Bush Health Plan Would Raise Taxes by $526 Billion

February 28, 2007
Bush Health Plan Would Raise Taxes by $526 Billion

Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush's plan to revamp the health-care system would increase taxes on Americans by $526.2 billion over the next decade, according to a congressional estimate that calls into question administration claims of cost and tax savings.

A "very preliminary" unreleased report by the staff of the non-partisan congressional JointCommittee on Taxation estimates that Bush's proposal would begin imposing higher taxes by 2011.

Bush's plan, outlined in January, would replace incentives for employers to provide insurance fortheir workers with a tax deduction for individuals.

Army officials refused to let former Walter Reed Commander to testify

March 3, 2007
Army officials refused to let former Walter Reed Commander to testify

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has subpoenaed Maj. Gen. George Weightman, who was fired as head of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, after Army officials refused to allow him to testify before the committee Monday.

Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and subcommittee Chairman John Tierney asked Weightman to testify about an internal memo that showed privatization of services at Walter Reed could put "patient care services? at risk of mission failure."

But Army officials refused to allow Weightman to appear before the committee after he was relieved of command.

"The Army was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the decision to prevent General Weightman from testifying," committee members said in a statement today.

Privatization may have helped create Walter Reed 'disaster'

March 3, 2007
Privatization may have helped create Walter Reed 'disaster'

The Bush Administration's drive for privatization may be responsible for the "deplorable" outpatient care for soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, according to a top Democratic Congressman investigating the scandal, which has already led to the resignation of the Secretary of the US Army. A five-year, $120 million contract awarded to a firm run by a former executive from Halliburton - a multi-national corporation that Vice President Dick Cheney once served as CEO for - will be probed at a Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs hearing scheduled for Monday.

A letter sent by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to Major General George W. Weightman, the former commander at Walter Reed, asks him to "address the implications of a memorandum from Garrison Commander Peter Garibaldi sent through you to Colonel Daryl Spencer, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Resource Management with the U.S. Army Medical Command," in order to better prepare himself for his testimony at the hearing.

"This memorandum, which we understand was written in September 2006, describes how the Army's decision to privatize support services at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was causing an exodus of 'highly skilled and experienced personnel," Waxman's letter continues. "As a result, according to the memorandum, 'WRAMC Base Operations and patient care services are at risk of mission failure.'"

Why is Gen. Kiley back in charge at Walter Reed?

March 2, 2007
Why is Gen. Kiley back in charge at Walter Reed?

YESTERDAY THE Post reported that Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley heard years ago from a veterans advocate and even a member of Congress that outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was distressingly squalid and disorganized. That commander proceeded to do little, even though he lives across the street from the outpatient facilities in a spacious Georgian house. Also yesterday, the Army announced that Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, the head of Walter Reed since August, had been relieved of his command. His temporary replacement? None other than Gen. Kiley.

Here's where the story stops making sense. Much of The Post's article detailed the abuse by omission that Gen. Kiley, not Gen. Weightman, committed, first as head of Walter Reed, then in hiscurrent post as Army surgeon general. Gen. Weightman, who very well might deserve his disgrace,has commanded Walter Reed for only half a year, while Gen. Kiley, now back in charge of Walter Reed, headed the hospital and its outpatient facilities for two years and has led the Army'smedical command since. Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) and his wife say they repeatedly told Gen.Kiley about unhealthful conditions in outpatient facilities.

Day in Court Denied for Victim of CIA Kidnapping and Rendition

March 3, 2007
Day in Court Denied for Victim of CIA Kidnapping and Rendition

NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it will continue to pursue a fair hearing for Khaled El-Masri, a victim of the CIA policy of illegal abduction and detention known as extraordinary rendition. The ACLU said that the government is abusing the state secrets privilege to cover up its kidnapping and torture of an innocent man.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia denied El-Masri access to justice yesterday because, according to the court, the simple fact of holding proceedings would jeopardize state secrets, a position advanced by the CIA.

"The court's decision gives the government a blank check to shield even its most shameful conduct from any scrutiny or accountability," said Ben Wizner, an attorney with the ACLU. "Depriving Khaled El-Masri of his day in court on the ground that the government cannot disclose facts that the whole world already knows only compounds the brutal treatment he endured."

Ann Coulter's Use of 'Faggot' in Describing Senator Edwards Denounced by Christian Defense Coalition

March 3, 2007
Ann Coulter's Use of 'Faggot' in Describing Senator Edwards Denounced by Christian Defense Coalition

WASHINGTON, Mar. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Christian Defense Coalition denounces Ann Coulter's use of the term "faggot" in describing Senator John Edwards and hopes she will issue an apology.

