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5/14/08
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Top Story
Bush: Democratic presidency could lead to another terror attack on U.S.
President Bush said
on Tuesday he was disappointed in "flawed intelligence" before the Iraq war and
was concerned that if a Democrat wins the presidency in November and withdrew
troops prematurely it could "eventually lead to another attack on the United
States."
And he’s going to
do his best to make sure there’s an attack BEFORE the November election, so that
Americans will be scared into voting for John McCain.
Project for the Old American Century
The World
Officials: Clashes in Iraq's Sadr City kill 11
A fragile cease-fire
failed to stop fighting in Baghdad's Sadr City where the latest clashes between
Shiite extremists and U.S.-backed Iraqi forces killed 11 men and wounded 19,
Iraqi hospital officials said Tuesday.
GE gets deal to supply Iraq gas-powered generators
Iraq
has agreed to a 179 million euro ($275 million) contract with General Electric
Co to buy eight natural gas-powered generators, an Iraqi government spokesman
said on Tuesday. "The Iraqi cabinet today gave approval to buy the generators
from GE at an agreed price of 179 euros. The ministry of electricity can buy
them without delay," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters.
Do not ever
forget that GE owns NBC, and MSNBC, and CNBC. How could the anticipation of
these kinds of deals not have affected their coverage of the war, before and
during?
US slashes reward for al-Qaida Iraq leader
The Bush regime has
slashed its reward for the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq from $5 million to
$100,000 because it feels he's lost effectiveness and is no longer worth such a
steep price, officials said Tuesday. Information on Abu Ayyub al-Masri is now
worth only up to $100,000 under a separate and less well-known rewards program
run by the Defense Department, which asked that he be taken off the State
Department list, they said.
Official: Israel to expand West Bank settlements
JERUSALEM - An
Israeli official says the Housing and Construction minister is planning to
approve the construction of hundreds of homes in
West Bank settlements.
Bush links optimism for Mideast reform to democratic Israel
JERUSALEM -
President Bush said Wednesday that 60 years of democracy in Israel is cause for
optimism for democratic change throughout the Middle East. "What happened here
is possible everywhere," Bush said in a trip where he'll make a new push for
Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Ahmadinejad says Israel doomed
TEHRAN, Iran -
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that Israel is dying and
that its 60th anniversary celebrations are an attempt to prevent its
"annihilation."
Saudis sends sharp warning to Iran over Lebanon
BEIRUT, Lebanon -
Saudi Arabia sent Iran a sharp warning over Lebanon Tuesday, saying Tehran's
support for Hezbollah will damage its relations with other Muslim and Arab
countries.
Curfew in historic Indian city a day after blasts
JAIPUR, India
(Reuters) - Authorities imposed a dawn-to-dusk curfew in parts of India's
historic western city of Jaipur on Wednesday, a day after eight bombs ripped
through bustling streets, killing 61 people and injuring 216.
New storm head toward cyclone-devastated Myanmar
YANGON, Myanmar -
Another powerful storm headed toward Myanmar's cyclone-devastated delta on
Wednesday and the U.N. warned that inadequate relief efforts could lead to a
second wave of deaths among the estimated 2 million survivors.
Australia may sue Iran leader over Israel slurs: PM
SYDNEY (AFP) -
Australia is considering taking Iran's president to the International Court of
Justice for inciting violence against Israel, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on
Wednesday.
Australia praised for new refugee policy
CANBERRA, Australia
- Australia's new government won praise from the United Nations and human rights
groups Wednesday for offering refugees permanent sanctuary rather than temporary
visas.
Colombian warlords' victims uneasy about extradition
BOGOTA, Colombia -
Victims of Colombia's far-right militias fear the surprise extradition of 14
paramilitary warlords may keep them from learning their loved ones' fates and
getting reparations.
Brown scrambles to regain initiative
LONDON (AFP) -
Beleaguered Prime Minister Gordon Brown fought to regain the political
initiative Wednesday with a raft of new legislative plans, as he struggled to
recover from an unprecedented battering.
Italian PM may be drawn into CIA abduction case
An Italian judge
could decide on Wednesday to make Silvio Berlusconi the first head of a
government to testify in criminal proceedings over secret CIA transfers of
terrorism suspects. Prosecutors say a CIA-led team kidnapped a Muslim cleric off
the streets of Milan and secretly flew him to
Egypt. There, the terrorism
suspect, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, says he was tortured under questioning and
held for years without charge before being released in 2007.
Pro-Mugabe lobby urges state of emergency
HARARE (AFP) - A
pro-government rights outfit has urged Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to
consider declaring a state of emergency to stem a tide of post-election
political violence, state media said on Wednesday.
The Nation
Army suffering 'critical weaknesses' due to Iraq
Nearly half of all
armed forces units are suffering from "serious or critical weaknesses" as a
result of their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Issuing its quarterly report on
Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence admitted it was running at well below strength
and could not meet its Government-set targets as a result of the continuing
pressure of operations in the war against terror.
US drops charges against Saudi in Sept. 11 attacks
The Pentagon has
dropped charges against a Saudi at Guantanamo who was alleged to have been the
so-called "20th hijacker" in the Sept. 11 attacks, his U.S. military defense
lawyer said Monday.
Sept. 11 families fear war-crimes trial
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -
People who lost relatives in the Sept. 11 attacks fear alleged mastermind Khalid
Sheikh Mohammed will use his upcoming war-crimes trial to boast about his role
and rally support for al-Qaida.
