Over 1,000 protestors turned out in the rain on Friday to protest the presence in Benin of French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.
This sort of thing didn't happen in Dahomey, by Gad!
Sarkozy took off for a tour of West Africa as the French parliament backed his bill making it more difficult for unskilled workers to migrate to France. The group of mostly students gathered under a heavy security presence near the presidential palace and outside the ministry of interior in the main city Cotonou, where Sarkozy was holding meetings. Parliamentarians, meanwhile, boycotted a luncheon planned with the French cabinet minister. Some of the protesters waved hand-drawn placards saying Get out racist and Sarko go home.
Sarkozy faced similar protests in Mali this week, where he denied allegations of racism and said he sympathised with the predicament of Africans who see emigration as their only hope of a better future. But some of the protestors in Benin said the new French law, which will encourage the entry of highly skilled immigrants to the detriment of others, would encourage more people to risk their lives to reach Europe. It encourages illegal immigration, said French citizen and demonstrator, Laure Louvain.
Thousands of Africans are piling into dug-out canoes and braving the open seas in the hope of reaching European shores and the chance of a better life. Many of them die on their dangerous journey, others are apprehended by immigration officials and deported, but a few make a new life in Europe. The Spanish government this week announced that the number of illegal African migrants turning up on the shores of the Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa had increased dramatically in recent weeks.
In an open letter to Sarkozy published in the Benin daily, le Quotidien Nokoue, Benin University Professor Albert Tevoedjre, said Africans from French-speaking nations had a legitimate right™ to go to former colonial power France. Our shared history means that we have a right to France as much as, if not more, than certain European nationals who freely settle [in France], said Tevoedjre, who accused France of having a selective memory.
Does that mean that Frenchies have a legitimate right™ to rule Dahomey Benin? If you want them out of your putative country, why do you want to follow them home? Why not make the place work?
Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had taken measures to limit the power of controversial religious police who hardline clerics say make society more moral but many accuse of interfering in people's lives. Interior Minister Prince Nayef decreed that public prosecutors would deal with all cases concerning "harassment", stopping the ultraconservative kingdom's unique morality squad from detaining suspects for hours, the state media said. "The role of the 'authority for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice' ends with apprehending suspected individuals and handing them to the police, who then present them to prosecutors with a report of the incident involved," it said.
The religious police have wide powers in Saudi Arabia to prevent the spread of drugs, alcohol and prostitution as well as unrelated men and women mixing in public. But a number of cases in recent years have drawn attention to overzealous behaviour that provoked rare public criticism in newspapers of the organisation, which hardline clerics say is a central element of their Islamic state.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/25/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
to prevent... unrelated men and women mixing in public
Maybe they're thinking about the gene pool at last?
Posted by: Howard UK ||
05/25/2006 5:20 Comments ||
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#2
Unfortunately for them they're already all related...
#2
In Pakistan one can't run for public office without a PhD. If Bangladesh has the same rule, Mrs. Minister is doing a public service by broadening the range of eligible candidates. ;-)
President Hugo Chavez compared U.S. President George W. Bush to the infamous mobster Al Capone on Wednesday, and said Venezuela will buy Russian fighter jets that don't yet exist because the U.S. has blocked sales of replacement parts for its military planes.
Chavez took sharp issue with Bush's remarks this week about an ''erosion of democracy'' in Venezuela, and also criticized a U.S. move to curtail arms sales after Washington said the South American nation was failing to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts.
''The one that supports terrorism is the U.S. government,'' Chavez said, calling Bush the ''biggest tyrant in history'' and saying Venezuela is becoming more democratic -- not less. ''It's a mafia that governs the United States, a true mafia that is threatening the world,'' Chavez said, adding that the long-dead Chicago crime boss ''Al Capone is like a baby'' compared to Bush.
Chavez said his military has been able to maintain its U.S.-made Hercules transport planes only with great effort. ''We can't maintain them anymore. Why? Because the parts are American,'' he said. ''Now what am I going to do? Buy some Antonovs from Russia -- modern transport planes.''
With a sterling safety record. I suggest some Air Ukraine pilots to train yours.
Don't listen to the salesman, you really don't need to purchase that extended maintenance program
Chavez didn't say how many planes, but he has previously said Venezuela is considering buying Sukhoi Su-30 and Su-35 fighter jets to replace the country's aging fleet of U.S.-made F-16s -- for which the U.S. had stopped selling him upgrades.
Venezuela also had planned to buy Super Tucano planes from Brazil, but Washington prevented the sale by making clear it would not approve any sale of U.S.-made parts on the small training and combat aircraft.The Venezuelan leader also compared U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to ''a broken record'' for repeatedly warning that he poses a threat to democracy in Venezuela, and said Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo was ''a madman'' for signing a free trade pact with Washington.
Better watch out when Georgie boy gets up from the conference table with you and starts playing with a baseball bat...
Posted by: DanNY ||
05/25/2006 7:05 Comments ||
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#5
Carmela, hey Carmela damn it... is my suit ready babe? I gotto get to the airport. The boss called, that job in Venniswaila won't wait.
Posted by: Tony Soprano ||
05/25/2006 7:54 Comments ||
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#6
Two quick rants.
1. I like it when countries that profess to be our enemy are afraid of our Prez. His comparisons of Bush to a wild dog and now Al Capone shows he fears us. Again, I like that! Better that than if Kerry was prez, chavez would be calling him sissy boy.
2. C130's?? What the F%$k did he expect us to do? Give him C130 parts so his military can continue? He's our Friggin enemy for gods sake! Does that adolesent really think we should arm him so he can sabre rattle our equipment against us. He needs to look at the Iranian C130 readiness rates and get a clue.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
05/25/2006 8:47 Comments ||
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#7
Marxist saber rattling, nothing more. Planes in and of themselves are not much of a threat. Well trained, combat ready pilots are the real issue. Venezualan pilots are simply no match for the USAF or USN. We'll blow them the f*ck out of the sky. Go ahead Hugo and deplete your government's budget with a bunch of metal while your people sink deeper into poverty. This is a win for the US.
