July 2008 News History Archives

July 2008 News:
2008 Election News

_2008 News News Reference July 2008 News
July 30, 2008 News URL: #July-30-2008-News
20080730 Wednesday

- Pete Sessions - Texas - Nevada - Political - Entertainment
"'07 party hosted by Rep. Pete Sessions at Las Vegas adult club draws criticism." ... "A political party hosted by [Texas Republican Representative] Rep. Pete Sessions at a Las Vegas [Nevada] adult club has jaws dropping." ... "The event, in March 2007 at a club called Forty Deuce, raised money for the Dallas [Texas] Republican's political action committee, People for Enterprise Trade and Economic Growth." ... "Aides to Mr. Sessions, a self-described conservative, and others said the act was a mild burlesque show, but some conservative activists were aghast that the event was held at an adult club." ... ""What's the difference?" asked Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum. "I don't think that it's representative of the constituents of the district. I'm in shock."" ... "[Pete Session chief-of-staff Guy] Mr. Harrison said Mr. Sessions has held the Vegas event for four years." -By Gromer Jeffers Jr. -DallasNews.com

- Pete Sessions - Nevada - Texas - Politics - Sports - Entertainment
"GOP Rep. Sessions' Defends His Burlesque Fundraiser." ... "We had never heard of a member of Congress holding a fundraiser at a Las Vegas [Nevada] burlesque nightclub... until now." ... "And the culprit is card-carrying conservative [Texas Republican Representative] Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex. [Republican-Texas]). The same Pete Sessions who scolded Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake for forcing "their liberal values upon the rest of the country" after their infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime striptease." ... "But that was then." ... "Now we learn that Sessions held a racey (for Washington) fundraiser for his leadership political action committee last year at Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce nightclub in Sin City [Las Vegas]." ... "Sessions' PAC, called People of Enterprise, Trade and Economic Growth, paid $5,378 to rent out the entire Forty Deuce club last year, according to federal election records." -By Mary Ann Akers -WashingtonPost

- Consumer - Financing
"Home prices fell at record pace in May: S&P." ... "Falling home prices are seen at the crux of a growing crisis in foreclosures as homeowners find themselves "underwater," with the value of their homes now less than their loans." ... "Expectations that prices will continue to fall into 2009 also makes refinancing of loans tougher, leaving homeowners in high-cost mortgages peddled during the housing boom." -By Al Yoon with contributions by Theodore d'Afflisio -Reuters

- Homes - Nevada -Florida - Phoenix - Arizona - Los Angeles - San Diego - San Francisco - California - Florida - Michigan - Minnesota - Illinois - Ohio - Georgia - New York - Seattle - Washington - Massachusetts - Portland - Oregon - Colorado - Texas - North Carolina
"Home prices down 15.8% in past year, S&P says: Seven of 20 cities tally monthly price gains in May, Case-Shiller data show." ... "Prices in 10 cities fell 16.9% in the past year." ... "Prices thus are at the same levels as they were in the summer of 2004, which means four years of appreciation have been effectively wiped out. Prices are down 18.4% from peak levels seen two years ago." ... "Here's a list of the 20 cities in the Case-Shiller index with the annual decline through May: Las Vegas [Nevada], down 28.4%; Miami [Florida], down 28.3%; Phoenix [Arizona], down 26.5%; Los Angeles [California], down 24.5%; San Diego [California], down 23.2%; San Francisco [California], down 22.9%; Tampa [Florida], down 20.2%; Detroit [Michigan], down 17.4%; Washington [DC], down 15.4%; Minneapolis [Minnesota], down 14.8%; Chicago [Illinois], down 9.4%; Cleveland [Ohio], down 8%; Atlanta [Georgia], and New York [City, New York], both down 7.9%; Seattle [Washington], down 6.3%; Boston [Massachusetts], down 6.2%; Portland [Oregon], down 5.2%; Denver [Colorado], down 4.8%; Dallas [Texas], down 3.1%; and Charlotte, N.C. [North Carolina], down 0.2%." -By Rex Nutting -MarketWatch

- US_Debt - History - Government - Politics - SD - SC
"Bush to leave a record budget deficit of $482 billion: [Republican President Bush] White House officials say the economy and a bipartisan stimulus package caused the worsening picture for 2009, but Democrats blame Bush's tax cuts and fiscal management." ... "Democrats on Capitol Hill blamed the revised deficit figures on Bush's large tax cuts and freewheeling spending." ... ""If we gave Olympic medals for fiscal irresponsibility, President Bush would take the gold, the silver and the bronze, because he's got the three highest record deficits ever," said [South Dakota Democratic Senator] Sen. Kent Conrad (D-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. "He sets records in every single category: 2009 would be the gold; 2004 the silver; 2008 the bronze."" ... "[South Carolina Democratic Representative] Rep. John M. Spratt Jr. (D-S.C.) noted that Bush inherited a budget surplus from his Democratic predecessor, so the blame for the poor fiscal performance rests with him." ... ""Mr. Bush came to office with the biggest surpluses in history and he will leave office with the biggest deficit in history. That's the bottom line," said Spratt, chairman of the House Budget Committee." -By Maura Reynolds -LAtimes

- Jim D Adkisson - Religious - Terrorism - Politics - Tennessee - Police - Law
"Police: Killer targeted church for liberal views: 2 people killed, seven hurt, after man opens fire in Tennessee church." ... "An unemployed man accused of opening fire with a shotgun and killing two people at a Unitarian church apparently targeted the congregation out of hatred for its liberal social policies, police said Monday." ... "Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV said a letter had been been recovered from the SUV of Jim D. Adkisson, 58, by investigators seeking clues about the motive behind the attack. Authorities said he was an apparent stranger to the Tennessee church where gunfire punctuated a children's performance based on the musical "Annie." Two people were killed and seven wounded Sunday." ... ""It appears that what brought him to this horrible event was his lack of being able to obtain a job, his frustration over that and his stated hatred of the liberal movement," Owen said at a news conference." -AP via -Yahoo

