Impeach Bush

Paying for Failure

2008-05-01T17:27:00.001-06:00

May 19, 2008 (issue)
Paying for Failure
Sprint first paid him $6.5 million in cash and stock just to leave BellSouth, where he was the number two executive. Sprint also bought Forsee's house in Atlanta before he moved to Kansas City. Once on the job Forsee was paid between $1.5 million and $5 million a year. His only real claim to fame while running Sprint was engineering the disastrous Nextel merger and watching its stock price tumble from $25 two years ago to $7.40.
At the end of 2007 he was fired "without cause." But he had negotiated well. Sprint gave him $40 million, including a $1.5 million salary through 2009, $5 million in bonuses, stock options and restricted shares worth $23 million and an $84,000-a-month pension for life. This package was structured under his contract as if he were still running the company and had met all his goals. Oh, Sprint also paid for "outplacement services" that landed him the presidency of the University of Missouri (where his annual salary and bonus amount to $500,000).
With Ford's pay scale on steroids, directors then set at ankle height the performance bar its bosses must clear to hit the jackpot. Their "profit" goal in 2007 was to lose only $4.9 billion, excluding special items. It hit that goal, losing $3.9 billion. For beating the bogey, Chief Executive Alan Mulally got $12 million, including a $7 million bonus. Ford's shares fell 10% last year. Can he rescue this firm? If--and when--he does, shareholders won't mind a $12 million cost.

Prosecutors demand more witness-protection money

2008-05-01T17:27:00.000-06:00

May 1, 2008
Prosecutors demand more witness-protection money
Around the country, prosecutors say tight budgets are hamstringing their ability to keep witnesses safe at a time when intimidation on the streets appears to be surging, particularly in gang cases.
"The most basic thing we should be able to do is assure them they'll be safe while their case is proceeding," Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm said. "We can't guarantee your safety."
Florida's witness protection efforts took a hit after a budget shortfall forced lawmakers in 2007 to reduce $500,000 originally appropriated for the program to $100,000.

Support for Republicans Falls to Record Low

2008-05-01T17:26:00.000-06:00

May 1, 2008
Support for Republicans Falls to Record Low
Only 27% of voters have positive views of the Republican Party, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, the lowest level for either party in the survey's nearly two-decade history.
Yet the party's probable presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, continues to run nearly even with Democratic rivals Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. His standing so far makes for a more competitive race for the White House than would be expected for Republicans, who face an electorate that overwhelmingly believes the country is headed in the wrong direction under President Bush.

Vets say they feel misled about GI benefits

2008-05-01T17:24:00.001-06:00

April 29, 2008
Vets say they feel misled about GI benefits
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Cheated. Baited and switched. That's how veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan say they feel about military recruiters who sold them on how the GI Bill would benefit them.
Soldiers, Marines and airmen, speaking at a Capitol Hill rally Tuesday, said they are not given enough funds from the bill to cover college expenses as they were promised.

47 percent of those polled considered struggling

2008-05-01T17:24:00.000-06:00

April 30, 2008
47 percent of those polled considered struggling
The survey found that 47 percent of those polled can be considered struggling, mostly with worries about money.
The 4 percent defined as "suffering" generally lacked food or shelter, and also had no hope of improvement in the future.
Gallup's James Harter said this compares to Denmark, where 83 percent of people appear to be thriving and fewer than 1 percent struggling. In Cambodia, the situation is the opposite, with only 2 percent thriving, according to other surveys.

Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday slammed as bad idea

2008-05-01T17:23:00.000-06:00

April 30, 2008
Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday slammed as bad idea
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gas tax holiday proposed by U.S. presidential hopefuls John McCain and Hillary Clinton is viewed as a bad idea by many economists and has drawn unexpected support for Clinton rival Barack Obama, who also is opposed.
"Score one for Obama," wrote Greg Mankiw, a former chairman of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers. "In light of the side effects associated with driving ... gasoline taxes should be higher than they are, not lower."

2008-05-01T17:22:00.001-06:00

April 29, 2008
Lull in Iraq over as U.S. deaths reach 7-month high
MEXICO CITY — U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Tuesday acknowledged that a seven-month lull in U.S. troops deaths in Iraq has come to an end and blamed the bloodshed on Shiite Muslim militiamen who have bombarded the Green Zone and key parts of Baghdad with rockets and mortar rounds.
April has been the bloodiest month for Americans in Iraq since September, with 44 troops killed, compared to 39 in March and 29 in February.

"How You Can Thrive When Oil Costs $200 a Barrel"

2008-05-01T17:22:00.000-06:00

April 7, 2008
"How You Can Thrive When Oil Costs $200 a Barrel"
He foresees an energy crisis that could spell the end of modern civilization -- though presumably not before he sells lots of copies of his latest book, "The Coming Economic Collapse: How You Can Thrive When Oil Costs $200 a Barrel" (Warner, 211 pages, $24.95).
No stranger to skepticism, Leeb is perhaps best known for his prediction in "The Oil Factor" (2004) that oil would reach $100 a barrel by the end of the decade. Now, citing worsening fundamentals, he predicts oil will top $200 a barrel and touch off hyperinflation, double-digit interest rates and a cascading collapse of the world economy. His book, written with Glen Strathy, tries to be both a call to arms against a looming oil shock and a primer on how investors can protect themselves.

Foreclosure more than doubled in first quarter

2008-05-01T17:21:00.000-06:00

April 29, 2008
Foreclosure more than doubled in first quarter
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The number of U.S. homes heading toward foreclosure more than doubled in the first quarter from a year earlier, as weakening property values and tighter lending left many homeowners powerless to prevent homes from being auctioned to the highest bidder, a research firm said Monday.
Among the hardest hit states were Nevada, Florida and, in particular, California, where Stockton led the nation with a foreclosure rate that was 6.6 times the national average, Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. said.

Why the Discredited Right Still Sets the Agenda and Dominates the Debate

2008-05-01T17:20:00.000-06:00

April 28, 2008
Why the Discredited Right Still Sets the Agenda and Dominates the Debate
These three factors have combined to allow the lunatic fringe that has taken over the Right to hijack our country, our democracy, and our Constitution. So that 28 percent of the population that continues to support George W. Bush no matter how many bodies pile up in Iraq, how many jobs disappear overseas, how many For Sale signs go up on their block, or how high gas prices get, continues to dominate our politics.
Let's take them one by one, starting with the media which remains hopelessly addicted to the false belief that in order to be fair and balanced every story needs to be given the "on the one hand... and on the other" treatment. But not every story has two sides -- and the truth is often to be found not in the middle but solidly on one side or the other.
The earth is not flat. Global warming is a fact. Evolution is a fact -- sorry Mike Huckabee. And not even Republicans still believe in the unfettered, free market. Look how they rushed to Big Government to save their beloved Bear Sterns.
Nor are there two sides to the proposition that Iraq is our generation's greatest foreign policy disaster. It is. Period. Full stop. Yet the same media that enabled the administration to sell us the multi-trillion dollar war are -- nearly six years later -- still pushing the Right's line that "the surge is working." Green Zone bombardments be damned.

FBI warned Justice, Pentagon about interrogation tactics used against terror suspects

2008-05-01T17:19:00.000-06:00

April 23, 2008
FBI warned Justice, Pentagon about interrogation tactics used against terror suspects
WASHINGTON - FBI Director Robert Mueller on Wednesday recalled warning the Justice Department and the Pentagon that some U.S. interrogation methods used against terrorists might be inappropriate, if not illegal.
Mueller's comments came under pointed questioning by House Democrats demanding to know if the FBI tried to stop interrogations in 2002 that critics define as torture.