#8
The planes aren't meant to threaten us, they're meant to threaten his own people. A C-130 can move his bully boys to where they're needed, and an old F-16A Block 001 can bomb the snot out of any group of resistance in the country.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/25/2006 10:18 Comments ||
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#9
Ok, fine. Civil war and atrocities against his own people sound like just the excuse we need to go in and blow up every plane they get.
#11
For the love of Gordie Howe, can this imbecile not come up with any better taunts!? Every story off the wire containing a quote by Chavez sounds like 2nd graders at recess. I can't even get any entertainment value out this crap.
Scorn and defiance, slight regard, contempt and any thing that may not misbecome the mighty sender, doth he prize you at. Thus says my king.
See the related op-ed piece in the Opinions section.
China has criticised a US report on its military power, saying it exaggerates the country's defence capabilities and shows a "cold war mentality".
China's Foreign Ministry said the Pentagon's 2006 China Military Power Report, released on Tuesday, spreads the "China threat theory" and endangers international relations. "The (report) has a cold war mentality, deliberately overstates China's military power and expenditure, continues to spread the China threat theory, endangers international relations and brashly interferes in China's domestic affairs," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a statement.
"China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition," Liu said, a day before Christopher Hill, the US chief negotiator to talks on dismantling North Korea's nuclear program, arrives in Beijing to meet his Chinese counterpart.
Liu denied the report's assertions that China's military modernisation altered power balances in the Asia-Pacific region, saying China was a peace-loving nation that adhered to a path of peaceful development.
A peace-loving nation with hundreds of missiles pointed at Taiwan.
The Foreign Ministry also requested that Washington, which is obliged by law to help Taiwan defend itself, abide by the one-China policy, stop selling weapons to Taiwan and not send "wrong signals" to the Taiwanese independence forces.
Because they're peace-loving, you see.
The Pentagon has been raising alarms over China's military modernisation for several years, in annual military reports that China routinely denounces as being provocative and exaggerated. This year's report praised China's globally oriented diplomacy but said its leaders had yet to explain the purposes of its military expansion and criticised its lack of transparency.
#1
When they build a viable navy it will be time to worry.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
05/25/2006 8:49 Comments ||
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#2
What is that old saying "I rather have too much than to little." We might go a little overboard in the reports, but we like to be prepared for anything.
Posted by: Captain America ||
05/25/2006 19:09 Comments ||
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#5
A China blogger said it best on World Military Forum, in paraphrase - Hong Kong belongs to China, Malaysia belongs to China, Taiwan belongs to China, Japan and Asia and the Pacific belongs to China, Russia belongs to China, even AMERICA belongs to China - you know, "peace-loving",
"peaceful development", and why China is no threat to anyone but has the unilateral, unconditional, and undeniable right and of privelege ruling the world without anyone else. T'AINT "PEACE" JUST SWELL!?
#6
And now you know why over 30-40 years ago, a [future] young ANGELINIA JOLIE argued wid her future young school chums why CHINA rules the world - SO MANY SUPERMODEL BABES, SO MANY COMMUNISTS AND SOCIALISTS [theme from Dragnet follows]. What can her sister VIOLETBLUE and NEON do with 700 men, besides slaughtering them like Daddy would?
COLLE DI VAL D'ELSA, Italy For hundreds of years, Colle di Val dElsa has been renowned for its crystal and as the birthplace of medieval sculptor and architect Arnolfo di Cambio. But, the picturesque Tuscan town, situated on the road between Florence and Siena, may soon be better known as home to one of Italys largest mosques. That is, if its ever built.
The controversy over the planned construction has been brewing for seven years and has split the local community. The outcome here could set the tone for Muslim endeavors and integration across Italy. Italians are not split, just their government
THIRTY years had passed since the Judgment of Paris, when French oenophiles received a red nose at the hands of American upstarts in a blind wine-tasting competition. But to the dismay of the French wine experts taking part in last nights eagerly awaited rematch, Californian vintages have again trumped their Gallic counterparts.
The horror...the horror..
The nose-off began in 1976, when Steven Spurrier, an Englishman who owned a wine shop in the French capital, invited a panel of French experts to a blind tasting of some of their own classic vintages against some Californian reds. To the horror of the entire French wine industry, the Americans won hands down.
Last night Mr Spurrier and a group of British, French and American tasters took part in the 30th anniversary re-enactment to discover whether the shocking defeat for what was then the undisputed world leader in viticulture could be reversed. A simultaneous sampling of the same wines was staged in the Napa Valley, Californias main wine-producing area, and at Berry Bros & Rudd wine merchants in London.
Despite the French tasters, many of whom had taken part in the original tasting, expecting the downfall of the American vineyards, they had to admit that the harmony of the Californian cabernets had beaten them again. Judges on both continents gave top honours to a 1971 Ridge Monte Bello cabernet from Napa Valley. Four Californian reds occupied the next placings before the highest-ranked Bordeaux, a 1970 Château MoutonRothschild, came in at sixth.
Posted by: Steve ||
05/25/2006 08:57 ||
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#1
And, of course, they want some cheese to go w/their w(h)ine.
#4
The headline is grating, moderators please fix it. Don't use the word "loose" as a verb unless you are talking about the dogs of war or the fateful lighting of a terrible swift sword.
It is "LOSES". Argh!
(sorry, not trying to be a grammar nazi, but that error annoys the hell out of me)
#5
I agree with mr. pebbles. The USA and Australia can make great wines, but they cant make cheese worth shit. I love cheese and no one comes close to the Euros in cheese making, although Stilton is my all time favorite. And BTW Spanish cheeses can be very good. You just can't find them.
/end cheese obsession
#9
Dreadnought - I prefer my Velveeta aged about a week with a thick slice of Spam and a hint of horseradish on Very White Bread. The Boone's Farm is a masterstroke - I applaud you.
And don't laugh - that "beef" patty and the chili-mac were my favoite MREs, trade for the squeezecheese, tear the top, sprinkle in the tabasco. No spoon needed, just squish em out a bite-worth at a time, squish some cheeze on it, and chew em up.