Blunt Federal Letters Tell Students They're Security Threats
A German graduate
student in oceanography at M.I.T. applied to the Transportation Security
Administration for a new ID card allowing him to work around ships and docks.
What the student, Wilken-Jon von Appen, received in return was a letter that not
only turned him down but added an ominous warning from John M. Busch, a security
administration official: "I have determined that you pose a security threat."
Similar letters have gone to 5,000 applicants across the country who have at
least initially been turned down for a Transportation Worker Identification
Credential, an ID card meant to guard against acts of terrorism, agency
officials said Monday.
Federal regulations limit consumer lawsuits
A list by agency of
51 federal health and safety regulations proposed or adopted since 2005 that
could make it more difficult for consumers to sue businesses for faulty
products:
Calories should be listed on pet food, veterinarians say
WASHINGTON — Future pet food labels that indicate the number of
calories per serving could help obese animals shed the extra pounds, a
veterinarians' association recommended to the Food and Drug Administration on
Tuesday.
Senate defeats bid to open ANWR to oil drilling
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday rejected a Republican energy plan
that promised to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration, an
option that was part of an overall package to increase domestic energy
development.
Senate renews flood insurance program
WASHINGTON (Reuters)
- The U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to extend until 2013 a federal program that
insures millions of homes against floods and to forgive $17 billion in debt the
program built up during Hurricane Katrina.
House Democrats planning surtax on high income: report
NEW YORK (Reuters) -
House Democrats are proposing a surtax on high-income earners as a way to fund
an expansion of education benefits for veterans, the Wall Street Journal said on
Wednesday.
Farm bill heads toward congressional approval — and Bush veto
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives on Wednesday will approve a
five-year, $280 billion-plus farm bill, accelerating an election-year collision
with President Bush.
Farm bill full of goodies for both rich and poor
WASHINGTON - A $300 billion farm bill contains a little something for
everyone, including tax breaks for
Kentucky racehorse owners,
extra help for farmers in
Hawaii
and Alaska, dollars for salmon farmers in the Pacific Northwest and more food
stamps for the needy.
Economy & Finance
Market opens higher on tame CPI reading
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose at the market open on Wednesday
after government data showed that consumer prices grew less than expected in
April, taking pressure off the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.
Inflation pressures ease despite food price jump
WASHINGTON - Inflation pressures eased a bit in April despite the
biggest jump in food prices in 18 years.
Gas prices pass $3.75 a gallon; oil falls on inventory view
NEW YORK - Gas prices roared above $3.75 a gallon Wednesday, while
oil prices fell as investors anticipated that a government inventory report will
show crude supplies rose last week.
Fed looks at ways to fight asset bubbles
The US Federal
Reserve is reconsidering the way it deals with asset price bubbles in the wake
of the housing and credit bust, in a move that could see the central bank using
regulation – or even interest rates – to fight unjustified increases. Top
officials are re-examining the Alan Greenspan doctrine that central banks should
not try to tackle asset bubbles and should focus on mitigating the fallout when
they burst.
Media & Politics
Permanent link to MTA daily media news
Analysis: Clinton crushes Obama across the board
(CNN)
(CNN) -- After enduring a week of political obituaries, Sen. Hillary Clinton's
campaign proved Tuesday that it still has some life.
Clinton, as expected,
trounced Democratic front-runner Sen. Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary.
In the process, she underscored Obama's weakness with blue-collar, working-class
white voters -- a segment of the electorate that may prove pivotal in November.
Buoyed by her landslide margin,
Clinton
vowed to continue what has become a longshot campaign, telling supporters at a
Charleston rally that she is "more determined than ever to carry on this
campaign until everyone has had a chance to make their voices heard."
Pro-Clinton Unions Continue Full-Steam Ahead
(by Jake Tapper at Political Punch, ABC News)
Officials from four labor unions that endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, say
they will continue to lobby for her candidacy regardless of the daunting
delegate math. One union is even hoping
Clinton takes her battle
against Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, all the way to the floor of the
Democratic National Convention in August.
Clinton 'determined' after win in W. Va., but does it matter?
(McClatchy)
CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Hillary Clinton clobbered Barack Obama in
West Virginia
Tuesday, clinging to hope that her late win in a small state could slow his
march toward the Democratic presidential nomination.
McClatchy is more and more in the tank for Obama. How can they call
this a news story, with all these opinionated adjectives in it? “Late” win,
“small” state, “slow HIS march”, and worst of all, “does it matter”? It matters
to me, opiners of McClatchy. It matters to me very much.
Obamaland (by
Big Tent Democrat at TalkLeft)
Chris "Tweety" Matthews, speaking from the ObamaLand that is the Obama News
Network, NBC, is talking about Hillary Clinton living in "HillaryLand." It is
one of the more amazing "news" broadcasts one has ever seen… [I]s that REALLY
the only story of the night? (In ObamaLand, Tweety is predicting a "surprisingly
close" Kentucky
result.)… The problem that has not passed the lips of anyone on the Obama News
Network - the "presumptive nominee" lost by 40 points in a primary. Has this
EVER happened? How could it have happened? What does it mean?
