Americans with preexisting conditions who, unlike Sen. McCain and myself, do not have the resources to pay for quality health care." ... "That is not a cheap shot, it is a potentially life and death question for tens of million of Americans. And it is a question Sen. McCain must address." ... "McCain’s health care plan is centered around the idea that we’d be better off if more Americans bought health coverage on their own, rather than receiving it through a job or government program. But maybe since he has never purchased insurance in the individual market, he does not know the challenge it presents for Americans with preexisting conditions." ... "A recent study showed that nearly nine out of every ten people seeking individual coverage on the private insurance market never got it. Insurers will disqualify you for just taking certain medicines because of the possibility of future costs, including common drugs as Lipitor, Zocor, Nexium, and Advair. People who have had cancer are denied coverage and those who get cancer run the risk of simply being dropped by their insurer for any excuse that can be found. And insurers make it a practice to deny coverage to individuals in high risk occupations, such as firefighting, lumber work, telecom installation, and pretty much anything more risky than working in an office." -By Elizabeth Edwards -ThinkProgress.org /Wonk Room

- Corporate - Hackers -Manufacture - Electronics - Technology - California - Texas - US - Global - TV - Telecom - Media - Copyright - Enforcement - German - Canada - UK - Israeli - Intelligence - Spying
"Rupert Murdoch Firm Goes on Trial for Alleged Tech Sabotage." ... "Did a Rupert Murdoch company go too far and hire hackers to sabotage rivals and gain the top spot in the global pay-TV war?" ... "This is the question a jury will be facing in a spectacular five-year-old civil lawsuit that is finally being tried this month in California but which has, oddly, received little notice from U.S. [United States] media." ... "The case involves a colorful cast of characters that includes former intelligence agents, Canadian TV pirates, Bulgarian and German hackers, stolen e-mails and the mysterious suicide of a Berlin [Germany's capital] hacker who had been courted by the Murdoch company not long before his death." ... "On the hot spot is NDS Group, a UK-Israeli firm that makes smartcards for pay-TV systems like DirecTV. The company is a majority-owned subsidiary of Murdoch's News Corporation. The charges stem from 1997 when NDS is accused of cracking the encryption of rival NagraStar, which makes access cards and systems for EchoStar's Dish Network and other pay-TV services. Further, it’s alleged NDS then hired hackers to manufacture and distribute counterfeit NagraStar cards to pirates to steal Dish Network's programming for free." ... "NagraStar and one of its parent companies, EchoStar, are seeking about $101 million for damages for piracy, copyright infringement, misconduct and unfair competition. The list of witnesses in the case includes EchoStar's founder and CEO Charlie Ergen; several hackers and pirates; and Reuven Hazak, an Israeli who heads security for NDS and is a former deputy head of Shabak, or Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency (the equivalent of Britain's MI5)." ... "According to court documents, the scheme began to unravel in 2000 when law-enforcement agents in Texas seized suspicious packages containing CD and DVD players stuffed with more than $40,000 in cash. Parcels similar to this were being sent almost daily from Canada, via Texas, to a hacker in California named Christopher Tarnovsky, who was working for NDS as an engineer. The money was allegedly part of the conspiracy between Tarnovsky and NDS Group to sabotage NagraStar's cards." -By Kim Zetter -Wired

-Global - Planet - Oil - Food - Agriculture - Car - Economy - China
"Running Out of Planet to Exploit." ... "Last week, oil hit $117." ... "Food prices have also soared, as have the prices of basic metals. And the global surge in commodity prices is reviving a question we haven’t heard much since the 1970s: Will limited supplies of natural resources pose an obstacle to future world economic growth?" ... "How you answer this question depends largely on what you believe is driving the rise in resource prices. Broadly speaking, there are three competing views." ... "The first is that it’s mainly speculation — that investors, looking for high returns at a time of low interest rates, have piled into commodity futures, driving up prices." ... "The second view is that soaring resource prices do, in fact, have a basis in fundamentals — especially rapidly growing demand from newly meat-eating, car-driving Chinese — but that given time we’ll drill more wells, plant more acres, and increased supply will push prices right back down again." ... "The third view is that the era of cheap resources is over for good — that we’re running out of oil, running out of land to expand food production and generally running out of planet to exploit." ... "I find myself somewhere between the second and third views." ... "There are some very smart people — not least, George Soros — who believe that we’re in a commodities bubble (although Mr. Soros says that the bubble is still in its “growth phase”)." -By Paul Krugman -NYTimes

- Don Young - Abramoff - Bob Schaffer - Money - Politics - Mariana Islands - Chinese - Garment - Factory - Industry - Labor - Women - Abortion - Human Rights - Investigations - Government - Immigration - Law- History - US - Colorado - Alaska
"Records expose Young-Abramoff ties: MARIANA ISLANDS." ... "[Alaska Republican Represenative] Rep. Don Young has said he never allowed convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff to be an influential force over him in Congress." ... "But now a trove of old billing records from two of Abramoff's firms show that his team of lobbyists had more than 120 contacts with Young's personal and committee staffs over 25 months, including at least 10 with Young himself." ... "The available records cover a single Abramoff client, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. [United States] territory in the Pacific that Young oversaw when he chaired the House Resources Committee from 1995 to 2001." ... "The records show that one of the looming concerns of Abramoff and his fellow lobbyists at the time was a bill introduced by Young's fellow Alaskan, [Republican Senator] Sen. Frank Murkowski, to reform labor and immigration practices feeding the island's notorious Chinese-owned sweatshops. In 2000, Murkowski's bill passed the Senate unanimously, but Young stopped it cold in his committee, refusing to hold even a hearing." ... "Investigations by the government, media and human rights groups uncovered widespread abuses in the garment industry and among sex workers there starting in the mid-1990s, but Young asserted those investigations were bogus." ... "As a member of Young's Resources Committee, [Colorado Republican Representative and 2008 Election Colorado Senator Candidate Bob] Schaffer took a free trip to the Mariana Islands arranged by Abramoff's law firm, then played a central role in a 1989 committee hearing investigating Interior department officials in the [Democratic President Bill] Clinton administration who were trying to rein in the Saipan government [Saipan is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' capital]." ... "A growing number of reports spoke of near slave-labor conditions, with workers kept in sealed compounds, required to work seven days a week without overtime, and sometimes getting no paycheck at all. There were widespread reports of women coerced into getting abortions to keep their jobs. Some women hired abroad found themselves working not in garment factories at all, but sex clubs." -By Richard Mauer -ADN.com