Of course you wouldn't want to be in the same track as me about an hour or so after the chili mac + tabasco + squeezecheeze. Yeah, I was the a-hole TC who'd rip one in the track on a roadmarch (RHIP, and the TC hatch is one of those). We had a jumpmaster that seemed to always do that from front of the stick just after we lifted, the bastard. Stuck in there with the stenchcloud until we got to the DZ and got our green light.
I blame reading too many furrin' newspapers. You try digging through the Pak, Bangla, Phillipine, Kuwait, Russian, Indian, Somalia, Iranian, Syrian, Turkish, Yemeni, Zim-Bob-Way and Euro press every morning without drinking.
Plus, Fred shorted my paycheck, again! Something about cost overruns on the hurricane control system....
Posted by: Steve ||
05/25/2006 13:47 Comments ||
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#20
Oldspook, talk about weapons of mass destruction!
#30
What does one expect from the home of the NIMITZ-class, Patton, the Big Mac, Star Wars, the T-REX and Velociraptor, Edison,..................@etal!?
#31
What does one expect from the home of the NIMITZ-class, Patton, the Big Mac, Star Wars, the T-REX and Velociraptor, Edison,..................@etal!?
#32
The USA and Australia can make great wines, but they cant make cheese worth shit.
Quite obviously, you have never heard of Laura Chenel. Her chevre (goat cheeses) are simply superb. Cypress Grove's Humbolt Fog blue goat cheese not only wins prizes, it is highly addictive.
For down to earth and recognizable cheese, try Bravo Farms. These are raw milk cheeses from a herd of Jersey cattle with the highest butterfat content of all cow's milk. Their beautiful green speckled vein Sage Cheddar, made with 60 day old aged white Cheddar with powdered sage folded into the curds is outsanding with a pork or chicken liver paté. Their orange speckled vein Chipotle Cheddar (same 60 day old white Cheddar stock) goes astonishingly well with sparkling wines and Chardonnay. Their aged white Cheddar is nothing short of sublime with a nut-like flavor and deep creamy bite accompanied by a lingering piquant finish made for vintage red wines like Cabernet. They also make a Silver Mountain bandage wrapped cheese which is a tantalizing cross between French Cantral and Cheddar. Their Cannonball Edam and other waxed Edams are quite good. All of them are made with unpasturized milk that allows the subtle pasturage notes to shine through.
Rouge & Noir of Marin French Cheese Co. in Petaluma, CA recently took WORLD GOLD in London for the bloomy rind category with its triple cream brie.
Redwood Hill Farms Crottin and Bucheret goat cheese rival anything that France exports.
Cowgirl Creamerys Mount Tam soft rind cows milk triple cream has faint mushroom top notes and took first place this year with the American Cheese Society. Their Red Hawk triple cream washed rind cheese is tinged with sunset reds from the brine solution it is bathed with.
Every single one of these cheeses are outstanding examples of the artisan cheese makers art. I have tasted all of them (a side benefit of my job) and they can hold their own against all comers. Yes indeed, I recently had some Cornish soft blues that knocked me for a loop and there are still small-run French cheeses that have no match, but to say that Americans cannot make cheese is patently false.
America possesses some of the most innovative and skilled food artisans in the entire world. The breath-taking Maytag Blue cheesecake on a butter crumb bottom crust with reduced aged balsamic dressing and sliced spice-cured Queen Anne cherries bundled with micro-greens that finished my six course meal after our first meeting of the culinary institutes advisory board was outrageous. Paired with an unobtainable 14% Ridge late-harvest zinfandel that had a nose like port, this end-of-meal cheese course nearly dethroned the second course smoked sturgeon dotted with caviar and crème fraîche on a slab of cold marinated watermelon and bedded on baby mache with a scattering of pickled golden beet matchsticks that almost passed for julienne of ginger.
Just to piss all of you off, heres this afternoons menu:
Amuse Bouche
Uncapped Eggshell Filled with a Mélange of Chorizo, Quail Egg and a Micro-Brunois of Seasonal Vegetables Topped with a Sherry Merengue
First Course
Crispy Chicken Fritter in a Sweet Onion Soup Flecked with Fruitwood Smoked Bacon
Paired with a Kumeu River Chardonnay
Kumeu, New Zealand 2004
Second Course
Smoked Baby Sturgeon Dotted with Caviar and Cream Fraîche on Marinated Watermelon with Baby Mache and Pickled Golden Beet
Paired with Weingat Schmels Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Wachau
Hohereck, Austria 2002
Palate Cleanser
Wine Poached Baby Pear Floated in a Simple Syrup Flecked with range Zest and Topped with Fresh Lemon Curd
Third Course
Herb Crusted Veal Strip Loin on a Crunchy Potato Cake with Charred Cream Corn and Fresh English Peas Bracketed by Glazed Yellow Carrots in a Sweet Mustard Demi Glace
Paired with Chateau Malescot St. Exuperey Margaux
Bordeaux, France 1998
Fourth Course
Maytag Blue Cheesecake on a Butter Crumb Bottom Crust with Reduced Aged Balsamic Dressing over Sliced Spice-Cured Queen Anne Cherries Bundled with Micro Greens
Paired with Ridge Zinfandel Essence Stone Ranch
Cañeros District Alexander Valley, California 2003
Assorted Chocolate Truffles with Cappucino or Espresso
It was agreed by all (including some members who have cooked with Julia Child) that the second course reigned supreme. The wine pairing made it utterly sublime.
#33
Jeeze. Nimble and Zenster have gone bourgeois.
Posted by: ed ||
05/25/2006 23:29 Comments ||
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#34
I have to admit that the one thing I miss most from Germany was the availability of GOOD cheese. The base commissary usually carried 40 or 50 different types. I used to love to buy the "ends and pieces", because it gave me a chance to sample many different types at very low prices. My favorite is still either aged cheddar or a good Gouda - depending on the mood at the time.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
05/25/2006 23:29 Comments ||
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The United Nations has sent a special envoy to a region in southeastern Turkey to investigate a rise in the rate of suicides among women. There have been increased reports of suicides among women in some areas of Turkey even though the national average of suicides in the country is low compared to those for other nations, U.N. special rapporteur on violence against women, Yakin Erturk, said.