Presence and Absence
(by Anglachel)
First, it is not just that Hillary won the WV primary. Hillary won it with an
incredible turn out… Hillary is a presence in this election. People in primary
states are turning out in the millions for her and are growing increasingly
loyal as the political powers that be refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of
her run and the reality of her support. Second, there was the complete absence
of the much lauded Obama machine bringing in new voters and transcending
politics as usual… I can see a loss in a state where demographics favor your
opponent, but 41%? Of the front-running presumptive nominee? Who outspent
Hillary 2-to-1 and has the entire MSM lined up singing his praises? Where's the
beef, Barry?
In contest after contest, we see him failing to turn out the massive numbers that his allegedly unstoppable movement says they command. We see dominance in highly restrictive caucuses… It is beginning to look like the main reason for Obama's red state caucus successes is the absence of voters, not the presence of new ones. I'm reminded of a tornado that tears through a landscape and can exert tremendous force, but when the motion slows, it vanishes, leaving nothing but destruction behind it.
Obama's Superdelegate Bamboozle
(RezkoWatch)
Does Sen. Obama hold within his grasp the power to truly blackmail his fellow
Democrats into supporting him? Although he may have a huge database at his
disposal of low-dollar contributors, what every candidate has available—should
they want to access them—are huge databases of contributors who have donated
more than $200 to any candidate which are available straight out of public
records held by the IRS. Every campaign has to file those records quarterly and
finalize them within 30 days of the end of the calendar year. A second available
source to every candidate are voter registration records that can be purchased
from each state's Democratic Party, which presidential candidates do. Besides,
what keeps any candidate from doing the same thing Sen. Obama and others have
done?... Shame on every single superdelegate who falls for this P.T.
Barnum-sized bamboozle.
W Virginia keeps distance from Obama
(Financial Times)
No Democrat has been elected to the White House without carrying
West Virginia since 1916,
yet Mr Obama appears to have little chance of winning there in November. Recent
opinion polls indicate that Mrs Clinton would narrowly beat Mr McCain in the
state but Mr Obama would lose by nearly 20 percentage points.
Tuesday: Look over there!
(by riverdaughter at The Confluence)
I was listening to
Taylor Marsh this morning on podcast…
Taylor
mentioned: Republicans are looking on this with awe because they can’t believe
that we are giving them the weakest candidate this fall. She mentions Rush
Limbaugh specifically at being astonished at how the Democratic party is about
to self destruct by passing up the stronger candidate. I don’t have much to add
to that correct assessment except that there is no way I could ever contemplate
voting for Clinton as Obama’s VP. If there has to be a unity ticket, she must be
at the top. It looks more and more like there will have to be a unity ticket as
much as I hate the idea. I think we can get African-Americans to sign on to him
being her VP. That would get him the experience he needs and he can run in 2016.
It’s the only viable option and would be a killer ticket, even if Michelle wants
to dig out someone’s eyes about it. Any other combination of Obama on the ticket
is a deal breaker. But the concept is so sensible that we can expect Donna and
Nancy to shoot it down.
Electoral-Vote.com, May 13,
2008 (270 needed
to win)
Clinton
280
McCain 241
Tie 17
Obama
237
McCain
290
Tie 11
Click through to see the maps.
When Following The Leader Can Lead Into The Jaws Of Death
ScienceDaily (May
13, 2008) — For animals that live in social groups, and that includes humans,
blindly following a leader could place them in danger. To avoid this, animals
have developed simple but effective behaviour to follow where at least a few of
them dare to tread -- rather than follow a single group member.
I guess that explains it—I’m one of those who just can’t allow myself
to be swept up in any hysteria, to follow any pied piper.
Dear Supers: The party has no one to blame but itself
(by riverdaughter at The Confluence)
There is no way for Obama to win this fall. *HE* has successfully thrown most of
the base under the bus and many of us want nothing to do with him. Let me repeat
that: HE and his campaign surrogates have disowned us. Not the media. Obama… You
know and we know what will happen this fall. The AA voters will get diluted, as
always. The states that Obama won by caucus will go Republican, as always. And
the states that you desperately needed, like Florida and Michigan will probably
also fall into Republican hands. Now, I don’t know what’s going on in the party
behind closed doors but if you have a choice. You can grow a pair and tell the
Deaniacs to stick it where the sun don’t shine or you can face the voters this
fall and have a weakling at the top of the ticket. And if he goes down, he may
take the rest of you with him.
SurveyUSA: Obama Up By Double-Digits in Oregon
(Political Wire)
With one week until the primary, a new SurveyUSA poll in Oregon finds Sen.
Barack Obama leading Sen. Hillary Clinton, 54% to 43%. Key finding: "Though the
results are only slightly more in favor of Obama than SurveyUSA's most recent
track point, released 11 days ago, before results of North Carolina and Indiana
were known, there is movement in Oregon among women. 5 weeks ago, Clinton led by
7 among Oregon women. Today, Obama leads by 7."
SurveyUSA: Clinton Holds Wide Lead in Kentucky
(Political Wire)
With the primary one week away, a new SurveyUSA poll in Kentucky finds Sen.
Hillary Clinton way ahead of Sen. Barack Obama, 62% to 30%. Clinton's lead is
effectively unchanged from the last three polls over the past month.
Overnight Open Thread
(by Jeralyn at TalkLeft)
Obama is likely to do as poorly in KY as he did in
W. VA. Counting MI and FL
votes (not delegates), she's going to either top Obama or get really close to
him in the popular vote total. As to what you can do, here's my suggestion: If
you live in a state that went for Hillary, check out the superdelegates from
your state that are in Congress. Write them and tell them that since Hillary won
in your state and she's the most electable in November, if they do not support
her, you will take that into account in deciding whether to encourage someone
else to run for his or her seat in the Democratic primary next time around. And,
if Obama is the nominee and loses in the general, you will hold them personally
responsible… That's your leverage. In my opinion.