- Jim David Adkisson - Terrorism - Media -Politics - Radio - TV/Channel - Tennessee - Religion - Law - Police
"Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity on accused shooter's reading list: 4-page letter outlines frustration, hatred of 'liberal movement'." ... "Police found right-wing political books, brass knuckles, empty shotgun shell boxes and a handgun in the Powell [Tennessee] home of a man who said he attacked a church in order to kill liberals "who are ruining the country," court records show." ... "Knoxville police Sunday evening searched the Levy Drive home of Jim David Adkisson after he allegedly entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and killed two people and wounded six others during the presentation of a children's musical." ... "Knoxville Police Department Officer Steve Still requested the search warrant after interviewing Adkisson. who was subdued by several church members after firing three rounds from a 12-gauge shotgun into the congregation." ... "Adkisson targeted the church, Still wrote in the document obtained by WBIR-TV, Channel 10, "because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country's hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets."" ... "Adkisson told Still that "he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement that he would then target those that had voted them in to office."" ... "Inside the house, officers found "Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder" by radio talk show host Michael Savage, "Let Freedom Ring" by talk show host Sean Hannity, and "The O'Reilly Factor," by television talk show host Bill O'Reilly [the latter two work for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp subsidiary Fox TV]." ... "The shotgun-wielding suspect in Sunday's mass shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was motivated by a hatred of "the liberal movement," and he planned to shoot until police shot him, Knoxville Police Chief Sterling P. Owen IV said this morning." ... "Adkisson, 58, of Powell wrote a four-page letter in which he stated his "hatred of the liberal movement," Owen said. "Liberals in general, as well as gays."" ... "Owen said Adkisson specifically targeted the church for its beliefs, rather than a particular member of the congregation." -By Hayes Hickman with contributions by Bob Fowler, J.J. Stambaugh, Frank Munger and Amy McRary -KnoxNews.com

- Jim Adkisson - Jobless - Politics - Police - Tennessee - Church - Gays - Women's - Rights - Desegregation- History
"US church 'killer' wrote of hate: A man accused of shooting dead two people in a Tennessee church was motivated by hatred of liberals and anger at being jobless, US police say." ... "The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church describes itself on its website as working for social change since the 1950s, including desegregation, racial harmony, fair wages, women's rights and gay rights." -BBC/News

- Jim Adkisson - Terrorism - Politics - Tennessee - Church - Gays - Jobs - Government - Food - Money
"Tennessee church shooter angry at "liberals"." ... "A man [Jim Adkisson] who opened fire inside a church, killing two people with a shotgun hidden in a guitar case, was frustrated at being unable to find a job and blamed liberals and gays, police said on Monday." ... ""It appears that what brought him to this horrible event was his lack of being able to obtain a job, his frustration over that, and his stated hatred of the liberal movement," Knoxville [Tennessee] Police Chief Sterling Owen told reporters of Sunday's incident at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church." ... "Suspect Jim Adkisson...." ... "... described his violent plans in a four-page letter found at his home, which also explained that his age and "liberals and gays" taking jobs had worked against him." ... "Another recent setback was that Adkisson's allotment of government-issued food stamps had been reduced, Owen said." -By Andrew Stern with contributions by Michael Conlon and Jackie Frank -Reuters via -IHT.com

- Jim Adkisson - Terrorism - Politics - Tennessee - Church - Children
"Timeline: Church service marred by gunfire." ... "A neighbor told 10News [suspected killer, Jim] Adkisson described himself as a "Confederate" and a "believer in the old South." She says Adkisson self-identified in this way to her on more than one occasion, but that she didn't know what he meant by it." ... "The shootings happened at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on Kingston Pike." ... "A witness who spoke to 10 News said police had arrived and one person was being detained at the scene." ... "A children's production of "Annie" was taking place as part of the normal Sunday service at the time of the shooting, the witness, who is a member of the church, said. The gunman walked into a packed sanctuary and opened fire." -WBIR.com

- Jim Adkisson - Political - Terrorism - Tennessee - Out-of-Work- Homeless - Food - Gay - Churchgoers - Women's - Rights - Children
"Police: Man shot churchgoers over liberal views." ... "An out-of-work truck driver accused of opening fire at a Unitarian church [in Knoxville, Tennessee], killing two people, left behind a note suggesting that he targeted the congregation out of hatred for its liberal policies, including its acceptance of gays, authorities said Monday." ... "[Jim] Adkisson, a 58-year-old truck driver on the verge of losing his food stamps, had 76 rounds with him when he entered the church and pulled a shotgun from a guitar case during a children's performance of the musical "Annie."" ... "The Unitarian-Universalist church advocates for women's rights and gay rights and has provided sanctuary for political refugees. It also has fed the homeless and founded a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, according to its Web site." -By Duncan Mansfield -AP via -Yahoo

- People - Emergency - Church - Terrorism - Politics - Police - Law - Tennessee
"Witnesses recall Knoxville church shooting horror: ‘He had gun leveled in our direction,’ says man who helped stop rampage." ... "Jamie Parkey thought the blast that ripped through the sanctuary of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was part of the play his daughter and other children were putting on. Then he saw blood on another parishioner behind him and saw a man with a 12-gauge shotgun calmly firing away at the congregation." ... "“He had the gun leveled in our direction,” Parkey told TODAY’s Matt Lauer on Monday, one day after the gunman killed two church members and wounded six others before being wrestled to the ground by parishioners. “That’s when I pushed my mother and daughter to the floor and got under the pew. When I saw the men rushing him was when I got up to join them.”" ... "Parkey was one of the people who tackled 58-year-old Jim D. Adkisson, kicking the shotgun away and holding the gunman on the floor with an arm-bar hold. Parkey’s 16-year-old daughter was in the play, and he had been sitting in the front of the church with his mother and his 6-year-old daughter when the attack began." ... "“For the situation, everyone responded phenomenally,” Parkey said. “June and Kevin Spooner mobilized and got the kids out the back.” Vicki Masters, the director of the play the children had been rehearsing for all summer, yelled for people to get out of the building. Another woman ushered children to the Presbyterian church next door after the gunman was subdued." ... "“Everybody did exactly what they needed to do,” Broyles added. “There was very little panic, very little screaming or hysteria. It’s a remarkable congregation of people. I’ve never seen such a loving response to such an overwhelming tragedy.”" ... "Adkisson is being held in lieu of $1 million bail while local police, with the assistance of FBI agents, gather evidence and search his home in a neighboring town. Police say they found a letter in Adkisson’s car which said that he planned the attack, that he couldn’t find a job, and “stated his hatred for the liberal movement.”" -By Mike Celizic -TODAYShow.com -MSNBC

_2008 News News Reference July 2008 News
July 27, 2008 News URL: #July-27-2008-News
20080727 Sunday

- Barack Obama - John McCain - Broadcast - Opinion - Politics - 2008 Election
"In study, evidence of [conservative bias] liberal-bias bias: Cable talking heads accuse broadcast networks of liberal bias -- but a think tank finds that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama than on [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain in recent weeks." ... "The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University, where researchers have tracked network news content for two decades, found that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Obama than on Republican John McCain during the first six weeks of the general-election campaign." ... "You read it right: tougher on the Democrat." ... "During the evening news, the majority of statements from reporters and anchors on all three networks are neutral, the center found. And when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative." ... "Network reporting also tilted against McCain, but far less dramatically, with 43% of the statements positive and 57% negative, according to the Washington-based media center." -By James Rainey -LAtimes