Group says hateful speech and harsh name calling should have no place in American politics.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, comments, "Over the past decade, we have seen the national political debate turn ugly and vicious. With so many pressing
issues facing the American public, one should never resort to vicious name calling or personal attacks in an attempt to prove a political point. By using the term 'faggot' in describing Senator Edwards, Ann Coulter has both diminished herself and her message.

88 Percent of Guard Units Rated 'Not Ready'

March 2, 2007
88 Percent of Guard Units Rated 'Not Ready'

Nearly 90 percent of Army National Guard units in the United States are rated "not ready" --largely as a result of shortfalls in billions of dollars' worth of equipment -- jeopardizing their capability to respond to crises at home and abroad, according to a congressional commission that released a preliminary report yesterday on the state of U.S. military reserve forces.

The report found that heavy deployments of the National Guard and reserves since 2001 for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and for other anti-terrorism missions have deepened shortages, forced the cobbling together of units and hurt recruiting.

Army Secretary Resigns in Walter Reed Scandal

March 3, 2007
Army Secretary Resigns inWalter Reed Scandal

WASHINGTON Mar 3, 2007 (AP)— It began with reports of mice and moldy plaster, but after two weeks of outrage, the scandal over poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center has claimed several careers including the secretary of the Army's.

Secretary Francis J. Harvey's abrupt dismissal Friday came under withering criticism from Pentagon chief Robert Gates, who said the Army's response to the substandard conditions for the war-wounded was defensive, and not aggressive enough.

And it left the door open for more personnel changes, as investigations continue and Congress prepares for hearings next week.

Harvey's departure was the most dramatic move during two weeks of furor over the treatment of soldiers at one of the military's highest-profile and busiest medical facilities.

Going Back to North Korea, Hat in Hand

February 28, 2007
Going Back to NorthKorea, Hat in Hand

So now it's North Korea's turn to feed at the trough of U.S. economic aid, as if exploding a nuclear weapon is all that's needed to prove a nation's peaceful intentions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with negotiating with our enemies rather than weakly blustering at cartoon images of them--I wish we would do the same in our dealings with Iran--but it would be nice if we would stop shooting ourselves in the foot first.

Five years and an outlaw nuke test after President Bush blew up the peace process with Pyongyang so he could look tougher than his predecessor, he capitulated completely earlier this month in accepting a negotiating framework that tacitly accepts the huge surge in the communist state's estimated nuclear arsenal. Bush blinked big-time. The carrot replaced the stick, and that is a good thing, carrying the hope that through diplomacy North Korea will end its isolation and
follow the modernizing path of communist China. But six years of presidential haranguing about rogue regimes derailed previous efforts at arms control, allowing the dangerously unstable North Korea to join the nuclear club.

New figures show dramatic rise in terror attacks worldwide since the invasion of Iraq

February 28, 2007
New figures show dramatic rise in terror attacks worldwide since the invasion of Iraq

The research is said to be the first to attempt to measure the "Iraq effect" on global terrorism. It found that the number killed in jihadist attacks around the world has risen dramatically since the Iraq war began in March 2003. The study compared the period between 11 September 2001 and the invasion of Iraq with the period since the invasion. The count - excluding the Arab-Israel conflict - shows the number of deaths due to terrorism rose from 729 to 5,420.

F.E.C fines Republican Group $750,000

March 1, 2007
F.E.C fines Republican Group $750,000

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 — A major conservative group agreed to pay a $750,000 penalty as part of a settlement with the Federal Election Commission, which found that the group violated campaign finance laws by spending more than $30 million on advertisements and mailings supporting President Bush's re-election.

The fine was the third largest in the agency's 32-year-history. The settlement reflects a crackdown in the last several months on the political activities of so-called 527 groups — named after a section of the tax law — that surfaced in the 2004 election as a powerful force, raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars in unregulated contributions through a loophole in the law.

Poll: Bush Is Losing Support of Republicans

March 2, 2007
Poll: Bush Is Losing Support of Republicans

In the months since the Congressional elections, President Bush has lost substantial support among members of his own party, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Mr. Bush's approval rating dropped 13 percentage points since last fall among Republicans, 65 percent of whom now say they approve of the way he is handling his job as president, compared with 78 percent last October.

Over all, Mr. Bush's job approval remains at one of its lowest points, with 29 percent of all Americans saying they approve of the way he is doing his job, compared with 34 percent at the end
of October. Sixty-one percent disapproved, compared with 58 percent in October, within the margin of sampling error.

