Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) did not know that the Caribbean resort villa he purchased 20 years ago was financed with a no-interest mortgage from the developer and has generated $75,000 in income that he should have reported on tax and financial disclosure forms, his lawyer said yesterday.
Lanny Davis said the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees complex tax policy, was unaware until this week of the financial terms surrounding the Dominican Republic property because the developer of the Punta Cana Yacht Club did not regularly send annual financial statements to property owners.
The undisclosed income and favorable loan terms compounded the ethical controversies already enveloping the 38-year veteran of Congress.
In July, the Democrat from New York asked the House Ethics Committee to examine his fundraising entreaties to corporations and foundations on behalf of a university academic center that bears his name, and into his rental of several Harlem apartments at below-market rates.
Davis said Rangel likely will amend his federal, state and New York City tax returns and update his congressional financial disclosure filings. He also will ask the ethics committee to add the Caribbean real estate deal to its inquiry. "We are confident that Mr. Rangel has done nothing wrong," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
I'm sure I will read about this on the front page of tomorrow's news papers.
#2
The developer did not regularly send annual finacial statements to propert owners.
And the head of the friggin Ways and Means committee didn't think this was abnormal?
He's owned it for 20 years. How on earth are we supposed to believe that, in all this time, he never knew it was making money. Or worse, that he didn't get a statement for 20 years.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
09/07/2008 2:33 Comments ||
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#3
The developer did not regularly send annual finacial statements to propert owners.
So it was OK to ignore an annual financial statement that shows up irregularly?
#7
Well, hearing all of this from Johnny Cockrane Jr. and Barry Scheck Lanny Davis certainly convinces me that Charlie is just being singled out by a right wing conservative conspiracy.
#8
Charley dumb? Or Charley crooked? The folks in his NY district get to decide. Lucky them. Whichever way they vote they will get what they deserve.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
09/07/2008 10:55 Comments ||
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#9
Isn't Charlie a friend of Billy Clinton?
Der Slickmeister: "It's like this, Charlie: I can make this all go away if you go along with a little surprise my wife and I have cooked up for Mr. O in October..."
Charlie: "Sign me up!"
Posted by: Chris W. ||
09/07/2008 11:48 Comments ||
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#10
Along w/Sen Dodd (D-Countrywide) another senior congressman who's -- shocked, shocked -- at the boodle he's received as a humble public servant...
Posted by: regular joe ||
09/07/2008 12:21 Comments ||
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#2
Skunky there's a small and sad chance you may be correct. It's been a long time (when) since a tropical cyclone ran along the Sierra Madre. Horrific flooding is possible. Like Lovingston Va, during Camille.
The Sierra Madre is higher and wetter than the mountains in Nelson County....
Sure hope the life insurance premiums are up to date ...
Some of President Robert Mugabe's senior aides have had secret negotiations with South African mediators in an effort to secure amnesties from any future prosecution in return for supporting regime change in Zimbabwe.
Army, police and secret service chiefs have repeatedly pledged loyalty to Mugabe in public and insisted that they would never 'salute' or support a government led by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who secured most votes in the presidential election that took place in March this year. But government sources in both Zimbabwe and South Africa have told The Observer that a senior army general and a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) chief visited Pretoria last weekend to seek assurances from South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki that they would not be prosecuted in the event of Tsvangirai taking over.
Mbeki is mediating in the power-sharing talks between Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party and the MDC, negotiations which appeared to be hanging by a thread last week with the MDC threatening to pull out and accusing Zanu-PF of a lack of commitment to dialogue. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said his party's patience was being stretched to the limit after Mugabe told journalists in Zambia on Wednesday at the funeral of President Levy Mwanawasa that he would form a new government of national unity if Tsvangirai did not sign the document already agreed to during the talks.
Yesterday, however, the MDC backed away from its threat, insisting that it was still fully committed to dialogue.
Robert Mugabe relies heavily on Zimbabwe's defence force chiefs, most of whom have been supporters of the ageing dictator since the 1970s war of independence and were heavily involved in conducting the murderous campaign of violence against MDC supporters and activists that erupted after the March election results were announced.
Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, said he knew nothing of any secret meetings and insisted power-sharing talks were continuing. 'You know quite well that we will never ever announce the contents of the talks through the press before making a feedback to the Zimbabwean community, Southern African Development Community and the African Union,' Ratshitanga told The Observer
Sources close to the talks said the Zimbabwe defence forces' Lieutenant-General Constantine Chiwenga, police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri, and CIO director-general Happyton Bonyongwe were at a private meeting in Pretoria. Behind the scenes, Zanu-PF'S politburo, including Mugabe, is said to be distancing itself from the violence that killed more than 120 people between the first round of voting and June's one-man presidential run-off poll, laying the blame on the army and the CIO.
It is widely expected that, if there are any future trials for crimes against humanity, Mugabe will escape prosecution due to old age. Tsvangirai, who will tomorrow address the largest MDC rally to be held in Zimbabwe since the outbreak of violence to mark the ninth anniversary of his party, said in the course of an interview with The Observer earlier this year that he had no thirst for vengeance against the 'old man'.
But Mugabe's powerful backers would need strong guarantees that an amnesty from prosecution, and even a possible future refuge outside Zimbawe, would be available to them if they are to distance themselves from the country's leader.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Slime leading the Slime, why bother, flush now.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/07/2008 12:39 Comments ||
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why bother, flush now
Because the opposition neither has the firepower nor the political clout - right now?
Mugabe and his sycophants see the possible endgame; Mugabe can't last forever. ZANU-PF is hanging out the army, the secret service, and the police to dry over the pre-election killings. The military, secret service and police don't want to end up dangling from a lampost.
Every one that defects is one less that supports the current government or will put up resistance. It's called 'peeling away' and was also done in Iraq.
#4
Agreed. Nothing ruins your day quicker than getting machine-gunned on a riverbank, when your original intent was to head for the airport with suitcases of dollars.
Angolan election officials extended voting by a day in the capital, but said Saturday the logistical problems that marred the first balloting in 16 years were confined to Luanda.
A former rebel group, National Union for the Total Independence of Angola party, is the war-ravaged country's main opposition. It said problems were so widespread the entire vote should be redone.
One of Africa's longest civil wars had included a resurgence of fighting after the last elections in 1992 when the party rejected results showing it had lost.
Some polling stations stayed open all night Friday to accommodate voters in Luanda who spent hours in line because of problems that included lack of ballots and absent election officials.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe received a rousing stadium reception in the Swazi capital, Mbabane, on Saturday as he joined King Mswati III and other top guests for the king's lavish birthday celebrations.