- Barack Obama - John McCain - Media - Politics - Iraq - Pakistan - Afghanistan - Iran - Kuwait - Britain - US - Nuclear - Military - Terrorism - Gas - Money - 2008 Election
"How Obama Became Acting President." ... "The growing [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama clout derives not from national polls, where his lead is modest. Nor is it a gift from the press, which still gives free passes to its old bus mate [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain. It was laughable to watch journalists stamp their feet last week to try to push Mr. Obama into saying he was “wrong” about the surge. More than five years and 4,100 American fatalities later, they’re still not demanding that Mr. McCain admit he was wrong when he assured us that our adventure in Iraq would be fast, produce little American “bloodletting” and “be paid for by the Iraqis.”" ... "Never mind. This election remains about the present and the future, where Iraq’s $10 billion a month drain on American pocketbooks and military readiness is just one moving part in a matrix of national crises stretching from the gas pump to Pakistan." ... "First, on July 7, the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, dissed [Republican President] Bush dogma by raising the prospect of a withdrawal timetable for our troops. Then, on July 15, Mr. McCain suddenly noticed that more Americans are dying in Afghanistan than Iraq and called for more American forces to be sent there. It was a long-overdue recognition of the obvious that he could no longer avoid: both Robert Gates, the defense secretary [of Republican President Bush], and [Admiral] Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had already called for_more American troops to battle the resurgent Taliban, echoing the policy proposed by Mr. Obama a year ago." ... "On July 17 we learned that [Republican] President Bush, who had labeled direct talks with Iran “appeasement,” would send the No. 3 official in the State Department to multilateral nuclear talks with Iran. Lest anyone doubt that the White House had moved away from the rigid stand endorsed by Mr. McCain and toward Mr. Obama’s, a former Rumsfeld apparatchik weighed in on The Wall Street Journal’s op-ed page: “Now Bush Is Appeasing Iran.”" ... "Within 24 hours, the White House did another U-turn, endorsing an Iraq withdrawal timetable as long as it was labeled a “general time horizon.” In a flash, as Mr. Obama touched down in Kuwait, Mr. Maliki approvingly cited the Democratic candidate by name while laying out a troop-withdrawal calendar of his own that, like Mr. Obama’s, would wind down in 2010. On Tuesday, the British prime minister, Gordon Brown, announced a major drawdown of his nation’s troops by early 2009." -By Frank Rich -NYTimes

- Listen - Pete Sessions - Texas - Political - Lawmaker - Entertainment
"PACs put the fun in fundraising: Think all political contributions go toward campaigns? Maybe if those campaigns include golf trips and nights at the burlesque house. In the last installment of his PAC Men series, Steve Henn reports." ... "Monica Notzen is a Republican consultant who plans parties like this for lawmakers." ... "Basically, her job consists of calling lobbyists and other insiders and inviting them to parties. But to come, she tells them they have to contribute to a politician's leadership political action committee, or PAC, first." ... "[Texas Republican] Congressman Pete Sessions, a Republican from Texas, is one of Monica Notzen's clients and he doesn't see anything wrong with this picture."

"Pete Sessions: I don't think that lobbyists in and of themselves are deceptive or deceitful people. I don't have any problem with people going and doing things whether it's at a pool or horse racing. What bothers me is if you say one thing and do something else."

"Sessions: That's right, we do a Las Vegas fundraiser every year and not only raise money, but see Las Vegas. It's a beautiful town."

"Henn: Forty Deuce is a strip club."

"Sessions: You know, I've never seen that. It is what I would call a burlesque show where there's a woman who comes out and has a dress on... Uh, she never get's naked. There's no nudity, there's no nudity in there."

"Ivan Kane: The key component would be to have girls who were dancers taking their clothes off, not just girls taking their clothes off."

- Barack Obama - Military - US - Iraq - Politics - 2008 Election
"Iraqi PM backs Obama troop exit plan: report." ... "Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a German magazine he supported prospective U.S. [United States 2008 Election] Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months." ... "In an interview with Der Spiegel released on Saturday, Maliki said he wanted U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible." ... ""U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."" ... ""Whoever is thinking about the shorter term is closer to reality. Artificially extending the stay of U.S. troops would cause problems."" ... "The White House said on Friday [Republican] President George W. Bush and Maliki had agreed that a security deal under negotiation should set a "time horizon" for meeting "aspirational goals" for reducing U.S. forces in Iraq." (1, 2) -By Madeline Chambers with contributions by Jon Boyle -Reuters

- Hillary Clinton - Women's - Medical - Science - Abortion - Language - Politics - Family - Federal - Money - New York
"Clinton vows to fight "insulting" abortion plan." ... "A [Republican President] Bush administration plan to define several widely used contraception methods as abortion is a "gratuitous, unnecessary insult" to women and faces tough opposition, [New York Democratic Senator] Sen. Hillary Clinton said on Friday." ... "The former Democratic presidential candidate joined family planning groups to condemn the proposal that defines abortion to include contraception such as birth control pills and intrauterine devices." ... "It would cut off federal funds to hospitals and states where medical providers are obligated to offer legal abortion and contraception to women." ... ""We will not put up with this radical, ideological agenda to turn the clock back on women's rights," the New York senator told a joint news conference with New York [Democratic Representative] Rep. Nita Lowey, also a Democrat, at Bellevue Hospital." ... ""Women would watch their contraceptive coverage disappear overnight," said Clinton." (1, 2) -By Michelle Nichols with contributions by Ellen Wulfhorst and Eric Beech -Reuters

- Gordon Smith - Oregon - 2008 Election - Politics
"Oregon Senate: Merkley tops Smith for first time 43% to 41%." ... "Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley for the first time has edged ahead of Republican Senator Gordon Smith 43% to 41% in Oregon, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey. While the advantage is not statistically significant, it is noteworthy for an incumbent senator to receive such low levels of support at this point in a campaign." -RasmussenReports

- Gordon Smith - Oregon - Politics - 2008 Election
"Merkley surpasses Smith in quarterly fundraising." ... "Republican [Oregon Senator] Sen. Gordon Smith still has millions more than does his [2008 Election] Democratic challenger, Jeff Merkley. But for the most recent quarter, it was Merkley who came out ahead." ... "Merkley reported Monday that he raked in $1.42 million from April 1 through June 30. That is by far the most Merkley has raised in a three-month stretch and represents more than half his fundraising since getting into the race last summer. And it surpasses the $1.38 million Smith raised in the same quarter." ... "In all, Smith still holds a sizable lead: $9.73 million raised and $4.47 million cash on hand for the entire election, compared with Merkley’s $2.5 million total raised and $569,435 on hand." -By David Steves -RegisterGuard