Majority Support U.S. Guarantee of Health Care

March 2, 2007
Majority Support U.S. Guarantee of Health Care

A majority of Americans say the federal government should guarantee health insurance to every American, especially children, and are willing to pay higher taxes to do it, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

While the war in Iraq remains the overarching issue in the early stages of the 2008 campaign, access to affordable health care is at the top of the public's domestic agenda, ranked far more important than immigration, cutting taxes or promoting traditional values.

Only 24 percent said they were satisfied with President Bush's handling of the health insurance issue, despite his recent initiatives, and 62 percent said the Democrats were more likely to improve the health care system.

Americans showed a striking willingness in the poll to make tradeoffs to guarantee health insurance for all, including paying as much as $500 more in taxes a year and forgoing future tax cuts.

Walter Cronkite: War a disaster

February 28, 2007
Walter Cronkite: War a disaster

"We should have gotten out a long time ago. This is a mistake, this entire war there, it's a disaster. And the earlier we get out the better," Cronkite said. "It's a terrible disaster. Look at the loss of lives of our young Americans there and those who have been maimed for life, for what purpose? No purpose we can define."

What's more, he says, America will pay a future price for going into Iraq.

CBS 5 asked Cronkite if Americans were any safer because of the Iraq war?

"No, I don't think so. I think were probably less safe," he responded. "The entire Arab world has now put us down as an enemy. It's going to be a long time for us to take back any suggestion of friendship with those nations."

U.S. Blasted for Treatment of Detainees

March 1, 2007
U.S. Blasted for Treatment of Detainees

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. human rights chief expressed concern Wednesday at recent U.S. legislative and judicial actions that she said leave hundreds of detainees without any way to challenge their indefinite imprisonment.

Louise Arbour referred to the Military Commissions Act approved by Congress last year and last month's federal appeals court ruling that Guantanamo Bay detainees cannot use the U.S. court system to challenge their detention. The case is likely to go to the Supreme Court.

Arbour was critical of the ruling, calling on the judicial system to "rise to its long-standing reputation as a guardian of fundamental human rights and civil liberties and provide the protection to all that are under the authority, control, and therefore in my view jurisdiction of the United States."

U.S. Had Doubts on North Korean Uranium Drive

March 1, 2007
U.S. Had Doubts on North Korean Uranium Drive

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 — Last October, the North Koreans tested their first nuclear device, the fruition of decades of work to make a weapon out of plutonium.

For nearly five years, though, the Bush administration, based on intelligence estimates, has accused North Korea of also pursuing a secret, parallel path to a bomb, using enriched uranium. That accusation, first leveled in the fall of 2002, resulted in the rupture of an already tense relationship: The United States cut off oil supplies, and the North Koreans responded by throwing out international inspectors, building up their plutonium arsenal and, ultimately, producing that first plutonium bomb.

US commanders admit: we face a Vietnam-style collapse

March 1, 2007
US commanders admit: we face a Vietnam-style collapse

An elite team of officers advising the US commander, General David Petraeus, in Baghdad has concluded that they have six months to win the war in Iraq - or face a Vietnam-style collapse in political and public support that could force the military into a hasty retreat.

But the next six months are make-or-break for the US military and the Iraqi government. The main obstacles confronting Gen Petraeus's team are:

· Insufficient troops on the ground
· A "disintegrating" international coalition
· An anticipated increase in violence in the south as the British leave
· Morale problems as casualties rise
· A failure of political will in Washington and/or Baghdad.

'Surge' needs up to 7,000 more troops

March 3, 2007
'Surge' needs up to 7,000 more troops

WASHINGTON — President Bush's planned escalation of U.S. forces in Iraq will require as many as 28,500 troops, Pentagon officials told a Senate committee Thursday.

Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England also told the Senate Budget Committee that it will be clear within months whether the so-called surge in forces has succeeded in helping secure Iraq.

Requests already have been granted for 2,400 support troops, said Adm. Edmund Giambastiani, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He said there are additional requests for 4,000 more.

Existing logistics bases, many of them in and around Baghdad, will limit the number of new support troops needed, Giambastiani said.

There are about 10,000 soldiers in Iraq now associated with the escalation, according to Lt. Col. Carl Ey, an Army spokesman. In all, there are about 140,000 U.S. troops now in Iraq.

Padilla Ruled Competent to Stand Trial

February 28, 2007
Padilla Ruled Competent to Stand Trial

Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- A U.S. judge ruled that accused terrorism supporter Jose Padilla is mentally competent to stand trial, one of his defense lawyers said.