- Corporate - Government - Psychological - Military - Intelligence - Television - Radio - Media - Politics - Classified - US- History - Guantánamo - Prison - Cuba - Human Rights - Justice -  - Iraq - Terrorism - Cheney - Gonzales
"Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand." ... "In the summer of 2005, the [Republican President] Bush administration confronted a fresh wave of criticism over Guantánamo Bay [US military prison in Cuba]. The detention center had just been branded “the gulag of our times” by Amnesty International, there were new allegations of abuse from United Nations human rights experts and calls were mounting for its closure." ... "The administration’s communications experts responded swiftly. Early one Friday morning, they put a group of retired military officers on one of the jets normally used by [Republican] Vice President Dick Cheney and flew them to Cuba for a carefully orchestrated tour of Guantánamo." ... "To the public, these men are members of a familiar fraternity, presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as “military analysts” whose long service has equipped them to give authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-[September]Sept. 11 world." ... "Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found." ... "The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air." ... "Those business relationships are hardly ever disclosed to the viewers, and sometimes not even to the networks themselves. But collectively, the men on the plane and several dozen other military analysts represent more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants. The companies include defense heavyweights, but also scores of smaller companies, all part of a vast assemblage of contractors scrambling for hundreds of billions in military business generated by the administration’s war on terror. It is a furious competition, one in which inside information and easy access to senior officials are highly prized." ... "Records and interviews show how the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks." ... "Analysts have been wooed in hundreds of private briefings with senior military leaders, including officials with significant influence over contracting and budget matters, records show. They have been taken on tours of Iraq and given access to classified intelligence. They have been briefed by officials from the White House, State Department and Justice Department, including Mr. Cheney, Alberto R. Gonzales and Stephen J. Hadley." ... "In turn, members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated. Some analysts acknowledge they suppressed doubts because they feared jeopardizing their access." ... "A few expressed regret for participating in what they regarded as an effort to dupe the American public with propaganda dressed as independent military analysis." ... "Many also shared with Mr. Bush’s national security team a belief that pessimistic war coverage broke the nation’s will to win in Vietnam, and there was a mutual resolve not to let that happen with this war." ... "This was a major theme, for example, with Paul E. Vallely, a Fox News analyst from 2001 to 2007. A retired Army general who had specialized in psychological warfare, Mr. Vallely co-authored a paper in 1980 that accused American news organizations of failing to defend the nation from “enemy” propaganda during Vietnam." ... "“We lost the war — not because we were outfought, but because we were out Psyoped,” he wrote. He urged a radically new approach to psychological operations in future wars — taking aim at not just foreign adversaries but domestic audiences, too. He called his approach “MindWar” — using network TV and radio to “strengthen our national will to victory.”" (1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, DOCUMENTS) -By David Barstow -NYTimes

- John McCain - Psychology - Politician - History - US - International- 2008 Election - Rick Renzi - New Hampshire - Virginia - Texas - Arizona
"McCain: A Question of Temperament." ... "Since the beginning of [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain's public life, the many witnesses to his temper have had strikingly different reactions to it. Some depict McCain, now the presumptive Republican nominee for president, as an erratic hothead incapable of staying cool in the face of what he views as either disloyalty to him or irrational opposition to his ideas. Others praise a firebrand who is resolute against the forces of greed and gutlessness." ... "Former senator Bob Smith, a New Hampshire Republican, expresses worries about McCain: "His temper would place this country at risk in international affairs, and the world perhaps in danger. In my mind, it should disqualify him."" ... "He [McCain] recalls in his writings how, as a toddler, he sometimes held his breath and fainted during moments of fury." ... "The nicknames hung on him at Episcopal [private High School in Alexandria, Virginia] mocked his hair-trigger feistiness: "Punk" and "McNasty."" ... "In 2007, during a heated closed-door discussion with Senate colleagues about the contentious immigration issue, he angrily shouted a profanity at a fellow Republican [Senator], John Cornyn of Texas, an incident that quickly found its way into headlines." ... "Reports recently surfaced of [Representative] Rep. Rick Renzi, an Arizona Republican, taking offense when McCain called him "boy" once too often during a 2006 meeting, a story that McCain aides confirm while playing down its importance." ... "[Former New Hampshire Republican Bob Smith] "I've witnessed a lot of his temper and outbursts," Smith said. "For me, some of this stuff is relevant. It raises questions about stability. . . . It's more than just temper. It's this need of his to show you that he's above you -- a sneering, condescending attitude. It's hurt his relationships in Congress. . . . I've seen it up-close."" (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) -By Michael Leahy -WashingtonPost
 
 

- Barack Obama - 2008 Election - Politics - Illinois - Pennsylvania - US - Military - Economy - Global - Planet
"Obama Draws Record Crowd in Philadelphia." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama drew what may be his biggest crowd yet here [in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] Friday. His campaign, quoting Frank Friel, director of security at the Independence Visitor Center, pegged the number at 35,000." ... "And Mr. Obama took the opportunity to declare his “independence” from the politics of the past — and from “the say-anything, do-anything politics that’s all about how to win and not about why we should.”" ... "Here are some excerpts from his speech, as prepared for delivery:"

"This is a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. Our economy is in recession…. [M]ost of all, we’ve lost faith that our leaders can or will do anything about this; we don’t believe that anyone in Washington is listening to us, or standing up for us, or fighting for us." ... "That’s why this election is our chance to declare our independence from the broken politics of Washington, the cynical politics that puts spin ahead of solutions and the special interests ahead of our interests; the politics that’s all about tearing each other down when what we need is to lift this country up."

- John McCain - Money - Accounting - Politics -  - Arizona - Illinois - New York - Obama - Clinton - 2008 Election
"CNN chart purporting to compare candidates' "wealth" omitted Cindy McCain, who is reportedly worth $100 million." ... "Summary: On [TIME WARNER/CNN TV show] The Situation Room, an on-screen chart showed [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's income to be significantly lower than that of [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidates and Senators from Illinois and New York] Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton when combined with the income of their spouses. However, the chart did not include any income earned by McCain's wife, Cindy. As Dana Bash reported moments earlier of Cindy McCain, "Some estimates actually put her worth at about $100 million."" ... "Earlier in the program, Bash compared the portion of McCain's income that he gave to charity with the portion given by the Clintons and Obamas -- without noting that McCain presumably benefits from his wife's wealth and from her income from her separate property, a figure that she has not released." -MediaMatters.org

- John McCain - Media - Accounting - Politics - Arizona - Massachusetts - 2004 Election - 2008 Election
"Several media outlets advanced comparison between Cindy McCain's and Teresa Heinz Kerry's release of tax info, ignoring key distinction." ... "Summary: Several media outlets have reported that [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's campaign justified refusing to release Cindy McCain's tax returns by citing [2004 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Massachusetts Senator] Sen. John Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, as "precedent." But they did not report that, in contrast with Cindy McCain, Heinz Kerry did release a part of her 2003 income tax return that showed "total income," which enabled The New York Times to analyze how she benefited from the [Republican President] Bush tax cuts. Such an analysis of how the McCains have benefited from the tax cuts -- which Sen. McCain supports extending permanently -- is not possible, based on the information his campaign has released on Cindy McCain's income." ... "These media reports, therefore, have advanced the McCain campaign's comparison between Cindy McCain's limited release of financial information and Heinz Kerry's, and in doing so, ignored a key distinction in the information they released: Unlike Heinz Kerry, Cindy McCain did not release sufficient information for the public to determine the extent to which she benefited from the tax cuts her husband supports extending." -MediaMatters.org

- Barack Obama - United States - Social Security - Health Care - Housing - Markets - Public Schools - Poverty - Race - Global - Climate - Law - Politics - 2008 Election
"[Robert Reich:] Obama for President." ... "I believe that Barack Obama should be elected President of the United States." ... "Although Hillary Clinton has offered solid and sensible policy proposals, Obama's strike me as even more so. His plans for reforming Social Security and health care have a better chance of succeeding. His approaches to the housing crisis and the failures of our financial markets are sounder than hers. His ideas for improving our public schools and confronting the problems of poverty and inequality are more coherent and compelling. He has put forward the more enlightened foreign policy and the more thoughtful plan for controlling global warming." ... "He also presents the best chance of creating a new politics in which citizens become active participants rather than cynical spectators. He has energized many who had given up on politics. He has engaged young people to an extent not seen in decades. He has spoken about the most difficult problems our society faces, such as race, without spinning or simplifying. He has rightly identified the armies of lawyers and lobbyists that have commandeered our democracy, and pointed the way toward taking it back." ... "Finally, he offers the best hope of transcending the boundaries of class, race, and nationality that have divided us. His life history exemplifies this, as do his writings and his record of public service. For these same reasons, he offers the best possibility of restoring America's moral authority in the world." -By Robert Reich