But over the past two years, the number of women in Batman who have committed suicide has been more than the men, which is contrary to the world trend.
During her 10-day visit, Erturk is visiting Ankara, Batman, Van and Sanliurfa to gather first-hand information on violence against women in the country.
There are claims the increase in suicides of women and girls is linked to stricter laws against people found guilty of what is known as honor killings. Erturk said there is currently no conclusive evidence to back this claim, but she will be checking it. Some suspect the women are being forced to commit suicide in order to remove the shame from their families.
#1
I thought suicide was as forbidden by Mohammedism as it is by Catholicism. Or does that rule only apply to men too? (Suicide bombers are ok, since they are not killing themselves, but dying in the effort to kill the infidel.)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a plan to allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The House passed a plan sponsored by California Republican Richard Pombo that would allow drilling on 2,000 acres (811 hectares) of ANWR out of the refuge's total 19 million acres.
Tapping the 10 billion barrels of crude estimated to lay beneath the refuge is a key part of the Bush administration's national energy plan to reduce U.S. reliance on petroleum imports, which now comprise about 60 percent of U.S. supplies.
But many Democrats and environmentalists argue there is not enough oil to justify destroying the habitat for ANWR's polar bears, caribou and other wildlife. 1. Who says it's gonna be "destroyed"?
2. I wonder how many Dems could find it on a map?
#2
Please Nooooooo! That's only enough poison to run SUV America for 23 minutes on a quiet Sunday morning. Let's be friends, you don't do what I don't won't you to do. See? Now we're friends.
Initiative I-946 in (of all places) Washington state would require state government employees to obtain positive proof of legal immigration before giving out public benefits.
Note that identification based on non-verified immigration status (including WA state drivers license) would not be acceptable.
Someone has the right idea....
Ballot Title
Statement of Subject: Initiative Measure No. 946 concerns identity verification and immigration status of applicants for public benefits. Concise Description: This measure would require state and local government employees to verify identity and immigration status of every applicant for non-federally mandated public benefits, and report immigration violations,
making failure to report a misdemeanor.
Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ]
BALLOT MEASURE SUMMARY
This measure would require state and local government employees to verify the identity and immigration status of every applicant for non-federally mandated public benefits (including among others TANF, Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, and public housing). Identification cards, including drivers licenses, issued without verification of immigration status would not be accepted to establish identity or eligibility. Failure to report immigration violations to federal officials would be a misdemeanor. Private suits to remedy violations would be authorized.
#3
No, it will pass, but just like the Kingdome V. 2.0, er Safeco Field ballot was rejected by the general populance, and Prop. 601 regarding classroom population limits, the legislature will somehow find a reason to override the will of the people. (I love the country up here, but way too many lefties for me. So I ignore them.)
WASHINGTON Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson said Wednesday that he wont submit to calls for his resignation from a House panel while he is under investigation in a federal bribery case.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., sent Jefferson a letter asking him to step down from his seat on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. "In the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus, I am writing to request your immediate resignation from the Ways and Means Committee," Pelosi wrote.
Pelosi acting responsible -- will wonders never cease?
Jefferson responded in a written statement, saying he will not resign. Jefferson has not been indicted and has denied wrongdoing. "None of the matters reported to be under scrutiny involve issues under jurisdiction of the Ways and Means committee. Therefore, such a request would be even more perplexing and unreasonable. If I agreed, it would unfairly punish the people of the 2nd District and I will not stand for that," Jefferson said.
"Further, such a request would be discriminatory, in as much as no other member currently under federal investigation has been asked to step down from a relevant committee assignment. Therefore, I will not give up a committee assignment that is so vital to New Orleans at this crucial time for any uncertain, long-term political strategy," he added.
Officials say Pelosi is working behind the scenes to get Jefferson off the committee. The letter is the latest attempt to urge Jefferson to step down until the legal situation is addressed. Jefferson did attend a House Democratic Caucus meeting Wednesday morning, but the issue surrounding the latest controversy did not come up, said caucus chairman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have engaged in a constitutional battle with federal officials, blasting a raid of Jefferson's congressional office last weekend. FBI agents searched Jefferson's office in pursuit of evidence related to the bribery investigation.
Which not only is correct and responsible, but has happened before.
The search warrant, signed by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan, was based on an affidavit that said agents found $90,000 in cash wrapped and stashed in the freezer of Jefferson's home. The money is said to have the same serial numbers as the $100 bills given to Jefferson through an FBI informant last year.
I'm not a forensics expert, but I have to think that's going to be hard to explain.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Republicans have come to Jefferson's defense, saying the FBI should surrender documents and other items that were seized during the raid. "I think those materials ought to be returned," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, adding that the FBI agents involved "ought to be frozen out of that [case] for the sake of the Constitution."
Just when you think the Repubs have no feet left to shoot ...
Hastert met with Pelosi on Wednesday and the two released a joint statement following their meeting. "No person is above the law, neither the one being investigated nor those conducting the investigation," the statement reads. "The Justice Department must immediately return the papers its unconstitutionally seized. Once that is done, Congressman Jefferson can and should fully cooperate with the Justice Department's efforts, consistent with his constitutional rights."
The Department of Justice responded to Hastert on Wednesday, saying federal officials must fully pursue investigations and take necessary steps to obtain evidence. "As the attorney general said yesterday there is tremendous respect for Congress' important, independent role but the department has an obligation to the American people to fully pursue corruption cases wherever the trail of evidence goes," said Tasia Scolinos, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department.
"We are optimistic that continuing talks with the Congress can produce a result that meets law enforcement's needs and also allays any institutional concerns that Congress may have."
But Hastert and Pelosi say the seizure violates the Constitution. "The Justice Department was wrong to seize records from Congressman Jefferson's office in violation of the constitutional principle of separation of powers, the Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution, and the practice of the last 219 years," says the statement.
