Thursday, June 30, 2011
SACRILEGIOUS PIG GUILTY OF 17 COUNTS --- THE MOVIE PRODUCER NEXT!
THREE MORE COUNTS STILL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED FOR MR. HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER'S BROTHER AND CARL ICAHN, WHO CONTINUE TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM OUR PRIVATE RESIDENCE WHILE CONTINUING TO EXPLOIT OUR CHILDREN WITH CHICAGO'S DISNEYS' "SHAKE 'EM UP" AND A DEMENTED "ZOOKEEPER" WHO REFUSES TO REMOVE HIMSELVES FROM OUR HOMES!
+++++++++
Jury Convicts Blagojevich on Nearly All Corruption Counts at Retrial
Published June 27, 2011
In this June 9 photo, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich pauses as he talks with reporters at the Federal Court building in Chicago.
CHICAGO – Rod Blagojevich, who won two terms as Illinois governor before scandal made him a national punch line, was convicted Monday of a wide range of corruption charges, including trying to sell President Barack Obama's Senate seat.
The verdict, coming after his first trial ended last year with the jury deadlocked on most charges, was a bitter defeat for Blagojevich, who spent 2 1/2 years professing his innocence on reality TV shows and later on the witness stand. His defense team insisted that hours of FBI wiretap recordings were just the ramblings of a politician who liked to think out loud.
Blagojevich becomes the second straight Illinois governor convicted of corruption. His predecessor, George Ryan, is now serving 6 1/2 years in federal prison.
When sentenced later this year, Blagojevich is virtually certain to get a significant prison term that experts said could be 10 to 15 years.
After hearing the verdict, Blagojevich turned to defense attorney Sheldon Sorosky and asked "What happened?" His wife, Patti, slumped against her brother, then rushed into her husband's arms.
Before the decision was read, the couple looked flushed, and the former governor blew his wife a kiss across the courtroom, then stood expressionless, with his hands clasped tightly.
The verdict capped a long-running spectacle in which Blagojevich became famous for blurting on a recorded phone call that his ability to appoint Obama's successor to the Senate was "f---ing golden" and that he wouldn't let it go "for f---ing nothing."
The 54-year-old Democrat, who has been free on bond since shortly after his arrest, spoke only briefly with reporters as he left the courthouse, saying he was disappointed and stunned by the verdict.
"Well, among the many lessons I've learned from this whole experience is to try to speak a little bit less, so I'm going to keep my remarks kind of short," Blagojevich said, adding that the couple wanted "to get home to our little girls and talk to them and explain things to them and then try to sort things out." His two daughters are 8 and 14.
The case exploded into scandal when Blagojevich was awakened by federal agents on Dec. 9, 2008, at his Chicago home and was led away in handcuffs. Federal prosecutors had been investigating his administration for years, and some of his closest cronies had already been convicted.
Blagojevich was swiftly impeached and removed from office.
The verdict provided affirmation to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, one of the nation's most prominent prosecutors, who, after the governor's arrest, had condemned Blagojevich's dealings as a "political corruption crime spree."
On Monday, he said the key question for the jury was whether to accept the defense suggestion that Blagojevich's activities amounted to "the kind of political wheeling and dealing that is common in Illinois and around the country."
"That," said Fitzgerald, his voice rising, "couldn't be any further from the truth. ... Selling a Senate seat, shaking down a children's hospital and squeezing a person to give money before you sign a bill that benefits them is not a gray area. It's a crime."
Fitzgerald also addressed a question that has hung over the case ever since Blagojevich was arrested: Why did authorities not wait until the governor actually made a deal for the Senate seat? Doing so might have helped ensnare other conspirators.
A U.S. Senate seat "should not be put up for sale. You should not let the sale happen. ... Our job is to try to prevent crime, not just prosecute crime," he said.
Fitzgerald pledged to retry the governor after the first jury failed to reach a decision on all but the least serious of 24 charges against him.
On Monday, the jury voted to convict on 17 of 20 counts after deliberating nine days. Blagojevich also faces up to five additional years in prison for his previous conviction of lying to the FBI.
Blagojevich was acquitted of soliciting bribes in the alleged shakedown of a road-building executive. The jury deadlocked on two charges of attempted extortion related to that executive and funding for a school.