And then there’s also the possibility of donating:
Or, if you’re maxed out:
Not So Fast...
(by Scan at TaylorMarsh.com)
WomenCount PAC plans to run the following full-page, front section "open letter"
in USA Today and other newspapers in the coming days, and they need your
support.
Click through for
more information.
Not So Fast…
Hillary’s Voice is OUR Voice,
And She’s Speaking for All of Us
Obama vows to seat Fla. delegates
Barack Obama
promised a group of uncommitted superdelegates today that he would seat
Florida's delegation at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
HE will seat them? Is he king already?
Florida And Michigan
(by Big Tent Democrat at Talk Left)
On CNN, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson did a fantastic job pushing back on the
2025 Magic Number focusing on the importance of seating Florida and Michigan.
Donna Brazile did her usual schtick. Some neutral Party figure. But Howard
Wolfson talks about voters. Donna Brazile talks about the rules. Who do you
think wins that PR war. Wolfson's winning slogan for seating the delegates:
"It's the right thing to do and it is the smart thing to do." He's right.
Click through to watch the video.
So Pledged Delegates Really Are NOT Pledged
(by Big Tent Democrat at TalkLeft)
This is a hilarious development: “Prince George's County Executive Jack B.
Johnson, a Democratic convention delegate pledged to support Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton, said yesterday that he thinks Sen. Barack Obama has ‘in a real sense’
won the Democratic nomination and that he now plans to support Obama at the
August convention.” Heh. Now it seems to me the Obama camp needed to tell this
fellow he should not do that. But they did not: “David Plouffe just . . .
mentioned that the Clinton Campaign has said that pledged delegates could
switch. He said their focus is on reaching 2025 total delegates and that it is
in reach.” Um Plouffe, if everyone can vote how they want, no one will reach
2025 or 2209 until the convention in August. What a dumb move by him.
Obamites Pile on Clinton at Own Peril
(by Froma Harrop, writing at Real Clear Politics)
Many in the Obama camp, having outfoxed the apparently not-so-formidable
Clinton machine, can't seem
to get the hang of winning gracefully. They feel a need to drive a stake in
Hillary Clinton's reputation, then dance. If they were smart, they'd heap praise
on Clinton and let her finish out the race, however she chooses to do so…
Nonetheless, Obamites are throwing victory parties over the impending defeat of
a fellow Democrat who has thus far pulled in over 47 percent of their party's
primary and caucus participants. Some take a more direct approach. In
anticipation of the West Virginia primary, college students for Obama were
hurling insults at farmers and truck drivers holding signs for Clinton… Obama
can't beat John McCain without large chunks of
Clinton's
core constituency: women, Hispanics and the white working class. Dumping on
their candidate is one step removed from dumping on them -- and some of the
Obama people don't even bother with that step.
Away From Obama’s Crowds, Racist Moments
(Washington Post)
Obama Campaigners Encounter Raw And Surprising Racism As They Push Democratic
Frontrunner
And we Clinton supporters encounter raw and surprising sexism—from
Obama supporters.
A Farewell to the ‘Hillary Nutcracker’ and Other Obscenities
(by Marie Cocco, writing at TruthDig)
WASHINGTON—As the
Democratic nomination contest slouches toward a close, it’s time to take stock
of what I will not miss. I will not miss seeing advertisements for T-shirts that
bear the slogan “Bros before Hos.” The shirts depict Barack Obama (the Bro) and
Hillary Clinton (the Ho), and they are widely sold on the Internet. I will not
miss walking past airport concessions selling the Hillary Nutcracker, a device
in which a pantsuit-clad
Clinton
doll opens her legs to reveal stainless steel thighs that, well, bust nuts. I
won’t miss television and newspaper stories that make light of the novelty item.
I won’t miss episodes like the one in which the liberal radio personality Randi
Rhodes called Clinton a “big f---in’ whore” and said the same about former vice
presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro… I won’t miss Citizens United Not Timid
(no acronym, please), an anti-Clinton group founded by Republican guru Roger
Stone.
Click through for more examples of what Marie won’t miss.
Roberts blasts media on "blatant sexism"
(Blue Spot)
I can't remember a time I ever agreed with Cokie Roberts, but this week on "This
Week" she actually made some sense. Here she is blasting the media for the "blantant
sexism" they have shown throughout their coverage of the election.
MSNBC - Land of the bigots.
(by John: south of Melrose at Liberal Rapture)
The deep bigotry in the United States is not connected to race. Racism is not
gone in the USA
but things have gotten much, much better despite the whining of people like
Michelle Obama. At present issues of race are often actually issues of
responsibility as much, or more, than bigotry. However, bigots like Chris
Mathews, and Keith Olbermann spew sexism - they slander and insult 50% of the
population nightly. In fact, MSNBC relies on these 2 bigots as the lynch pin of
their programming. Obama has not spoken out against this sexism - in fact he's
used it to his benefit. The real liberals in
America
will survive the bigoted pro Obama onslaught of the last few months - and we
must then confront sexists like Olbermann forcefully.