Cutoffs and Pleas for Aid Rise With Heat Costs

2008-05-01T17:18:00.000-06:00

April 25, 2008
Cutoffs and Pleas for Aid Rise With Heat Costs
After struggling with soaring heating costs through the winter, millions of Americans are behind on electric and gas bills, and a record number of families could face energy shut-offs over the next two months, according to state energy officials and utilities around the country.
The escalating costs of heating oil, propane and kerosene, most commonly used in the Northeast, have posed the greatest burdens, officials say, but natural gas and electricity prices have also climbed at a time when low-end incomes are stagnant and prices have also jumped for food and gasoline.

Iran's involvement in Iraq may not have increased

2008-05-01T17:14:00.000-06:00

April 26, 2008
Iran's involvement in Iraq may not have increased
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Some US intelligence and administration officials believe that while Iranian arms shipments to Iraq continued in recent months, they have not necessarily increased, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Citing unnamed US officials, the newspaper said Tehran has shifted tactics to distance itself from a direct role in Iraq since the US military captured 20 Iranian operatives in December 2006 and January 2007.
Since then, Iran seems to have focused instead on training Iraqi Shiite fighters inside Iran, the report said.

Pentagon Reports on Iraq's Military Are Suspect, Audit Says

2008-05-01T17:13:00.001-06:00

April 25, 2008
Pentagon Reports on Iraq's Military Are Suspect, Audit Says
April 25 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. public and lawmakers should be skeptical of the Pentagon's quarterly reports on Iraq's progress toward building a viable military and police force, according to a new audit.
The reports from the Defense Department are based on data supplied by the Iraqi government that hasn't been fully vetted by the U.S. military and is unreliable, according to the Special Inspector General For Iraq Reconstruction, Stuart Bowen.
There are uncertainties," for example, about the true number" of Iraqi military and police personnel on active duty or in training, Bowen wrote. A substantial number of personnel still on the payroll are not available for duty for various reasons, such as being on leave, absent without leave, injured or killed," he said.

Mortgage Brokers Overcharged Clients

2008-05-01T17:12:00.001-06:00

April 9, 2008
Mortgage Brokers Overcharged Clients
More often than not, brokers placed borrowers with weak credit in loans with significantly higher interest rates than lender-originated mortgages, according to the study released Tuesday by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Responsible Lending.
By tacking on additional percentage points to subprime borrowers' loans, mortgage brokers got rewarded in bonuses from lenders called "yield-spread premiums" that often totaled several thousand dollars and added thousands of dollars in payments to the borrower during the life of the loan, the study found.

Many states appear to be in recession

2008-05-01T17:11:00.001-06:00

April 25, 2008
Many states appear to be in recession
The finances of many states have deteriorated so badly that they appear to be in a recession, regardless of whether that's true for the nation as a whole, a survey of all 50 state fiscal directors concludes.
The situation looks even worse for the fiscal year that begins July 1 in most states.
"Whether or not the national economy is in recession — a subject of ongoing debate — is almost beside the point for some states," said the report to be released Friday by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Wealthiest Americans aren't immune from mortgage crisis

2008-05-01T17:11:00.000-06:00

April 24, 2008
Wealthiest Americans aren't immune from mortgage crisis
GREENWICH, Connecticut: With the mortgage crisis still spreading, even homes in one of the wealthiest towns in the United States can fall into foreclosure. But to be in charge of auctioning off such homes to the highest bidder is a far greater challenge here in Greenwich than in most other places.
Just ask John Thygerson, who parked his Jeep sport utility vehicle in front of an empty $1.6 million, 4-bedroom colonial on the flawless spring Saturday last week. As a foreclosure auctioneer, he was scheduled - for the third time since January - to sell the house. But the owner, a construction business owner who has fallen on hard times, made a last-minute mortgage payment and the foreclosure was postponed yet again.

Consumer Confidence Fell to a 26-Year Low

2008-05-01T17:09:00.000-06:00

April 25, 2008
Consumer Confidence Fell to a 26-Year Low
April 25 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. consumer confidence fell more than forecast in April to a 26-year low as record fuel prices and rising unemployment threatened to reduce spending.
The Reuters/University of Michigan sentiment index decreased to 62.6, from 69.5 the previous month. The measure was down from a preliminary estimate of 63.2 issued on April 11.

Detainees Allege Being Drugged, Questioned

2008-05-01T17:08:00.000-06:00

April 22, 2008
Detainees Allege Being Drugged, Questioned
"I'd fall asleep" after the shot, Nusairi, a former Saudi policeman captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2002, recalled in an interview with his attorney at the military prison in Cuba, according to notes. After being roused, Nusairi eventually did talk, giving U.S. officials what he later described as a made-up confession to buy some peace.
"I was completely gone," he remembered. "I said, 'Let me go. I want to go to sleep. If it takes saying I'm a member of al-Qaeda, I will.' "

Democrats favored in electoral map

2008-05-01T17:07:00.000-06:00

April 26, 2008
Democrats favored in electoral map
WASHINGTON - The electoral road to the White House favors Democrats this fall — either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton — and has Republican John McCain playing defense to thwart a presidential power shift.
A downtrodden economy, the war in Iraq and a public call for change have created an Electoral College outlook and a political environment filled with extraordinary opportunity for the Democrats and enormous challenge for the GOP nominee-in-waiting.

Record oil price to boost oil majors' profits

2008-05-01T17:02:00.002-06:00

April 25, 2008
Record oil price to boost oil majors' profits
LONDON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research) (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research) are expected to report bumper first-quarter profits next week, thanks to record crude prices, but $110 per barrel oil will also squeeze refining profits and delay a return to oil production growth.
Brent and benchmark U.S. crude prices rose around 70 percent in the first quarter compared with the same period last year, to average almost $97/bbl and $98/bbl, respectively, while gas prices also rose.

Iraq war, not earmarks, busting federal budget

2008-05-01T17:02:00.001-06:00

April 17, 2008
Iraq war, not earmarks, busting federal budget
Bridge to nowhere: $398 million.
Pre-emptive war to nowhere: $3 trillion.
Sometimes it's important to review where our federal tax dollars go and in what proportions. Conventional political spin would have us believe that spending on unnecessary earmarks is busting the budget while the war in Iraq need not enter our fiscal consciousness because it's funded with "supplementals" and therefore "off budget."

300,000 vets have mental problem, 320,000 had brain injuries

2008-05-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

April 17, 2008
300,000 vets have mental problem, 320,000 had brain injuries
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post traumatic stress from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 320,000 received brain injuries, a new study estimates.
Only about half have sought treatment, said the study released Thursday by the RAND Corporation.

Pentagon institute calls Iraq war 'a major debacle'

2008-04-24T09:18:00.001-06:00

April 17, 2008
Pentagon institute calls Iraq war 'a major debacle'
WASHINGTON — The war in Iraq has become "a major debacle" and the outcome "is in doubt" despite improvements in security from the buildup in U.S. forces, according to a highly critical study published Thursday by the Pentagon's premier military educational institute.
The report released by the National Defense University raises fresh doubts about President Bush 's projections of a U.S. victory in Iraq just a week after Bush announced that he was suspending U.S. troop reductions.
The report carries considerable weight because it was written by Joseph Collins, a former senior Pentagon official, and was based in part on interviews with other former senior defense and intelligence officials who played roles in prewar preparations.

Workers Get Fewer Hours, Deepening the Downturn

2008-04-24T09:13:00.000-06:00

April 18, 2008
Workers Get Fewer Hours, Deepening the Downturn
Throughout the country, businesses grappling with declining fortunes are cutting hours for those on their payrolls. Self-employed people are suffering a drop in demand for their services, like music lessons, catering and management consulting. Growing numbers of people are settling for part-time work out of a failure to secure a full-time position.
The gradual erosion of the paycheck has become a stealth force driving the American economic downturn. Most of the attention has focused on the loss of jobs and the risk of layoffs. But the less-noticeable shrinking of hours and pay for millions of workers around the country appears to be a bigger contributor to the decline, which has already spread from housing and finance to other important areas of the economy.

