Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Police Called On Retirees At Senator Dianne Feinstein's Office
The AP reports that "Police were called on a group of retirees who refused to leave Sen. Dianne Feinstein's West Los Angeles office until she talked to them about health care reform... A spokeswoman for the 55- to 87-year-old activists said they arrived at Feinstein's office around noon and remained in her conference room more than six hours. Feinstein spokesman Gil Duran says staff offered the retirees an in-person meeting with the senator during a Los Angeles visit next week but that they demanded to speak with her immediately."
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Sen. Richard Lugar Asks For State Department "Explanation Of U.S. Policy Toward Honduras"
Reuters reports that "a key U.S. senator asked the Obama administration on Thursday to explain in detail its policy on the Honduran political crisis, warning that otherwise Senate confirmation may be delayed for a U.S. diplomatic nominee for Latin America."
"The complexity of events that led up to the Honduran crisis has given rise to questions regarding U.S. policy," Senator Richard Lugar is quoted as saying.
"I request that the Department provide interested Members a detailed clarification of the steps that it has taken, and intends to take, in response to the events that transpired in the run-up to and period after the forced removal of President Manuel Zelaya from Honduras," Lugar wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Your explanation of U.S. policy toward Honduras and your outreach to the Senate can improve the prospects of confirming Mr. Valenzuela before the Congress recesses in August," Lugar wrote.
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House Approves $2 Billion More For "Cash For Clunkers"
The AP reports that "the House has voted to rush an additional $2 billion into the popular but financially strapped "cash for clunkers" car purchase program. The bill was approved on a vote of 316-109. House members acted within hours of learning from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the program was running out of money. Called the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, the program is designed to help the economy and the environment by spurring new car sales. Car owners can receive federal subsidies of up to $4,500 for trading in their old cars for new ones that achieve significantly higher gas mileage. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the new money for the program would come from funds approved earlier in the year as part of an economic stimulus bill."
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Robert Gibbs Evades Questions By Saying He Will Not "Get Into" It
Politico reports that Gibbs has used the tactic of saying he's not going to "get into" an issue more than 120 times during the Obama administration’s first six months in office.
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Robert Gibbs Says Media Coverage Of "Beer Summit," That Was A Pure Publicity Stunt To Begin With, Went Overboard
Gibbs is criticizing the insane media coverage of the "beer summit," without realizing the whole point of the "beer summit" was to attract media attention and to serve as a pure publicity stunt for the President who wanted to make up for saying the Cambridge police acted "stupidly," without apologizing of course.
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Bloomberg: Recession Worse Than Prior Estimates
Bloomberg reports that "the first 12 months of the U.S. recession saw the economy shrink more than twice as much as previously estimated, reflecting even bigger declines in consumer spending and housing, revised figures showed. The world’s largest economy contracted 1.9 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the last three months of 2008, compared with the 0.8 percent drop previously on the books, the Commerce Department said today in Washington." Tweet
"Cash For Clunkers" Program, Estimated To Have Enough Funding For Four Months, Going Broke After One Week
Politico reports that "The program — aimed at giving at boost to the U.S. auto industry — was supposed to expire at the end of October. But in the one week since it took effect, it appears to have run dry of the $1 billion allocated to it, aides said Thursday... Last Friday, registration began for dealers who wanted to participate in the program, which is intended to encourage consumers to trade in their old cars for a credit program to purchase new fuel efficient cars. Under the rules that went into effect last week, the purchased vehicles must be 2008, 2009 or 2010 models, and the vehicles must be purchased between July and November to qualify. And consumers would be able to receive a $3,500-$4,500 discount from car dealerships when they trade in their old vehicles and purchase a new one." Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
The funding for this program was estimated to last for four months. It lasted one week. This is a great way to build confidence in the projections for health care spending.
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Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Stephen Colbert Interviews "Mother Of The Obama Birth Certificate Movement"
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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Obama Claims "Nobody" Will Cut Medicare
The only problem is that CNN reported last month that Obama "proposed an additional $313 billion in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other programs to pay for health care reforms expected to cost about $1 trillion over the next decade."
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
US Revokes Visas Of 4 Honduran Officials
The AP reports that "the U.S. government said Tuesday it has revoked the diplomatic visas of four Honduran officials, stepping up pressure on coup-installed leaders who insist they can resist international demands to restore the ousted president. The U.S. State Department did not name the four, but a Honduran official said they included the Supreme Court magistrate who ordered the arrest of ousted President Manuel Zelda and the president of Honduras' Congress. The State Department is also reviewing the visas of all officials serving under interim President Roberto Micheletti, department spokesman Ian Kelly said. Micheletti's Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Lorena Alvarado said Supreme Court Justice Tomas Arita and Congressional President Jose Alfredo Saavedro were among those whose visas removed."
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Republican Senator Jim Demint: “He Is Not Only A Citizen. He Is Our President.”
South Carolina Republican Senator Jim Demint defended Barack Obama from the conspiracy theorists who claim the president was not born in the United States. "I may have disagreements with [the president] on issues," DeMint told the Huffington Post. "But he is my president, he deserves our respect, and we need forget that nonsense."
He is not only a citizen," he added, "he is our president."