Mugabe (84) was one of a dozen state and government heads attending the Somhlolo Stadium celebrations amid tight security. He raised his fist in acknowledgement of the welcome, clearly delighted.
The celebrations went ahead amid heavy criticism in Southern Africa that they ignored the plight of the poor, and tight security was ordered.
About 2 000 people took to the streets of Mbabane on Thursday to protest against the spending on the party, and the absence of political freedom.
Swaziland, a country of about one million people, mostly subsistence farmers, is the world's last absolute monarchy.
The "40-40" celebrations were being held to mark the 40th anniversary of Swazi independence from Britain along with Mswati's 40th birthday.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Lesotho's King Pakalitha Mosisili and United States assistant secretary for African affairs Jendayi Frazer were among guests, as were the presidents of Madagascar, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Malawi.
The government said the party would cost 20-million emalangeni ($12,6-million), but critics estimated it would cost several times that.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Lesotho's King Pakalitha Mosisili and United States assistant secretary for African affairs Jendayi Frazer were among guests, as were the presidents of Madagascar, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Malawi.
The Swazi King paid $2.5m for this party while 70% of his people live on less than $1. per day. Mswati's the bloke that responded to the HIV/AIDS crisis in 2001 by banning sex for women under 18. Just two months after imposing the ban, the king fined himself a cow for breaking it by taking a 17-year-old girl as his ninth wife. He has since lifted the ban. Frazer should have called John Bolton and got his opinion on her attendance at this circus.
Detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will file two petitions with the High Court (HC) today for bail in Gatco and Niko graft cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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A Honduran court has sentenced a former prison official to 1,051 years in jail for the deaths of 69 people in a 2003 prison massacre.
The three-judge panel announced its largely symbolic verdict against prison official Dimas Antonio Benitez on Saturday. Honduran law says people can't be jailed for more than 30 years.
Benitez was one of the directors at the El Porvenir prison where 65 inmates, a guard and three visitors died in an intentionally set fire in 2003.
The court sentenced Benitez, 10 other prison employees and 10 inmate trustees for having helped set fire to cells holding inmates who belonged to a violent "Mara" street gang.
The other defendants were sentenced to lesser jail terms.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
He can get out in 640 years for good behavior.
Posted by: Formerly Dan ||
09/07/2008 8:48 Comments ||
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#2
"Ha! I can do that standing on my head!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/07/2008 10:12 Comments ||
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YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Thousands of Armenians lined the streets of the capital Saturday to protest the first-ever visit by a Turkish leader and to demand that Turkey acknowledge the World War I massacres of Armenian civilians as genocide.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul was invited to Yerevan to watch the World Cup qualifying soccer match between his nation and Armenia alongside Armenian President Serge Sarkisian. Turkey won the game 2-0 with two second-half goals.
Many hoped the so-called soccer diplomacy would help the two neighbors overcome decades of antagonism rooted in the WWI-era atrocities that began in 1915.
"We have put forward our determination to create the climate to overcome problems that exist between Turkey and Armenia," Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency quoted Gul as saying after the two leaders met. "We will solve our problems and not leave it to the generations to come," Sarkisian said, according to Anatolia.
Gul saluted Sarkisian's "brave" invitation to watch the game and invited Sarkisian to attend the return game in Istanbul on Oct. 14, 2009.
Gul is the first Turkish leader to visit Armenia since the ex-Soviet nation declared independence in 1991. The two neighbors have no diplomatic ties, and their border has been closed since 1993, when Turkey protested Armenia's occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, a close Turkish ally.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/07/2008 01:22 ||
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(Xinhua) -- Japan's popular politician Taro Aso formally announced Friday that he will take part in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s presidential election to succeed outgoing party leader and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
At a press conference held at the LDP's headquarters in the morning, Aso, who is the LDP's secretary general, said he will target reviving the economy and create comfortable lives for citizens.
The 67-year-old politician, who used to be foreign minister in both Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe's Cabinets and known for his interest in cartoons, is set to become prime minister if elected party president since the LDP controls the majority in the more powerful lower house of the parliament.
Aso expressed his willingness to run in the race shortly after Fukuda's announcement of resignation Monday evening. He was defeated by Fukuda in the last race for the party presidency and premiership in September 2007.
The LDP has set the date of presidential election on Sept. 22. The campaigning is to officially starts Wednesday.
Aso is widely seen as the front-runner in the upcoming election. Former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike, Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano and Nobuteru Ishihara, former LDP policy chief, have also decided to run in the race.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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An alleged Colombian drugs lord, Edgar Guillermo Vallejo-Guarin, has been arrested in Spain. Mr Vallejo-Guarin, known as Beto the Gypsy, is wanted for drugs-trafficking, money-laundering and murder.
Spanish police say he was using a false identity when they arrested him at a luxury hotel in the capital, Madrid.
The US authorities say he is one of Latin America's top drugs traffickers and had offered a $5m reward for information leading to his arrest.
False documents
The BBC's Danny Wood, in Madrid, says Beto the Gypsy, 47, is suspected of transporting tonnes of drugs into the US and Europe. The US Drugs Enforcement Administration says he was one of the main sources of Colombian cocaine smuggled into America in the 1990s.
He has been a fugitive since 2001, when he was indicted by a court in Florida. Police said he had been constantly on the move to avoid arrest, staying in hotels across Europe, and was carrying false documents when he was arrested.
Spain is one of the main entry points to Europe for cocaine smuggled from South America.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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REPUBLICAN vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin may be drawing bigger cheers than her running mate, but John McCain isn't bothered in the least, a senior advisor said overnight.
"Of course not, he's excited,'' Mark Salter said when asked if Senator McCain was jealous of the attention Ms Palin has been receiving since he announced his surprise choice of running mate on August 29. "They're chanting 'John McCain' too,'' Mr Salter noted.
Senator McCain, 72, had long been viewed with suspicion by his party's conservative base for his more moderate views on a number of issues such as immigration, and his support for embryonic stem cell research. He also deeply offended many by calling Christian evangelical leader Jerry Falwell an "agent of intolerance,'' and has struggled to rally support among the party's grassroots despite a number of efforts to reach out to them, including giving a commencement address at Mr Falwell's university.
An avid hunter and self-described "hockey mom,'' Ms Palin, 44, is beloved by conservatives for her strong opposition to abortion and her support of teaching creationism in school.
Republicans also rallied around Ms Palin when she was attacked by pundits for failing to put her family first, given that she has a four-month-old son with Down syndrome and her unmarried, 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. She has been greeted by chants of "Sarah! Sarah!'' from the thousands of supporters who have come out to hear her speak with Senator McCain at campaign stops in battleground states.