Pope criticises US for shunning Iraq diplomacy

2008-04-24T09:12:00.001-06:00

April 21, 2008
Pope criticises US for shunning Iraq diplomacy
In a carefully-worded speech at the United Nations, Benedict underlined the need for diplomacy.
"Multilateral consensus continues to be in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decisions of a few, whereas the world's problems call for interventions in the form of collective action," he said, adding that international rules must be "binding".
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican representative at the UN, said Benedict wanted to attack "the false notion that might makes right".

Across Globe, Empty Bellies Bring Rising Anger

2008-04-24T09:11:00.000-06:00

April 18, 2008
Across Globe, Empty Bellies Bring Rising Anger
That anger is palpable across the globe. The food crisis is not only being felt among the poor but is also eroding the gains of the working and middle classes, sowing volatile levels of discontent and putting new pressures on fragile governments.
In Cairo, the military is being put to work baking bread as rising food prices threaten to become the spark that ignites wider anger at a repressive government. In Burkina Faso and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, food riots are breaking out as never before. In reasonably prosperous Malaysia, the ruling coalition was nearly ousted by voters who cited food and fuel price increases as their main concerns.

Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand

2008-04-24T06:51:00.000-06:00

April 18, 2008
Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand
To the public, these men are members of a familiar fraternity, presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as "military analysts" whose long service has equipped them to give authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-Sept. 11 world.
Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration's wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found.
The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.

Top US general 'hoodwinked' on torture

2008-04-24T06:50:00.001-06:00

April 18, 2008
Top US general 'hoodwinked' on torture
• Senior figures in the Bush administration pushed through previously outlawed measures with the help of unqualified and inexperienced military officials at Guantánamo.
• Myers believes he was a victim of "intrigue" by top lawyers at the department of justice, the office of the vice president, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld's defence department.
• Myers wrongly believed interrogation techniques had been taken from the army's field manual.

Military medical errors, malpractice immune to redress

2008-04-24T06:50:00.000-06:00

April 20, 2008
Military medical errors, malpractice immune to redress
Medical personnel at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base screamed at one another. A double dose of a powerful stimulant was mistakenly administered. When a breathing tube was finally inserted, it was misdirected. By the time a breathing tube finally was inserted correctly, Witt had devastating brain damage. Three months later, he was removed from life support and died. Witt, who grew up in Oroville, Calif., left behind a wife and two children, including a 4-month-old son.
Despite the report's harsh criticism of Witt's medical care, the bereaved family could not sue for malpractice, because Witt was an active-duty airman. Under limits stemming from an obscure Supreme Court ruling nearly 60 years old, military hospitals and their staffs are immune from malpractice claims - even for the most egregious lapses - if the victim is an enlisted man or woman on active duty.

Nine Years Ago, Oil Was Projected to Fall to Five Dollars

2008-04-24T06:46:00.002-06:00

April 21, 2008
Nine Years Ago, Oil Was Projected to Fall to Five Dollars
Nine years ago The Economist ran a big story on oil, which was then selling for $10 a barrel. The magazine warned that this might not last. Instead, it suggested, oil might well fall to $5 a barrel.
In any case, The Economist asserted, the world faced “the prospect of cheap, plentiful oil for the foreseeable future."
Last week, oil hit $117.

Rezko friend: Rove was asked to dump Fitzgerald

2008-04-24T06:46:00.001-06:00

April 23, 2008
Rezko friend: Rove was asked to dump Fitzgerald
As a federal probe into Gov. Blagojevich's administration heated up in late 2004, there were discussions between GOP powerbroker Robert Kjellander and Bush White House insider Karl Rove to oust corruption-busting U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald from his job, according to a man whom prosecutors want to testify at Tony Rezko's trial.
Those alleged efforts were disclosed in federal court this morning, as prosecutors sought to have them introduced into the corruption trial of Rezko, who is accused of seeking kickbacks and campaign contributions to Blagojevich from companies seeking state business.
"With respect to Mr. Ata, what I anticipate Mr. Ata would testify to would be that he did actually have direct conversations with Mr. Rezko about the fact that ... Mr. Kjellander was working with Karl Rove to have Mr. Fitzgerald removed," Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie E. Hamilton told St. Eve.

Falling Wages and Health Care Are Top Issues

2008-04-24T06:44:00.001-06:00

April 22, 2008
Falling Wages and Health Care Are Top Issues
The top workplace-related issues for the 2008 presidential election are improving wages, keeping jobs in the country and providing universal health care, according to a recent poll of U.S. workers conducted by the Employment Law Alliance (ELA).
According to the poll results, the top issue among workers is improving wages and the earning potential for all workers. A large majority (87 percent) of the respondents would like to see the next president work on increasing the proportion of U.S. workers who earn at least a living wage, and 86 percent thought the president needed to focus on reducing the number of U.S. jobs that are outsourced overseas. A surprising 83 percent of the respondents said that providing health care coverage for all U.S. citizens should be one of the next president's top priorities.

More convicted felons allowed to enlist in Army, Marines

2008-04-24T06:44:00.000-06:00

April 21, 2008
More convicted felons allowed to enlist in Army, Marines
WASHINGTON - Under pressure to meet combat needs, the Army and Marine Corps brought in significantly more recruits with felony convictions last year than in 2006, including some with manslaughter and sex crime convictions.
Data released by a congressional committee shows the number of soldiers admitted to the Army with felony records jumped from 249 in 2006 to 511 in 2007. And the number of Marines with felonies rose from 208 to 350.
Those numbers represent a fraction of the more than 180,000 recruits brought in by the active duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007. But they highlight a trend that has raised concerns both within the military and on Capitol Hill.

Injured Iraq war vets sue VA

2008-04-24T06:43:00.000-06:00

April 21, 2008
Injured Iraq war vets sue VA
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Frustrated by delays in health care, a coalition of injured Iraq war veterans is accusing VA Secretary Jim Nicholson of breaking the law by denying them disability pay and mental health treatment.
The class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco, seeks broad change in the agency as it struggles to meet growing demands from veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Former Justice Department official charged in Jack Abramoff lobbying probe

2008-04-24T06:42:00.000-06:00

April 21, 2008
Former Justice Department official charged in Jack Abramoff lobbying probe
WASHINGTON - A former high-ranking Justice Department official was accused Monday of criminal conflict of interest in the latest case stemming from the investigation of disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Robert Coughlin was deputy chief of staff of the Justice Department's criminal division — the same division handling the Abramoff probe — before resigning a year ago, citing personal reasons. He was due in federal court in Washington on Tuesday for a plea hearing.

VA Hid Suicide Risk, Internal E-Mails Show

2008-04-24T06:41:00.001-06:00

April 12, 2008
VA Hid Suicide Risk, Internal E-Mails Show
(CBS) The Department of Veterans Affairs came under fire again Monday, this time in California federal court where it's facing a national lawsuit by veterans rights groups accusing the agency of not doing enough to stem a looming mental health crisis among veterans. As part of the lawsuit, internal e-mails raise questions as to whether top officials deliberately deceived the American public about the number of veterans attempting and committing suicide. CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports.

In San Francisco federal court Monday, attorneys for veterans' rights groups accused the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs of nothing less than a cover-up - deliberately concealing the real risk of suicide among veterans.

Disapproval of Bush breaks record

2008-04-24T06:41:00.000-06:00

April 12, 2008
Disapproval of Bush breaks record
WASHINGTON — President Bush has set a record he'd presumably prefer to avoid: the highest disapproval rating of any president in the 70-year history of the Gallup Poll.
In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, 28% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing; 69% disapprove. The approval rating matches the low point of his presidency, and the disapproval sets a new high for any president since Franklin Roosevelt.