Judge James Zagel has barred Blagojevich from traveling outside the area without permission. A status hearing to discuss sentencing was set for Aug. 1.
The charges carry a possible sentence up to 300 years in prison, but federal guidelines mean he will serve only a fraction of that.
Judges have enormous discretion in sentencing and can factor in a host of variables, including whether a defendant took the stand and lied. Prosecutors have said that Blagojevich did just that.
Two legal experts speculated that Blagojevich would probably receive around 10 years in prison, with little chance that he would get more than 15.
Former prosecutor Jeff Cramer estimated that Blagojevich would get between six and 12 years. Another former assistant U.S. attorney, Phil Turner, guessed closer to six years.
All 12 jurors -- 11 women and one man -- spoke to reporters after the verdict, identifying themselves only by juror numbers. Their full names were to be released Tuesday.
Jurors said the evidence that Blagojevich tried to secure a high-paying, high-powered position in exchange for the appointment of Obama's successor in the Senate was the clearest in the case.
"There was so much more evidence to go on," said Juror No. 140. Jury members said they listened and re-listened to recordings of Blagojevich's phone conversations with aides. They also acknowledged finding the former governor likable.
"He was personable," Juror No. 103 said. "It made it hard to separate what we actively had to do as jurors."
Still, Juror No. 140 said she found Blagojevich's testimony over seven days at times "manipulative."
"Our verdict shows that we didn't believe it," she said.
The quiet Blagojevich who left the courthouse Monday was a sharp contrast with the combative politician who emerged after his arrest. Back then, he called federal prosecutors "cowards and liars" and challenged Fitzgerald to face him in court if he was "man enough."
Over the months that followed, he engaged in what many saw as embarrassing indignities for a former governor. He sent his wife to the jungle for a reality television show, "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here," where she had to eat a tarantula. He later showed his own ineptitude at simple office skills before being fired on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice."
For the second trial, prosecutors streamlined their case, and attorneys for the former governor put on a defense -- highlighted by a chatty Blagojevich taking the witness stand for seven days to portray himself as a big talker but not a criminal.
Richard Kling, a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law who watched much of the trial, said the defense had no choice but to put Blagojevich on the stand, even though doing so was risky.
"The problem was with some of his explanations," Kling said. "It reminded me of a little kid who gets his hand caught in a cookie jar. He says, `Mommy I wasn't taking the cookies. I was just trying to protect them and to count them."'
Robert Grant, head of the FBI's Chicago office, said the agency's eavesdropping helped seal the verdict.
"A famous artist once said that lady justice is blind, but she has very sophisticated listening devices, and that was certainly the case in this matter," Grant said.
Blagojevich seemed to believe he could talk his way out of trouble from the witness stand. He sought to counteract the blunt, greedy man he appeared to be on FBI wiretaps and apologized to jurors for the four-letter words that peppered the recordings.
He said the wiretaps merely displayed his approach to decision-making: to invite a whirlwind of ideas -- "good ones, bad ones, stupid ones" -- then toss the ill-conceived ones out.
When a prosecutor read wiretap transcripts where Blagojevich seems to speak clearly of trading the Senate seat for a job, Blagojevich told jurors, "I see what I say here, but that's not what I meant."
Lead prosecutor Reid Schar started his questioning of Blagojevich with a quick verbal punch: "Mr. Blagojevich, you are a convicted liar, correct?"
After the judge overruled a flurry of defense objections, Blagojevich eventually answered: "Yes."
+++++++++
Jury Convicts Blagojevich on Nearly All Corruption Counts at Retrial
Published June 27, 2011
In this June 9 photo, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich pauses as he talks with reporters at the Federal Court building in Chicago.
CHICAGO – Rod Blagojevich, who won two terms as Illinois governor before scandal made him a national punch line, was convicted Monday of a wide range of corruption charges, including trying to sell President Barack Obama's Senate seat.
The verdict, coming after his first trial ended last year with the jury deadlocked on most charges, was a bitter defeat for Blagojevich, who spent 2 1/2 years professing his innocence on reality TV shows and later on the witness stand. His defense team insisted that hours of FBI wiretap recordings were just the ramblings of a politician who liked to think out loud.
Blagojevich becomes the second straight Illinois governor convicted of corruption. His predecessor, George Ryan, is now serving 6 1/2 years in federal prison.