Originally set to go home to Alaska on Saturday night and then begin campaigning on her own, she is expected to spend several more days with Senator McCain on the trail. That has sparked speculation that she was either not ready to head off on her own, or else was sticking around to help pull in bigger crowds.
Mr Salter dismissed both premises. "They're having a good time,'' Mr Salter said on the campaign plane. "We're running on a lot of momentum coming out of the convention. The Senator himself thought they should continue on for a few days.''
Senator McCain had only met Ms Palin once before he invited her to his home to discuss giving her a place on his presidential ticket.
Mr Salter said the two families are enjoying each other's company and that the two candidates work well together. "It's playing out great,'' he added. "They're getting along great and struck up an immediate rapport."
Posted by: Bob Dole ||
09/07/2008 21:07 Comments ||
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#2
good grief! Did the Australian hire Beavis and Butt-head to write their headlines? Today we were also were graced with, "Gaddafi wooos his 'darling black African woman" and now this.
And the MSM wonders why no one takes their stock seriously anymore.
#2
Sorry, too busy changing the sutchering on the cuts and bite marks your dogs left on her to participate at the moment. [She views that it wasn't business, it was personal.] That was a knife you won there buddy, now you're in a gun fight with two people who actually know how to use them.
#3
Hillary: "Sorry, I'm rearranging my sock drawer."
Obama: "But women don't have sock drawers."
Hillary: "No wonder it's going to take two months to finish it!"
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/07/2008 22:58 Comments ||
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#4
Everyone ridicules Obama for not selecting Hillary.
But I have to say that I think that Obama and Michelle probably made a wise decision not to select her. (Choosing Biden instead of her was the ultimate act of stupidity, but I digress).
Hillary would have been unable to contain herself in the belief that she, not he should have been in charge. How could he possibly lead with her undermining him every step of the way? She'd be giving his dirt to the press every chance she got. No one can be in charge with such an effective adversary as their second in command.
I think Obama and Michelle probably made the decision that they could possibly win without Hillary on their ticket but that Obama could not govern with Hillary chomping at the bit to bring him down every second of every day.
#2
Did Stephanolopoulos start the interview by saying, "Plunck your magic Twanger Froggie!"
Posted by: bruce ||
09/07/2008 19:37 Comments ||
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#3
This is a quote from Obama addresing a crowd in Indiana.
People ask me, they say what are your impressions of America. What have you learned since being President? Er, since being a candidate for President?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
09/07/2008 19:52 Comments ||
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#4
fatigue and lack of teleprompter should lead to gut-busting hi-jinx. Thank gawd the summer reruns are nearly over
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/07/2008 20:01 Comments ||
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#5
GUAM AM > Its got CNN pondering and worried, WHICH IMO INDIECTLY SURREALLY SHOWS WHY RUSSIA TWAS PDENIABLY RUNNING SCARED AS PER THE GEORGIAN WAR!?
What next - her favorite outfit clashes with the official GOP posters? She once read a book in which a character said provocative things? She doesn't cut the crusts off of her kids' PBJs???
#1
Mickey Kaus has an interesting take on this. He thinks that the sooner these half-baked theories and false rumours are paraded in the press, the sooner evidence appears to refute it. What he missed is that by going public with this stuff, the legacy media further damage their reputation as a source of useful information in the eyes of the public.
#7
Palin's granted ABC an interview later this week. It will undoubtably bring that channel a huge audience and a ratings bump.
How long before the sheep in the MSM discover the amazing virtues of Gov. Palin in order to reap the same reward?
Don't know if it will play out that way, but given that they aren't going to be able to sustain the lurid charges without justification for too much longer, they may come around in order to be on the winning side.
Translation: they've been acting more or less like adults compared to the rest of the media
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin plans to sit down later this week for her first television interview since John McCain chose her as his running mate more than a week ago. The first-term Alaska governor has given speeches, alongside McCain and at the Republican National Convention, since McCain introduced her as his surprise vice presidential pick on Aug. 29.
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said Sunday that Palin would be made available "when we think it's time and when she feels comfortable doing it."
Later, a McCain-Palin adviser said Sunday that an interview was offered several days ago to Charles Gibson of ABC News. The adviser said the interview was expected to take place later this week in Alaska. Palin is expected to return to her state at midweek after more joint appearances with McCain.
An ABC News spokeswoman said the network had no comment.
McCain, who appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation," said he expected Palin to start doing interviews "in the next few days."
Davis complained that the media has focused too much on the 44-year-old Palin's personal life. Many of those stories came after McCain's campaign announced that Palin's 17-year-old daughter was pregnant. News reports also have questioned her record as a reformer in Alaska. "She's not scared to answer questions," Davis said on "Fox News Sunday." "But you know what? We run our campaign, not the news media. And we'll do things on our timetable."
Palin won over GOP loyalists with her speech last week at the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn. But Democrats and even some Republicans have questioned whether she is ready to answer unscripted questions about national and international issues.
"Why would we want to throw Sarah Palin into a cycle of piranhas called the news media that have nothing better to ask questions about than her personal life and her children?" Davis said. "So until at which point in time we feel like the news media is going to treat her with some level of respect and deference, I think it would be foolhardy to put her out into that kind of environment."
Palin's Democratic counterpart, Sen. Joe Biden, a veteran of the Sunday talk show circuit, challenged Palin to sit for interviews.
This will automatically bring a huge ratings jump for that evening to ABC. Good media get interviews. Bad media get stiffed and run the risk of looking increasingly biased and desperate.
The media aren't the only ones with power when you've got a Sarah Palin in the equation.
PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update shows John McCain moving ahead of Barack Obama, 48% to 45%, when registered voters are asked for whom they would vote if the presidential election were held today.
These results are based on Sept. 4-6 interviewing, and include two full days of polling after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention last Thursday night. McCain has outpolled Obama on both Friday and Saturday, and is receiving a convention bounce just as Obama did last week.
Tomorrow's report will be the first in which all interviews were conducted after the conclusion of the convention. Gallup measures convention bounces by comparing candidate support in the last poll done entirely before a party's presidential nominating convention begins with the first polling conducted entirely after its conclusion.
McCain's 48% share of the vote ties for his largest since Gallup tracking began in early March. He registered the same level of support in early May. This is also McCain's largest advantage over Obama since early May, when he led by as much as six percentage points. Obama has led McCain for most of the campaign, and for nearly all of the time since clinching the Democratic nomination in early June.
#4
As of right now, it's gonna be a very close election - and no guarantees the R ticket will win.
O'b has had ACORN and others giving out mail ballots and registering 'new voters' for months. They are extraordinarily well funded and they have the tacit approval of many officials in key states.