US posts record breaking deficit

2008-04-24T06:39:00.000-06:00

April 11, 2008
US posts record breaking deficit
WASHINGTON—The US government turned in a $48.14-billion budget deficit for March and a record deficit for the first six months of the fiscal year despite record receipts for the month, the US Treasury said on Thursday.
The March deficit compared with a year-earlier deficit of $96.27 billion and with the $71.0-billion deficit forecast by economists polled by Reuters.
For the first six months of the fiscal year, the Department of Treasury saw a record $311.4-billion deficit which broke the previous record of a mid-year budget gap of $302.9 billion set in fiscal year 2006.

Dollar Falls to Record Against Euro as EU Inflation Quickens

2008-04-18T07:29:00.001-06:00

April 16, 2008
Dollar Falls to Record Against Euro as EU Inflation Quickens
April 16 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar fell to a record low against the euro as European inflation accelerated last month, reducing chances the European Central Bank will follow the Federal Reserve in cutting interest rates.
The currency had its biggest decline versus the euro in three weeks, weakening to $1.5979 as U.S. housing starts dropped more than twice as much as forecast to a 17-year low. The Canadian and Australian dollars and the Norwegian krone increased after crude oil touched a record $115.07 a barrel.

Merrill Lynch posts loss of nearly $2 billion

2008-04-18T07:24:00.001-06:00

April 17, 2008
Merrill Lynch posts loss of nearly $2 billion
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Ongoing write-downs for soured mortgage investments and other bad credit bets continued to plague Wall Street icon Merrill Lynch, leading to an almost $2 billion first-quarter loss and a planned 4,000 job cuts, the company reported Thursday.
But new Chief Executive John Thain said core businesses continued to operate well. "Despite this quarter's loss, Merrill Lynch's underlying businesses produced solid results in a difficult market environment," he said. "The firm's $82 billion excess liquidity pool has increased from year-end levels, and we remain well-capitalized."
Thain's comments are likely to calm some market jitters sparked by stubborn talk the firm may need to raise new capital. In recent weeks, Thain has repeatedly reassured investors that the firm will not need new capital.

War at the Pentagon

2008-04-18T07:23:00.001-06:00

April 13, 2008
War at the Pentagon
The most intense arguments over U.S. involvement in Iraq do not flare at this point on Capitol Hill or on the campaign trail. Those rhetorical battles pale in comparison to the high-stakes struggle being waged behind closed doors at the Pentagon.
On one side are the "fight-win guys," as some describe themselves. They are led by Gen. David Petraeus and other commanders who argue that the counterinsurgency struggle in Iraq must be pursued as the military's top priority and ultimately resolved on U.S. terms.
Arrayed against them are the uniformed chiefs of the military services who foresee a "broken army" emerging from an all-out commitment to Iraq that neglects other needs and potential
conflicts. It is time to rebuild Army tank battalions, Marine amphibious forces and other traditional instruments of big-nation warfare -- while muddling through in Iraq.

Fewer Options Open to Pay for Costs of College

2008-04-18T07:22:00.000-06:00

April 12, 2008
Fewer Options Open to Pay for Costs of College
Parents will have to navigate unfamiliar and difficult terrain when it comes time to pay for college this year, with student loan companies in turmoil and banks tightening their standards and raising rates on other types of borrowing.
Lawmakers and the administration are trying to head off any crisis by making sure that "lenders of last resort" stand ready to take the place of companies that have left the federal loan program. And a growing number of colleges have applied to participate in the federal direct loan program, in which students borrow from the government.

The First Draft of History Looks Rough for Bush

2008-04-18T07:20:00.001-06:00

April 11, 2008
The First Draft of History Looks Rough for Bush
President Bush often argues that history will vindicate him. So he can't be pleased with an informal survey of 109 professional historians conducted by the History News Network. It found that 98 percent of them believe that Bush's presidency has been a failure, while only about 2 percent see it as a success. Not only that, more than 61 percent of the historians say the current presidency is the worst in American history. In 2004, only 11.6 percent of the historians rated Bush's presidency in last place. Among the reasons given for his low ratings: invading Iraq, "tax breaks for the rich," and alienating many nations around the world. Bush supporters counter that professional historians today tend to be liberal and that it's too early to assess how his policies will turn out.

VA Secretary says registering voters in VA facilities is a "partisan" distraction

2008-04-18T07:19:00.002-06:00

April 31, 2008
VA Secretary says registering voters in VA facilities is a "partisan" distraction
On the same day the Pentagon's commander in Iraq told the Senate that new troop withdrawals could not considered for months, Secretary of Veterans Affairs James B. Peake told two Democratic senators that his department will not help injured veterans at VA facilities to register to vote before the 2008 election.
"VA remains opposed to becoming a voter registration agency pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act, as this designation would divert substantial resources from our primary mission," Peake said in an April 8th letter to Sens. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and John Kerry (D-MA). He was referring to a 1993 federal law that allows government agencies to host voter registration efforts.

For the first time on record the middle class failed to grow with the economy

2008-04-18T07:19:00.000-06:00

April 12, 2008
For the first time on record the middle class failed to grow with the economy
I wonder what the answers would be if each American asked himself or herself the question: "How is the war in Iraq helping me?"
The economic boom so highly touted by the president and his supporters "was, for most Americans," said Mr. Leonhardt, "nothing of the sort." Despite the sustained expansion of the past few years, the middle class — for the first time on record — failed to grow with the economy.

'If History Can Take Me Back, I Will Kiss the Statue of Saddam Which I Helped Pull Down'

2008-04-18T07:18:00.000-06:00

April 31, 2008
'If History Can Take Me Back, I Will Kiss the Statue of Saddam Which I Helped Pull Down'
BAGHDAD, 10 April 2008 — Ibrahim Khalil, who five years ago took part in the toppling of a giant statue of Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad, said yesterday he now regrets taking part in the hugely symbolic event.
"If history can take me back, I will kiss the statue of Saddam Hussein which I helped pull down," Khalil said on the fifth anniversary of the statue's toppling. "I will protect the statue more than my own self," Khalil said in Firdos Square alongside a monument erected where Saddam's statue once stood before US Marines and Iraqis strung a chain around its neck and brought it crashing down.

Gonzales Can't Find A Job

2008-04-18T07:17:00.001-06:00

April 13, 2008
Gonzales Can't Find A Job
WASHINGTON — Alberto R. Gonzales, like many others recently unemployed, has discovered how difficult it can be to find a new job. Mr. Gonzales, the former attorney general, who was forced to resign last year, has been unable to interest law firms in adding his name to their roster, Washington lawyers and his associates said in recent interviews.
He has, through friends, put out inquiries, they said, and has not found any takers. What makes Mr. Gonzales's case extraordinary is that former attorneys general, the government's chief lawyer, are typically highly sought.

Iraq sacks 1,300 troops over Shiite crackdown

2008-04-18T07:17:00.000-06:00

April 31, 2008
Iraq sacks 1,300 troops over Shiite crackdown
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq has dismissed 1,300 policemen and soldiers for failing to perform their duties during a crackdown on Shiite militiamen in the south of the country, an official said on Sunday.
"Those people did not do their duties in Basra and Kut," interior ministry spokesman Major General Abdel Karim Khalaf said referring to the southern and central cities.

Fewer Large Corporations Audited by IRS

2008-04-18T07:16:00.000-06:00

April 14, 2008
Fewer Large Corporations Audited by IRS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The tax audit rates of the largest companies are less than half what they were 20 years ago while more small and mid-size businesses are coming under scrutiny, according to an organization that monitors the Internal Revenue Service.
The Syracuse University-based Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse described what it said was a "historic collapse" in audits for corporations holding assets of $250 million or more. About 26 percent of them were audited in the 2007 budget year compared with 34 percent in 2006 and 43 percent in 2005.