- John McCain - DEBT - Accounting - Politics - Government - Military - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - 2008 Election
"McCain's $3.3 Trillion Tax Cut, Budget Pledge at Odds (Update3)." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's plan to cut taxes and balance the budget wins praise from fellow Republicans. Economists and nonpartisan analysts say his numbers don't add up." ... "McCain's proposal, outlined April 15, would extend [Republican] President George W. Bush's tax cuts, reduce the top corporate rate, repeal the alternative minimum tax and double exemptions for dependents. Price: $3.3 trillion by the end of a President McCain's second term in 2017, according to figures from his campaign and the Treasury." ... "Robert Bixby, executive director of the Washington-based Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan group that advocates budget restraint, said ``the huge imbalance'' in McCain's plan ``is that the tax cuts are specific and large and the spending cuts are small and vague.''" ... "Once, McCain was a deficit hawk, Bixby said, but ``strange things happen when people run for president.''" ... "McCain's spending cuts, combined with increased revenue from economic growth, total $1.5 trillion over eight years, leaving a $1.8 trillion net increase to the national debt." ... "Two Washington research groups said McCain's plan would cost more. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated his tax cuts would total $5 trillion over a two-term presidency. The Tax Policy Center , run jointly by the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute, said they would cost at least $5.7 trillion." ... "McCain's plan doesn't address the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which now total more than $12 billion a month. [$144 billion per year over eight years is potentially $1.152 trillion of additional US debt.]" -By Ryan J. Donmoyer and Indira Lakshmanan -Bloomberg

- Mental - Health - PTSD - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - Military
"Nearly 1 In 5 Vets Reports Mental Problems: Study: 300,000 U.S. Troops Suffering From Depression, PTSD; 320,000 Have Brain Injuries." ... "The Department of Veterans Affairs said this month that its records show about 120,000 who served in the two wars [Iraq and Afghanistan] and are no longer in the military have been diagnosed with mental health problems. Of those, approximately 60,000 are suffering from PTSD, the VA said." ... "In December, CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier reported that veterans' advocates say symptoms of PTSD - from substance-abuse to rage to suicidal depression - are misdiagnosed or blamed on the troops themselves." ... "Veterans Affairs is responsible for care of service members after they have left the service, while the Defense Department covers active duty and reservist needs." -AP via -CBSNews

- Brain - Health - PTSD - Science - Money - Opinion - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - Military
"One In Five Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Suffer from PTSD or Major Depression." ... "Nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan — 300,000 in all — report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only slightly more than half have sought treatment, according to a new RAND Corporation study." ... "In addition, researchers found about 19 percent of returning service members report that they experienced a possible traumatic brain injury while deployed, with 7 percent reporting both a probable brain injury and current PTSD or major depression." ... "Many service members said they do not seek treatment for psychological illnesses because they fear it will harm their careers. But even among those who do seek help for PTSD or major depression, only about half receive treatment that researchers consider "minimally adequate" for their illnesses." ... "In the first analysis of its kind, researchers estimate that PTSD and depression among returning service members will cost the nation as much as $6.2 billion in the two years following deployment — an amount that includes both direct medical care and costs for lost productivity and suicide. Investing in more high-quality treatment could save close to $2 billion within two years by substantially reducing those indirect costs, the 500-page study concludes." ... ""There is a major health crisis facing those men and women who have served our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Terri Tanielian, the project's co-leader and a researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "Unless they receive appropriate and effective care for these mental health conditions, there will be long-term consequences for them and for the nation. Unfortunately, we found there are many barriers preventing them from getting the high-quality treatment they need."" ... "The findings are from the first large-scale, nongovernmental assessment of the psychological and cognitive needs of military service members who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past six years. The RAND study is the first to comprehensively assess the current needs of returned service members from all branches of the military." ... "Researchers concluded that a major national effort is needed to expand and improve the capacity of the mental health system to provide effective care to service members and veterans. The effort must include the military, veteran and civilian health care systems, and should focus on training more providers to use high-quality, evidence-based treatment methods and encouraging service members and veterans to seek needed care." ... "Rates of PTSD and major depression were highest among Army soldiers and Marines, and among service members who were no longer on active duty (people in the reserves and those who had been discharged or retired from the military). Women, Hispanics and enlisted personnel all were more likely to report symptoms of PTSD and major depressions, but the single best predictor of PTSD and depression was exposure to combat trauma while deployed." ... "Researchers found many treatment gaps exist for those with PTSD and depression. Just 53 percent of service members with PTSD or depression sought help from a provider over the past year, and of those who sought care, roughly half got minimally adequate treatment." ... ""If PTSD and depression go untreated or are under treated, there is a cascading set of consequences," Jaycox said. "Drug use, suicide, marital problems and unemployment are some of the consequences. There will be a bigger societal impact if these service members go untreated. The consequences are not good for the individuals or society in general."" ... "Service members report many reasons for not seeking treatment. Many are worried about the side effects of medication or believe that family and friends can provide more help than a mental health professional. Even more reported that they worried seeking care might damage their career or cause their peers to lose confidence in their abilities." ... "The RAND report recommends the military create a system that would allow service members to receive mental health services confidentially in order to ease concerns about negative career repercussions." ... ""We need to remove the institutional cultural barriers that discourage soldiers from seeking care," Tanielian said. "Just because someone is getting mental health care does not mean that they are not able to do their job. Seeking mental health treatment should be seen as a sign of strength and interest in getting better, not a weakness. People need to get help as early as possible, not only once their symptoms become severe and disabling."" ... "Researchers also found an urgent need to train more mental health providers throughout the U.S. health care system on delivering evidence-based treatments to service members and veterans. While many opportunities for treatment exist for active-duty personnel, there is no system in place to monitor the quality of those services to ensure they are getting the latest science-based forms of treatment." -Rand.org

- Psychological - Health - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Science - Monograph - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - Military
"Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery." ... " Since October 2001, approximately 1.64 million U.S. troops have been deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) in Afghanistan and Iraq. Early evidence suggests that the psychological toll of these deployments — many involving prolonged exposure to combat-related stress over multiple rotations — may be disproportionately high compared with the physical injuries of combat. In the face of mounting public concern over post-deployment health care issues confronting OEF/OIF veterans, several task forces, independent review groups, and a Presidential Commission have been convened to examine the care of the war wounded and make recommendations. Concerns have been most recently centered on two combat-related injuries in particular: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. With the increasing incidence of suicide and suicide attempts among returning veterans, concern about depression is also on the rise." ... " The study discussed in this monograph focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury, not only because of current high-level policy interest but also because, unlike the physical wounds of war, these conditions are often invisible to the eye, remaining invisible to other servicemembers, family members, and society in general. All three conditions affect mood, thoughts, and behavior; yet these wounds often go unrecognized and unacknowledged. The effect of traumatic brain injury is still poorly understood, leaving a large gap in knowledge related to how extensive the problem is or how to address it." ... [full 499 page monograph available at Rand] "Not only is a higher proportion of the armed forces being deployed,but deployments have been longer,redeployment to combat has been common,and breaks between deployments have been infrequent (Hosek,Kavanagh,and Miller,2006). At the same time,episodes of intense combat notwithstanding,these operations have employed smaller forces and have produced casualty rates of killed or wounded that are historically lower than in earlier prolonged wars,such as Vietnam and Korea.Advances in both medical technology and body armor mean that more servicemembers are surviving experiences that would have led to death in prior wars (Regan,2004;Warden,2006). However,casualties of a different kind are beginning to emerge —invisible wounds,such as mental health conditions and cognitive impairments resulting from deployment experiences.These deployment experiences may include multiple deployments per individual service member and exposure to di ?cult threats,such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs)." ... "As with safeguarding physical health,safeguarding mental health is an integral component of the United States ’ national responsibilities to recruit,,prepare,and sustain a military force and to address Service-connected injuries and disabilities.But safeguarding mental health is also critical for compensating and honoring those who have served our nation." -Edited by Terri Tanielian and Lisa H. Jaycox -Rand.org