Palin's nomination is a start, but only a start.
PS: maybe it's just me, but the MILF thing seems pretty disrespectful towards a Governor who's already facing being diminished to a bimbo in the descriptions of the press. I know you're saying she's hot, but could we please make a point of recognizing her stature? kthx
#5
This is among registered voters. The GOP usually 3-4 points better among likely voters. Beyond that, the GOP candidate has historically gained ground between the conventions and the elections. Last time this didn't happen was 1964.
ACORN and other subversive gangs can register all the illegal voters they want, getting them to show up and vote illegally is a different story.
#6
It's an issue if they're giving the new voters mail-in ballots. On the other hand, the places that's most likely to happen is also the places that already belong to the Democrats... I hope.
#2
Well, he went to a Protestant church for a long while, as long as it's Marxism in all but name.
He also has a friend who runs a Catholic church, but practices Marxism in all but name.
I wonder what the profession of faith is for his version of Islam? There is no God but The Proletariat, and the Self-Appointed Vanguard of the Proletariat is its prophet?
(Keep in mind, I'm the guy who describes Al Qaeda as Maoism in Muslim clothing, so this ain't looking good.)
#3
whatever faith he professes is just window dressing. He worships himself
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/07/2008 16:00 Comments ||
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#4
And if you worship yourself you don't really have any problems interpreting Islam as providing salvation to any dumbass grunt who goes out, straps plastique under his civilian robes, and blows himself and your enemy's toddler children (even, or especially, if they're Moslem) into pieces conveniently sized for the dogs to eat.
#5
Tha following should IMHO form the basis for a standard reply against people who accuse you of being racist when you object againt a Muslim as POTUS.
"Islam is not a race it is an ideology. There waere German-Americans who fought with honor against Germany dfuring WWI. It was a German-American who designed the P51 Mustang. All of them could have been perfectly valid as POTUS in WWII. But having a German American in the Armed Forces or evn in the Presidency would ghave been one thing, haing someone who had been a member of the Nazi Party would have been an entirely different thing: there woukld have been a strong stuspicion about what country he was loyal.
Nobody cares about Obam's race but we care about his ideas.
#6
This was clearly a case of his mispeaking. He was trying to insinuate that the McCain's people through proxies indicate Obama's a Muslim. Because he was slandering others (again) Im happy to see people kick this back in his face but there is really nothing here.
#7
There's a legitimate line of inquiry here. Obama has stated categorically that he has "never" been a Muslim. But if reports of enrollment records from his Indonesian school listing his faith as "Muslim" are accurate he's not telling us the truth. Whether or not he's ever been a Muslim is in and of itself of little relevance; whether he's been honest with us about his life is of great relevance.
#11
Doesn't matter what islamic law says, doesn't matter what his school admission records say or his birth records or that the Muslim world thinks he's one of their own. What matters is if Barry thinks of himself as a Muslim and if American voters believe him.
#13
RJ - I agree with one small caveat: Obama's web site does, or at least has, included a statement that he was "never" a Muslim. The accuracy of that statement is relevant to his honesty and for no other purpose.
Only he didn't bother because by then we weren't at war anymore. Presumably anything less than charging into combat with two guns blazing and a bayonet clenched in his teeth would have been a waste of his courage and commitment.
#10
Welcome to Liberal Bizzaro World, where good intentions about signing up for military service are the moral equivalent of actually being in the military and serving.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/07/2008 17:31 Comments ||
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#12
But keep in mind that I graduated in 1979. The Vietnam War had come to an end. We weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it's not an option that I ever decided to pursue
So...if we had been engaged in a military conflict he would have gone? He wants us to believe that he was really gung-ho on taking part in a shooting war and when he found out that there wasn't any opportunity to fire a gun at our enemies he lost interest?
#13
But keep in mind that I graduated in 1979. The Vietnam War had come to an end. We weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it's not an option that I ever decided to pursue
Well, he said he left community organizing because he wanted to make money and raise a family. By 1979, Carter and the Donks had so gutted the military, they were leaving in large numbers just to do that. The mess on Desert One showed what with the best we had by then what we could do and it wasn't much. It would take Ronnie and lot of your fine taxpayers money to get the house back into order, along with some truly dedicated leaders and families who hung on long enough to make things right in the ranks.
It's amazing how such an overly-ambitious, child-neglecting mother managed to raise 5 such poised children. You'd think they felt loved, supported and embedded in a rich network of family and friends. Or something ....
#4
she is adorable! I think of her everytime I read the hateful diatribes by the bitter ol' leftist hags. The image of Piper adoringly trailing after her working mother juxtaposed against the spittle spewing from the mouths of shrews seems to really be a fitting encapsulation of the current feminist movement.
Hell, let's move the whole federal government to Alaska for a while. The winter cold will cull the herd of lobbyists rather effectively.
Posted by: Mike ||
09/07/2008 17:00 Comments ||
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#7
Please no more political dynasties. We discarded royalty over 200 years ago. They're hardly conducive to democracy or good government. Children should be barred from taking any office their parents held.
Posted by: ed ||
09/07/2008 17:48 Comments ||
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A duplicate from yesterday, but here in case anyone missed it.
Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields ||
09/07/2008 09:38 ||
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#1
Actually, the whole tale of the tape will not be for a couple of days - 3 consecutive weekday polls after the McCain speech. That means Thursday of this week will be the poll to watch.
#2
Just received this: Hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida . Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:
STEP 1: Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days.
STEP 2: Put these supplies into your car.
STEP 3: Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween.
#9
Just from my own experience I'd say that PA is closer to going for McCain than people realize.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
09/07/2008 21:05 Comments ||
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#10
Well it depends heavily on the selfish old fart "you owe me" types that sit on their retired asses and play government vassal. You know, the people that keep sending lying traitorous porkers like Murtha to congress.
Yes, I have a VERY low opinion of a lot of the PA voters, even those outside of Philly and the snob belt anchored on Bryn Mawr.
#11
I can't be certain, Jonathan, because 8 week is an eternity in politics and a lot of dead people are yet to register in Phila. But the donks have solidified their position in PA in the Philly suburbs. Palin may make Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks a lot redder than they have been recently. If so, you could be correct.
The Obamessiah is also spending a lot of time in South Central, but I think he's wasting it there and would be better off solidifying his position in the Southeast.
One thing to consider about PA. Allentown has a rapidly growing Hispanic population, mostly first gen immigrants who are likely to retain their Catholic identity. Harrisburg has a large envangelical Korean immigrant population.
Assuming the GOP doesn't force McCain into statements re: immigration that alienate groups like that, he just might be able to win them over because of the Palin pick. It depends a lot on whether the Biden/Clinton union network twists arms for O and whether McCain can articulate a jobs retraining / industry development policy that sparks hope in the blue collars left behind by the new economy.