I sure hope some legal beagle can explain this one, because as I see it, a warrant, sworn by the executive and granted by the judiciary, served to check the legislative branch of government. Isn't that how it's supposed to work?
#3
The members of Congress claim this violates the debate clause of the Constitution which states that members of Congress can't be arrested while Congress is in session and debating issues. This is stretching waaaaaay to thin. Jefferson wasn't arrested. What it boils down to is the members of Congress have decided they are above the other two branches and no one can investigate them but Congress themselves. So much for checks and balances. There has always been a certain ammount of elitism in Congress but this goes beyond the pale.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
05/25/2006 11:10 Comments ||
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#4
You're right Deacon. If the system ensures 3 co-equal branches of government, then it stands to reason that each branch has some jurisdiction over the other two. Congress seems to think they are totally independent.
#5
said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, adding that the FBI agents involved "ought to be frozen out of that [case] for the sake of the Constitution."
NB: Over at the Corner, one of the commentors noted that the agents who actually went into the office were not assigned to the case. Furthermore, the items they seized were then examined by ANOTHER set of agents and lawyers to make sure they were relevant. Only after passing through two teams of uninvolved agents did the agents on the case get the material.
Congress needs an enema so they can see the light. They're not kings.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
05/25/2006 12:22 Comments ||
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#6
I don't see the Congressional Black Caucus rushing to his defense on this one.
Black Caucus turns on Pelosi over Jefferson scandal
House Minority Leader (D-CA) is facing a minor insurrection from members of the Black Caucus after asking Representative William Jefferson (D-LA) to step down from his post on the Ways and Means Committee, according to today's Roll Call.
Excerpts from the Roll Call story follow:
But hours after Pelosi sent her letter to Jefferson on Wednesday, a members-only CBC lunch meeting produced an emotional consensus that Pelosi had overreached, since Jefferson has not been charged with any crimes. One after another, CBC members rallied behind their colleague, arguing that he was being singled out. Some noted that another Democrat recently entangled in an ethics controversy, Rep. Alan Mollohan (W.Va.), was forced to step aside as the ranking member of the ethics committee but permitted to keep his coveted Appropriations Committee perch.
Theres no precedent for doing this to someone who has not been indicted, Rep. Al Wynn (Md.) said afterward. Said Clyburn, also a CBC member: I would say that the people who spoke were very vehement in their opposition.
Late in the day on Wednesday, Watt led a delegation of six senior CBC members including Reps. Rangel, John Conyers (Mich.) and John Lewis (Ga.) to a private meeting with Pelosi to inform the Leader that the CBC will publicly oppose her effort.
I think shes taking us down to the point where on Nov. 8 shell still be the Minority Leader, an aide to a CBC member said. Why act now and split the Caucus when theres no precedent for it? Why not wait until theres an indictment, when you could have unanimity behind you?
Posted by: Steve ||
05/25/2006 15:36 Comments ||
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#7
All gottem ancient top loaders in they basements.
Despite a flat denial from the Department of Justice, federal law enforcement sources tonight said ABC News accurately reported that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is "in the mix" in the FBI investigation of corruption in Congress.
Speaker Hastert said tonight the story was "absolutely untrue" and has demanded ABC News retract its story.
Law enforcement sources told ABC News that convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has provided information to the FBI about Hastert and a number of other members of Congress that have broadened the scope of the investigation. Sources would not divulge details of the Abramoffs information.
I bet Abramoff could provide documents on half the House and a third of the Senate. On both parties.
"You guys wrote the story very carefully but they are not reading it very carefully," a senior official said.
One focus involves a letter Hastert wrote in 2003 urging the Secretary of the Interior to block an Indian casino that would have competed with tribes represented by Abramoff. The letter was written within days of a fund-raiser held for Hastert at Abramoffs restaurant in Washington. Federal campaign records show more than $26,000 was raised at the time from Abramoff and his clients. Hastert has denied doing anything unlawful and says he has a long history of opposing certain types of Indian casinos.
ABCs law enforcement sources said the Justice Department denial was meant only to deny that Hastert was a formal target or subject of the investigation. "Whether they like it or not, members of Congress, including Hastert, are under investigation," one federal official said tonight.
The investigation of Hasterts relationship with Abramoff is in the early stages, according to these officials, and could eventually conclude that Abramoffs information was unfounded. Officials said the next logical investigative step would be for the FBI to seek a wide range of documents from the members of Congress named by Abramoff, including letters and business documents.
A spokesman for Hastert said the office had received no subpoenas or requests for documents.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
05/25/2006 01:04 ||
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#1
If the DoJ is doing its job, ALL of Washington would be under investigation. Power corrupts, & absolute power corrupts absolutely.
#3
Actually Glenmore, if the American people did its job, there would be little need of investigations. The 'term limit' drive suddenly dropped when the Reps got power because the 'right' people got in. That was the first indication that we should have shown them the door earlier than now. If they're not around long enough for seniority, they can't practice the Robert Byrd method of indulgence and ego.
#4
Power doesn't corrupt; it attracts the corruptible. Lord Acton's quote should not be taken for a truism, because if it is true, the Gen. 1:28-30 is wrong.
#5
Nice try, but the donks got some serious smackdown crimes in their (ahem) freezer too.
That plus the top donk on the House "ethics" committee having to resign, etc.
Posted by: Captain America ||
05/25/2006 17:11 Comments ||
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#6
We need both term limits and computer-drawn congressional districts in order to have the turnover needed in congress to avoid the professional politician problem. Both parties are full of utter losers right now. We need some regular folks in there who remember what it means to listen to the voters.
#7
term limits were declared unconstitutional IIRC because there are no mentions of them in the Constitution. Terms are specified and with the President, a limit was specified by amendment - thanks FDR!
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/25/2006 20:02 Comments ||
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Unidentified attackers poured petrol over a 14-year-old boy and burned him to death near a Muslim shrine in Karachi, police said on Wednesday.
A human sacrifice, huh? Baphomet will be pleased.