- US - Iraq - Iran - Military - Intelligence - Terrorism - Politics
"Pentagon institute calls Iraq war 'a major debacle' with outcome 'in doubt'." ... "The war in Iraq has become "a major debacle" and the outcome "is in doubt" despite improvements in security from the buildup in U.S. [United States] forces, according to a highly critical study published Thursday by the Pentagon's premier military educational institute." ... "The report released by the National Defense University raises fresh doubts about [Republican] President Bush's projections of a U.S. victory in Iraq just a week after Bush announced that he was suspending U.S. troop reductions." ... "The report carries considerable weight because it was written by Joseph Collins, a former senior Pentagon official, and was based in part on interviews with other former senior defense and intelligence officials who played roles in prewar preparations." ... "It was published by the university's National Institute for Strategic Studies, a Defense Department research center." ... ""Measured in blood and treasure, the war in Iraq has achieved the status of a major war and a major debacle," says the report's opening line." ... "The report said that the United States has suffered serious political costs, with its standing in the world seriously diminished. Moreover, operations in Iraq have diverted "manpower, materiel and the attention of decision-makers" from "all other efforts in the war on terror" and severely strained the U.S. armed forces." ... ""Compounding all of these problems, our efforts there (in Iraq) were designed to enhance U.S. national security, but they have become, at least temporarily, an incubator for terrorism and have emboldened Iran to expand its influence throughout the Middle East," the report continued." -By Jonathan S. Landay and John Walcott -McClatchyDC.com

• "underestimation of the problems of occupying a fractious Muslim country the size of California"
• "ineffective civil and military plans for stability operations and reconstruction"
• "inadequate on-scene manpower and poor military reaction to rioting and looting in the immediate postconflict environment, which further encouraged lawlessness and insurgency"
• "provision of inadequate forces to occupy and secure Iraq, which encouraged the initiation and continuation of an insurgency"
• "slow civil and military reaction to the growing insurgency
• "problematic funding and contracting mechanisms that slowed services and basic reconstruction, both of which were a partial antidote to insurgency"
• "failure to make effective use of former Iraqi military forces, which, when coupled with de-Ba ’athification, alienated the Sunni minority"
• "slow and often ineffective development of new Iraqi security forces"
• "continuing inability to provide enough trained civilian officials, diplomats, and aid workers to conduct effective stabilization and reconstruction activities"
• "slow creation of an interim Iraqi authority that could have minimized the perception of occupation and enhanced the perception of liberation."

- Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Media - Politics - Corporate - Network -2008 Election - Pa
"In Pa. Debate, The Clear Loser Is ABC." ... "When [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidates] Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates' debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news -- in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia [Pennsylvania] and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances." ... "For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with." ... "Obama was right on the money when he complained about the campaign being bogged down in media-driven inanities and obsessiveness over any misstatement a candidate might make along the way, whether in a speech or while being eavesdropped upon by the opposition. The tactic has been to "take one statement and beat it to death," he said." ... "At the end, Gibson pompously thanked the candidates -- or was he really patting himself on the back? -- for "what I think has been a fascinating debate." He's entitled to his opinion, but the most fascinating aspect was waiting to see how low he and Stephanopoulos would go, and then being appalled at the answer." -By Tom Shales -WashingtonPost

-  -  - Media - Politics - Corporate - Network - 2008 Election -  -  -  -  - Torture -  - Human Rights -  - Consumer -  -  - Safety -  -  -  - Death Penalty
"Okay, Now I'm Bitter." [Mary Mapes on what DISNEY/ABC didn't cover in the 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate debate in Pennsylvania with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama] ... "In Iraq, we've seen a rebound in suicide bombings and gotten the disquieting information that Iraqi soldiers have been fleeing the battlefield in frightening numbers." ... "Americans learned that detailed discussions of torture techniques had been held in the [Republican President] White House -- our White House -- and President Bush revealed that he knew this and approved." ... "[Home] Foreclosure rates have spiked to frightening levels." ... "U.S. [United States] shoppers were told that food prices in this country are rising at a higher pace than at any time in the past 17 years." ... "The airline industry floundered through dreadful days of groundings, amidst safety concerns, economic ailments and passenger anger." ... "Oil prices are setting new records almost every day and $4 a gallon gas is coming soon to a service station near you." ... "The anguish over China's human rights record and its handling of Tibet turned the Olympic torch relay into a cross between Spain's Running of the Bulls and 3rd grade keep-away." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain, acting like a mean old man trying to chase those pesky voters off his lawn, refused to endorse a new GI bill that would help those currently serving our country get a college education." ... "The Supreme Court issued a fractured opinion on the death penalty that for the first time in years raises the real possibility of a national debate on the value and morality of the ultimate punishment." ... "And we are in the middle of what is clearly the most important, most consequential election of my lifetime -- and I'm no spring chicken." ... "Instead, I sat in front of my TV open-mouthed, listening to a hodgepodge of juvenile questions about flag jewelry, the possibility of a "dream" ticket, elderly radicals, Charlie Gibson's personal tax concerns and ministers who emote too much. What, no time for a question about Cindy McCain's purloined pork chop recipe?" -By Mary Mapes -HuffingtonPost.com

- Global - Climate - Coal - Plant - Greenhouse Gas - Science - Politics
"Bush Announces Greenhouse Gas Strategy -- Surprise! It's Bad." ... "[Republican] President Bush delivered a speech today in which he outlined a new strategy to "effectively combat climate change." Unfortunately, on my initial read of excerpts from his speech, it seems deeply, deeply flawed." ... "Bush is finally publicly admitting that emissions should be curbed because they affect the climate. That's fine, but his proposed response doesn't logically follow from that statement of fact. If you think the greenhouse gas emissions are a problem, then you should craft a solution that reduces them. But Bush, instead, is suggesting that no mandatory caps be put in place, that no specific targets be fixed in the near term, and that no moratorium be called on coal plant production." ... "Essentially, he just says, let's wait ten years and then do something." -By Alexis Madrigal -Wired

- Barack Obama - Music - Entertainer - Politics - Military - Economic - Racial - Justice - Environment - Illinois - 2008 Election
"Dear Friends and Fans [Bruce Springsteen endorses Barack Obama for President]:" ... "LIke most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest." ... "He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."" ... "At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams From My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment." ... "After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans." ... "Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President." -By Bruce Springsteen