#16
It is interesting, about a year ago we couldn't hear enough about the HUGE impact that the hispanic community was going to have on the elections. Suddenly, no one is even whispering about the hispanic vote. It is as if they don't exist or matter.
I wonder why? If they were leaning dem, I feel certain the MSM would be trumpeting it. Curious.
Oh my has he fallen into McCain's trap big time. What next, Obaby - gonna challenge her to a Trivia contest?
I'm deeply worried about the corrupt machine, voter fraud and the hordes of operatives making up shit about the Palins - not to mention the machinations in AK to try to indict her for Tasergate. But then thin-skinned O swaggers out to defensively insist he could take her on the court and I feel a little more optimistic about our chances in Nov.
ABC News' George Stephanopoulos Reports: The rivalry between the Democratic and Republican tickets for president could shift from the ballot box to the hardwood if Barack Obama has his way.
In an exclusive interview airing this morning on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," the Democratic nominee for president said he would be open to going one-on-one in basketball with Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
"You know, I would play her a game of horse," said Obama. "She looks like she's got some game."
Could be. She took her team to a state championship in high school and is in better shape after 5 kids than Obama after a light schedule as a legislator who hasn't done much heavy lifting in the last umpteen years
Palin was a standout high school basketball player whose skills on the court earned her the nickname Sarah Barracuda. But Obama said he doesn't fear her. "On the basketball court, I think I'd stand up pretty well," he said. Standing upright is the first step, true 'nuff.
After that you would need to be able to run, dribble, shoot and deal with sharp elbows though.
Sill, Obama said he wouldn't want to go head-to-head with Palin in another sport: target shooting. "I know she's a sharpshooter, and I know that -- I probably wouldn't do target practice with her," he said. "I think she'd be a better shot than me."
I doubt you know which end of a gun to hold, sweetie.
The idea of an Obama-Palin basketball matchup was suggested by Linda Lilley, a viewer from Union City, Pa., who submitted her question for Obama on abcnews.com.
#2
I have the distinct feeling the GOP campaign is setting him up for a game of 'character'. The Zero is so foolish and smug, he probably will accept the challenge to his everlasting regret.
#3
They just rolled this interview out here and I sat and watched it. Basically let barry sit there and talk with a couple softballs to keep the interest going. Steph did ask what some may consider tough questions. barry apparently now thinks that governor of Alaska is indeed a qualifier. barry has his usual number of stupid comments but what was striking me was his condencending way of answering question even to Steph, interrupting Steph and occasion and being snappy. Also, his lawyer mindset always saying stuff like "make the case" and couldn't help but think the old joke a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. My favorite part of the interview was the backdrop they picked for the bluescreen - it looked like they were sitting in a Amish barn or something (I know I know it does make sense on account of the amount of horseshit in the interview) so here are two guyes sitting on chairs in the middle of a barn having a conversation with no barn noises or wind. Thats some stupid stuff and to me reinforces the phoney hollywood crap. Hell, might as well put up a background of Tatooine and have some damn gungins running around it would be as believable as a quiet barn with no flies or wind.
And for barry's sake, stay clear of the arm wrestling contest.
*side note, now that Palin is qualified, barry said that running for president gives him some qualification...anyone else think he is running a piss poor election despite the amount of money he has spent? And he want to run the country like this...
#5
Fake greek temples to appeal to the college stoner crowd and now a fake barn to appeal to the everyman crowd.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
09/07/2008 10:05 Comments ||
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#6
In fairness to Barry, he got a call and he tried to make light with it. What I do think it shows is that his responses are more juvenile than statesman-like. A seasoned diplomat would not have fallen into the trap of accepting the challenge and thus allowing the listener to have the amusing image of him getting stomped in basketball by Sarah Palin.
I think the Hollywood barn setting is more damaging. It brings to mind the fact that Obama is out of touch in middle America.
I think George Stephanopoulos is still a Clintonite groupie and probably set Obama up knowing full well that Obama didn't have the savvy to sidestep the trap, much less see it coming.
#7
A serious lose-lose for poor Candidate Obama. If he doesn't follow up, it's 'cause he's scared of her. If he does, and wins, he's picking on her. If he does, and loses...
She should call him with an offer of possible dates after she finishes with the work that's piled up on her desk up north there in Alaska. He could couple it with a campaign tour of her state, which he hasn't yet visited after all.
#8
What makes Gov Palin so impressive is that she did not fall for the cheap baiting meted out by the lefties. Her MO is keep cool, keep focused and let the opposition tumble into its own crude trap.
Keep it up Sarah -- show them what presidential timber is all about!
Posted by: regular joe ||
09/07/2008 12:07 Comments ||
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#9
Horse is a game of shooting skill - players alternate shooting baskets unimpeded by the other player. The Big O might do well. But in a game of one-on-one, I'd bet money Palin would steamroll him. She played point guard, if I'm not mistaken.
#10
How will it look if a "black man" loses to her in basketball? He'd be a laughing stock. And if they played one-on-one instead of horse he'd have the potential of knocking her down (street hoops can be rough after all) and looking like a bastard in the process.
On the other hand if he wins he gains nothing. He beat a mother of five. Big whoop.
Obama is a fool to even open this door because he'll look bad even if she calls his bluff and then he refuses.
#13
Basketball, tiddlywinks, horseshoes, hand grenades -- wouldn't matter, my money's on Palin. I don't think Barry's quite got his head around the idea that the lady is a stone killer.
Posted by: Matt ||
09/07/2008 12:56 Comments ||
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#14
Barry Baby's representin' to the hood. It's all about lookin' & talkin' tough. And his base laps it up.
Which is worth keeping in mind. These are not people who want to evaluate him or to learn the facts about the candidates. They're looking for justifications to vote the way they already want to.
#15
GREAT! Whadda a maroon! The presidential candidate of one ticket vs the VEEP candidate of the other. Hoisted with his own petard ego. They got it right at the RNC: 0Obama = zero, oh, null, nil, naught.
#16
Ltop, you already alluded to that, when you mentioned his "ghetto swagger" vis a vis hillary during the debate; I find it pretty amusing, in a sick kind of way, you've got that well-to-do middle class kid, educated abroad and in exclusive schools, whose only black/african lineage is the fact that his exotism-seeking marxist/leftist mother was the trophy girlfriend of a third world bureaucratic cog in the making, who has always enjoyed a life of privilege and lots of free passes and got it all on a silver plate because he was taught how to ride the system... and he's playing the "homeboy" tune to that intended audience, all the while playing the white guilt/ethnomasochism of white liberals.