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"Americans For Peace Now" Urge Senators Not To Sign Resolution Asking Arab States To Normalize Relations With Israel
"Americans for Peace Now" is again siding with Israel's enemies as it is urging U.S. senators not to sign a letter encouraging the Arab world to normalize ties with Israel because it does not mention efforts to halt Israeli settlements. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that "the bipartisan letter to President Obama, circulated by Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and James Risch (R-Idaho) and backed by the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, is 'unhelpful' because it 'seems to make a straightforward and reasonable demand for the Arab world to normalize relations with Israel,' but 'the subtext of the letter directly contradicts and undermines the efforts' of the Obama administration 'to promote Middle East peace.' The Senate letter notes that 'over the past few months Israel has taken concrete measures to reaffirm its commitment to advancing the peace process,' and notes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's backing of the two-state solution and the removal of
roadblocks and other measures to 'improve the daily lives of Palestinians.'"
This is just another example of how in reality this group is nothing more than a pro-Palestinian mouthpiece and has nothing to do with actual "peace now."
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Seven Jihadists Arrested In North Carolina Showing "There Are People...Around The U.S. That Are Honing Their Skills To Carry Out Acts Of Murder"
The L.A. Times reports that "federal authorities in North Carolina on Monday arrested seven men who they said had trained with high-powered weapons as part of a terrorist conspiracy to wage an Islamic holy war overseas. The men -- including a father who, authorities said, trained in jihad camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and his two sons -- sought to provide material support to terrorists and to murder, kidnap, maim and injure people overseas, according to a seven-count federal indictment. The indictment did not allege that the group was plotting attacks on U.S. soil. If convicted, the suspects, all but one of whom are U.S. citizens, could face life in prison... Although the indictment provided few details, it outlined a plan among four of the suspects 'to meet up' in Israel, as well as other overseas forays. The conspiracy, according to the government, included other suspects 'known and unknown,' and its aim was to provide money, training, transportation and personnel to those wanting to fight a holy war against countries friendly to the United States." To read more of this story visit http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-terrorism-arrests28-2009jul28,0,3376969.story.
"These arrests today show there are people living among us, in our communities in North Carolina and around the U.S., that are honing their skills to carry out acts of murder and mayhem," said Owen D. Harris, special agent in charge of the FBI's Charlotte, N.C., division, which led the investigation.
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Islamist Attack On Nigeria Police
The Associated Press reports that "Islamist militants seeking to impose a Taliban-style regime in northern Nigeria launched attacks Monday on police in three towns, expanding a two-day campaign that has left at least 55 people dead, police and witnesses said. The violence began Sunday when militants attacked a police station in the northern city of Bauchi, leaving dozens dead in gun battles. On Monday, militants launched a wave of attacks in three more states, targeting the towns of Maiduguri, Damaturu and Wudil in the predominantly Muslim northern part of the country, police and residents said. National Police Chief Ogbonnaya Onovo put the overall death toll at at least 55 -- 50 militants and five police officers. A journalist with the local Compass newspaper in Maiduguri, Olugbenga Akinbule, said he saw the bodies of about 100 Islamist militants slain in gun battles with police in the town, where some of the worst violence occurred. Authorities did not confirm that toll. Nigeria has been sporadically racked by sectarian clashes since 1999, when 12 of the country's 36 states began adopting Islamic law, or Sharia. The radical sect, Al Sunna wal Jamma, or Followers of Muhammad's Teachings, is made up mainly of young Nigerians who want to create a Taliban-style state. The group came to prominence with a wave of similar assaults on New Year's Eve 2003. It is also known as Boko Haram."
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Mousavi Calls For More Street Protests In Iran
The Los Angeles Times reports that "Iran's leading opposition figure called on his supporters Monday to head into the streets daily during a religious festival next week, potentially escalating tensions at a time when his election rival, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is to be sworn in for a second term... Mousavi said in comments to educators published on his website, Ghalamnews.ir, that the religious festivities, which should take place over several days during the middle of next week, were an opportunity to extend the political movement outside the capital. 'We must express awareness among the people,' he said. 'We must raise slogans that can include all Iranians both inside and outside the country. A vast . . . social movement has taken shape in the country and it has to make best use of these occasions and unveil its initiatives,' Mousavi said. 'We can organize programs each day to follow up on our objectives.' It was the first time Mousavi had explicitly called on his supporters to take to the streets since a series of massive protest marches last month. Dozens of Iranians have been killed and hundreds arrested in clashes between protesters and security forces. Iran's political powers seem at a loss as to what to do, and some political conservatives are incensed over Ahmadinejad's divisive political actions as well as the widespread crackdown. The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, forced Ahmadinejad to back down on his choice of a first vice president. Many conservatives were highly uncomfortable with the selection of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, who is related to Ahmadinejad by marriage. Some analysts said it was because of friendly comments Mashaei made about the Israeli people. But others said he is believed to be a member of a secretive messianic sect with a worldview so extreme that it was banned by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic."
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Monday, July 27, 2009
House Judiciary Chair: "What Good Is Reading The Bill If It’s A Thousand Pages"
To see the video of House Judiciary Chair Conyers saying there is no reason to read bills, visit http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?v=GduzuzqGqG. Tweet
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