Ayaz Gul was attacked outside the shrine of a famous Sufi saint in the city's upscale Clifton neighbourhood late on Monday. Witnesses told police that they had rushed to save the teenager after a gang had set fire to him before fleeing the scene, chief police investigator Manzoor Mughal told AFP. Although the boy was rushed to hospital, his burn injuries were too severe for him to survive, Mughal said. Police were also investigating complaints that doctors and policemen at the hospital did not act promptly to save his life. "He was given treatment after some four hours, which is criminal and his statement was also not recorded by police, which is mysterious," Mughal said.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/25/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
let me guess, something to do with one of their women?
MULTAN: The police have registered a case against 17 people who allegedly violated the vani law, on the vani girls complaint. The first-ever case has been registered, but no arrests have been made yet. We have instituted a case against the punchayat (local jury) and parents of the groom under the anti-vani law and police are conducting raids to arrest the culprits, Multan District Police Officer (DPO) Munir Ahmed Chishti said.
The DPO said that Muhammad Rashid kidnapped a girl, Shaheen, daughter of Muhammad Akhtar, and married her in November 2004. He said the police arrested Rashid under an Islamic law for kidnapping and raping the girl. He said that later, a punchayat consisting of Chaudhry Ghulam Sarwar, Chaudhry Muhammad Salim and others summoned the families of Rashid and Shaheen and decided that the girls father would withdraw the case against Rashid and in return Rashid would give his younger sister Shazia to Shaheens brother Jamshed. As per the punchayats decision, Shazia was married to Jamshed, but Rashid was not released from jail after six months, since Shaheens father did not withdraw the case against him.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/25/2006 00:00 ||
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Imagine an invisibility cloak that works just like the one Harry Potter inherited from his father. Researchers in England and the United States think they know how to do that. They are laying out the blueprint and calling for help in developing the exotic materials needed to build a cloak. The keys are special manmade materials, unlike any in nature or the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These materials are intended to steer light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation around an object, rendering it as invisible as something tucked into a hole in space.
"Is it science fiction? Well, it's theory and that already is not science fiction. It's theoretically possible to do all these Harry Potter things, but what's standing in the way is our engineering capabilities," said John Pendry, a physicist at the Imperial College London. Details of the study, which Pendry co-wrote, appear in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science.
Scientists not involved in the work said it presents a solid case for making invisibility an attainable goal. "This is very interesting science and a very interesting idea and it is supported on a great mathematical and physical basis," said Nader Engheta, a professor of electrical and systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
"Think of the grant possibilities!"
Engheta has done his own work on invisibility using novel materials called metamaterials.
Also known as "Unobtainium"
Pendry and his co-authors also propose using metamaterials because they can be tuned to bend electromagnetic radiation radio waves and visible light, for example in any direction. A cloak made of those materials, with a structure designed down to the submicroscopic scale, would neither reflect light nor cast a shadow.
If you misplace your invisibility cloak, where do you look for it?
Instead, like a river streaming around a smooth boulder, light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation would strike the cloak and simply flow around it, continuing on as if it never bumped up against an obstacle. That would give an onlooker the apparent ability to peer right through the cloak, with everything tucked inside concealed from view. "Yes, you could actually make someone invisible as long as someone wears a cloak made of this material," said Patanjali Parimi, a Northeastern University physicist and design engineer at Chelton Microwave Corp. in Bolton, Mass. Parimi was not involved in the research.
Such a cloak does not exist, but early versions that could mask microwaves and other forms of electromagnetic radiation could be as close as 18 months away, Pendry said. He said the study was "an invitation to come and play with these new ideas." "We will have a cloak after not too long," he said. The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency supported the research, given the obvious military applications of such stealthy technology.
While Harry Potter could wear his cloak to skulk around Hogwarts, a real-world version probably would not be something just to be thrown on, Pendry said.
"To be realistic, it's going to be fairly thick. Cloak is a misnomer. 'Shield' might be more appropriate," he said.
"Engage the Cloaking Shield!"
Posted by: Steve ||
05/25/2006 15:47 ||
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#1
So... the Klingon bird of prey is closer to reality? BRUHAHAHAHA!! Cry 'Havoc', and let slip the dogs of war!!
#6
D.V., I believe that credit should go where credit is due, which I believe is to the Romulans. Klingons obtained the device only later, as did the Federation when Spock seduced that Romulan babe -- sorry, Goddess.
#14
Would have been interesting iff Spock and the Romulan Commander had a kid(s) that went on to cause galactic anarchy and mayhem, SAVIK and YAR notwithstanding.
The Defense Department is shaping a final decision document to reorganize the military health-care system around a new unified medical command, say senior officials.
The command would be led by a four-star medical officer given unprecedented authority. He would take charge of what now are service-unique responsibilities for medical staffing, training, purchasing, operations and medical readiness across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
Service and Defense leaders in early May received, for review and comment within 30 days, three options for a new command structure.
Under the first, which enjoys strong support from the Army and Navy surgeons general, the new medical command would be a major combatant command similar to the U.S. Special Operations Forces Command, and reporting directly to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Continued on Page 49
#3
Not sure about that, NS. More like integrating a key functional area. Joint ops are real, so med support is an issue. Also real is the potential need for a coordinated response in the (I hope unlikely, but possible) event of a WMD attack, natural disaster, bird flu etc. problem homeside.
#5
Aside from Navy corpsmen who support Marine units, most of the military medical personnel are relatively interchangeable with their civilian counterparts and think of themselves as civilians who happen to wear a uniform (occasionally).
#6
This is already going on, the lovely Mrs. USN, ret is a civil servant at NHOH here at beautiful NAS Whidbey and they are operating under a joint command arrangement that involves all the Northwest Military facilities. The Commanding Officer of this rotates among the various armed forces. It has brought a lot of unity to the various forces, especially in the admin world. Reduces a lot of overhead and other burdens that impdes fixing people up.
#7
In San Antonio, they are going to close the big AF hospital, Wilford Hall and combine operations including teaching medical personnel and the Trama Center over at Brook Army Medical Center. BAMC is only a few years old and "Big Willy" is aging.