- John McCain - Osama bin Laden - Terrorism - 2008 Election - Arizona - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - Military - Politics
"McCain reveals confusion over Petraeus role." ... "[2008 Election] Republican presidential candidate [Senator] Sen. John McCain of Arizona may not have been paying the closest of attention last week during hearings on the [Republican President] Bush administration’s Iraq policy." ... "Speaking Monday at the annual meeting of the Associated Press, McCain was asked whether he, if elected, would shift combat troops from Iraq to Afghanistan to intensify the search for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden." ... "“I would not do that unless Gen. [David] Petraeus said that he felt that the situation called for that,” McCain said, referring to the top U.S. [United States] commander in Iraq." ... "Petraeus, however, made clear last week that he has nothing to do with the decision. Testifying last week before four congressional committees, including the Senate Armed Services Committee on which McCain is the ranking Republican, Petraeus said the decision about whether troops could be shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan was not his responsibility because his portfolio is limited to the multi-national force in Iraq." ... "Decisions about Afghanistan would be made by others, he said." ... "“I’ve been sort of focused on another task,” Petraeus said when pressed about whether more troops should be diverted to Afghanistan rather than Iraq." -By Rick Maze -ArmyTimes.com

- Barack Obama - John McCain - Corporate - Network - Sports - Politics - Illinois - Arizona - 2008 Election
"Barack Obama is game, ESPN isn't." ... "At the last minute, [DISNEY/ABC/ESPN] network executives killed a podcast with the senator [of Illinois, Barack Obama, 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate,] that was scheduled for Friday with host Bill Simmons." ... "The presidential candidate was all ready to do it." ... ""Senator Obama would be happy to appear on ESPN at any time," said his spokesman, Tommy Vietor." ... "It's not the first time the sports network has canceled an appearance by the Democratic front-runner. According to a campaign source, a television interview set up with host Stu Scott was canceled by higher-ups as well." ... "Griped one source, "They landed the hottest politician in 50 years, and they couldn't even see the interview through? This is insanity."" ... "It's of interest that ESPN president George Bodenheimer has supported Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's presidential bid with a donation of $1,000." -NYDailyNews.com

- Consumer - Economy - Nevada - California - Florida
"Foreclosures jump 57 percent in last 12 months." ... "Home foreclosure filings surged 57 percent in the 12 month-period ended in March and bank repossessions soared 129 percent from a year ago, as homeowners struggled to make mortgage payments, real estate data firm RealtyTrac said on Tuesday." ... "For the month of March, foreclosure filings, default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions rose 5 percent, led by Nevada, California and Florida, RealtyTrac said." ... "The rise in March to filings on a total of 234,685 properties followed a 4 percent decline in February, RealtyTrac reported." ... "RealtyTrac said the peak has yet to be reached." (1, 2, 3) -By Lynn Adler with contributions by Leslie Adler -Reuters

- Media - Opinion - Dick Cheney - Torture - War Crimes - Criminal - Government - Military - Intelligence - Law - US - International - Politics
"Bush OK'd Torture Meetings." ... "[Republican] President Bush says he was aware that his top aides met in the White House basement to micromanage the application of waterboarding and other widely-condemned interrogation techniques. And he says it was no big deal." ... ""I'm aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved," Bush told ABC News' Martha Raddatz on Friday. "I don't know what's new about that; I'm not so sure what's so startling about that."" ... "It's true that it has been widely assumed and occasionally reported that the CIA's [Central Intelligence Agency's] use of brutal interrogation techniques could be traced back to the White House on a general level. But it was most definitely new last week when ABC News reported that a group of Bush's top aides, including [Republican] Vice President Cheney, took part in meetings where they explicitly discussed and approved -- literally blow by blow -- tactics such as waterboarding. And while Bush has previously defended these tactics -- vaguely, and insisting against all evidence that they did not amount to torture -- he had not, until now, acknowledged that he personally OK'd them beforehand." ... "If you consider what the government did to be torture, which is a crime according to U.S. [United States] and international law, Bush's statement shifts his role from being an accessory after the fact to being part of a conspiracy to commit." ... "The mainstream media by and large seem to agree with Bush that the ABC News Report wasn't so startling, and they have given Bush's remarks almost no coverage. There was no mention of Bush's admission in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or the Los Angeles Times. There was nothing on the major wire services. And nothing on CNN, CBS or NBC." (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) -By Dan Froomkin -WashingtonPost

- Barack Obama - Law - Enforcement - Torture - Politics - 2008 Election
"Obama would ask his AG to “immediately review” potential of crimes in Bush White House." ... "Tonight I had an opportunity to ask [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama a question that is on the minds of many Americans, yet rarely rises to the surface in the great ruckus of the 2008 presidential race -- and that is whether an Obama administration would seek to prosecute officials of a former [Republican President] Bush administration on the revelations that they greenlighted torture, or for other potential crimes that took place in the White House." ... "Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to "immediately review the information that's already there" and determine if an inquiry is warranted -- but he also tread carefully on the issue, in line with his reputation for seeking to bridge the partisan divide. He worried that such a probe could be spun as "a partisan witch hunt." However, he said that equation changes if there was willful criminality, because "nobody is above the law."" ... "Here's his answer, in its entirety:"

"What I would want to do is to have my Justice Department and my Attorney General immediately review the information that's already there and to find out are there inquiries that need to be pursued. I can't prejudge that because we don't have access to all the material right now. I think that you are right, if crimes have been committed, they should be investigated. You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve." ... "So this is an area where I would want to exercise judgment -- I would want to find out directly from my Attorney General -- having pursued, having looked at what's out there right now -- are there possibilities of genuine crimes as opposed to really bad policies. And I think it's important-- one of the things we've got to figure out in our political culture generally is distinguishing betyween really dumb policies and policies that rise to the level of criminal activity. You know, I often get questions about impeachment at town hall meetings and I've said that is not something I think would be fruitful to pursue because I think that impeachment is something that should be reserved for exceptional circumstances. Now, if I found out that there were high officials who knowingly, consciously broke existing laws, engaged in coverups of those crimes with knowledge forefront, then I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law -- and I think that's roughly how I would look at it."

- China - Military - Police - Terrorism - Religious - Censorship - Oil - Sports - Human Rights
"As world watches Tibet, China's Muslim Uighurs face growing repression." ... "Almost unnoticed amid the wide-scale protests by Tibetans over the past month is the social unrest among the 8 million or so Muslim Uighurs in China's resource-rich far western territory." ... "Recently, hundreds of Muslim women in black veils gathered outside the market in this oasis city [Khotan, China] in an impromptu protest. Some carried signs demanding an independent state." ... ""I saw the demonstration myself. There were 500 to 700 women in black, waving placards for East Turkestan," said Wu Jiangliang, a hydroelectric company employee." ... "China handled the unrest forcefully, ensuring the stability of a region rich in oil, coal and minerals. Police moved quickly to quell the March 23 protest, arresting numerous women and shooing others away. It drew only minor notice." ... "China also has broken up what it said were two terrorist rings that intended to disrupt the Beijing [China's capital] Summer Olympic Games and thwarted what it said was a terrorist attempt last month on a commercial airliner." ... "But as state officials employed a firm hand against restive Uighurs, pronounced WEE-gers, they also publicly demonized those behind the social unrest. Critics now say that while the state has stabilized ethnic areas, the harsh language may exacerbate tensions." ... ""The problem is that China's policies are alienating," said Nicholas Bequelin, a Hong Kong-based researcher for Human Rights Watch, an advocacy group. "They are efficient in that political repression works. But they increase ethnic tensions."" -By Tim Johnson -McClatchyDC.com