Co-Payments for Expensive Drugs Soar

2008-04-18T07:14:00.000-06:00

April 14, 2008
Co-Payments for Expensive Drugs Soar
Health insurance companies are rapidly adopting a new pricing system for very expensive drugs, asking patients to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for prescriptions for medications that may save their lives or slow the progress of serious diseases.
With the new pricing system, insurers abandoned the traditional arrangement that has patients pay a fixed amount, like $10, $20 or $30 for a prescription, no matter what the drug's actual cost. Instead, they are charging patients a percentage of the cost of certain high-priced drugs, usually 20 to 33 percent, which can amount to thousands of dollars a month.

Consumer Confidence Falls to Record Low

2008-04-13T08:19:00.000-06:00

April 31, 2008
Consumer Confidence Falls to Record Low
WASHINGTON -- Americans' confidence in the economy fell to a new low, dragged down by worries about mounting job losses, record-high home foreclosures and zooming energy prices.
According to the RBC Cash Index, confidence dropped to a mark of 29.5 in April, down from 33.1 in March. The new reading was the worst since the index began in 2002. It marked the fourth month in a row where confidence has fallen to an all-time low.
"Consumers are very pessimistic," said Mark Vitner, economist at Wachovia. "There are not a lot of happy campers out there."

Bush Approval Hits All Time Low

2008-04-13T08:18:00.000-06:00

April 31, 2008
Bush Approval Hits All Time Low
(CNN)— With the economic outlook looking dim and the continued war in Iraq, President Bush'nidjs job approval rating hit an all time low Friday, according to a just released poll.
The latest Gallup poll shows the president's approval dropped to 28 percent, the lowest of his eight years in office.

Largest Oil Reserve May Lie Under Northern Plains

2008-04-13T08:16:00.000-06:00

April 11, 2008
Largest Oil Reserve May Lie Under Northern Plains
An area of shale and other rock in North Dakota and Montana is estimated to hold the largest potential oil resources in the 48 contiguous states, according to an assessment released Thursday by the United States Geological Survey.

The area, known as the Bakken Formation, might contain 3 billion to 4.3 billion barrels of oil that could be extracted using current technology, the survey said.

Poor get Poorer as Recession Looms

2008-04-13T08:15:00.001-06:00

April 31, 2008
Poor get Poorer as Recession Looms
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The gap between rich and poor in many states has broadened at a quickening pace since the last U.S. recession, which could make it difficult for low-income families to weather the current economic downturn, according to a report issued Wednesday.
Since the late 1990's average incomes have declined 2.5 percent for families on the bottom fifth of the country's economic ladder, while incomes have increased 9.1 percent for families on the top fifth, said the report from the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Economic Policy Institute.

GAO: Millions Wasted on Gov't Cards

2008-04-13T08:13:00.000-06:00

April 31, 2008
GAO: Millions Wasted on Gov't Cards
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal employees charged millions of dollars for Internet dating, tailor-made suits, lingerie, lavish dinners and other questionable expenses to their government credit cards over a 15-month period, congressional auditors say.
A report by the Government Accountability Office, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, examined spending controls across the federal government following reports of credit-card abuse at departments including Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.

Cops and Former Secret Service Agents Ran Black Ops on Green

2008-04-13T08:12:00.002-06:00

April 11, 2008
Cops and Former Secret Service Agents Ran Black Ops on Green Groups
A private security company organized and managed by former Secret Service officers spied on Greenpeace and other environmental organizations from the late 1990s through at least 2000, pilfering documents from trash bins, attempting to plant undercover operatives within groups, casing offices, collecting phone records of activists, and penetrating confidentialmeetings. According to company documents provided to Mother Jones by a former investor in the firm, this security outfit collected confidential internal records—donor lists, detailed financial statements, the Social Security numbers of staff members, strategy memos—from these organizations and produced intelligence reports for public relations firms and major corporations involved in environmental controversies.

Bush Aides Approved Torture

2008-04-13T08:12:00.000-06:00

April 9, 2008
Bush Aides Approved Torture
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush's most senior advisers approved "enhanced interrogation techniques" of top al Qaeda suspects by the Central Intelligence Agency, ABC News reported on Wednesday, citing sources it did not name.
ABC reported that the so-called "principals" discussed interrogation details in dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House.

Pentagon overspent budget by $295 billion

2008-04-13T08:11:00.000-06:00

April 3, 2008
Pentagon overspent budget by $295 billion
The Pentagon has gone hundreds of billions of dollars over budget in recent years on key weapons systems, including aircraft, ships, and satellite, said a government audit. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said for the sixth year in a row that the Pentagon had significantly gone over budget, but according to a report presented to Congress this week, the problem is getting worse.
The Government Accountability Office found that 95 major systems have exceeded their original budgets by a total of $295 billion, bringing their total cost to $1.6 trillion, and are delivered almost two years late on average. In addition, none of the systems that the GAO looked at had met all of the standards for best management practices during their development stages.

Investigators review VA credit charges

2008-04-13T08:10:00.000-06:00

April 6, 2008
Investigators review VA credit charges
WASHINGTON - Veterans Affairs employees last year racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in government credit-card bills at casino and luxury hotels, movie theaters and high-end retailers such as Sharper Image and Franklin Covey — and government auditors are investigating, citing past spending abuses.
On at least six occasions, employees based at VA headquarters made credit card charges at Las Vegas casino hotels totaling $26,198.

Air Force Can't Account for Ballistic Missile Parts

2008-04-13T08:09:00.000-06:00

April 6, 2008
Air Force Can't Account for Ballistic Missile Parts
SALT LAKE CITY - Inspectors warned Hill Air Force Base last year that its poor record-keeping could lead to inventory mistakes with ballistic missile parts without knowing a significant shipping error had already occurred, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The Pentagon announced last month that in 2006 the United States mistakenly shipped to Taiwan four electrical fuses designed for use on intercontinental ballistic missiles, but had since recovered them.

Iraq's humanitarian crisis worsens

2008-04-13T08:08:00.001-06:00

April 7, 2008
Iraq's humanitarian crisis worsens
AMMAN (Reuters) - Iraq's humanitarian crisis has worsened, and decades of conflict and deteriorating basic services are reducing people's ability to cope with the hardships they face, a senior U.N. aid official said on Monday.
"There are wider concerns about the longer-term effect of prolonged conflict, and people's coping mechanisms become strained ... this deterioration of basic services is not yet reversed..." Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told Reuters in an interview.

Political progress in Iraq 'halting and superficial'

2008-04-13T08:08:00.000-06:00

April 7, 2008
Political progress in Iraq 'halting and superficial'
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States faces the risk of a costly, open-ended quagmire in Iraq because of a lack of political progress in the divided country, a report by US experts said.
"Political progress is so slow, halting and superficial, and social and political fragmentation so pronounced, that the US is no closer to being able to leave Iraq than it was a year ago," said the US Institute of Peace (USIP) study released Sunday.

Chertoff Suspends More than 30 Laws

2008-04-13T08:06:00.000-06:00

April 8, 2008
Chertoff Suspends More than 30 Laws
Securing the nation's borders is so important, Congress says, that Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, must have the power to ignore any laws that stand in the way of building a border fence. Any laws at all.
Last week, Mr. Chertoff issued waivers suspending more than 30 laws he said could interfere with "the expeditious construction of barriers" in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. The list included laws protecting the environment, endangered species, migratory birds, the bald eagle, antiquities, farms, deserts, forests, Native American graves and religious freedom.