When sentenced later this year, Blagojevich is virtually certain to get a significant prison term that experts said could be 10 to 15 years.
After hearing the verdict, Blagojevich turned to defense attorney Sheldon Sorosky and asked "What happened?" His wife, Patti, slumped against her brother, then rushed into her husband's arms.
Before the decision was read, the couple looked flushed, and the former governor blew his wife a kiss across the courtroom, then stood expressionless, with his hands clasped tightly.
The verdict capped a long-running spectacle in which Blagojevich became famous for blurting on a recorded phone call that his ability to appoint Obama's successor to the Senate was "f---ing golden" and that he wouldn't let it go "for f---ing nothing."
The 54-year-old Democrat, who has been free on bond since shortly after his arrest, spoke only briefly with reporters as he left the courthouse, saying he was disappointed and stunned by the verdict.
"Well, among the many lessons I've learned from this whole experience is to try to speak a little bit less, so I'm going to keep my remarks kind of short," Blagojevich said, adding that the couple wanted "to get home to our little girls and talk to them and explain things to them and then try to sort things out." His two daughters are 8 and 14.
The case exploded into scandal when Blagojevich was awakened by federal agents on Dec. 9, 2008, at his Chicago home and was led away in handcuffs. Federal prosecutors had been investigating his administration for years, and some of his closest cronies had already been convicted.
Blagojevich was swiftly impeached and removed from office.
The verdict provided affirmation to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, one of the nation's most prominent prosecutors, who, after the governor's arrest, had condemned Blagojevich's dealings as a "political corruption crime spree."
On Monday, he said the key question for the jury was whether to accept the defense suggestion that Blagojevich's activities amounted to "the kind of political wheeling and dealing that is common in Illinois and around the country."
"That," said Fitzgerald, his voice rising, "couldn't be any further from the truth. ... Selling a Senate seat, shaking down a children's hospital and squeezing a person to give money before you sign a bill that benefits them is not a gray area. It's a crime."
Fitzgerald also addressed a question that has hung over the case ever since Blagojevich was arrested: Why did authorities not wait until the governor actually made a deal for the Senate seat? Doing so might have helped ensnare other conspirators.
A U.S. Senate seat "should not be put up for sale. You should not let the sale happen. ... Our job is to try to prevent crime, not just prosecute crime," he said.
Fitzgerald pledged to retry the governor after the first jury failed to reach a decision on all but the least serious of 24 charges against him.
On Monday, the jury voted to convict on 17 of 20 counts after deliberating nine days. Blagojevich also faces up to five additional years in prison for his previous conviction of lying to the FBI.
Blagojevich was acquitted of soliciting bribes in the alleged shakedown of a road-building executive. The jury deadlocked on two charges of attempted extortion related to that executive and funding for a school.
Judge James Zagel has barred Blagojevich from traveling outside the area without permission. A status hearing to discuss sentencing was set for Aug. 1.
The charges carry a possible sentence up to 300 years in prison, but federal guidelines mean he will serve only a fraction of that.
Judges have enormous discretion in sentencing and can factor in a host of variables, including whether a defendant took the stand and lied. Prosecutors have said that Blagojevich did just that.
Two legal experts speculated that Blagojevich would probably receive around 10 years in prison, with little chance that he would get more than 15.
Former prosecutor Jeff Cramer estimated that Blagojevich would get between six and 12 years. Another former assistant U.S. attorney, Phil Turner, guessed closer to six years.
All 12 jurors -- 11 women and one man -- spoke to reporters after the verdict, identifying themselves only by juror numbers. Their full names were to be released Tuesday.
Jurors said the evidence that Blagojevich tried to secure a high-paying, high-powered position in exchange for the appointment of Obama's successor in the Senate was the clearest in the case.
"There was so much more evidence to go on," said Juror No. 140. Jury members said they listened and re-listened to recordings of Blagojevich's phone conversations with aides. They also acknowledged finding the former governor likable.
"He was personable," Juror No. 103 said. "It made it hard to separate what we actively had to do as jurors."
Still, Juror No. 140 said she found Blagojevich's testimony over seven days at times "manipulative."
"Our verdict shows that we didn't believe it," she said.