- John McCain - Czech Republic - Slovakia - History - US - 2008 Election
"McCain again cites current events in 'Czechoslovakia'." ... "For the second time in two days, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain has referred to current events in “Czechoslovakia” – a country that officially ceased to exist in January of 1993." ... "More than fifteen years ago, Czechoslovakia officially split into two nations – the Czech Republic and Slovakia." -By Rebecca Sinderbrand -CNN

- McCain - Obama - 2008 Election - Politics - Law
"McCain uses 'bundler' money more than Obama campaign." ... "Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate] John McCain's elite fundraisers have helped collect more than half of his presidential campaign money, while Democratic [2008 Election Presidential] rival Barack Obama has relied on his own top fundraisers for nearly one-fifth of his coffers, a USA TODAY analysis shows." ... "More than 500 top McCain fundraisers brought in at least $75.6 million, or about 53% of the presumptive GOP presidential nominee's receipts through June." ... "Obama, who also counts more than 500 people among his main fundraising corps, has collected at least $50.1 million through them. That's about 17% of the presumptive Democratic nominee's receipts through May. He has not released June totals." ... "The money from these fundraisers illustrates how McCain, who co-authored a 2002 law curbing the influence of special interests in campaign finance, is relying on a group of well-connected Republicans to fuel his bid. It also demonstrates that Obama has turned to wealthy donors to help collect cash — even though the bulk of his donations are from contributors who give $200 or less." ... ""This really proves how enormously valuable it is to have a network of fundraisers out there shaking the bushes for you," said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics. "For McCain, who wants to project an image as a maverick on reform, it is precisely the wrong message to be so reliant on this tiny set of well-heeled donors."" -By Fredreka Schouten -USATODAY

- Money -Energy
"Wholesale inflation is worst in 27 years." ... "Over the past 12 months, wholesale prices are up 9.2 percent, the largest year-over-year surge since June 1981, another period when soaring energy costs were giving the country inflation pains." -By Martin Crutsinger -AP via -Google

- Food - Safety
"Salmonella Sickness Toll Climbs to 1,148: 42 states now reporting illnesses; source still elusive." ... "The salmonella toll continues to mount in what has become the largest foodborne outbreak in the United States in more than a decade." ... "At least 220 people have been hospitalized." ... "Officials, meanwhile, appear no closer to zeroing in on the cause. Last week, they broadened the search, which had focused on certain types of tomatoes, to include jalapeno and serrano peppers and fresh cilantro." ... "Health officials continue to warn consumers to avoid raw red plum tomatoes and red Roma and round red tomatoes, and products containing these raw tomatoes." ... "But last week, CDC officials cautioned that people at risk of infection, including infants and elderly people, should avoid eating jalapeno and serrano peppers." ... "Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea in humans." (1, 2) -By Steven Reinberg -HealthDay.com via -USNews.com

- Barack Obama - Military - Police - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - Iran - Pakistan - Terrorism - Intelligence - Government - Money - Political - McCain - Arizona - 2008 Election
"My Plan for Iraq." [By 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Canidate Barack Obama] ... "The call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops that I have long advocated, and that is needed for long-term success in Iraq and the security interests of the United States." ... "The differences on Iraq in this campaign are deep. Unlike [2008 Election Republican Senator and Arizona] Senator John McCain, I opposed the war in Iraq before it began, and would end it as president. I believed it was a grave mistake to allow ourselves to be distracted from the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban [in Afghanistan] by invading a country [Iraq] that posed no imminent threat and had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Since then, more than 4,000 Americans have died and we have spent nearly $1 trillion. Our military is overstretched. Nearly every threat we face — from Afghanistan to Al Qaeda to Iran — has grown." ... "In the 18 months since [Republican] President Bush announced the surge, our troops have performed heroically in bringing down the level of violence. New tactics have protected the Iraqi population, and the Sunni tribes have rejected Al Qaeda — greatly weakening its effectiveness." ... "But the same factors that led me to oppose the surge still hold true. The strain on our military has grown, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated and we’ve spent nearly $200 billion more in Iraq than we had budgeted. Iraq’s leaders have failed to invest tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues in rebuilding their own country, and they have not reached the political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge." ... "The good news is that Iraq’s leaders want to take responsibility for their country by negotiating a timetable for the removal of American troops. Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. [Lieutenant General] James Dubik, the American officer in charge of training Iraq’s security forces, estimates that the Iraqi Army and police will be ready to assume responsibility for security in 2009." ... "Only by redeploying our troops can we press the Iraqis to reach comprehensive political accommodation and achieve a successful transition to Iraqis’ taking responsibility for the security and stability of their country. Instead of seizing the moment and encouraging Iraqis to step up, the Bush administration and Senator McCain are refusing to embrace this transition — despite their previous commitments to respect the will of Iraq’s sovereign government." ... "Ending the war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and Al Qaeda has a safe haven. Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been. As Adm. [Admiral] Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently pointed out, we won’t have sufficient resources to finish the job in Afghanistan until we reduce our commitment to Iraq." ... "As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan. We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there. I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq. " -By Barack Obama -NYTimes

- John McCain - Czech Republic - Slovakia - EU - History - Poland - Military - US - 2008 Election - Politics
"McCain Again Refers To Czechoslovakia, A Non-Existent Country." ... "At his press avail today, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain referenced current relations between Russia and, um, a non-existent country [Czechoslovakia]." ... "Around three months ago, McCain told Don Imus that he would "work closely with Czechoslovakia and Poland and other countries" to install the European Missile Defense System in Poland, according to the Democratic National Committee. (The slip-up was referenced elsewhere, too.)" ... "And during a GOP debate in October 2007, McCain said: "The first thing I would do is make sure that we have a missile defense system in place in Czechoslovakia and Poland, and I don't care what his objections are to it."" ... "We're nitpicking a bit here. But McCain is running on his supposed foreign policy superiority. And the GOP and McCain would hit Obama as a foreign policy greenhorn based on less than this." -By Greg Sargent -TPMElectionCentral .TalkingPointsMemo

- John McCain - Czech Republic - Slovakia - History - Russia - Energy - Military - Phoenix - Arizona - US - 2008 Election - Politics
"Note to McCain: Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist anymore." ... "This is almost certainly going to sound nitpicky, if not actually petty, but bear with me. It’s not unreasonable to note that [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain continues to make references to a country that doesn’t exist." ... "At a press conference in Phoenix [Arizona] today, for example, McCain referenced Czechoslovakia. Again."