- Emergency - Economy - Politics - Haiti - Bangladesh - Egypt - United States - World - Poor - People - Historical - - Children - Health - Mind
"Riots, instability spread as food prices skyrocket." ... "Riots from Haiti to Bangladesh to Egypt over the soaring costs of basic foods have brought the issue to a boiling point and catapulted it to the forefront of the world's attention, the head of an agency focused on global development said Monday." ... ""This is the world's big story," said Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute." ... ""The finance ministers were in shock, almost in panic this weekend," he said on CNN's "American Morning," in a reference to top economic officials who gathered in Washington. "There are riots all over the world in the poor countries ... and, of course, our own poor are feeling it in the United States."" ... "World Bank President Robert Zoellick has said the surging costs could mean "seven lost years" in the fight against worldwide poverty." ... ""The international community must fill the at least $500 million food gap identified by the U.N.'s [United Nations] World Food Programme to meet emergency needs," he said. "Governments should be able to come up with this assistance and come up with it now."" ... ""In just two months," Zoellick said in his speech, "rice prices have skyrocketed to near historical levels, rising by around 75 percent globally and more in some markets, with more likely to come. In Bangladesh, a 2-kilogram bag of rice ... now consumes about half of the daily income of a poor family."" ... "The price of wheat has jumped 120 percent in the past year, he said -- meaning that the price of a loaf of bread has more than doubled in places where the poor spend as much as 75 percent of their income on food." ... ""This is not just about meals forgone today or about increasing social unrest. This is about lost learning potential for children and adults in the future, stunted intellectual and physical growth," Zoellick said."-CNN

-Consumer - Money - History - Poor - Families - Agriculture
"Food Costs Rising Fastest in 17 Years." ... "The U.S. [United States] is wrestling with the worst food inflation in 17 years, and analysts expect new data due on Wednesday to show it's getting worse. That's putting the squeeze on poor families and forcing bakeries, bagel shops and delis to explain price increases to their customers." ... "U.S. food prices rose 4 percent in 2007, compared with an average 2.5 percent annual rise for the last 15 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And the agency says 2008 could be worse, with a rise of as much as 4.5 percent." ... "Eggs cost 25 percent more in February than they did a year ago, according to the USDA [United States Department of Agriculture]. Milk and other dairy products jumped 13 percent, chicken and other poultry nearly 7 percent." -By Ellen Simon -AP via -SFGate.com

- Barack Obama - 2008 Election - Politics - Kentucky - Racist
"G.O.P. Rep. Refers to Obama as ‘That Boy’." ... "[Kentucky Republican Represenative Geoff Davis on 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama:] “I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button,” Mr. Davis said." ... "Once the “boy” remarks began to circulate on the Internet, the Obama campaign moved swiftly to criticize them. “It’s hard to tell what is more outrageous - Representative Davis’s condescending and personal attack, or his absurd and offensive claim that Barack Obama is not prepared to defend America. Geoff Davis may hide behind offensive tough talk, but he has marched in lock-step with Bush-McCain policies that have devastated our national security, while Barack Obama has stood up against a misguided war in Iraq and worked with respected Republicans like Dick Lugar and Chuck Hagel to secure loose weapons and nuclear materials from terrorists,” Bill Burton, the campaign spokesman said." -By Kate Phillips -NYTimes

- Barack Obama - 2008 Election - Journalist -Politics
"AP Chairman Refers to "Obama bin Laden" -- In Posing Question to Barack Obama." ... "After addressing the journalists gathered at the annual Associated Press luncheon in Washington, D.C., today, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama, standing at the podium, took a few questions. The last one from the audience, delivered via AP chairman W. Dean Singleton, was related to Afghanistan, our troops in Iraq and the threat posed by, as Singleton put it, "Obama bin Laden."" ... "Obama quickly corrected Singleton. “That’s Osama bin Laden,” he said. The crowd laughed a bit. "If I did that, I am so sorry," Singleton replied." ... "Then Obama said, “This is part of what I have been going through for the past months, which is why it is impressive that I am still standing here.”" -By Joe Strupp -EditorAndPublisher.com

- Corporate - Politics - Illinois - Los Angeles - California - US - Global
"Murdoch, Zell Appointed to AP Board." ... "Rupert Murdoch [owner of News Corporation/Fox] and Sam Zell, two media figures who led major newspaper acquisitions in recent months, are among four new members joining the board of directors of The Associated Press, it was announced Monday at the news cooperative's annual meeting." ... "Murdoch completed his acquisition of Dow Jones & Co. last December, adding The Wall Street Journal to his global media conglomerate." ... "The same month, Zell took control of Tribune Co. after leading a buyout that resulted in the publicly traded company becoming private. The company owns the Chicago Tribune [Chicago, Illinois], the Los Angeles [Los Angeles, California] Times, nine other daily newspapers and 23 television stations." -AP via -HuffingtonPost.com

- John McCain - Criminal - Abortion - Women - Medical - Law - Parent - Federal - Money - Gay - US - Iraq - Military - 2008 Election
"McCain: More Conservative Than His Image." ... "The likely Republican presidential nominee is much more conservative than voters appear to realize. [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain leans to the right on issue after issue, not just on the Iraq war but also on abortion, gay rights, gun control and other issues that matter to his party's social conservatives." ... "_Abortion. McCain promises to appoint judges who, in the mold of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, are likely to limit the reach of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. McCain's record is not spotless on abortion: He said once, in 1999, that Roe v. Wade should not be overturned." ... "But that was an aberration in an otherwise unbroken record of opposing abortion rights for women. McCain voted repeatedly to ban federal funding for abortion; he once voted against Medicaid funds for abortion even in cases of rape or incest." ... "He voted to require parental consent for abortion and voted to criminalize anyone but a parent crossing state lines with a minor to help get an abortion. McCain also supported a ban preventing women in the military from getting abortions with their own money at overseas military hospitals." ... ""I am pro-life and an advocate for the rights of man everywhere in the world," McCain told the Conservative Political Action Conference in February. "Because to be denied liberty is an offense to nature and nature's Creator."" (1, 2) -By Libby Quaid -AP via -WTOPnews.com

- Alphonso Jackson - Money - Politics - Government - Law - Enforcement - New Orleans - Louisiana - Virgin Islands
"Housing chief ignored looming crisis." ... "In late 2006, as economists warned of an imminent housing-market collapse, [Republican President Bush's] housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson repeatedly insisted that the mounting wave of mortgage failures was a short-term "correction."" ... "He pushed for legislation that would make it easier for federally backed lenders to make loans to risky borrowers. He issued a rule that was criticized by law enforcement because it could increase the difficulty of detecting and proving mortgage fraud." ... "As Jackson leaves office this week, much of the attention on his tenure has been focused on investigations into whether his agency directed housing contracts to friends and political allies. But critics say an equally significant legacy of his four years as the top housing officer was gross inattention to the looming housing crisis." ... "They contend that Jackson ignored warnings from within his agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, whose inspector general told Congress that some of the secretary's efforts were "ill-advised policy" and likely to put more families at risk." ... "During Jackson's tenure, foreclosures for loans insured by HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) have risen and default rates have hit a record high." ... "A federal grand jury is investigating whether he lied to Congress about his involvement in contracts and whether he steered millions of dollars in government work at the Virgin Islands and New Orleans [Louisiana] housing authorities to friends." -By Carol D. Leonnig contributed to by Julie Tate -WashingtonPost via -SeattleTimes