U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke in Miami rejected defense claims that Padilla was unable to assist in his defense, according to defense lawyer Andrew Patel. The defense had argued that Padilla, a 36-year-old U.S. citizen, was abused during more than three years in military custody.

The government denies abusing Padilla, and a prosecutor argued earlier today, at the end of a four-day hearing, that his unwillingness to assist in his defense was a reasoned choice and that he should stand trial April 16 as planned.

Padilla was initially accused of plotting to explode a radioactive "dirty bomb" in the U.S. After his arrest in 2002, President George W. Bush declared him an "enemy combatant," which allowed authorities to hold him in military custody without charges. In November 2005, Padilla and four co- defendants were charged with supporting terrorists and conspiring to murder people in a foreign country.

First US Soldier Injured In Iraq Is Gay

February 28, 2007
First US Soldier Injured In Iraq Is Gay

Once a Marine, always a Marine. That pretty much sums up the life of retired Sgt. Eric Alva, who was sworn into the Marine Corps at 19, stationed in Somalia and Japan and lost his right leg when he stepped on a land mine on March 21, 2003, the first day of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As the war's first injured soldier, Alva was an instant celebrity. He was on "Oprah." President Bush awarded him the Purple Heart. Donald Rumsfeld visited. And strangers in Alva's native San Antonio still insist on paying for his dinner at Chili's. Last fall Alva, 36, contacted the Human Rights Campaign, the gay rights group, and asked to be involved in its lobbying effort. Today he'll stand alongside Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.) when he introduces a bill to repeal the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on gay, lesbian and bisexual military personnel.

Gov't estimates 754,000 homeless people

February 28, 2007
Gov't estimates 754,000 homeless people

WASHINGTON - The nation has three-quarters of a million homeless people, filling emergency shelters through the year and spilling into special seasonal shelters in the coldest months, the government said Wednesday.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated there were 754,000 homeless people in 2005, including those living in shelters, transitional housing and on the street. That's about 300,000 more people than available beds in shelters and transitional housing.

Measure says troops must be fully rested, equipped, trained

February 23, 2007
Measure says troops must be fully rested, equipped, trained

House Democratic leaders, defending a plan by Rep. John Murtha, said Tuesday they will press ahead with legislation requiring all U.S. troops be fully equipped, trained and rested before being sent back to Iraq.

Despite rumors that Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco was backing away from the plan, which Republicans have decried as a "slow bleed" on the war, the speaker said Murtha's proposal on troop standards would be debated next week in committee and that she hopes to move it quickly to the floor.

Democrats to attach spending to Iraq bill

February 28, 2007
Democrats to attach spending to Iraq bill

WASHINGTON - While Democrats try to restrict how President Bush can spend the $100 billion he wants for Iraq, they also hope to load his measure up with $10 billion in add-ons — from aid for avocado growers to help for children lacking health insurance.

Lawmakers also hope to add money for drought relief in the Great Plains, better levees in New Orleans and development of military bases that are closing down.

The expected battle with the White House over the add-ons is getting far less attention than debate over Iraq, but it could reveal a lot about how much Democrats will be able to rewrite the Republican president's budget later this year.

Gen. Pace: Military capability eroding

February 26, 2007
Gen. Pace: Military capability eroding

WASHINGTON - Strained by the demands of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a significant risk that the U.S. military won't be able to quickly and fully respond to yet another crisis, according to a new report to Congress.

The assessment, done by the nation's top military officer, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, represents a worsening from a year ago, when that risk was rated as moderate.

The report is classified, but on Monday senior defense officials, speaking on condition on anonymity, confirmed the decline in overall military readiness. And a report that accompanied Pace's review concluded that while the Pentagon is working to improve its warfighting abilities, it "may take several years to reduce risk to acceptable levels."

Big Oil in, stability out under new Iraqi law

February 28, 2007
Big Oil in, stability out under new Iraqi law

While debate rages in the United States about the military in Iraq, an equally important decision is being made inside Iraq - the future of its oil. A draft Iraqi law proposes to open the country's currently nationalized oil system to foreign corporate control. But emblematic of the flawed promotion of "democracy" by the administration of US President George W Bush, this new law is news to most Iraqi politicians.

A leaked copy of the proposed hydrocarbon law appeared on the Internet at the same time that it was introduced to the Iraqi

US invites Iran and Syria to talks on Iraq in reversal of Bush policy

February 28, 2007
US invites Iran and Syria to talks on Iraq in reversal of Bush policy

The Bush administration gave up one of the central tenets of its Middle East strategy yesterday, reversing its much criticised effort to isolate Iran and Syria by inviting both states to negotiations on stabilising Iraq.