"“I was concerned about a couple of steps that the Russian government took in the last several days. One was reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia. Apparently that is in reaction to the Czech’s agreement with us concerning missile defense, and again some of the Russian now announcement they are now retargeting new targets, something they abandoned at the end of the Cold War, is also a concern. So we see the tensions between Russia and their neighbors, as well as Russia and the United States are somewhat increasing.”"

- McCain - Rick Davis - Politics - 2008 Election
"McCain, RNC: $95 million on hand." ... "The [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign and Republican Party have nearly $95 million cash on hand combined for use in the presidential race, [lobbyist] campaign manager Rick Davis said Thursday. He said the McCain camp had more than $27 million, and the Republican National Committee has more than $67 million." ... "Including the matching funds, he estimated the campaign would have a total $400 million budget through Election Day." -By Domenico Montanaro -MSNBC

- Karl Rove - Don Siegelman - US Attorney - Politics - Investigation - Alabama - California
"Rove, Defying Subpoena, Doesn't Appear at Hearing (Update2)." ... "Former [Republican President Bush] White House political director Karl Rove, defying a subpoena, failed to appear before a [United States] U.S. House panel investigating whether the Justice Department prosecuted people for political reasons." ... "Rove's action today prompted the House Judiciary subcommittee to rule that his reasons for skipping the appearance weren't legally valid, a first step toward a possible contempt of Congress vote." ... "The panel is trying to determine whether Rove influenced the Justice Department's decision to bring a corruption case against former Alabama [Democratic] Governor Don Siegelman, a Democrat. Rove has rejected the claim and said he would speak with the committee only in private, not under oath and without a transcript. He also proposed answering questions in writing." ... "[California Democratic Representative Linda] Sanchez noted that Rove's offer was limited to discussing the Siegelman case. The panel also wants to question him about other topics, including the 2006 firing of nine U.S. attorneys, she said." ... "The Justice Department's ethics office also is probing whether Siegelman was the victim of selective prosecution. " -By Robert Schmidt -Bloomberg

- John Cowdery - Kott - Kohring - Weyhrauch - Oil - Money - Politics - VECO - Federal - Crimes - Alaska
"Cowdery indicted on two corruption charges." ... "The federal indictment filed today against state [Alaska state Republican Senator] Sen. John Cowdery revolves around the oil tax legislation pushed so hard by Veco Corp. [Corporation] and its executives in 2006." ... "The Anchorage Republican is charged with conspiracy and bribery, accused of scheming with Veco executives to win over another senator in the battle for the tax favored by North Slope oil producers." ... "According to the 16-page indictment, Cowdery and others conspired to give the other state senator $25,000, characterized as campaign contributions." ... "[Veco chief executive Bill] Allen and Veco vice president Rick Smith have pleaded guilty to bribing legislators, including Cowdery, to push through a version of an oil tax favored by North Slope producers." ... "Two former legislators, [Republican] Pete Kott of Eagle River [Alaska] and [Republican] Vic Kohring of Wasilla [Alaska], are serving federal prison sentences after being convicted of corruption charges related to the push for the tax. A third former legislator, [Republican] Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau [Alaska's capital], was indicted too and is awaiting trial while courts consider an appeal on what evidence can be heard." -By Lisa Demer -ADN.com

- Mitt Romney - John McCain - Lay-Offs - Bain Capital - Corporation - History - Massachusetts - 2008 Election
"Romney, McCain's `Logical' Choice, Must Overcome Primary Animus." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain, 71, said in December that he doesn't understand economics ``as well as I should'' and his lack of comfort is apparent on the stump." ... "[McCain's 2000 Election communications director Dan] Schnur said [Republican Mitt] Romney's apparent advantage on the economy may have a down side. During his unsuccessful 1994 run against incumbent [Massachusetts Democratic Senator] Democrat Ted Kennedy for a Massachusetts Senate seat, Romney was criticized for overseeing layoffs while working at Bain [Capital]." ... "``The Democrats could have a heyday talking about downsizing and lay-offs,'' Schnur said. ``It's the type of thing that in a difficult economic climate could be a real problem.''" -By Heidi Przybyla -Bloomberg

- Roger Ailes - Terrorism - Television - Corporate - Media - Politics - People- 
"When Fox News Is the Story." ... "Like most working journalists, whenever I type seven letters — Fox News [owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (News Corp)] — a series of alarms begins to whoop in my head: Danger. Warning. Much mayhem ahead." ... "Once the public relations apparatus at Fox News is engaged, there will be the calls to my editors, keening (and sometimes threatening) e-mail messages, and my requests for interviews will quickly turn into depositions about my intent or who else I am talking to." ... "And if all that stuff doesn’t slow me down and I actually end up writing something, there might be a large hangover: Phone calls full of rebuke for a dependent clause in the third to the last paragraph, a ritual spanking in the blogs with anonymous quotes that sound very familiar, and — if I really hit the jackpot — the specter of my ungainly headshot appearing on one of Fox News’s shows along with some stern copy about what an idiot I am." ... "Fox News found a huge runway and enormous success by setting aside the conventions of bloodless objectivity, but along the way, it altered the rules of engagement between reporters and the media organizations they cover. Under its chief executive, [Republican media strategist] Roger Ailes, Fox News and its public relations apparatus have waged a permanent campaign on behalf of the channel that borrows its methodology from his days as a senior political adviser to [Republican Presidents] Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush." ... "At Fox News, media relations is a kind of rolling opposition research operation intended to keep reporters in line by feeding and sometimes maiming them. Shooting the occasional messenger is baked right into the process." ... "As crude as that sounds, it works. By blacklisting reporters it does not like, planting stories with friendlies at every turn, Fox News has been living a life beyond consequence for years." ... "Earlier this year, a colleague of mine said, he was writing a story about CNN’s gains in the ratings and was told on deadline by a Fox News public relations executive that if he persisted, “they” would go after him. Within a day, “they” did, smearing him around the blogs, he said. (I did not ask him for a comment because the information was of a private nature.)" ... "[Fox News public relations head Brian] Mr. Lewis denied that his staff had threatened one of my colleagues or planted private information about him on blogs." ... "That comes as a surprise to reporters I talked to who say they have received e-mail messages from Fox News public relations staff that contained doctored photos, anonymous quotes and nasty items about competitors. And two former Fox employees said that they had participated in precisely those kinds of activities but had signed confidentiality agreements and could not say so on the record. " (1, 2, 3) -By David Carr -NYTimes