The mounting cost of food

2008-04-02T05:32:00.001-06:00

March 30, 2008
The mounting cost of food
Next time you restock your pantry, be prepared for sticker shock. The price of wheat has more than tripled during the past 10 months, making Americans' daily bread -- and bagels and pizza and pasta -- feel a little likAnd baked goods aren't the only ones getting more expensive: Experts expect about 80 percent of grocery prices will spike, too, and could remain steep for years because wheat and other grains are used to feed cattle, poultry and dairy cows.
"It's going to affect everything . . . impact on every section of the grocery store," said Michael Bittel, senior vice president of King Arthur Flour Co. in Norwich, Vt.

Investment firms tapping Fed for billions

2008-04-02T05:32:00.000-06:00

March 27, 2008
Investment firms tapping Fed for billions
WASHINGTON - Big Wall Street investment companies are taking advantage of the Federal Reserve's unprecedented offer to secure emergency loans, the central bank reported Thursday.
Those firms averaged $32.9 billion in daily borrowing over the past week from the new lending facility, compared with $13.4 billion the previous week. The program, which began last Monday, is part of the Fed's effort to aid the financial system.
On Wednesday alone, lending reached $37 billion.

Obama, Clinton Lead McCain

2008-04-02T05:30:00.000-06:00

March 27, 2008
Obama, Clinton Lead McCain
Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton hold roughly comparable leads in head-to-head matchups with John McCain. Obama edges McCain by a 49% to 43% margin among registered voters nationwide; Clinton holds an almost identical 49% to 44% edge. Obama and Clinton held similar leads over McCain in late February.
Yet there are positive signs for McCain. He now leads Obama among independent voters by six points. In late February, McCain trailed Obama among independents by seven points.

ANALYSIS-Iraqi crackdown backfires, strengthens Sadrists

2008-04-02T05:29:00.000-06:00

March 31, 2008
ANALYSIS-Iraqi crackdown backfires, strengthens Sadrists
BAGHDAD, March 31 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's crackdown on militias in the southern oil port of Basra appears to have backfired, exposing the weakness of his army and strengthening his political foes ahead of elections.
U.S. President George W. Bush has praised the crackdown, calling it a "defining moment" for Iraq, but it has unleashed a wave of destabilising violence in southern Iraq and in Baghdad that risks undoing the security improvements of the past year.
It has also exposed a deep rift within Iraq's Shi'ite majority -- between the political parties in Maliki's government and followers of populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Top US housing official resigns

2008-04-02T05:28:00.001-06:00

March 31, 2008
Top US housing official resigns
The US housing secretary has resigned amid claims he misused his position.
Critics had been calling for Alphonso Jackson to step down since an FBI investigation into claims of cronyism in awarding housing contracts began.
His resignation comes as the US housing market suffers a slump, with falling prices and high foreclosure rates.

Bush Aide Resigns for Alleged Wrongdoing

2008-04-02T05:27:00.001-06:00

March 28, 2008
Bush Aide Resigns for Alleged Wrongdoing
An aide to President Bush has resigned because of his alleged misuse of grant money from the U.S. Agency for International Development when he worked for a Cuban democracy organization.
Felipe Sixto was promoted on March 1 as a special assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and stepped forward on March 20 to reveal his alleged wrongdoing and to resign, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said on Friday. He said Sixto took that step after learning that his former employer, the Center for a Free Cuba, was prepared to initiate legal action against him.

The alleged wrongdoing occurred when Sixto was chief of staff at the center, where he worked for more than three years before moving to the White House.

Bear Stearns Chairman Cayne Sells $61.3 Mln In Stock

2008-04-02T05:26:00.000-06:00

March 27, 2008
Bear Stearns Chairman Cayne Sells $61.3 Mln In Stock
NEW YORK (Reuters) - James Cayne, Chairman of Bear Stearns Cos Inc (BSC.N) sold $61.3 million of his shares of the company according to a filing on Thursday, signaling the bank's shareholders are unlikely to get a higher price for their shares.
JPMorgan agreed earlier this week to increase its original bid for Bear Stearns, which had faced a run on the bank and was close to collapse.

FBI Focusing on 2001 Anthrax Attacks

2008-04-02T05:25:00.001-06:00

March 27, 2008
FBI Focusing on 2001 Anthrax Attacks
WASHINGTON — The FBI has narrowed its focus to "about four" suspects in the 6 1/2-year investigation of the deadly anthrax attacks of 2001, and at least three of those suspects are linked to the Army’s bioweapons research facility at Fort Detrick in Maryland, FOX News has learned.
Among the pool of suspects are three scientists — a former deputy commander, a leading anthrax scientist and a microbiologist — linked to the research facility, known as USAMRIID.

Afghan Farmers Forced to Sell Daughters to Pay Loans

2008-04-02T05:24:00.000-06:00

March 27, 2008
Afghan Farmers Forced to Sell Daughters to Pay Loans
The family's heartbreak began when Shah borrowed $2,000 from a local trafficker, promising to repay the loan with 24 kilos of opium at harvest time. Late last spring, just before harvest, a government crop-eradication team appeared at the family's little plot of land in Laghman province and destroyed Shah's entire two and a half acres of poppies. Unable to meet his debt, Shah fled with his family to Jalalabad, the capital of neighboring Nangarhar province. The trafficker found them anyway and demanded his opium. So Shah took his case before a tribal council in Laghman and begged for leniency. Instead, the elders unanimously ruled that Shah would have to reimburse the trafficker by giving Khalida to him in marriage. Now the family can only wait for the 45-year-old drugrunner to come back for his prize. Khalida wanted to be a teacher someday, but that has become impossible. "It's my fate," the child says.
Afghans disparagingly call them "loan brides"—daughters given in marriage by fathers who have no other way out of debt. The practice began with the dowry a bridegroom's family traditionally pays to the bride's father in tribal Pashtun society. These days the amount ranges from $3,000 or so in poorer places like Laghman and Nangarhar to $8,000 or more in Helmand, Afghanistan's No. 1 opium-growing province. For a desperate farmer, that bride price can be salvation—but at a cruel cost. Among the Pashtun, debt marriage puts a lasting stain on the honor of the bride and her family. It brings shame on the country, too. President Hamid Karzai recently told the nation: "I call on the people [not to] give their daughters for money; they shouldn't give them to old men, and they shouldn't give them in forced marriages."

U.S. Has Little Influence, Few Options in Iraq's Volatile South

2008-04-02T05:23:00.000-06:00

March 27, 2008
U.S. Has Little Influence, Few Options in Iraq's Volatile South
As U.S. warplanes attacked targets in Basra yesterday, Bush administration officials acknowledged that their hands-off strategy toward southern Iraq in recent years has left them with little knowledge of the conflicts among competing Shiite groups there and few ways of influencing them.
President Bush yesterday hailed the decision of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to launch a full-scale military offensive against militias in Basra as a "defining moment" for his leadership. But other officials said the administration remains unsure of Maliki's motives and warned that the ongoing battle risks sending the country spiraling back toward the cataclysmic violence levels of 2006 and early 2007.

PEW: Obama Leads Clinton in Poll

2008-04-02T05:22:00.000-06:00

March 27, 2008
PEW: Obama Leads Clinton in Poll
Barack Obama maintains a 49%-39% lead over Hillary Clinton among Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters, despite heavy media coverage in the past week of Obama's controversial former pastor. Obama's advantage over Clinton is now about the same as it was before his losses in the March 4 primaries in Ohio and Texas (49%-40%).
Age, race and gender continue to be significant factors in the Democratic race. Obama enjoys strong support among men, younger voters and blacks, while Clinton does well among white women and older voters.