I find the contrast between that chicago machine-learned "trick" (no way he got it through his own background, see above) and the "post-racial image" he's created for himself very amusing.
#17
And by the way, artificial as it is, this is also very revealing; I have no doubt the real obama is the church of trinity, Chicago racial politics one.
#18
You got it, GK: the country is currently comparing the Repub #2 to the Dem #1, and finding the former comes off better. That's not the way Mr. Axelrod had it scripted.
#21
Gee... and all this time I thought he was running for President of the United States. I didn't know he was actually running for captain of the basketball team.
#22
Ltop, you already alluded to that, when you mentioned his "ghetto swagger" vis a vis hillary during the debate
Barry Obama isn't the only one. There's some of that in the trailing daughters' schools, too. Middle class white kids as well as black who think pretending to be ghetto makes them cool... while the kids who really live in the inner city would love the opportunity to get out.
#23
#7, He could couple it with a campaign tour of her state, which he hasn't yet visited after all.
But, but, but... I thought he had already visited "all 57 states",TW.
Best line: We need a moose loose in our Hoose. Entire article shows that the Brit press isn't dead yet: WHY, why, why can't WE have a Sarah Palin?
That was the question churning in my mind as I witnessed this astonishing American presidential race.
A week ago few in Britain had heard of Palin.
Today, the moose-huntin' mom is the most talked-about woman in the world.
And with good reason.
Her sensational performance at the Republican convention may turn out to be the moment the White House slipped from Barack Obama's grasp.
Her sensational performance at the Republican convention may turn out to be the moment the White House slipped from Barack Obama's grasp.
She was an electrifying mix of passion, energy, optimism and plain speaking. The exact opposite of the slippery, two-faced, depressing bunch of third-raters who parade on our Westminster stage.
In Palin and the Democrats' Barack Obama, America has two hugely charismatic people offering distinctly different roads.
Palin is sidekick to Vietnam war hero John McCain. He isn't short of fame and glory either. But as I look closer to home, which giant British personalities are making news on the Westminster scene today? Er -- Charles Clarke. A lumbering, grumbling tub of resentment, Big Ears snipes at Gordon Brown while lacking the courage to do anything about it.
Then there's Alan Johnson, the gutless former postman who has failed to deliver for the Labour Party by running away from a leadership challenge.
Sixth-former David Miliband is hiding behind the bike sheds threatening to put Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin in detention.
What about the ladies?
There's Hazel Blears, a clockwork orange of mediocrity.She couldn't cause any excitement if she was fired out of a rocket from the top of Blackpool Tower.
There's Hazel Blears, a clockwork orange of mediocrity.She couldn't cause any excitement if she was fired out of a rocket from the top of Blackpool Tower.
Then there is that boot-faced robot of political correctness Harriet Harperson.
Somehow I can't see any of this gang of miseries doing a Palin and thrilling a continent with a speech of intelligence, wit, fire and vision.
And, sorry Dave, but the Tories also have their share of ocean-going deadbeats.
Theresa May has been in the Tory high command since Noah boarded the Ark, but all she's known for is flashing a tarty pair of heels.
Where is someone with the X-Factor mass appeal of Palin and Obama?
It's grim. And sad, too, because I have seen here how exciting a political battle can be when slugged out by huge characters before an enthralled nation.
Democrats and their Lefty media backers had been sneering that Palin is a small-town nobody, a hick from Alaska put into a job way beyond an inexperienced woman.
Democrats and their Lefty media backers had been sneering that Palin is a small-town nobody, a hick from Alaska put into a job way beyond an inexperienced woman.
Believe me, you will not be hearing that again.
Full of self-assurance and aggression, super Sarah popped Barack's balloon big-time.
From the moment she walked on stage in this cavernous bear pit, smart in cream jacket, trim black skirt and black heels, she proved that McCain knew exactly what he was doing when he picked her as running mate.
The first thought was that here was America's youthful Maggie Thatcher, minus the swinging handbag. Hair piled into a slight beehive -- more Sarah White House than Amy Winehouse -- she blinked and smiled behind her geeky specs as the vast crowd went ballistic.
She is popular with voters for the very reason America's snooty political establishment despises her: She isn't one of the Washington gang.
She is popular with voters for the very reason America's snooty political establishment despises her: She isn't one of the Washington gang.
She's a mum of five from icy Alaska with a sledge-load of problems behind her own front door that workaday Americans can relate to.
A child with special needs. A daughter of 17 pregnant. A constant juggle between family and career. Compared to the career politicians dominating both parties here she seemed fresh, natural -- one of us and not one of them.
She revelled in being an outsider.
She spoke to America as one working mum to another. She cracked good jokes.
Showing steel beneath her magnolia jacket, she slaughtered Obama's lack of experience, his vanity, his emptiness beneath the windy waffle.
Showing steel beneath her magnolia jacket, she slaughtered Obama's lack of experience, his vanity, his emptiness beneath the windy waffle.
It was the most powerful demolition of the Democrat hero I have heard in two weeks on the US election trail.
The wagons have been drawn up and the Republicans are ready for battle.
The McCain-Palin ticket now looks in exciting shape. A war hero and a heroic mum. Experience and optimism.
And when McCain joined the Palin gang -- babies and boyfriends and all -- on stage after her speech, there was a sense of cheeky fun absent from Obama's solemn coronation.
How the Democrats must be regretting Hillary isn't running with Obama. Barack's sidekick, Joe Biden, looks a dull old dog compared with the ball of fire that is Palin.
And consider this: If Obama loses, Hillary Clinton will run for the Democrats in 2012. Opposing her is sure to be Sarah Palin. That would guarantee America its first woman President.
And my fistful of dollars, having seen both in action here, would be on Palin.
Most of all, though, the Palin sensation makes our own Westminster politics look as grey and dull as the leaden September skies. It's dire.
Ah, there's a reason for '1776' and all that. Our folks either left or were thrown out of old Europe. The effete and 'intellectuals' over there thought/think that's all fine.* Looking at the record, I'd say a rational human being would conclude we got the better deal.
*America's own snooty class takes it cue from that same bankrupt limousine socialist caste.
#4
I liked this comment: "Sara Palin has cured my electile disfunction"
Posted by: Large Hupainter7003 ||
09/07/2008 9:57 Comments ||
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#5
I suppose great leaders are destined to not be appreciated until they're gone...
Mark 6:4?
The media of the time also despised and vilified Lincoln. Part of his semi-deification [temples anyone] was in part due to the attempt of that same media to buy back its soul after his murder.