- John McCain - Money - Law - Politics - 2008 Election
"How McCain Is Skirting His Own Spending Caps." ... "When you combine [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain's individual war chest with his party's bankroll, it turns out the Republican nominee has about $90 million currently burning a hole in his pocket, while Obama and the DNC weigh in at a relatively paltry $47 million, or half as much. And even though McCain has agreed to an $84.1 spending limit by accepting public funds--a decision he likes to portray as a principled stand against the corrupting influence of money on politics--at least double that sum will be dropped on his behalf before Election Day thanks to loopholes in the law that allow outside groups to effectively skirt such limits with largely unregulated "soft money" contributions." ... "Currently, Team McCain is soliciting checks of up to $70,100 from each donor--$28,500 for the RNC, $40,000 for a quartet of state parties and $2,300 for the candidate himself. But if the Governors' Association actually works on a local level to boost McCain's bid, even that ceiling on individual contributions--which is already high enough to ensure that the senator's publicly-financed campaign will raise about half of its money from private sources--would be shattered." ... "The irony here, of course, is that it was McCain who co-sponsored the 2002 law meant to curtail the influence of wealth on presidential politics by limiting direct donations to the campaigns. Now he's the one's doing everything imaginable to circumvent the very caps he fought to create." -By Andrew Romano -Newsweek

- Barack Obama - Faith - Civil Liberties - Law - Economics - History - US_Debt - Iraq - Military - US - 2008 Election
"Why some conservatives are backing Obama." ... "The "Obamacans" that [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama used to joke about - Republican apostates who whispered their support for his candidacy - have morphed into a new phenomenon, or syndrome, as detractors like to call it: the Obamacons." ... "These are conservatives who have publicly endorsed the presumptive Democratic nominee, dissidents from the brain trust of think tanks, ex-officials and policy magazines that have fueled the Republican Party since the 1960s." ... ""The untold story of the [Republican President] Bush administration is the deliberate annihilation of the Reaganite, small-government wing of the Republican Party," said Michael Greve, director of the Federalism Project at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. "A lot of people are very bitter about it."" ... "Many conservatives are aghast at the rise in spending and debt under the Bush administration, its expansion of executive power, and what they see as a trampling of civil liberties and a taste for empire." ... "Douglas Kmiec is former chief of the Office of Legal Counsel in the [former Republican Presidents] Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, and now a constitutional law professor at Pepperdine University and a devout Catholic. Kmiec endorsed Obama earlier this year, despite his conviction that Obama "believes in a pretty progressive agenda."" ... "Kmiec said his support deepened after meeting with Obama and other faith leaders last month, during which the busy candidate spent 2 1/2 in a freewheeling discussion with people who differed with him." ... ""I think he's the right person at the right time to re-establish principles of constitutional governance that have been ill treated by the current administration, and to free us from the tar paper that we know is Iraq," Kmiec said, adding that many Republicans privately agree. "I think he's a man in the market for every good idea he can find, and he doesn't care what label it comes with."" ... "David Friedman, the son of late conservative icon and Nobel economist Milton Friedman, has also endorsed Obama." ... "[Conservative Bruce Bartlett:] "People don't understand that there has always been a small but very significant element of conservatives who have been against the war from day one and who, like me, also hate George Bush and think he's the most incompetent president in American history," said Bruce Bartlett, a supply-side economist who coined the term Obamacons. "The few people who are slavishly pro-Republican, live or die, slavishly pro-Bush like the Weekly Standard crowd, have gotten lot more publicity than they deserve."" -By Carolyn Lochhead -SFGate.com

- John McCain - Karl Rove - Money - Oil - Health Care -US - Iraq - Afghanistan - Military - Terrorism - 2008 Election - Massachusetts
"Kerry: McCain's Judgment Is Dangerous." ... "[Massachusetts Democratic Senator] Sen. John Kerry believes that the presumptive Republican nominee for president is adhering to the [Republican President] Bush Administration orthodoxy in ways that call into question his carefully-nurtured image as a political maverick." ... ""John McCain has changed in profound and fundamental ways that I find personally really surprising, and frankly upsetting," the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts said on CBS' Face The Nation." ... ""This is a different John McCain. This is not the Senator John McCain; this is want-to-be president John McCain." ... ""And the result is that John McCain has flip-flopped on more issues than I was even ever accused possibly of thinking about! I mean, this is extraordinary what he's done: He's changed on taxes; he's now in favor of the Bush tax cut. If you like the Bush economy, if you like the Bush tax cut and what it's done to our economy, making wealthier people wealthier and the average middle class struggle harder, then John McCain is going to give you a third term of George Bush and Karl Rove." ... ""If you like what has happened to oil prices, John McCain is going to continue that policy. If you like what you see about health care, John McCain has no health care plan." ... ""I would have at least expected the John McCain that I knew back then to realize what almost every person in the Pentagon has admitted. There are very few who walk around and say, 'Going into Iraq was the right thing to do, and we should have done it, or do it again if I have the chance.' John McCain does." ... ""I'm challenging Senator McCain's judgment," Kerry said, "that says, 'There's no violent history between Sunni and Shia.' That's wrong. His judgment that says, 'This is going to increase the stability of the Middle East.' It hasn't, it's made it less stable. The judgment that says, quote, 'This will be the best thing for America and the world in a long time. It's the worst thing that we've done in a long time. And he's turned his [focus] away from Afghanistan and al Qaeda and made America less safe. That's dangerous for our country."" -FaceTheNation -CBSNews

- Don Young - Ted Stevens - Tom DeLay - Federal - Investigation - Legislative - Politics - 2008 Election - Alaska - Texas - Virginia - Florida - Transportation - Construction
"When Alaska's Young needed help, lobbyists ponied up." ... "Facing bad publicity and a dwindling campaign account, [United States Alaska Republican Representative] U.S. Rep. Don Young last year turned to the "AK Wolfpack," a group of more than 20 lobbyists, including former Young staffers and retired former congressmen, with close ties to the Alaska Republican." ... "Young's chief of staff, Mike Anderson, sent the Wolfpack an e-mail to tell them that national Democrats planned aggressive fundraising and claims of misconduct by Young to topple the 35-year incumbent congressman and his fellow Alaska Republican [Senator], U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens." ... "If they succeed, Anderson warned, "you and your clients will be impacted."" ... "They include Rick Alcalde, the lobbyist at the heart of a Young earmark that is under federal investigation. They also include lobbyists Colin Chapman, Anderson's immediate predecessor as Young's chief of staff, and Randy DeLay, the brother of former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. Randy DeLay lobbied on a Virginia highway project before Young's transportation committee." ... "Anderson e-mailed his note a day after The New York Times ran a front-page story about Young's earmarking $10 million to study a Florida interchange that would benefit a developer who had raised money for an earlier Young campaign. The paper described the earmark as an "obvious" trade of campaign contributions for legislative favors." -By Sean Cockerham and Erika Bolstad -McClatchyDC.com