-Secret - Jack Abramoff - Bob Schaffer - Money - Politician - Travel - Garment - Factories - Lawmaker - History - Colo - California - American - Northern Mariana Islands - Labor - Investigations
"Schaffer, lobbyist strategies meshed: The Coloradan's acts align with an Abramoff plot; he denies any link." ... "In early 1998, now-jailed [Republican] lobbyist Jack Abramoff sent a secret memo to a textile tycoon on the Northern Mariana Islands, an American protectorate whose garment factories had been heavily criticized for squalid working conditions and abusive labor practices." ... "The lobbying plan focused on using congressional oversight hearings to change the subject from factory conditions to political shenanigans by the [Democratic President] Clinton administration. Abramoff's lobbying team would prepare questions and "factual backup" for friendly lawmakers. Trips to the island for congressmen and staff would be a key tool to "build permanent friends," the memo said." ... "The linchpin would be an attack on the Interior Department's Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), which was the lead agency pushing for reform." ... "Twenty months later, Republicans on the House Resources Committee, including [Colorado Republican Representative] Rep. Bob Schaffer, R-Colo., turned what was supposed to be an oversight hearing into an attack on OIA officials, suggesting that federal employees were paying workers to protest and providing them signs, cars and other resources." ... "Schaffer was one of the key players in the hearing, grilling a young worker who had been called before the committee to talk about the desperate conditions faced by some laborers, suggesting instead that he was agitating in exchange for money and came to Washington to seek political asylum." ... "The hearing provides a key context for a trip to the islands that Schaffer had taken a month before, partly arranged by Abramoff's lobbying firm and now an issue in Schaffer's campaign for the U.S. [United States] Senate." ... "By the time Schaffer had flown to the islands with his wife the month before, the protectorate's textile industry had been the subject of dozens of government and journalistic investigations, which documented abuses including debt servitude, coerced abortions and squalid living conditions." ... "Preston-Gates, Abramoff's firm, made the travel arrangements for Schaffer's August 1999 trip, according to a memo to Schaffer from his staff. The $13,000 trip was paid for by the Orange County[California]-based Traditional Values Coalition, which later investigations showed was often used by Abramoff in his lobbying operations." -By Michael Riley -DenverPost.com

- John McCain - Corporate - Politics - Barack Obama - Labor - Justice - Churches - Illinois - Pennsylvania - 2008 Election
"It Takes Real Chutzpah for a Guy Who Owns Eight Houses (McCain) to Call Barack Obama an "Elitist"." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain doesn't lack "chutzpah." Yesterday his campaign actually accused [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama of being an "elitist" for saying that it's not surprising that people in small Midwestern towns are bitter after seeing their standard of living systematically destroyed over the last three decades." ... "Damn right they're bitter; they have good reasons to be. And most of those reasons are the economic and trade policies that have - and continue to be - championed by [Republicans] George Bush and John McCain." ... "The McCain campaign is managed by a cadre of Washington-insider special interest lobbyists. He and his current wife are estimated to be worth about $100 million. He reportedly owns eight houses. His let-them-eat-cake economic policies are based on George Bush's failed radical conservative "you're on your own buddy" philosophy. One after another he supported trade agreements that protect the rights of corporations, but ignore the rights of labor, and have devastated one Pennsylvania community after another. He gets most of his campaign cash from the wealthiest corporate interests around. And he has the gall to call Barack Obama an "elitist"?" ... "This is the same Barack Obama who spent years of his life organizing out-of-work steelworkers on the south side of Chicago [Illinois] - people just like those who live in Allentown [Pennsylvania] or Erie [Pennsylvania] or Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania] or the Monongehela Valley in western Pennsylvania. He stood shoulder to shoulder with them, sat at their kitchen tables, spent hours in their church basements." ... "He didn't do those things as a famous candidate, but as a community organizer being paid $8,000 a year by a coalition of churches. You don't build a resume or a client list organizing unemployed steel workers. You do it because you respect the people and you care about justice." ... "In fact, the trademark of Barack Obama's campaign for president is the honest, respectful way he talks to everyone -- and stands up for everyday Americans." ... "If you want to talk about patronizing, or "elitism", you need look no farther than the way [Republicans] Bush and McCain attempt to use fear and division to divert the attention of middle class people from the economic policies that pick their pockets, lower their wages, destroy their unions, and outsource their jobs. And all the while they use our money to bail out Wall Street, and give giant tax breaks to the real "elitists" -- the economic elite." -By Robert Creamer -HuffingtonPost.com

- Bill Richardson - Hillary Clinton - Barack Obama - 2008 Election - New Mexico - US -  - International
"Why Gov. Bill Richardson didn't endorse Clinton: The New Mexico governor says he was dismayed by pressure from the Clinton camp, and impressed by Obama's optimism. Besides, 'you don't transfer loyalty to a dynasty.'" ... "Before he endorsed [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama, before he drew the wrath of the Clintons [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband, former Democratic President Bill Clinton] and was likened to Judas, [former 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and current Governor of] New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson nearly endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for president." ... "But Richardson hesitated, and as the Democratic campaign turned ugly, he grew angry." ... "There was that "3 a.m." TV ad, in which Clinton questioned Obama's personal mettle. "That upset me," Richardson said." ... "There were some ham-fisted phone calls from Clinton backers, who questioned Richardson's honor and suggested that the governor, who served in President Clinton's Cabinet, owed Hillary Clinton his support. "That really ticked me off," Richardson said." ... "Still, even as he moved from Clinton toward Obama -- "the pursuit was pretty relentless on both sides" -- Richardson wrestled with the question of loyalty. After 14 years in Congress and a measure of fame as an international troubleshooter, Richardson was named Clinton's U.N. [United Nations] ambassador, then Energy secretary: "two important appointments," Richardson said." ... "He finally concluded that he had settled his debt to the former president: He had worked for Clinton's election in 1992, helped pass the North American Free Trade Agreement as part of his administration, stood by him during the Monica S. Lewinsky sex scandal, and rounded up votes to fight impeachment." ... ""I was loyal," Richardson said during an extended conversation over breakfast this week at the governor's mansion in Santa Fe [New Mexico's capital]. "But I don't think that loyalty is transferable to his wife. . . . You don't transfer loyalty to a dynasty."" ... "He was impressed by the mostly positive tone of Obama's campaign, and grew to appreciate the substance and depth of their private conversations." (1, 2) -By Mark Z. Barabak -LAtimes

- US - Iraq - Military - Media - Politics - 2008 Election - Texas
"Bush was upbeat on Iraq even when fearing failure." ... "[Republican] President George W. Bush said on Friday he was worried in 2006 that the United States would fail in Iraq but stated publicly at the time that it was winning because he needed to maintain morale." ... ""I was worried. Look, I'm worried any time it looks like we're going to fail in Iraq," Bush said during an ABC News interview at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he was spending the weekend with family." ... "Bush, due to leave office in January 2009 after the U.S. [United States] presidential election in November [2008], said he became worried about a U.S. failure when violence spiked in Iraq in mid-2006 and he began to seek out opinions on what to do." ... "He ultimately decided to boost troop levels by 30,000 in 2007 in a so-called "surge."" ... ""I thought it was failing, yes, I did," Bush said." ... "Despite mounting violence, Bush gave upbeat assessments throughout the summer of 2006, saying as late as October 11: "It's my responsibility to provide the American people with a candid assessment on the way forward ... Absolutely, we're winning."" (1, 2) -By David Alexander with contributions by David Storey and John O'Callaghan -Reuters