Clinton was brain behind the [Senate] war room
(by Alexander Bolton, The Hill)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was the original impetus behind the Senate
Democratic “war room,” a legacy the candidate does not mention on the campaign
trail but one that has significantly changed the upper chamber. The war room is
the name for the communications center that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-Nev.) created after the disastrous 2004 election, when Democrats lost four
Senate seats, including the seat held by former Democratic leader Tom Daschle
(S.D.)… Clinton first proposed a Senate war room while Daschle was the Senate
Democratic leader, but the soft-spoken South Dakotan declined to implement her
idea, said Ross K. Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University
who on Friday finished a five-month stint as a guest observer working in Reid’s
leadership office.
I guess Obama will DO ANYTHING to win. By the
way, this was the speech where he dissed those who were against the Vietnam War,
repeating another right-wing talking point about soldiers supposedly being
mistreated. I know some of that went on in talks and speeches about soldiers in
general, but I don’t know of any proven cases of individuals being treated
badly.
Wonkette
Obama: Don't fund independent groups
(Politico)
But Democrats who support the work of the media 527s say Obama's making a
mistake. Progressive Media USA has aired anti-McCain television ads and
developed a website intended to be a hub for negative information about McCain.
"Obama needs a baseline to the melody of his positive message," said a
Democratic strategist who backs the group's aims.
Look into my eyes. Give me all your money. Then send this email to
10 other people, and you will become incredibly rich.
McCain Again Steps Away from Bush
(The Trail, Washington Post)
For the second day in a row, McCain took pains to distance himself from
President Bush on the question of climate change, saying "there's a
longstanding, significant, deep disagreement between myself and the
administration on this issue." McCain argued he would press for an international
climate pact in order to curb the world's greenhouse gas emissions. "I will
lead, I will lead this nation and the world, and we will address climate
change," he said. "America
will lead, and not obstruct."
McCain Adviser Misleadingly Cites CBO Report, Says Webb’s GI Bill ‘Does Nothing
To Address Reenlistment’
(Think Progress)
On Fox News’s America’s Election HQ [Monday], Nancy Pfotenhauer, a senior policy
adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), disingenuously attacked Sen. Jim Webb’s
“21st Century GI Bill,” in order to justify her boss’s opposition to the bill.
Webb’s bill “does nothing to address reenlistment and retention,” charged
Pfotenhauer… But, as ThinkProgress has noted, the CBO report cited by
Pfotenhauer actually shows that Webb’s bill would increase enlistment to such an
extent that it would completely offset the loss in retention.
Click through to watch the video.
McCain on whether he’s still comfortable with Hagee’s endorsement: ‘I’ve
accepted his endorsement.’
(Think Progress)
[Tuesday], controversial pastor John Hagee issued an apology to the Catholic
church for inflammatory comments he made in the past. But as ThinkProgress
noted, Hagee has yet to apologize to other groups he has denigrated, such as the
LGBT community. Asked today if he was still comfortable with Hagee’s
endorsement, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) deflected the question, saying he merely
“accepted” Hagee’s support and doesn’t embrace everything he says… But McCain
didn’t just “accept” Hagee’s endorsement; he actively sought it. In fact, he
“personally wooed Hagee for more than a year.” Hagee recently told the New York
Times Magazine that “it’s true that McCain’s campaign sought my endorsement.”
The press polishes the McCain "brand" (by Eric Boehlert at Media
Matters)
Campaign aides for Sen. John McCain want very much to sell the American public
on the "McCain brand" and to pitch the Republican candidate as a sort of
stand-alone, untarnished political entity, according to a recent Washington Post
article… So guess what members of the press, including those at MSNBC, CNN, NBC,
The Washington Post, Newsweek, the Politico, and The Boston Globe, have been
doing incessantly in recent weeks. They've been making glowing references to the
durability and appeal of the "McCain brand." I mean, how lucky can the
Republicans get? The press is echoing precisely the message that the candidate's
advisers want repeated again and again. What are the odds?
Washington Post’s Balz: Media will scrutinize McCain ‘once the general election
really begins.’
(Think Progress)
During a Washington Post online discussion [Tuesday], a questioner wondered why
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is running close to Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in polling despite “discontent” with the direction of the
country and President Bush “at an all time high.” Post reporter Dan Balz cited
McCain’s “maverick identity,” and — echoing one of his colleague’s sentiments —
added that press scrutiny of McCain will come in time: “It’s been said
repeatedly that McCain may be the only Republican who could win the White House,
given the public’s disaffection with the president and the GOP. Both he and the
Democratic nominee will get renewed scrutiny once the general election really
begins.”
Someday, when I’m old and gray… Oops, I’m already old and gray.
Start soon, Dan.
Republican ‘re-branding’ poised to launch
(by Steve Benen at Crooks and Liars)
GOP leaders … [have] been worried about the Republican “brand” for quite a
while. Indeed, way back in October, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio)
quietly launched a re-branding initiative, working to with corporate advertising
and rebranding experts to help Republicans turn things around. Seven months
later, we’re finally going to see what these guys have come up with.
Subscription-only Roll Call reported: “After months working behind the scenes,
House Republican leaders this week will finally start rolling out their
rebranding effort aimed at rallying the party around a comprehensive policy and
message agenda. Titled ‘Reasons to Believe,’ the plan is meant to provide House
Republicans with a sales pitch to voters by focusing on four issue areas: the
economy, energy, health care and security…” In other words, the re-branded
Republican Party will look exactly like the old Republican Party, except now
we’ll hear GOP candidates saying “change you deserve” an awful lot.