- Food - Safety
"Salmonella outbreak: FDA looks at tomatoes, serrano, jalapeno peppers, cilantro." ... "The government on Saturday increased to 943 the number of people reported being sickened in a record salmonella outbreak, in which tomatoes are the leading suspect." ... "The Food and Drug Administration also said it had begun looking at serrano and jalapeno peppers and cilantro —ingredients used to make salsa—as possible causes of the outbreak. Tomatoes continue to be investigated as well, spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said." ... "The 943 reported cases are nationwide, requiring at least 130 hospitalizations since mid-April after the first salmonella illnesses appeared, the FDA said Saturday." -ChicagoTribune

- John McCain - Carl H Lindner Jr - BobPerry -  - Money - Politics - Marketing - 2004 Election - 2008 Election - Texas - Ohio - Arizona - Illinois - Obama
"McCain Allies Find Finance-Law Holes: Governors' Fund Recruits Big Donors; Bid to Catch Obama." ... "Allies of [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain have found new loopholes in the campaign-finance law he helped write -- and they're using them to reel in huge contributions to help him compete with [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama." ... "In one method, a Republican Party fund aimed at electing governors has started marketing itself as a home for contributions of unlimited size to help Sen. McCain. His 2002 campaign law limits donations to presidential races to try to curtail the influence of wealth." ... "The Republican Governors Association isn't subject to those limits, and has long gathered up large donations from individuals and companies. Now it is telling donors it can use their contributions to benefit Sen. McCain in some key battleground states." ... "Altogether, individuals can give $108,000 to federal campaigns within each two-year election cycle." ... "Donors with deep pockets also can avoid limits completely by contributing to groups called 527 organizations, after a provision in the tax code." ... "The [Republican] governors group counts a number of large corporations among its donors, including WellPoint Inc. [Incorporated] at $200,000, and Pfizer Inc. [Incorporated], Bank of America Corp. [Corporation] and Travelers Cos. [Companies] at $150,000 or more." ... "Texas developer Bob Perry, the largest financial backer of the Swift Boat group [that attacked the military service of 2004 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry], also is the largest individual donor to the governors group, at $250,000. Carl Lindner, a retired insurance executive in Ohio and another top Swift Boat financier, has contributed $100,000 to the governors' fund. The campaign-finance lawyer for the Swift Boat group in 2004 now serves the same role for the governors association." ... "In another Republican strategy, the McCain campaign itself last month began soliciting its biggest donations yet -- up to $70,100 per check." -By Brody Mullins and T.W. Farnam -WSJ.com

- US - Afghanistan - Countries
"US military extends Afghanistan tour of 2,200 Marines after saying it would not." ... "The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is doing combat operations in the volatile southern region, will stay an extra 30 days and come home in early November rather than October, Marine [Colonel] Col. David Lapan confirmed Thursday." ... "Commanders faced with increasing violence have said they need at least 7,500 more troops in Afghanistan." ... "There are 32,000 [United States] U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan, 14,000 serving with the NATO-led coalition and 18,000 conducting training and counterinsurgency." ... "The NATO force includes more than 52,000 troops from as many as 40 countries." -AP via -IHT.com

- John McCain - Carl H Lindner Jr - Terrorism - Money - Illegal - Military - Politics - Federal - Investigation - International - Food - Colombia - US - Arizona - Ohio - 2008 Election
"McCain Backer's Firm Pleaded Guilty To Funding Terrorist Group In Colombia." ... "The co-host of a recent top-dollar fundraiser for [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain oversaw the payment of roughly $1.7 million to a Colombian paramilitary group that is today designated a terrorist organization by the United States." ... "Carl H. Lindner Jr., the billionaire Cincinnati [Ohio] businessman, was CEO [Chief Executive Officer] of Chiquita Brands International from 1984 to 2001, and remained on the company's board of directors until May 2002. Beginning under his tenure, Chiquita executives paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (known by the Spanish acronym AUC), which is described by George Washington University's National Security Archive as an "illegal right-wing anti-guerrilla group tied to many of the country's most notorious civilian massacres."" ... "Following a Justice Department indictment [pdf] last year, Chiquita admitted to illegally funding the paramilitaries and agreed to pay a $25 million fine. Chiquita's payments to the AUC began in 1997 and lasted seven years; roughly half of the funds came after the group was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department in 2001." ... "According to the Justice Department, the payments "were reviewed and approved by senior executives" of Chiquita, who knew by no later than September 2000 "that the AUC was a violent, paramilitary organization."" ... "Late last week, Lindner co-hosted a $25,000-per-person fundraiser for McCain and the Republican Party in the wealthy Indian Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The event raised about $2 million; Lindner also serves on McCain's Ohio Victory Team." ... "While Lindner was CEO of Chiquita, the company began sending money to the AUC through its shipping subsidiary Banadex. A report by the Organization of American States states that Banadex also engaged in arms trafficking, helping to deliver 3,000 Nicaraguan AK-47 rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition to the AUC in 2001. According to federal prosecutors, when company officials realized the arrangement was illegal, they switched to making the payments in cash." -By Nico Pitney -HuffingtonPost.com

- John McCain - Karl Rove - Rick Davis - Arizona - 2004 Election - 2008 Election - Media - 
"McCain camp puts Rove man in charge: New chief Steve Schmidt, right, a veteran of the [Republican President] Bush campaign, will focus on honing McCain's message. Republicans have complained the campaign lacked clear themes." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign has gone through its second shake-up in a year. Responding to Republican concern that his candidacy was faltering, McCain put a veteran of President Bush's 2004 campaign in charge of day-to-day operations, and stepped away from a plan to have the campaign run by 11 regional managers, McCain's aides said Wednesday." ... "The elevation of Steve Schmidt -- who worked closely with Karl Rove -- at McCain's headquarters represented a sharp diminishment of the responsibilities of Rick Davis, who has been McCain's campaign manager since the last shake-up nearly a year ago." ... "The move is the latest sign of increasing influence of veterans of Rove's shop in the McCain operation. Nicolle Wallace, who was communications director for Bush in the 2004 campaign (and in his White House) has joined the campaign as a senior adviser, and will travel with McCain every other week. Greg Jenkins, another veteran of Rove's operation who is a former Fox News [TV] producer and director of presidential advance in the Bush White House, was hired by Schmidt last week after a series of what McCain's advisers acknowledged were poorly executed campaign events." (1, 2, 3) -NYTimes -WashingtonPost via -StarTribune