- Dick Cheney - John Ashcroft - Torture - Government - Military - Intelligence - Terrorism -Politics - US - International - Law - War Crimes
"Bush Aware of Advisers' Interrogation Talks: President Says He Knew His Senior Advisers Discussed Tough Interrogation Methods." ... "[Republican] President Bush says he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details about how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to an exclusive interview with ABC News Friday." ... ""Well, we started to connect the dots in order to protect the American people." Bush told ABC News White House correspondent Martha Raddatz. "And yes, I'm aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved."" ... "These top advisers signed off on how the CIA would interrogate top al Qaeda suspects -- whether they would be slapped, pushed, deprived of sleep or subjected to simulated drowning, called waterboarding, sources told ABC news." ... "At the time, the [National Security Council's] Principals Committee included Vice President Dick Cheney, former National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft." ... "The so-called Principals who participated in the meetings also approved the use of "combined" interrogation techniques -- using different techniques during interrogations instead of using one method at a time -- on terrorist suspects who proved difficult to break, sources said." ... "Critics at home and abroad have harshly criticized the interrogation program, which pushed the limits of international law and, they say, condoned torture." (1, 2, 3, 4) -By Jan Crawford Greenburg, Howard L. Rosenberg and Ariane de Vogue -ABCNEWS.com

- Dick Cheney - John Ashcroft - Jay Bybee - Michael Mukasey - Torture - War Crimes - Government - Military - Intelligence - Terrorism - Politics - Secret - Law- History - US - Overseas
"Cheney, Others OK'd Harsh Interrogations." ... "[Republican President] Bush administration officials from Vice President Dick Cheney on down signed off on using harsh interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists after asking the Justice Department to endorse their legality, The Associated Press has learned." ... "The officials also took care to insulate President Bush from a series of meetings where CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] interrogation methods, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, were discussed and ultimately approved." ... "Between 2002 and 2003, the Justice Department issued several memos from its Office of Legal Counsel that justified using the interrogation tactics, including ones that critics call torture." ... "The meetings were held in the White House Situation Room in the years immediately following the [September] Sept. 11 attacks. Attending the sessions were Cheney, then-Bush aides Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of State Colin Powell, CIA Director George Tenet and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice." ... "The principals eventually authorized physical abuse such as slaps and pushes, sleep deprivation, or waterboarding. This technique involves strapping a person down and pouring water over his cloth-covered face to create the sensation of drowning." ... "The Office of Legal Counsel issued at least two opinions on interrogation methods." ... "In one, dated [August] Aug. 1, 2002, then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee defined torture as covering "only extreme acts" causing pain similar in intensity to that caused by death or organ failure. A second, dated March 14, 2003, justified using harsh tactics on detainees held overseas so long as military interrogators did not specifically intend to torture their captives." ... "Both legal opinions since have been withdrawn." ... "The department issued another still-secret memo in October 2001 that, in part, sought to outline novel ways the military could be used domestically to defend the country in the face of an impending attack. The Justice Department so far has refused to release it, citing attorney-client privilege, and Attorney General Michael Mukasey declined to describe it Thursday at a Senate panel where Democrats characterized it as a "torture memo."" -By Lara Jakes Jordan and Pamel Hess contributed to by Pete Yost -AP via -SeattleTimes

- Military - Mental - Health - People - US - Iraq
"Military Personnel Account for 20% of U.S. Suicides (Update2)." ... "Current and former military personnel accounted for about 20 percent of U.S. suicides in 2005, according to a government study." ... "About 1,821 current or former soldiers committed suicide in 16 states in 2005, the most recent year of available data, according to the report published today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost half were diagnosed with depression and a third left suicide notes." ... "A rise in suicides among soldiers serving in the military has alarmed Pentagon planners and members of Congress as the war in Iraq enters its sixth year. An Army report produced last year found the rate of suicides among soldiers deployed in Iraq from 2003 to 2006 was almost 40 percent higher than the military's average suicide rate. An update of the Army's Mental Health Advisory Team report released in March found suicide rates for soldiers in 2007 remained ``above normal Army rates.''" ... "``The frequency and the length of deployments are stretching people to the limit and they can't tolerate it,'' Charles Figley, a psychologist who directs the Traumatology Institute at Florida State University, said in a telephone interview today. ``They're taking risks, taking alcohol and taking their own lives because they want to extinguish their pain.'' " (1, 2) -By Tom Randall and Rob Waters -Bloomberg

- American - Women - KBR - Corporate - Government - Criminal - Politics - Military - Iraq - Afghanistan - Florida - Ohio - Texas
"U.S. fails to move on Iraq sexual assault complaints." ... "While working in Iraq as a ''morale coordinator'' for a U.S. [United States] government contractor, a Tampa [Florida] woman says, she was raped by a drunken colleague who secured a key to her apartment from an unlocked storage box." ... "That was in December 2005, and her attorney said he's unaware of any criminal charges in the case." ... "The U.S. Justice Department has the authority to prosecute, but she and at least three other women who say they were assaulted complain of being trapped in legal limbo between a military system that doesn't oversee the private contractors and a justice system that appears unwilling to do so." ... "''American women are vulnerable not only to assault, but to achieving justice,'' said [Florida Democratic Senator] Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who since December has been pressing the [Republican President] Bush administration for answers over the treatment of U.S. citizens sexually assaulted by contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan." ... "''I'm in a war zone, and I have to worry about my co-workers,'' said Mary Beth Kineston, an Ohio woman who drove a truck in Iraq for Houston[Texas]-based military contractor KBR and said she was raped by another driver." -By Lesley Clark-MiamiHerald via -McClatchyDC.com

- Investigation - Classified - Military - Intelligence - Torture - Prisons - US - Afghanistan - Guantanamo- Cuba - Iraq - International
"Exclusive: Pentagon delays report on FBI role in detainee abuse." ... "The release of a report on the FBI's [Federal Bureau of Investigation] role in the interrogations of prisoners in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay [Cuba] and Iraq has been delayed for months because the Pentagon is reviewing how much of it should remain classified, according to the Justice Department's watchdog." ... "Glenn Fine, the Justice Department's inspector general, told McClatchy that his office has pressed the Defense Department to finish its review, but officials there haven't completed the process "in a timely fashion."" ... "Fine is investigating whether FBI employees participated in detainee abuse, whether they witnessed or reported incidents of abuse, and how such reports were handled by the bureau." ... "Fine launched his investigation into the FBI's role in the interrogations in early 2005 amid disclosures that FBI agents had witnessed and complained about harsh interrogation practices of detainees, including seeing Guantanamo Bay detainees who had defecated and urinated on themselves and who had been chained on the floor for more than 24 hours without food or water in more than 100 degree temperatures." ... "The delays come as the [Republican President] Bush administration is under fire for its legal justifications of harsh interrogation practices, which critics say equated to an endorsement of torture prohibited by U.S. [United States] and international laws." -By Marisa Taylor -McClatchyDC.com

- Safety - Enforcement - Corporate - Politics - Federal - Aviation - Lawmakers - Ill - Texas
"Lawmakers blame FAA for mass flight cancellations." ... "Outrage over mass cancellations of American Airlines flights spilled into Congress on Thursday as lawmakers blamed regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration for indirectly contributing to the hardships shouldered by thousands of stranded travelers." ... "Nicholas Sabatini, the FAA's associate administrator for safety, endured relentless questions by members of a Senate subcommittee on aviation, who took turns denouncing "systematic" regulatory failures by the FAA. Several suggested that the cancellations may not have been necessary if the agency had been tougher in the past." ... "In the past three days, American Airlines has grounded nearly 2,500 flights to repair wiring bundles in the wheel wells of its MD-80 fleet. The repairs were ordered after the FAA toughened its oversight of commercial airlines following allegations that FAA officials in Texas allowed Dallas-based Southwest Airlines to fly potentially unsafe airplanes that were overdue for inspections." ... ""I don't think there is any question that the FAA has been lax in enforcing safety regulations," [Illinois Democratic Representative] Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill. [Democratic-Illinois], chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, said in a telephone interview." -By Dave Montgomery -McClatchyDC.com

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