Rush Limbaugh Wins as Election's Biggest Manipulator
(by Rory O'Connor, AlterNet)
The media and Democrats need to stop buying into -- and promoting -- the
so-called "Limbaugh effect."
Biggest SELF-DESCRIBED election manipulator. And biggest self
promoter.
The WSJ Should Talk To Economists Who Were Not Surprised by the Economy
(by Dean Baker)
While no one expects economists to be accountable for their work, the WSJ does a
disservice to its readers by relying exclusively on the economists who missed
the crash in the housing market and the resulting financial turmoil in assessing
the risks of a recession. If the WSJ had spoken to unsurprised economists they
might have emphasized the impact that the loss of $6-$8 trillion of housing
wealth might have on consumption.. The continued decline in house prices is also
virtually certain to lead to even higher mortgage default rates and sharply
higher losses for banks on each default.
Food Prices Are Too Low
(by Dean Baker)
That's apparently the problem, according to a NYT article repeating the
complaints of Kamal Nath, Indian's commerce minister. According to Mr. Nath,
U.S. and European
farming subsidies "undercut agricultural production in fertile areas of Africa."
So now we are back in the world in which food prices are too low. That's really
something. We had all these articles about how food prices were too high leading
to hunger and starvation and now we find that the real problem is that they are
too low. Of course the problem is that food prices are too high, causing people
to go hungry. The truth is that the
U.S.
and European subsidies that cause the Post, the NYT, the World Bank and many
NGOs to get apoplectic have the effect of lowering world food prices. That means
that fewer people go hungry than would be the case without these subsidies.
Media Matters for America headlines
• On Morning Joe, Harwood again referred to McCain as a "maverick" who "voted against Bush's tax cuts"
• On Fox News, Steele misled on McCain's opposition to tax cuts, support for spending cuts
• Will Russert offer Libertarian candidate Barr the same Meet the Press platform he gave Nader?
'Twitters' beat media in reporting China earthquake
SAN FRANCISCO,
(AFP) - The world had real-time news about
China's massive earthquake
as victims dashed out "twitter" text messages while it took place, in what was
being touted Tuesday as micro-blogging outshining mainstream news.
Xinhua Goes Beyond Propaganda
(Wall Street Journal)
HONG KONG -- China's state-run Xinhua news agency, familiar to many as the
government's premier propaganda organ, has proved surprisingly aggressive at
covering the earthquake in Sichuan province.
Cablevision CEO: We're looking to build Newsday, not cut it
James Dolan says
he can't guarantee there won't be layoffs at the paper, "but we're going into
this thinking that we're going to grow it." Cablevision execs feel "that we can
make this paper at least what it was before," referring to circulation declines
under Tribune.
Dolan’s Conflict of Coverage
After being
acquired by Cablevision, Newsday staffers must wonder how a company and a chief
executive who have shown hostility to journalism will treat journalists on its
payroll.
BBC to launch US magazine for readers with "a curious mind"
BBC Knowledge
Magazine will take on National Geographic and other natural history and science
publications. It will be published six times a year. The concept researched
"very favorably" in America, says a BBC Magazines exec.
Moore making ‘Fahrenheit 9/11′ sequel.
(Think Progress)
Variety reports that Michael Moore is making a sequel to “Fahrenheit 9/11,”
which was a “scathing indictment of George W. Bush’s war on terrorism and a hit
at the worldwide box office.” The new film will reportedly pick up where
“Fahrenheit” left off: “In the time since, President Bush’s popularity has
plummeted, while the Iraq war continues and the economy falters.”
Clear Channel parties reach deal in principle- source
NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - The parties in the dispute over financing the $20
billion Clear Channel Communications Inc buyout on Tuesday reached an agreement
in principle on settling the case and striking a new deal at a lower price of
$36 a share, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday. A deal is
still to be finalized, the source cautioned.
When an Anchor Curses on the Air, She Becomes the Night’s Top Story
On live
television, Sue Simmons used an unpublishable word to chide her WNBC-TV
co-anchor, Chuck Scarborough.
Reports: Carl Icahn considering attempt to oust Yahoo board
SAN FRANCISCO
(AP) - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is reportedly loading up on Yahoo Inc.'s
stock in preparation for a possible attempt to shove aside the Internet icon's
board and bring the company's disillusioned suitor, Microsoft Corp., back to the
bargaining table.
MySpace wins $230 million anti-spam judgment
NEW YORK
(AP) - A notorious "Spam King" and his partner now owe MySpace about $230
million in damages after a federal judge awarded the popular online hangout what
is believed to be the largest anti-spam judgment ever.
Craiglist Countersues EBay Claiming Theft Of Corporate Secrets, Running
Misleading Ads
(Paid Content)
Craiglist is changing the tone and trying to change the venue for a legal battle
with minority shareholder eBay. The online-classifieds company filed suit in
California Superior Court in San Francisco today, accusing eBay of using its
minority stake to steal corporate trade secrets. EBay started the legal tiff
with a suit filed in Delaware Chancery Court claiming that the Craigslist board
intentionally diluted its stake after the online auction company offered to buy
out Craigslist.
NBC Universal Gives Media Buyers an 'Experience'
Forgoes Network
Hard Sell in Favor of Showing All Media Opportunities
ABC Building Emerging Media Labs to Track Ad Viewership
Teams with
Australian Professor to Explore ITV Options
Pop and country unite to fight wireless proposal
WASHINGTON
(Hollywood Reporter) - The Grand Ole Opry and MTV may be at opposite ends of the
music spectrum, but they are part of a coalition urging federal regulators to
stand up to a frequency grab by Microsoft and Google that could render wireless
microphones useless.