Areas of Baghdad fall to militias

2008-04-02T05:21:00.001-06:00

March 27, 2008
Areas of Baghdad fall to militias
Iraq's Prime Minister was staring into the abyss today after his operation to crush militia strongholds in Basra stalled, members of his own security forces defected and district after district of his own capital fell to Shia militia gunmen.
With the threat of a civil war looming in the south, Nouri al-Maliki's police chief in Basra narrowly escaped assassination in the crucial port city, while in Baghdad, the spokesman for the Iraqi side of the US military surge was kidnapped by gunmen and his house burnt to the ground.

Catholics Must Get Up Out of the Pew and Walk Out of the Church Forever

2008-04-02T05:21:00.000-06:00

March 28, 2008
Catholics Must Get Up Out of the Pew and Walk Out of the Church Forever
Bill Mahr: When Barack Obama didn't hear Reverend Wright say those awful things about America, he still should have rushed the stage, smite Reverend Wright with the cross, and left the church. If there's anything the right wing can agree on, it's that. And that gays are going hell, right after they suck them off in the airport bathroom.
But it raises an obvious question, one that I haven't heard asked, which is strange because it's so obvious: If you leave a church when the head of the church says bad things about America, what do you do when your church hierarchy is caught up in a systematic and decades-long sex abuse scandal? And did I mention the people being sexually abused were children? Hundreds of them?

Obama Weathers the Wright Storm

2008-04-02T05:20:00.000-06:00

March 27, 2008
Obama Weathers the Wright Storm
The videos of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's controversial sermons and Barack Obama's subsequent speech on race and politics have attracted more public attention than any events thus far in the 2008 presidential campaign. A majority of the public (51%) said they heard "a lot" about the videos, and an even larger percentage (54%) said they heard a lot about Obama's speech, according to the weekly News Interest Index.
Most voters aware of the sermons say they were personally offended by Wright's comments, and a sizable minority (35%) says that their opinion of Obama has grown less favorable because of Wright's statements.

Federal Reserve offers $100 billion more to commercial banks

2008-04-02T05:19:00.000-06:00

March 28, 2008
Federal Reserve offers $100 billion more to commercial banks
WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve announced Friday it will auction an additional $100 billion (€63.31 billion) in April to cash-strapped banks as it continues to combat the effects of a credit crisis.
The central bank said it would make $50 billion (€31.65 billion) available at each of two auctions, on April 7 and April 21.
Through the end of March, the Fed has provided $260 billion (€164.6 billion) in short-term loans to commercial banks through the innovative auction process. It also has employed Depression-era provisions to provide money to investment banks.

Iraqi Police Shed Their Uniforms and Switched Side

2008-04-02T05:18:00.001-06:00

March 28, 2008
Iraqi Police Shed Their Uniforms and Switched Side
Abu Iman barely flinched when the Iraqi Government ordered his unit of special police to move against al-Mahdi Army fighters in Basra.
His response, while swift, was not what British and US military trainers who have spent the past five years schooling the Iraqi security forces would have hoped for. He and 15 of his comrades took off their uniforms, kept their government-issued rifles and went over to the other side without a second thought.

Five Former Secretaries of State: Close Guantanamo

2008-04-02T05:17:00.001-06:00

March 27, 2008
Five Former Secretaries of State: Close Guantanamo
ATHENS, Ga. - Five former U.S. secretaries of state on Thursday urged the next presidential administration to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and open a dialogue with Iran.
The former chiefs of American diplomacy, who served in Democratic and Republican administrations, reached a consensus on the two issues at a conference in Athens aimed at giving the next president some bipartisan foreign policy advice. Each of them said shuttering the prison camp in Cuba would bolster America's image abroad.

5 Years Later: Pundits Who Were Wrong on Iraq Are Silent

2008-04-02T05:16:00.000-06:00

March 25, 2008
5 Years Later: Pundits Who Were Wrong on Iraq Are Silent
(March 25, 2008) -- Given the current tragedy in Iraq--hell, given the past five years--you would think the many pundits who agitated for an attack on that country, largely on false pretenses, would have take the opportunity of the arrival of the fifth anniversary of the war (or the 4000 dead milestone) to drop to their knees, at least in print, and beg the American public for forgiveness.
With more than 60 percent of their fellow Americans now calling the war a "mistake" and agitating for troop withdrawals--and the president's approval rating still heading south, thanks to their war--it would seem to be the right thing to do. We won't even mention the maiming of more than 20,000 young Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

IRAQ: Fever Named After Blackwater

2008-04-02T05:15:00.001-06:00

March 26, 2008
IRAQ: Fever Named After Blackwater
FALLUJAH, Mar 26 (IPS) - Iraqi doctors in al-Anbar province warn of a new disease they call "Blackwater" that threatens the lives of thousands. The disease is named after Blackwater Worldwide, the U.S. mercenary company operating in Iraq.
"This disease is a severe form of malarial infection caused by the parasite plasmodium falciparum, which is considered the worst type of malarial infection," Dr. Ali Hakki from Fallujah told IPS. "It is one of the complications of that infection, and not the ordinary picture of the disease. Because of its frequent and severe complications, such as Blackwater fever, and its resistance to treatment, P. falciparum can cause death within 24 hours."

Western Antarctic ice chunk collapse

2008-04-02T05:15:00.000-06:00

March 25, 2008
Western Antarctic ice chunk collapse
WASHINGTON - A chunk of Antarctic ice about seven times the size of Manhattan suddenly collapsed, putting an even greater portion of glacial ice at risk, scientists said Tuesday.
Satellite images show the runaway disintegration of a 160-square-mile chunk in western Antarctica, which started Feb. 28. It was the edge of the Wilkins ice shelf and has been there for hundreds, maybe 1,500 years.

Taxpayers May Be Liable From Bear, Mortgage Rescue

2008-04-02T05:13:00.000-06:00

March 26, 2008
Taxpayers May Be Liable From Bear, Mortgage Rescue
March 26 (Bloomberg) -- Even as the Bush administration insists it won't risk public funds in a bailout, American taxpayers may already be liable for billions of dollars stemming from Federal Reserve and Treasury efforts to quell a financial crisis.
History suggests the Fed may not recover some of the almost $30 billion investment in illiquid mortgage securities it received from Bear Stearns Cos., said Joe Mason, a Drexel University professor who has written on banking crises. Treasury's push to have Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy more mortgage bonds reduces the capital the government-chartered companies hold in reserve at a time when foreclosures and defaults are surging. Senators are promising to investigate.

Good Name Of US Destroyed

2008-03-28T12:19:00.001-06:00

March 25, 2008
Good Name Of US Destroyed
You know him well. His nickname was Gilligan, and he was a prisoner at Abu Ghraib, Saddam Hussein's vast prison transformed into a vast American one and then transformed again by the Bush administration into a vast national disgrace. Gilligan was deprived of sleep, forced to stand on a small box, hooded like some medieval apparition, wired like a makeshift lamp and told (falsely) that if he fell he would be electrocuted. He was later released. Wrong man. Sorry.
Of all the casualties of this sad war, the good name of the United States is certainly one. It evaporated in the desert like a shallow pool of water. I do not mean to belittle the lives lost or soldiers maimed, and I know full well that we are not a country of innocents. We've massacred prisoners of war and murdered civilians -- at My Lai in Vietnam, for instance -- but these were mostly moments of madness or terror, not a policy virtually posted outside the orderly room.

GOP's House odds fade further

2008-03-27T06:31:00.000-06:00

March 21 2008
GOP's House odds fade further
WASHINGTON — Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y., said Thursday he will not seek another term in office, becoming the latest member of the former GOP leadership team to step down in the past two years.
Reynolds is the fifth departing member of the Republican leadership team that ran the House with an iron fist for 12 years until Democrats took control in the 2006 election. His decision was another blow to Republican chances against Democrats, who appear likely to widen their majority with more than two dozen GOP seats coming open this year.