#6
A must read article it nails the wimps "a clockwork orange of mediocrity" "boot-faced robot of political correctness" "showing steel beneath her magnolia jacket, she slaughtered Obama's lack of experience, his vanity, his emptiness beneath the windy waffle."
I guess there's a reason the Sun is an extremely popular paper beyond its girlie pics.
Posted by: regular joe ||
09/07/2008 12:18 Comments ||
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#7
why can't WE have a Sarah Palin?
You can. All you have to do is joining the United States. But first you will have to agree to pay a tax on tea.
#8
Bob and I over at www.obamawaffles.com are big fans of Mrs. Palin. You're obviously a kindred spirit. We were so fired up by her speech, we created a "Buy 2 get 1 FREE" special on our site. We've created an instant waffle mix called Obama Waffles. We're cataloging his position changes and other foibles. It's an edible collectible. We've created 11 oz of instant waffle mix inside a colorful box covered with biting political satire and laugh-out-loud lampoons. Check it out and get your copy today. We'll be sure to link to your blog from ours. Will you do the same?
Posted by: Mark Whitlock ||
09/07/2008 22:10 Comments ||
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I find this very interesting! The reason being that this is an independent firm that is outside the taint of the bigger national polling firms. There is a consistent pattern among the known polling firms such as CNN, Gallup, Rasmussen etc. etc. (including Real Clear Politic) which ALWAYS show the democrat ahead at this point and yet their numbers always tighten about a two weeks before the election increasing the odds of the republican candidate. And just days before the election we finally see some numbers that actually resemble election results while still tilting slightly towards the democrat.
What I love to see is some intelligent blogger do a study of how many points we can expect the polls to favor the liberal candidate at certain points through out the race. This trend has been happening for probably at least eight years now, so there is plenty of data available to do the study. For example, if CNN and Gallup say at this point the dem candidate is up by 2, then when we get to the actual results of the race, how many points should we deduct from that candidate knowing that these polls have been consistently off by a factor of X and will tighten as the election day nears?
#4
Locally, our (R) congressional candidate was always up to 8 points behind in the polls till election day. Then when the official results are completed, the candidate always won. The last time the difference was 9 points, but after 2 weeks of counting ballots and threaten lawsuits [on method of counting], squeaked by with just over 200 votes.* That's just local, but significant bias in the process. Unfortunately, the candidate tried for a vacated higher office this time around and didn't make it through the party's own primary.
The pollsters play a confidence game with the people who pay them. They know what the buyer wants to hear [sound familiar?]. So they play loose with the numbers. Would you go back if they told you, you were toast early in the game? However, to cover their commercial asses, they play 'tighten the numbers' as the day draws closer. It's the proverbial Lucy and Charlie Brown game with kicking the ball. Why do they keep going back. As mentioned they hear what they want to hear. Also the hope that the repeated and constant bombardment of the numbers convinces people to 'join the bandwagon'/back the strongest horse.
*The Donk administered Board of Elections intentionally shorted the polling stations in red sub-districts and increased blue sub-districts holding of the mark sense forms election ballots used in the election. It wasn't by a small margin of statistical error either.
#5
What I think the blogsphere needs is a statstics expert to run down things. Such as how many people are needed for a poll to be stastically viable. And then what "Likely voter" and Registered voter" mean and why each is used to massage outcomes in one direction or another.
Then convince a lot of bloggers to link to that article/blog to make sure it rises i google ratings and otherwise gets notice.
#6
This poll may actually understate things, it's of registered Alaska voters for one thing. For another, even before the VP pick Alaska was a red state and was expected to vote McCain in November. Yet this poll has McCain's initial numbers starting as DOWN by 7%. Now up by 27%.
Posted by: Minister of funny walks ||
09/07/2008 12:58 Comments ||
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Arizona Senator John McCain vowed to fight for America as long as he draws breath, in a patriotic pledge to bring political change as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination. The 72-year-old war veteran offered himself as a warrior to fight one final battle for his country, arguing a character forged in war gave him the judgment and vision to lead from the White House.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Hope he doesn't piss off too many crooked Republicans. The last thing he needs right now is to be undermined by some of his own.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
09/07/2008 2:15 Comments ||
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#2
Mantle? Far more like good'o Chicago veneer.
O'Man talks the talk about change. Palin walks the walk. Americans know a cheap street hawked knock off when they see it. Some will settle for it, because they really don't care. They only want to project the image and are not concerned about the functionality. It's a pop fashion statement not a practical choice. Palin has had no problem pissing off the corrupt of her party [unlike the Donk who's a product of the same in his own]. Looks like she's going to deliver far more votes come November than those party hacks.
#3
Mike N., that's exactly what's happened to Gov Palin. The crooked R's are feeding all their old innuendo and attacks to the left, who then carry them to the MSM. And the MSM uncritically suck it up, and then go after her repeatedly looking stupid, and burning their credibility.
#4
"the MSM uncritically suck it up, and then go after her repeatedly looking stupid, and burning their credibility"
The MSM has any credibility left, OS?
Who knew?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/07/2008 12:08 Comments ||
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#5
Sarah Palin was disgusted with Randy Reidrich, State Republican party chairman. So she went around him and the G.O.B. network while they were feeding from the trough.
She earned her credentials. She and her family have the strength of character to weather the sh*tstorm of smear that is going on now. I would not wish it on anybody.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
09/07/2008 15:21 Comments ||
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#6
Me neither. But what worries me is voter fraud and lawfare (to include Tasergate).
Washington, Sep 7 (IANS) Both US presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, have welcomed the nuclear cartels waiver for India and asked the Bush administration to present the India-US civil nuclear deal to the Congress quickly.Calling the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) decision another building block in the partnership between our two countries, Republican McCain asked the Congressional leaders to act expeditiously to pass the US-India nuclear agreement.
Democrat Obama welcomed the news about NSG Saturday reaching a consensus on an exception for India and described the news as a positive development. While asking the administration to submit the deal to the Congress quickly, Obama said he looked forward to reviewing what the 45-member grouping had agreed to in Vienna.
McCain took a dig at his rival for his earlier reservations about the deal, saying that while he supported it early on and without equivocation, Obama supported poison pill amendments on the Senate floor that would have had the effect of killing this important agreement.
In a brief statement issued from Chicago, Obama said: I welcome news that the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has now reached a consensus to adopt an exception to its rules that would permit its members to engage in nuclear cooperation with India.
It is a positive development, he said adding, I look forward to reviewing what the NSG has agreed in Vienna, and urge the administration to submit the US-India Agreement for civil nuclear cooperation to the Congress quickly.
McCain in his statement issued from Arlington said: I welcome todays decision by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group to lift the global ban on civilian nuclear trade with India.