The initiative, announced last night by the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, in testimony to the Senate appropriations committee will see America and Britain join Iraq and its neighbours in talks to try to rein in the country's sectarian violence.

Walter Reed patients told to keep quiet

February 28, 2007
Walter Reed patients told to keep quiet

Army Times: Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.

"Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media," one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Democratic Leaders Revamp War Plan

February 28, 2007
Democratic Leaders Revamp War Plan

House Democratic leaders are developing an anti-war proposal that wouldn't cut off money for U.S. troops in Iraq but would require President Bush to acknowledge problems with an overburdened military.

The plan could draw bipartisan support but is expected to be a tough sell to members who say they don't think it goes far enough to assuage voters angered by the four-year conflict.

Bush 'hasn't to date done anything we've asked him to do, so why we would think he would do anything in the future is beyond me,' said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., one of a group of liberal Democrats pushing for an immediate end to the war.

Majority in Poll Favor Deadline For Iraq Pullout

February 23, 2007
Majority in Poll Favor Deadline For Iraq Pullout

Opposition to Bush's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq remained strong. Two in three Americans registered their disapproval, with 56 percent saying they strongly object. The House recently passed a nonbinding resolution opposing the new deployments, but Republicans have blocked consideration of such a measure in the Senate.

The Post-ABC poll found that 53 percent of Americans favored setting a deadline for troop withdrawals. Among those who favored a deadline, 24 percent said they would like to see U.S. forces out within six months and 21 percent called for the withdrawals to be completed within a year. The rest of those who supported a timetable said they do not support withdrawing all troops until at least a year from now.

2 Army units will forgo desert training

February 27, 2007
2 Army units will forgo desert training

Some in Congress and others outside the Army are beginning to question the switch, which is not widely known. They wonder whether it means the Army is cutting corners in preparing soldiers for combat, since they are forgoing training in a desert setting that was designed specially to prepare them for the challenges of Iraq.

Army officials say the two brigades will be as ready as any others that deploy to Iraq, even though they will not have the benefit of training in counterinsurgency tactics at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., which has been outfitted to simulate conditions in Iraq for units that are heading there on yearlong tours.

Honeybees Vanish

February 27, 2007
Honeybees Vanish

VISALIA, Calif., Feb. 23 — David Bradshaw has endured countless stings during his life as a beekeeper, but he got the shock of his career when he opened his boxes last month and found half of his 100 million bees missing.

In 24 states throughout the country, beekeepers have gone through similar shocks as their bees have been disappearing inexplicably at an alarming rate, threatening not only their livelihoods but also the production of numerous crops, including California almonds, one of the nation&'s most profitable.

"I have never seen anything like it," Mr. Bradshaw, 50, said from an almond orchard here beginning to bloom. "Box after box after box are just empty. There's nobody home."

Our Nation's Bleak Long-Term Fiscal Outlook

February 23, 2007
Our Nation's Bleak Long-Term Fiscal Outlook

The long-term fiscal outlook results from a large and persistent gap
between expected revenues and expected spending.

For GAO's "Baseline extended" simulation, closing the fiscal gap would
require spending cuts or tax increases equal to 3.6 percent of the
entire economy each year over the next 75 years, or a total of $26
trillion in present value terms. For GAO's alternative simulation, the
gap is 7.5 percent of the economy, or about $55 trillion in present
value terms. To put this in perspective, if we were to invest enough
today to pay off these amounts over the next 75 years, the sums needed
would amount to about $87,000 to $182,000 per person, or about $208,000
to $435,000 for each full-time worker.

GIs Petition Congress To End Iraq War

February 25, 2007
GIs Petition Congress To End Iraq War

Correspondent Lara Logan heard dissension in the ranks from a large group of service members who are fed up and have decided to go public. They're not going AWOL, they're not disobeying orders or even refusing to fight in Iraq. But they are doing something unthinkable to many in uniform: bypassing the chain of command to denounce a war they're in the middle of fighting.

60 Minutes gathered some of them in Washington, but they had to be off base, out of uniform and off duty to speak to Logan on camera.

They've all sent a petition, called "Appeal For Redress," to their individual members of Congress, letting them know that "Staying in Iraq will not work" and it's "time for U.S. troops to come home."

U.S. Patrols Still Unable to Tell Friend From Foe

February 22, 2007
U.S. Patrols Still Unable to Tell Friend From Foe

"Obviously, the soldiers lack the necessary information about where to look and who to look for," said the government engineer, who declined to give his name in an interview during a sweep through his western Baghdad neighborhood last Monday. "There are too many houses and too many hide-outs."