- Secret - Torture - War Crimes - Prisons - US - Guantanamo - Cuba - Chinese - Korean- History - Medical - Science - Psychological - Military - Intelligence - Politics - Investigators
"China Inspired Interrogations at Guantánamo." ... "The military trainers who came to Guantánamo Bay [Cuba] in December 2002 based an entire interrogation class on a chart showing the effects of “coercive management techniques” for possible use on prisoners, including “sleep deprivation,” “prolonged constraint,” and “exposure.”" ... "What the trainers did not say, and may not have known, was that their chart had been copied verbatim from a 1957 Air Force study of Chinese Communist techniques used during the Korean War to obtain confessions, many of them false, from American prisoners." ... "The recycled chart is the latest and most vivid evidence of the way Communist interrogation methods that the United States long described as torture became the basis for interrogations both by the military at the base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and by the Central Intelligence Agency." ... "Some methods were used against a small number of prisoners at Guantánamo before 2005, when Congress banned the use of coercion by the military. The C.I.A. is still authorized by [Republican] President Bush to use a number of secret “alternative” interrogation methods." ... "Several Guantánamo documents, including the chart outlining coercive methods, were made public at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing June 17 that examined how such tactics came to be employed." ... "But committee investigators were not aware of the chart’s source in the half-century-old journal article, a connection pointed out to The New York Times by an independent expert on interrogation who spoke on condition of anonymity." ... "The 1957 article from which the chart was copied was entitled “Communist Attempts to Elicit False Confessions From Air Force Prisoners of War” and written by Alfred D. Biderman, a sociologist then working for the Air Force, who died in 2003. Mr. Biderman had interviewed American prisoners returning from North Korea, some of whom had been filmed by their Chinese interrogators confessing to germ warfare and other atrocities." ... "Those orchestrated confessions led to allegations that the American prisoners had been “brainwashed,” and provoked the military to revamp its training to give some military personnel a taste of the enemies’ harsh methods to inoculate them against quick capitulation if captured." ... "In 2002, the training program, known as SERE, for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape, became a source of interrogation methods both for the C.I.A. and the military. In what critics describe as a remarkable case of historical amnesia, officials who drew on the SERE program appear to have been unaware that it had been created as a result of concern about false confessions by American prisoners." ... "The only change made in the chart presented at Guantánamo was to drop its original title: “Communist Coercive Methods for Eliciting Individual Compliance.”" (1, 2) -By Scott Shane -NYTimes

- Norm Coleman - Jeff Larson - Money - Politics - Investigators - House - Minnesota - 2008 Election
"Ethics group files charge against Coleman over living arrangement." ... "[Minnesota Republican Senator Norm] Coleman, a Minnesota Republican, has been living in the basement of a Capitol Hill town house owned by campaign consultant Jeff Larson for the past year. He missed a couple of rent payments until the magazine National Journal brought them to his attention. Coleman also paid one month's rent by selling furniture to Larson." ... "Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington wants the Senate Ethics Committee to determine, among other things, whether the $600 monthly rent Coleman pays is fair market value and whether Coleman would have paid the missing rent checks had the magazine not flagged them." ... ""Few Americans have landlords who sometimes fail to cash their rent checks, ignore unpaid rent, or accept furniture in lieu of rent," said CREW's executive director, Melanie Sloan." ... ""That Sen. Coleman has just such a landlord, who also happens to financially benefit from his relationship with the senator, creates exactly the sort of appearance of impropriety that undermines the public's faith in government."" ... "Coleman faces a tough re-election challenge from [2008 Election Minnesota Senatorial Candidate] Democrat Al Franken." -AP via -USATODAY

- John McCain - Barack Obama - Military - Politics - History - Illinois - 2008 Election
"McCain In 2003: ‘I Absolutely Don’t Believe’ Military Service Alone Qualifies Somebody For President." ... "This Sunday, on CBS’s Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer commented that [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL [Democratic-Illinois]) may not have the experience to be president because he has not “ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down.” After having already expressed his respect for McCain’s military record, [General] Gen. Wesley Clark responded by arguing that “getting shot down is [not] a qualification to be President.”" ... "Then, last night, on MSNBC’s Veridct with Dan Abrams, Clark again reiterated that “this is an issue about the qualifications to be President” and said, “I want to assure you I would never, never diss someone’s service.”" ... "[Watch Video of General Clark on McCain]" ... "Clark’s argument that military service is not sufficient alone to be president is an argument that has been made by McCain himself:"

"- During an interview with National Journal, John McCain was asked if “military service inherently makes somebody better equipped to be commander-in-chief.” McCain said, “Absolutely not…I absolutely don’t believe that it’s necessary.” [National Journal, 2/15/2003]"

"- I believe that military service is the most honorable endeavor an American may undertake. But I’ve never believed that lack of military service disqualifies one from occupying positions of political leadership or as Commander and Chief. In America, the people are sovereign, and they decide who is and is not qualified to lead us. [American Legion Speech, 9/7/1999]"

"- Earlier this year at Washington’s Gridiron Club, where humor is the required fare, McCain lay bare what underlies his candidacy. Wearing a jacket outlandishly festooned with dozens of fake military medals, McCain said, “The question I ask myself every morning while shaving in front of the mirror is: OK, John, you’re an incredible war hero, an inspiration to all Americans. But what qualifies you to be president of the United States?” [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 11/7/1999]"

- John McCain - Poll - 2008 Election
"Americans Worry McCain Would Be Too Similar to Bush." ... "A recent USA Today/Gallup poll finds about two in three Americans concerned that [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain would pursue policies as president that are too similar to what [Republican President] George W. Bush has pursued. Nearly half -- 49% -- say they are "very concerned" about this." ... "McCain faces a challenge in trying to convince voters to allow him to follow an unpopular president of the same party. Democratic candidate Barack Obama has attempted to link McCain to Bush by saying that electing McCain would effectively lead to a "third Bush term." Although McCain remains competitive in head-to-head matchups with Obama, the poll suggests that McCain may have more work to do to distance himself from Bush." ... "It is clearly a delicate balancing act for McCain, as Bush remains relatively popular with the Republican base. While only 28% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing as president, a majority of Republicans (60%) still do. Bush's approval rating among current McCain supporters is slightly lower, at 55%." ... "Bush is deeply unpopular with Democrats (only 6% approve), and 9 in 10 Democrats say they are concerned that McCain's policies would be too similar to those of Bush. But among independents -- a group to which McCain has demonstrated appeal -- most are concerned about McCain-Bush similarities, including nearly half who are very concerned. Even one in five Republicans are very concerned about the similarities." -By Jeffrey M. Jones -Gallup.com