Lackland AFB will be getting a large clinic to replace WH. Sad for those of us who were treated there, but it makes too much sense.
Posted by: Steve ||
05/25/2006 15:43 Comments ||
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#10
I think the reasoning behind this is that such operations would significantly cut costs, and relieve manpower shortages. We have three major bases here in Colorado Springs, with another three minor ones. Ft. Carson has a huge hospital, the Air Force Academy has a moderate-sized hospital, Peterson AFB has a clinic and runs a satellite clinic at Schriver AFB. No matter what they do, however, it's still a pain in the neck to get an appointment!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
05/25/2006 23:46 Comments ||
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Treasury Dept. concedes a Spanish-American War tax on long-distance service is antiquated and consumers are entitled to a refund. Ya think? NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - After losing several court battles, the U.S. Treasury on Thursday said it would provide refunds to consumers for a federal excise "luxury" tax on long-distance service, the origins of which date back to 1898 to help pay for the Spanish-American War.
The refund will apply to the 3 percent excise tax billed to them on long-distance service since Feb. 28, 2003 and will include interest. Consumers will be able to claim it on their 2006 tax returns, which they will file in 2007.
"Today is a good day for American taxpayers; it marks the beginning of the end of an outdated , antiquated tax that has survived a century beyond its original purpose, and by now should have been ancient history," said Treasury Secretary John Snow in a statement. "The Federal Appeals courts have spoken across the board. It's time to 'disconnect' this tax and put it on the permanent 'do not call' list," Snow added.
The tax was passed in 1898, when there was no federal income tax and telephone service was something that only the rich had access to. It was designed as a luxury tax to help the government during a time of high military spending. Since then, it has become a good revenue generator for the Treasury, raising $5.9 billion in 2005.
#1
According to irs.gov, Americans filed 102 million tax returns as of 4/21/06. Let's assume 1 million late filings for a total of 103 million taxpayers. $5.9 billion in the refund kitty means that each taxpayer gets (drumroll) $57.84. I guess I'll take the wife and kids out for dinner at Friendly's. (Now, if we included ALL revenues collected by that tax we could be talking money.)
Posted by: Jonathan ||
05/25/2006 14:09 Comments ||
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#2
Consumers will be able to claim it on their 2006 tax returns, which they will file in 2007.
#3
...Well, like Dad always says, it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
05/25/2006 14:40 Comments ||
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#4
Okay, here's some details from TaxProf Blog:
The Treasury Department and IRS announced this morning that after losing in five circuit courts of appeals, the Government is throwing in the towel and will no longer seek to enforce the 3% excise tax on long-distance telephone calls enacted during the Spanish-American War of 1898 as a "luxury" tax on wealthy Americans who owned telephones. The IRS will will issue $15 billion in refunds to consumers for long-distance telephone service taxes paid over the past three years:
No immediate action is required by taxpayers.
Refunds will be a part of 2006 tax returns filed in 2007.
Refund claims will cover all excise tax paid on long-distance service over the last three years (time allowed given statute of limitations).
Interest will be paid on refunds.
The IRS is working on a simplified method for individuals to use to claim a refund on their 2006 tax returns.
Refunds will not include tax paid on local telephone service, which was not involved in the litigation.
So, $15 billion divided over 103 million taxpayers = $145 (approximately). Trip to Hershey Park!
Posted by: Jonathan ||
05/25/2006 14:47 Comments ||
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#5
the IRS gets upset when you refer to paying taxes as a "trip to Hershey Park" or any other profane euphemism....
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/25/2006 14:58 Comments ||
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#7
I really don't want to know how much was spent defending that tax. Would have been better if it had just quietly been removed from the roles and faded off into the susnset, IMHO.
And before anybody launches lawyer jokes, my daughter has one for a brother.......
SEAFORD, Del. (AP) - Five people face criminal charges after a weekend confrontation with members of a Kansas group that believes U.S. military casualties are God's retribution for America's support of homosexuality, authorities said Monday.
Members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., gathered in Seaford on Sunday for a protest in conjunction with the funeral of Marine Cpl. Cory Palmer, who died earlier this month from injuries suffered in Iraq.
The Kansas group, carrying signs reading "God Hates Fags," "Fags Doom Nations" and "Vengeance is Mine, Sayeth the Lord," was met by a crowd of about 1,000 angry counter-demonstrators shouting "USA! USA!," as well as various taunts and obscenities.
Passing motorists honked their horns and hundreds of motorcycle riders revved their engines in an attempt to drown out the church members' shouts. Some counter-demonstrators hurled eggs, stones and water bottles.
State troopers and Seaford police officers were between the two factions, but authorities say a Bridgeville man broke through the police line and began assaulting two of the Westboro protesters shortly before the demonstration ended.
David Jones, 29, was charged with two counts of third-degree assault and one count of disorderly conduct. He was released on $1,500 unsecured bond.
A 16-year-old Seaford boy was charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct after a tire on the Westboro group's rented van was slashed. He was being held at a detention center Monday in lieu of $1,000 bond.
Christopher Daudt, 19, Stephen Carson, 19, and Allen Dunn, 56, all of Seaford, also were charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct after several counter-demonstrators threw rocks and bottles at a fire department vehicle carrying the Westboro protesters away from the scene, breaking several windows. Each was released on $1,000 bond.
"Tempers got very high," said Stephanie Hansen, an attorney for the city. "The city provided plenty of police protection and did everything in its power to protect the members of Westboro Baptist Church as they exercised their First Amendment rights."
Despite the violence, police department spokesman Capt. Gary Flood said he believed area residents showed "good restraint."
#1
What the hell ever happened to "Fighting Words" - i.e. provocation so great that a "reasonable man" (legal term) would be enraged to the point of violence?
#2
I am perplexed, While I think the Topeka group is wrong, I am not sure I would be able to contain my anger if I saw them at a Military Funeral. I know that is wrong but maybe the group will find a different avenue to channel their demonstrations. BTW God doesn't hate anybody, what bible were they reading?