But U.S. troops, Iraqi soldiers and officials, and Baghdad residents say the plan is hampered because security forces cannot identify, let alone apprehend, the elusive perpetrators of the violence. Shiite militiamen in the capital say they are keeping a low profile to wait out the security plan. U.S. commanders have noted increased insurgent violence in the Sunni-dominated belt around Baghdad and are concerned that fighters are shifting their focus outside the city.

Former Ney aide pleads guilty in congressional bribery case

February 27, 2007
Former Ney aide pleads guilty in congressional bribery case

WASHINGTON — The top aide to convicted former Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio pleaded guilty Monday to federal conspiracy charges stemming from a congressional bribery scandal that downed his boss.

Smiling nervously at times, William Heaton, 28, acknowledged accepting a golf trip to Scotland, expensive meals, and tickets to sporting events between 2002 and 2004 as payoffs for helping clients of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Heaton worked for Ney, a Republican, from September 2001 to July 2006, ultimately serving as his chief of staff.

Dems lead on every major issue.

February 22, 2007
Dems lead on every major issue.

                                                     Both    Neither   No
                                 Bush    Dems   (vol.)   (vol.)    op.
a. The situation in Iraq              34      54       *        9       2
b. campaign against terrorism         39      52       2        5       2
c. The economy                        36      56       1        6       2
d. The federal budget                 32      59       1        6       2
e. Health care                        25      62       1        9       4

Army tells Fox popular '24' TV series promotes torture in Iraq prisons

February 25, 2007
Army tells Fox popular '24' TV series promotes torture in Iraq prisons

MIAMI, FL, USA -- After prison guards began torturing Iraqi prisoners using methods they saw on Fox TV's popular "24" series, US Army Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan warned the show's producers "24" was negatively impacting the training and performance of American troops.

Finnegan, dean of the US Military Academy at West Point, accompanied by veteran military and FBI interrogators, met with "24's" creative team in southern California in November to tell them "I'd like them to stop. They should do a show where torture backfires," according to an article in the February 19-26 issue of The New Yorker, by Jane Mayer.

US Army Invites Sutherland To Give Anti-Torture Speech

February 22, 2007
US Army Invites Sutherland To Give Anti-Torture Speech

24 star Kiefer Sutherland has accepted an invitation from the US military to teach army cadets it is wrong to torture prisoners.

Sutherland, who plays agent Jack Bauer in the show, has agreed to talk to cadets at the West Point military academy in New York state after army chiefs claimed the show's torture scenes are influencing its newest recruits.

Earlier this month, Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan visited the set of 24 to urge its makers to cut down on torture scenes.

Documentary makers claim tomb of Jesus found in Jerusalem cave

February 23, 2007
Documentary makers claim tomb of Jesus found in Jerusalem cave

Jerusalem (dpa) - The makers of a new documentary, to be aired for the first time at a news conference in New York Monday, claim that a tomb found in a Jerusalem cave 36 years ago belongs to none other than Jesus Christ.

The claim presented in the documentary is based on years of research by world-renowned archaeologists, statisticians, experts in ancient scripts and in DNA, the Israeli Yediot Ahronot daily Friday quoted the makers as saying in an exclusive interview.

Impeachment: Breaking the Dam in Olympia, Washington

February 24, 2007
Impeachment: Breaking the Dam in Olympia, Washington

If the state of Washington ends up passing a joint legislative resolution next month calling on the US House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Cheney, it will because 900 people who crammed into Olympia´s Center for the Performing Arts last Tuesday evening, and countless others across the state, pushed them into it.

The crowd at the arts center had come to attend an event organized by the Citizens Movement to Impeach Bush/Cheney, a local ad hoc citizens´ organization in this little burg that had convinced the local city council to make the 1000-seat auditorium available for a hearing on impeachment.

US funds terror groups to sow chaos in Iran

February 25, 2007
US funds terror groups to sow chaos in Iran

America is secretly funding militant ethnic separatist groups in Iran in an attempt to pile pressure on the Islamic regime to give up its nuclear programme.

In a move that reflects Washington's growing concern with the failure of diplomatic initiatives, CIA officials are understood to be helping opposition militias among the numerous ethnic minority groups clustered in Iran's border regions.

The operations are controversial because they involve dealing with movements that resort to terrorist methods in pursuit of their grievances against the Iranian regime.

U.S. urged to reassess claim against North Korea

February 22, 2007
U.S. urged to reassess claim against North Korea

Feb 21, 2007 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States should reexamine a questionable charge that North Korea has a covert uranium enrichment program, a key American complaint against Pyongyang that could complicate the new nuclear weapons deal, experts said on Wednesday.