Will airwave use interfere with medical devices?
Losing the audio
feed during "Monday Night Football" may seem like a crisis for some sports fan,
but it's nothing compared to losing the signal that monitors a critically ill
hospital patient.
EarthLink to pull the plug on Wi-Fi in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA -
EarthLink Inc. is pulling the plug on its troubled wireless high-speed Internet
network in Philadelphia, once touted as a model for how big cities should deploy
Wi-Fi.
Technology & Science
Robot Conductor Leads Detroit Symphony
ASIMO, a robot
designed by Honda Motor Co., met its latest challenge: Conducting the Detroit
Symphony in a performance of Mitch Leigh's "Impossible Dream" from the musical
"Man of La Mancha."
Now, we only need
robot musicians, and then we’ll never need human musicians again. I’m telling
you, where we’re headed is having a few rich people and robots as the
inhabitants of planet Earth.
"Smart" Car Is Safe, Too, Study Says
The micro car, the
smallest car for sale in the U.S. market, offers a good level of safety,
according to new crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.
Consumers ditching land-line phones
Traditional
land-line phones, once the bedrock of communications in the USA, are quickly
going the way of eight-track tapes as consumers go wireless or choose
Internet-based phone calling.
Study: Hands-free phones are lifesavers
A new study has led
a California researcher to boldly assert that banning hand-held phone use by
U.S. drivers could save thousands of lives each year.
Companies reject Vista
Companies across
corporate America
are finding themselves similarly vexed by Vista. The resulting delay or
rejection of Microsoft's flagship product is stepping up pressure on the company
to expand other areas of its business, including online software.
Architecture For Fundamental Processes Of Life Discovered
ScienceDaily (May 14, 2008) — A team of Canadian researchers has completed a
massive survey of the network of protein complexes that orchestrate the
fundamental processes of life… The discovery will fill gaps in basic knowledge
about the workings and evolutionary origins of the living cell and provide new
avenues to explore in linking these fundamental processes to human disease.
Genetic Links To Impaired Social Behavior In Autism
ScienceDaily (May
14, 2008) — Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show profound
deficits in social interactions and communications, and display repetitive
behaviors and abnormal responses to sensory experiences. One aspect of an
autistic child's impaired social abilities is their lack of affiliative
behaviors, i.e., behaviors such as touching and hugging that strengthen social
bonds. On May 15th, Biological Psychiatry is publishing an article that reports
new findings on genetic bases of these behaviors.
Gene therapy shows promise in rare brain disease
WASHINGTON (Reuters)
- An experimental gene therapy treatment appears to have helped eight children
with a rare and incurable neurological disorder, although it may have been
responsible for the death of one, researchers reported on Tuesday.
Research links common chemicals to obesity
GENEVA (Reuters) -
Exposure in the womb to common chemicals used to make everything from plastic
bottles to pizza box liners may program a person to become obese later in life,
U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
Psychological Stress Linked To Overeating, Monkey Study Shows
ScienceDaily (May
14, 2008) — Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory
University, have found socially subordinate female rhesus macaques over consume
calorie-rich foods at a significantly higher level than do dominant females.
Genetic Variation Linked To Preference Sugary Food
ScienceDaily (May
14, 2008) — A new study in Physiological Genomics finds that individuals with a
specific genetic variation consistently consume more sugary foods. The study
offers the first evidence of the role that a variation in the GLUT2 gene -- a
gene that controls sugar entry into the cells -- has on sugar intake, and may
help explain individual preferences for foods high in sugar.
Aspirin at Bedtime Lowers Blood Pressure
No benefit seen for
prehypertensive people in morning use, researchers report.
Biochips Can Detect Cancers Before Symptoms Develop
Researchers at the
U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have developed a chip
that can save lives by diagnosing certain cancers even before patients become
symptomatic.
Chemical Compound Prevents Cancer In Lab
ScienceDaily (May
14, 2008) — While researching new ways to stop the progression of cancer,
researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, have
discovered a compound that has shown to prevent cancer in the laboratory. The
compound, which still faces several rounds of clinical trials, successfully
stopped normal cells from turning into cancer cells and inhibited the ability of
tumors to grow and form blood vessels. If successful tests continue, researchers
eventually hope to create a daily pill that would be taken as a cancer
preventive.
Death Gap Widens Between Educated and Those Not
Socioeconomic
inequalities blamed for increasing disparity overall, study finds.
Quality Lags at Safety-Net Hospitals
Lack of money
prevents hospitals that treat the poor from improving, study finds
Einstein letter calls Bible 'pretty childish'
Albert Einstein:
arch rationalist or scientist with a spiritual core? A letter being auctioned in
London this week adds more fuel to the long-simmering debate about the Nobel
Prize-winning physicist's religious views.
Israel Museum puts Dead Sea scroll on rare display
One of the most
important Dead Sea scrolls is going on display in Jerusalem this week more than
four decades after it was last seen by the public.
Divers find Caesar bust that may date to 46 B.C.
PARIS (AP) - Divers
trained in archaeology discovered a marble bust of an aging Caesar in the Rhone
River that France's Culture Ministry said Tuesday could be the oldest known. The
life-sized bust showing the Roman ruler with wrinkles and hollows in his face is
tentatively dated to 46 B.C.