This step, which is critical to implementing the US-India civilian nuclear agreement, represents another building block in the partnership between our two countries, he noted.
Because the agreement will further involve India in the global non-proliferation regime, strengthen the ongoing transformation of US-India relations, and reduce Indias dependence on carbon-emitting energy sources, I supported it early on and without equivocation, McCain said.
The same cannot be said of my opponent, who supported poison pill amendments on the Senate floor that would have had the effect of killing this important agreement. Now that the NSG has approved it, Congressional leaders should act expeditiously to pass the US-India nuclear agreement here at home.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/07/2008 10:28 ||
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Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, was elected president of Pakistan on Saturday, election commission officials said. Zardari, who had been widely expected to win, had secured 458 out of 702 electoral college votes, according to partial Election Commission results.
Members of the two-chamber parliament and four provincial assemblies voted for a replacement for Pervez Musharraf, who resigned last month. Security was tight as secret voting began shortly after 10:00 am.
The presidential election comes at a sensitive time for the nuclear-armed, Muslim-majority nation of 160 million. Zardari himself has already moved house due to fears of attempts being made on his life, nine months after Bhutto was killed at a campaign rally.
Tensions rose further this week after a failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, whose car was hit by sniper fire as it drove to meet him at an airport on Wednesday.
Zardari, 53, will face a multitude of other problems if he defeats his two opponents, retired chief justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, who is backed by former premier Nawaz Sharif, and Mushahid Hussain, a close aide of Musharraf.
The president can dissolve parliament and appoint army chiefs, and chairs the joint civilian-military committee that controls Pakistan's nuclear weapons.
A horse-loving aristocrat who has spent more years in prison than in politics, Zardari has impressed and surprised many with his ability to concentrate power since his wife was killed in a December and he inherited the leadership of her party.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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I highly recommend it! It defines the cost of freedom..
What is the book Once A Marine about?
In April 2004, Nick Popaditch fights heroically in the battle for Fallujah and suffers grievous head wounds that leave him legally blind and partially deaf. The USMC awards him with a Silver Star for his valor and combat innovation.
Gunny Pop comes home to face the toughest fight of his life-a battle to remain the man and Marine he was. This is the central drama of Nicks inspiring memoir, Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commanders Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery.
Thanks for this message on Gunny Pop.
Here is a new book trailer for his book. Feel free to embed it on your site if you like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPDpg7FC0sI
This is the low resolution trailer. The hi-res version will be streaming from http://www.onceamarine.com, http://www.savasbeatie.com and other sites.
Please share this trailer with others. The Popaditch's have sacrificed a lot for their country and deserve the success this book may well bring them.
If there is anything else you need, do not hesitate to ask.
Thank you.
tps
Theodore P. Savas
Managing Director, Savas Beatie LLC
989 Governor Dr., Suite 102
P.O. Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
Phone: 916.941.6896; Fax: 916.941.6895
www.savasbeatie.com
Join us for behind-the-scenes publishing insights at
www.savasbeatie.blogspot.com and www.savasbeatiemarketing.blogspot.com
Posted by: Theodore P. Savas ||
09/07/2008 23:11 Comments ||
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Israeli Police's Intelligence and Investigations Unit is likely to announce on Sunday that it has amassed sufficient evidence to indict Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, local daily Ha'aretz reported Thursday.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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Thai police warned students Friday to avoid street protests after a gunman shot and wounded two students demonstrating against the embattled prime minister, raising new fears of violence in the country's tense political crisis.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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The U.S. government plans to put government sponsored mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under federal control, the New York Times and Washington Post newspapers reported late Friday, in what could be the largest financial bailout in the nation's history
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2008 00:00 ||
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#2
Hopefully, Treasury has something better in mind that good ole fashioned nationalizing. The new whateveritsgonnabe is going to have to do an equity offering and the need investors to buy it by the truckload.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
09/07/2008 1:49 Comments ||
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#3
They should take all the good parts and sell them off in reasonably sized chunks. They should take all the dreck and use the IRS to collect it.
#6
We're in an incredibly important period right now. So far, the world economy has managed not to implode -- but we're closer to it than many realize.
We can debate whether it was wise as a matter of public policy to create these two institutions. I think there's a case to be made that promoting a strong middle class with house ownership is key to a functioning democracy. But in any case, once they were created they required a lot more oversight than they got. Already on TV this AM I'm hearing lots of arguments about whose fault that is.
I don't see that the feds have any choice but to try to stabilize credit and housing ownership for the core part of the market. The costs to us all will be far more than we can absorb and still retain national security of all kinds.
#12
Bush has authorized Treasury to extend an unlimited line of credit to F&F. Generally, it's politicians who must authorise spending of taxpayers money. Not any more. How much is it going to cost?
Don't know, but we will find out when the Asian Markets open today. Asian central Banks are key investors in F&F. It could be a slow implosion or it could be a meltdown.
#13
Heh. Looks like Treasury and FHFA are replacing the boards and purchasing senior preferred shares on an as-needed basis. F&F are now guaranteed to have the capital they need and the taxpayer gets at least something for their money.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
09/07/2008 19:35 Comments ||
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#14
This is Paulson's chance to sink or swim. Nationalization - followed by breaking these beasts up when the time is right - is the right thing to do.
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.
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) did not know that the Caribbean resort villa he purchased 20 years ago was financed with a no-interest mortgage from the developer and has generated $75,000 in income that he should have reported on tax and financial disclosure forms, his lawyer said yesterday. 
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe received a rousing stadium reception in the Swazi capital, Mbabane, on Saturday as he joined King Mswati III and other top guests for the king's lavish birthday celebrations. 
A Honduran court has sentenced a former prison official to 1,051 years in jail for the deaths of 69 people in a 2003 prison massacre. 
An alleged Colombian drugs lord, Edgar Guillermo Vallejo-Guarin, has been arrested in Spain. Mr Vallejo-Guarin, known as Beto the Gypsy, is wanted for drugs-trafficking, money-laundering and murder. 
Canada's ruling Conservative Party will gain victory in an election, with an edge of 10 percentage point support over the Liberal Party.
Arizona Senator John McCain vowed to fight for America as long as he draws breath, in a patriotic pledge to bring political change as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination. The 72-year-old war veteran offered himself as a warrior to fight one final battle for his country, arguing a character forged in war gave him the judgment and vision to lead from the White House.
Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, was elected president of Pakistan on Saturday, election commission officials said. Zardari, who had been widely expected to win, had secured 458 out of 702 electoral college votes, according to partial Election Commission results.
Israeli Police's Intelligence and Investigations Unit is likely to announce on Sunday that it has amassed sufficient evidence to indict Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, local daily Ha'aretz reported Thursday.