Physicist David Albright, who recently visited the isolated communist state, likened the enrichment program charge to the "fiasco" of flawed U.S. intelligence that mistakenly concluded Iraq had a secret nuclear weapons program in the runup to war.

Democrats, Don't Be A Bunch Of Pussies

February 22, 2007
Democrats, Don't Be A Bunch Of Pussies

A Trial for Thousands Denied Trial

February 22, 2007
A Trial for Thousands Denied Trial

Something remarkable is going on in a Miami courtroom. The cruel methods US interrogators have used since September 11 to "break" prisoners are finally being put on trial.

This was not supposed to happen. The Bush Administration's plan was to put José Padilla on trial for allegedly being part of a network linked to international terrorists. But Padilla's lawyers are arguing that he is not fit to stand trial because he has been driven insane by the government.

There is no need to go so far back to prove that the US military knew full well that it was driving Padilla mad. The Army's field manual, reissued just last year, states, "Sensory deprivation may result in extreme anxiety, hallucinations, bizarre thoughts, depression, and anti-social behavior," as well as "significant psychological distress."

If these techniques drove Padilla insane, that means the US government has been deliberately driving hundreds, possibly thousands, of prisoners insane around the world. What is on trial in Florida is not one man's mental state. It is the whole system of US psychological torture.

US developing contingency plan to bomb Iran-report

February 25, 2007
US developing contingency plan to bomb Iran-report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Despite the Bush administration's insistence it has no plans to go to war with Iran, a Pentagon panel has been created to plan a bombing attack that could be implemented within 24 hours of getting the go-ahead from President George W. Bush, The New Yorker magazine reported in its latest issue.

The special planning group was established within the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in recent months, according to an unidentified former U.S. intelligence official cited in the article by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh in the March 4 issue.

Hundreds of Vets End up Homeless

February 18, 2007
Hundreds of Vets End up Homeless

The problem is mainly a lack of resources, advocates say. There are only about 15,000 beds available in VA-funded shelters or hospitals nationwide, and nearly every one is taken. In some smaller cities there simply aren't many places for a homeless veteran to go. And as affordable housing units shrink nationwide, veterans living on a disability check of, say, $700 a month, (which means a 50-percent disability rating from the VA), are hard-pressed to find a place to live. Most shelters require veterans to participate in a rehabilitation program, but a "fair amount" of veterans just go back to the streets once they leave, says Ed Quill, director of external affairs at Volunteers of America, the nonprofit housing group for veterans that helped Felty.

The VA says it's making a concerted effort to reach out to vets before they hit bottom, says Pete Dougherty, the VA's coordinator for homeless programs. Intake counselors are trained to ask questions, especially of newer veterans, to seek out mental health or other problems that could lead to homelessness. "We're much more sensitive than we were 40 years ago for signs of problems," he says. And they have expanded some services. Last week, the VA approved $24 million to boost aid for the homeless, which will allow them to add about 1,000 more beds and increase the number of grants to help the growing population of homeless women veterans and those with mental illnesses.

US generals 'will quit' if Bush orders Iran attack

February 25, 2007
US generals 'will quit' if Bush orders Iran attack

SOME of America's most senior military commanders are prepared to resign if the White House orders a military strike against Iran, according to highly placed defence and intelligence sources.

Tension in the Gulf region has raised fears that an attack on Iran is becoming increasingly likely before President George Bush leaves office. The Sunday Times has learnt that up to five generals and admirals are willing to resign rather than approve what they consider would be a reckless attack.

"There are four or five generals and admirals we know of who would resign if Bush ordered an attack on Iran," a source with close ties to British intelligence said. "There is simply no stomach for it in the Pentagon, and a lot of people question whether such an attack would be effective or even possible."

Galloway: Walter Reed Hospital Scandal is 'The Last Straw'

February 18, 2007
Galloway: Walter Reed Hospital Scandal is 'The Last Straw'

Who among the smiling politicians who regularly troop over to the main hospital at Walter Reed for photo-op visits with those who've come home grievously wounded from the wars the politicians started have bothered to go the extra quarter-mile to see the unseen majority with their rats and roaches?

Not one, it would seem, since none among them have admitted to knowing that there was a problem, much less doing something about it before the reporters blew the whistle.

Within 24 hours, construction crews were working overtime, slapping paint over the moldy drywall, patching the sagging ceilings and putting out traps and poison for the critters that infest the place.