Archaeologist Uses Satellite Imagery To Explore Ancient Mexico
ScienceDaily (May 14, 2008) — Satellite imagery obtained from NASA will help
archeologist Bill Middleton peer into the ancient Mexican past. In a novel
archeological application, multi- and hyperspectral data will help build the
most accurate and most detailed landscape map that exists of the southern state
of Oaxaca, where the Zapotec people formed the first state-level and urban
society in Mexico.
Earth Extinctions Blamed on Cosmic Speed Bump
The sun bounces up
and down as it roams the Milky Way, and such wavering might have hurled showers
of comets Earth's way that caused mass extinctions, including the one that
killed the dinosaurs, a new study claims.
First-Ever Comprehensive Global Map Of Freshwater Systems Released
ScienceDaily (May
14, 2008) — Over a decade of work and contributions by more than 200 leading
conservation scientists have produced a first-ever comprehensive map and
database of the diversity of life in the world’s freshwater ecosystems.
China quake seen as 'worst case' for California
The deadly
earthquake in China is exactly what seismologists fear could happen in Southern
California some day.
Shrimp can see beyond the rainbow
LONDON (Reuters) - A
giant shrimp living on
Australia's
Great Barrier Reef can see a world beyond the rainbow that is invisible to other
animals, scientists said on Wednesday.
Britain releases batch of files on UFO sightings
The National
Archives is releasing the files because of numerous freedom of information
requests seeking information about the government's UFO reports. Officials said
that names of many individuals had been blacked out to protect their privacy and
that the entire files had been reviewed to make sure their release did not
compromise national security.
Phoenix lander set for May 25 touchdown on Mars: NASA
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A
US space probe sent to Mars to dig for signs of life is nearing the end of its
nine-month voyage and should touch down on the Red Planet on schedule, NASA said
Tuesday.
Vatican scientist says belief in God and aliens is OK
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican's chief astronomer says there
is no conflict between believing in God and in the possibility of
"extraterrestrial brothers" perhaps more evolved than humans.
Environment
How new U.S. biofuel legislation will subsidize oil consumption
New U.S. energy
legislation mandates the use of renewable fuel but calls for continuing current
biofuel subsidies that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars. The subsidies --
tax credits -- by themselves encourage ethanol production as a replacement for
oil-based gasoline consumption. Instead, the tax credits will play a major role
in unintentionally subsidizing gasoline consumption. This contradicts the new
energy bill's stated objectives of reducing dependency on oil, improving the
environment and enhancing rural prosperity.
Nanowires may boost solar cell efficiency, UC San Diego engineers say
University of
California,
San Diego electrical engineers have created experimental solar cells spiked with
nanowires that could lead to highly efficient thin-film solar cells of the
future. Indium phosphide (InP) nanowires can serve as electron superhighways
that carry electrons kicked loose by photons of light directly to the device’s
electron-attracting electrode — and this scenario could boost thin-film solar
cell efficiency, according to research recently published in NanoLetters.
IdleAire: Reducing Trucker's Environmental Impact
If you've ever been
on a road trip, you've probably seen this sight at a rest stop: one, or many big
rig trucks, just...idling. Not going anywhere. What is this, like a computer on
"sleep," ready to go? No. The answer may surprise you. At least in the
US,
truck drivers are required to rest 10 hours for every 11 driven. A reasonable
thing, but this often necessitates them sleeping in their cabins. And that
requires power for the heating or cooling, and other comforts of "home" on the
road. Power that comes from a running truck.
Optimizing traffic lights would save gas, pollution, tempers and time
WASHINGTON — Fine-tuning controls on the nation's traffic signals would
cut U.S.
road congestion by as much as 10 percent, transportation experts estimate.
Nokia Now Offers Free Cell Phone Recycling
The average cell
phone life is only 18 months. Many obsolete phones find their final resting
place in a landfill, where hazardous chemicals pose a threat to the environment.
Nokia’s new We: Recycle Program allows consumers to send in old cell phones to
be properly recycled. The company mails the donor a prepaid envelope so the
process is completely cost-free.
Drainbo - a natural drain cleaner
Why put nasty, toxic
chemical drain cleaners into your plumbing and septic systems when Drainbo
Natural Drain Cleaner can get the job done. Drainbo enlists a seven strain
bacteria formula and the natural process of biological decomposition to get rid
of clogs.
White House vs White Bear: Bush Must Decide Whether To Save The Polar Bear As
The Ice Melts
It's a classic
stand-off between one of the world's best loved animals and one of its most
unpopular leaders, between the planet's largest bear and its most powerful man.
And it comes to a head this week. On Thursday, by order of a federal judge,
George W Bush must stop stalling on whether to designate the polar bear as a
species endangered by global warming.
Pieces are in place for New England red tide
Conditions are ripe
for a "red tide" outbreak this spring and summer along the New England coast,
scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution report this week.
Recipe for energy saving unravelled in migratory birds
Pointed wings
together with carrying less weight per wing area and avoidance of high winds and
atmospheric turbulence save a bird loads of energy during migration. This has
been shown for the first time in free-flying wild birds by researchers at
Princeton University, the University of Montana, and the German Max Planck
Institute for Ornithology. They state in PLoS ONE’s May 14th edition that
climate change might have a critical impact on small migrants’ energy budgets if
it causes higher winds and atmospheric instability as predicted.