#6
Sarge, I've seen them in action and held my temper. I don't think I could do it again. The pain these Satanists caused the family of the soldier whose funeral it was,was visiable on their faces. I won't "turn the other cheek" again. But then, I very sincerely hope I don't have to attend another military funeral.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
05/25/2006 16:41 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Can I be on the jury?
When I'm through, the jury will convict the so-called "victims," not the accused.
Just sayin', 's all.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/25/2006 23:59 Comments ||
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Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney Hosts Hip Hop Power Shop Saturday June 10th, 2006 from 12:00pm 4:00pm at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The theme of this historic gathering is: "ARMING OUR YOUTH WITH WEAPONS OF MASS INSTRUCTION."
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and the Hip Hop community are coming together to promote the awareness and education of young people. The socio-political impact of our government on the youth can't be ignored, even though their inherent power often is.
By "ARMING OUT YOUTH WITH WEAPONS OF MASS INSTRUCTION," teaching the young how to engage in the system, Congresswoman McKinney believes that young people will be able to take their destiny into their own hands, and soar to heretofore unseen levels of achievement.
Various legislative initiatives which affect the youth will be discussed with some of the areas leading Hip Hop and Rap artists and community leaders. Enlightenment and empowerment will highlight this year's Fourth Congressional District Hop Hop Power Shop.
#1
The general principle is great but she won't be trying to arm the youth with the 'right' weapons of mass instruction. Most likely she'll be teaching them how to get more stuff from the government and to push the button with the donkey by it early and often.
#2
Neat Link, thanks! Below are some other useful bit of data found there concerning tatoos.
Enjoy!
Tupac's Chest
Top Left: 2pac
Top Right: Queen Neferetete (Egyptian Queen) with "2.DIE.4" below it.
Middle: A machine gun and tha words "50 Niggaz".
Stomach: The words "Thug Life", with a bullet as the "i".
Tupac's Arms
Left Shoulder: Panther head
Left Upperarm: Jesus' head on a burning cross. Off to the left of the Cross it says "Only God can judge me". On his left inner arm is written "Trust Nobody".
Left Forearm: The word "Outlaw", underneath which is another "Crown" that you can see in the movie "Gang Related".
Right Shoulder: The word "westside".
Right Upperarm: Skull and crossbones. Under the word "heartless". Under the skull and crossbones written in small print it says "My only fear of death is coming back reincarnated".
Right Forearm: Written in old english lettering, the word "Notorious".
Back Arm: On the back of the arm it says "MOB".
Tupac's Neck
Right Side: In the movie "Gang Related" and "Gridlocked" you will see the name "Makaveli".
Back Side: There is a Crown and then under that is the word "Playaz". Under "Playaz" are the words "Fuck the World".
Tupac's Back
A BIG cross is on his back with the word "Exodus 18:11, meaning, "Now i know that the lord is greater than all gods: for in the things wherein they dealt proudly he was above them" in the middle of the cross. On each side of the cross is a clown mask. The mask on his right is crying and under it, it says "cry later". The other mask on his left side is smiling and it says "Smile Now". Under the cross is a big word saying "Ballin".
#4
Well, this bitch won't be arming MY youth. Rock on with your race-baiting gangster hip hop culture bash, Cynthia. Let's see how far that BS get's em in a job interview.
#8
So should Cynthia be addressed as "bitch" or "ho"?
I think it's important to get these etiquette items all squared away before the event. Is Letitia Baldrige still alive?
I hope you to listen to the words, that I speak
I'm not playin, what I'm sayin, can never be weak
You should use your brain, but you don't have one
And when it comes to sense you don't have none
YO YO you should know where I'm comin from
But you're just dumb (diddy) dumb (diddy diddy) DUMB DUMB!
Posted by: Run D.M.C. ||
05/25/2006 12:38 Comments ||
Top||
#10
"I'm the kinda n*gger that built to last
"F*ck with me, get a foot up your a*s"!
_____________________________
(The Immortal) Easy-E aka "Easy Mutherfu*in E"
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Over 1,000 protestors turned out in the rain on Friday to protest the presence in Benin of French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. 
Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had taken measures to limit the power of controversial religious police who hardline clerics say make society more moral but many accuse of interfering in people's lives. Interior Minister Prince Nayef decreed that public prosecutors would deal with all cases concerning "harassment", stopping the ultraconservative kingdom's unique morality squad from detaining suspects for hours, the state media said. "The role of the 'authority for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice' ends with apprehending suspected individuals and handing them to the police, who then present them to prosecutors with a report of the incident involved," it said.
President Hugo Chavez compared U.S. President George W. Bush to the infamous mobster Al Capone on Wednesday, and said Venezuela will buy Russian fighter jets 
The United Nations has sent a special envoy to a region in southeastern Turkey to investigate a rise in the rate of suicides among women. There have been increased reports of suicides among women in some areas of Turkey even though the national average of suicides in the country is low compared to those for other nations, U.N. special rapporteur on violence against women, Yakin Erturk, said.
Unidentified attackers poured petrol over a 14-year-old boy and burned him to death near a Muslim shrine in Karachi, police said on Wednesday. 
MULTAN: The police have registered a case against 17 people who allegedly violated the vani law, on the vani girls complaint. The first-ever case has been registered, but no arrests have been made yet. We have instituted a case against the punchayat (local jury) and parents of the groom under the anti-vani law and police are conducting raids to arrest the culprits, Multan District Police Officer (DPO) Munir Ahmed Chishti said. 
Imagine an invisibility cloak that works just like the one Harry Potter inherited from his father. Researchers in England and the United States think they know how to do that. They are laying out the blueprint and calling for help in developing the exotic materials needed to build a cloak. The keys are special manmade materials, unlike any in nature or the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These materials are intended to steer light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation around an object, rendering it as invisible as something tucked into a hole in space. 
The Defense Department is shaping a final decision document to reorganize the military health-care system around a new unified medical command, say senior officials.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - After losing several court battles, the U.S. Treasury on Thursday said it would provide refunds to consumers for a federal excise "luxury" tax on long-distance service, the origins of which date back to 1898 to help pay for the Spanish-American War.