Within 48 hours, the Department of Defense announced that it was appointing an independent commission to investigate. Doubtless the commission will provide a detailed report finding that no one was guilty -- certainly none of the politicians of the ruling party whose hands were on the levers of power for five long years of war.

They will find that it all came about because the Army medical establishment was overwhelmed by the case load flowing out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. soldier convicted of indecent acts in Iraq

February 23, 2007
U.S. soldier convicted of indecent acts in Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier was convicted of indecent acts and lying after he attempted to force himself on a junior U.S. soldier in her room at a base in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Friday.

A U.S. statement said Sergeant Daniel Edwards Franklin followed a 19-year-old private to her room at a U.S. military logistics base called Anaconda, north of Baghdad, in October.

"He attempted to force intimate contact upon the soldier," the statement said, adding that Franklin had also lied during an investigation and on the witness stand, saying that he was only in her room for five minutes and never touched her.

THE PEOPLE V. RICHARD CHENEY

March 2007
THE PEOPLE V. RICHARD CHENEY

Resolved
That Richard B. Cheney, vice president of the United States, be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors; that the evidence hereinafter set out sustains six articles of impeachment justifying immediate removal from office; that said articles shall be adopted by the House of Representatives; and that the same shall be endorsed by the Senate, to wit:

ARTICLE I
In his conduct of the office of the vice president of the United States, Richard B. Cheney, contrary to his oath to faithfully execute the office of vice president of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws of this nation be upheld, has deliberately obstructed the nation's intelligence-gathering capacity, in that:

(1) During the several months preceding the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, the vice president endeavored to bypass the role of the Central Intelligence Agency as the nation's principal filter of raw intelligence, directing subordinates within the agency to "stovepipe" raw intelligence directly to his office.

Army holding down disability ratings to save money

February 24, 2007
Army holding down disability ratings to save money

The Army is deliberately shortchanging troops on their disability retirement ratings to hold down costs, according to veterans' advocates, lawyers and service members.

"These people are being systematically underrated," said Ron Smith, deputy general counsel for Disabled American Veterans. "It's a bureaucratic game to preserve the budget, and it's having an adverse affect on service members."

But in the Army — in the midst of a war — the number of soldiers approved for permanent disability retirement has plunged by more than two-thirds, from 642 in 2001 to 209 in 2005, according to a Government Accountability Office report last year. That decline has come even as the war in Iraq has intensified and the total number of soldiers wounded or injured there has soared above 15,000.

U.S. economy leaving record numbers in severe poverty

February 22, 2007
U.S. economy leaving record numbers in severe poverty

WASHINGTON - The percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high, millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line and the gulf between the nation's "haves" and "have-nots" continues to widen.

A McClatchy Newspapers analysis of 2005 census figures, the latest available, found that nearly 16 million Americans are living in deep or severe poverty. A family of four with two children and an annual income of less than $9,903 - half the federal poverty line - was considered severely poor in 2005. So were individuals who made less than $5,080 a year.

White House Brings in Nixon-Era Lawyer

February 23, 2007
White House Brings in Nixon-Era Lawyer

WASHINGTON (AP) - In his first job at the White House, Fred Fielding, barely in his 30s, broke the news to President Nixon's top lawyer about the Watergate break-in.

Now, more than two decades later, President Bush has brought the 67-year-old lawyer back to handle legal fights the White House expects with the new Democratic Congress.

Senate Dems Move to Limit Iraq Mission

February 23, 2007
Senate Dems Move to Limit Iraq Mission

WASHINGTON (AP) - Determined to challenge President Bush, Senate Democrats are drafting legislation to limit the mission of U.S. troops in Iraq, effectively revoking the broad authority Congress granted in 2002, officials said Thursday.

While these officials said the precise wording of the measure remains unsettled, one draft would restrict American troops in Iraq to combating al-Qaida, training Iraqi army and police forces, maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity and otherwise proceeding with the withdrawal of combat forces.

Soldier sentenced to 100 years for Iraq rape and murder

February 23, 2007
Soldier sentenced to 100 years for Iraq rape and murder

A US soldier was sentenced to 100 years in prison yesterday for one of the worst known cases involving US troops in Iraq - the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl and the killing of her father, mother and sister.

The horrific slaying of Abeer Qassim al-Janabi and her family happened in Mahmoudiya, around 20 miles south of Baghdad, on March 12 last year.

In spite of the apparently long prison sentence, Sergeant Paul Cortez, 24, can expect to be released on parole in about ten years under a plea bargain deal. He pleaded guilty and agreed to testify in the cases of others alleged to have been involved.