Court backs Texas in dispute with Bush

2008-03-27T06:20:00.000-06:00

March 25, 2008
Court backs Texas in dispute with Bush
WASHINGTON - President Bush overstepped his authority when he ordered a Texas court to reopen the case of a Mexican on death row for rape and murder, the Supreme Court said Tuesday.
In a case that mixes presidential power, international relations and the death penalty, the court sided with Texas and rebuked Bush by a 6-3 vote.
An international court ruled in 2004 that the convictions of Medellin and 50 other Mexicans on death row around the United States violated the 1963 Vienna Convention, which provides that people arrested abroad should have access to their home country's consular officials. The International Court of Justice, also known as the world court, said the Mexican prisoners should have new court hearings to determine whether the violation affected their cases.

Hagel: We've lost 900 Since the Surge Began

2008-03-27T06:19:00.001-06:00

March 23, 2008
Hagel: We've lost 900 Since the Surge Began
Invoking the recent Gallup poll showing that 81% of the American public did not like the direction America was headed, Hagel called for a new consensus within the next administration and emphasized the need for a bi-partisan coalition no matter who takes the White House.
Referring to Sen. John McCain as a "good friend," Hagel continued to criticize the Republican presidential candidate's foreign policy platform, pointing to a financial toll of $12 billion to $15 billion a month for the Iraq war and a high casualty rate.

"We have lost 900 Americans since the surge began," Hagel said. "We are in a mess in Iraq. And the reality is we are going to have to deal with it."

McCain's Tax Plan Would Cost $2 Trillion Over 10 Year

2008-03-27T06:19:00.000-06:00

March 21, 2008
McCain's Tax Plan Would Cost $2 Trillion Over 10 Years
Since Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) are so busy beating up on each other, somebody has to do opposition research on Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) nowadays. That would the Center for American Progress Action Fund, which Friday morning unveiled the first installment of its "Hyde Park Project."
McCain's tax plan, Gordon and Kvaal said, would cost more than $2 trillion over the next decade, delivering 58 percent of its benefits to the top 1 percent of taxpayers and just 4 percent to the bottom 60 percent of taxpayers.

Democrats Making Big Gains In Party Identification

2008-03-27T06:18:00.000-06:00

March 23, 2008
Democrats Making Big Gains In Party Identification
The Democratic Party has increased its margin in voters who identify with it rather than Republicans, and going into this year's election has increased its advantage among independent voters and in swing states, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted during the first two months of this year.
Pew says voters now favor the Democrats by a "decidedly larger margin" than the previous two election cycles.

Fed Broke Law When it Bailed Out Bear Stearns

2008-03-27T06:15:00.002-06:00

March 16, 2008
Fed Broke Law When it Bailed Out Bear Stearns
At present, there are only five members on the board with two vacancies, but only four approved the measure because governor Frederic Mishkin was not present, according to the Federal Reserve.
But current law mandates that no less than five members can vote on the matter and states that members can be contacted through any electronic means, including by telephone and e-mail.
"There has been no showing that, given technology in 2008 (as opposed to the 1930s when this language was enacted), the required attempts to contact Gov. Mishkin were made," Lee wrote in the complaint.

Democratic Nominee Will Have Edge in Fall Even If Economy Turns

2008-03-27T06:15:00.001-06:00

March 24, 2008
Democratic Nominee Will Have Edge in Fall Even If Economy Turns
Even if a recovery begins this summer, Americans won't feel the difference until much later. That's why when the polls open Nov. 4, the Republicans, who have controlled the White House since 2001 and Congress for much of that time, will have ceded a key advantage to the Democrats.
Recessions shaped four presidential elections in the past half-century -- in 1960, 1976, 1980 and 1992. Each time, the candidate from the party trying to retake the White House won. A model that uses economic data to predict presidential race outcomes has the Democrats getting 52 percent of the votes cast for the two major party candidates, says Ray Fair, the Yale University professor who developed it.

Volcker: US govt must do more to avert meltdown

2008-03-27T06:13:00.001-06:00

March 19, 2008

Volcker: US govt must do more to avert meltdown
SINGAPORE: The US government needs to play a larger role in restoring confidence to financial markets on the verge of a meltdown instead of leaving such actions to Federal Reserve, said former Fed chairman Paul Volcker.
Such measures may include Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the world's largest mortgage companies, using their lines of credit with the US Treasury to buy some of their own securities to assure investors of such debt, Volcker said.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac: Government Relaxes Capital Requirements To Help Ease Home Loan Financing

2008-03-27T06:13:00.000-06:00

March 19, 2008

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac: Government Relaxes Capital Requirements To Help Ease Home Loan Financing
(AP) The government on Wednesday relaxed capital requirements at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as part of a plan to inject an additional $200 billion of financing for home loans.
The initiative, which will require Fannie and Freddie to raise substantial funds, is part of a broader government strategy to ease a credit crisis that has made it difficult for consumers and businesses to borrow, and spread fear throughout global financial markets.

Pentagon admits postponing brain screenings

2008-03-27T06:11:00.000-06:00

March 18, 2008
Pentagon admits postponing brain screenings
The Pentagon has admitted that it delayed introducing a routine screening of troops returning from Iraq for mild brain injuries because it feared that the extent of the problem could mushroom to the scale of the Gulf War syndrome after the first Iraq war.
The head of the Pentagon's medical assessments division has told USA Today that he wanted to avoid another controversy as potentially huge as Gulf War syndrome.

Why We Said No: Three Diplomats' Duty

2008-03-27T06:10:00.002-06:00

March 20, 2008
Why We Said No: Three Diplomats' Duty
Five years ago this month, the three of us left the US Foreign Service in opposition to the war on Iraq. We were not pacifists. We were professional, non-partisan diplomats bound by our oath of loyalty to the US Constitution. Our job was to build effective relationships with key figures outside the United States. We used our language skills, respectful curiosity, and understanding of local politics to promote US national interests as our president and secretary of state directed.
Love of country and professional self-respect compelled each of us to speak out, in the only honorable way open to us, by resigning. In our letters to Secretary of State Colin Powell, we opposed invading a country that posed no genuine threat to the United States. We underscored that our invasion would not be understood by our allies, that our occupation would be resisted, and that the consequences of the war would be dire for both Americans and Iraqis.

12 US soldiers Electrocuted While Showering

2008-03-27T06:10:00.000-06:00

March 20, 2008
12 US soldiers Electrocuted While Showering
PITTSBURGH - A U.S. House committee chairman has begun an investigation into the electrocutions of at least 12 service members in Iraq, including that of a Pittsburgh soldier killed in January by a jolt of electricity while showering.
Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Wednesday he has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to hand over documents relating to the management of electrical systems at facilities in Iraq.

50-State Poll: Obama Would Win 280 Electoral Votes and the Presidency

2008-03-27T06:08:00.002-06:00

March 19, 2008

50-State Poll: Obama Would Win 280 Electoral Votes and the Presidency
An ambitious 50-state poll of 30,000 registered voters by media pollster SurveyUSA shows Mr. McCain would lose to both of them at this point in the election year, though by a closer electoral margin against Mrs. Clinton (276-262) than against Mr. Obama (280-258) in the race for the 270 votes needed to win the presidency.

In both matchups, the poll shows the Democrats winning red states that Republicans have usually carried in past elections, though in some cases by razor-thin margins.

Obama to McCain: War Emboldened U.S. Enemies

2008-03-27T06:08:00.001-06:00

March 19, 2008
Obama to McCain: War Emboldened U.S. Enemies
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama criticized Republican John McCain on Wednesday for misidentifying Iraqi extremists, saying he fails to understand the war has emboldened U.S. enemies.
On the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the war took center stage on the U.S. campaign trail.