The quiet Blagojevich who left the courthouse Monday was a sharp contrast with the combative politician who emerged after his arrest. Back then, he called federal prosecutors "cowards and liars" and challenged Fitzgerald to face him in court if he was "man enough."
Over the months that followed, he engaged in what many saw as embarrassing indignities for a former governor. He sent his wife to the jungle for a reality television show, "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here," where she had to eat a tarantula. He later showed his own ineptitude at simple office skills before being fired on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice."
For the second trial, prosecutors streamlined their case, and attorneys for the former governor put on a defense -- highlighted by a chatty Blagojevich taking the witness stand for seven days to portray himself as a big talker but not a criminal.
Richard Kling, a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law who watched much of the trial, said the defense had no choice but to put Blagojevich on the stand, even though doing so was risky.
"The problem was with some of his explanations," Kling said. "It reminded me of a little kid who gets his hand caught in a cookie jar. He says, `Mommy I wasn't taking the cookies. I was just trying to protect them and to count them."'
Robert Grant, head of the FBI's Chicago office, said the agency's eavesdropping helped seal the verdict.
"A famous artist once said that lady justice is blind, but she has very sophisticated listening devices, and that was certainly the case in this matter," Grant said.
Blagojevich seemed to believe he could talk his way out of trouble from the witness stand. He sought to counteract the blunt, greedy man he appeared to be on FBI wiretaps and apologized to jurors for the four-letter words that peppered the recordings.
He said the wiretaps merely displayed his approach to decision-making: to invite a whirlwind of ideas -- "good ones, bad ones, stupid ones" -- then toss the ill-conceived ones out.
When a prosecutor read wiretap transcripts where Blagojevich seems to speak clearly of trading the Senate seat for a job, Blagojevich told jurors, "I see what I say here, but that's not what I meant."
Lead prosecutor Reid Schar started his questioning of Blagojevich with a quick verbal punch: "Mr. Blagojevich, you are a convicted liar, correct?"
After the judge overruled a flurry of defense objections, Blagojevich eventually answered: "Yes."
FLORIDA CONGRESSWOMAN CONDEMNS CUBA'S REGIMEN'S ONGOING PROMOTION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING UTILIZING FLORIDA CASEY ANTHONY CASE!
Media Center :: Press Releases
Ros-Lehtinen Condemns Cuban Regime's Ongoing Promotion Of Human Trafficking
June 28, 2011
Miami, Florida – Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) commented on the State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report, which once again designates Cuba as the lowest ranking (Tier 3), which is defined as a country that does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:
“The State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in Persons report once again classifies Cuba as one of the worst nations in the area of human and sex trafficking. This designation as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act should trigger the administration's reversal of its support for educational and cultural exchanges with Cuba.
"Any Cuba watcher knows that the Havana regime has no intention of eliminating trafficking in or from Cuba. In fact, it relies on this immoral practice to sustain its tyrannical ways. Child prostitution is a common profit-making scheme by the regime and Cuban doctors are used as mere pawns by the dictatorship to repay its debts to other countries.
"Having recognized Cuba's deplorable record on human trafficking, it is reprehensible that the administration would continue to make it a priority to advance educational and cultural exchanges with Cuba. In light of the State Department’s own designation, I call on the Administration to reverse its position."
###
Ros-Lehtinen Condemns Cuban Regime's Ongoing Promotion Of Human Trafficking
June 28, 2011
Miami, Florida – Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) commented on the State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report, which once again designates Cuba as the lowest ranking (Tier 3), which is defined as a country that does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:
“The State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in Persons report once again classifies Cuba as one of the worst nations in the area of human and sex trafficking. This designation as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act should trigger the administration's reversal of its support for educational and cultural exchanges with Cuba.
"Any Cuba watcher knows that the Havana regime has no intention of eliminating trafficking in or from Cuba. In fact, it relies on this immoral practice to sustain its tyrannical ways. Child prostitution is a common profit-making scheme by the regime and Cuban doctors are used as mere pawns by the dictatorship to repay its debts to other countries.
"Having recognized Cuba's deplorable record on human trafficking, it is reprehensible that the administration would continue to make it a priority to advance educational and cultural exchanges with Cuba. In light of the State Department’s own designation, I call on the Administration to reverse its position."
###
TIME TO COMPLETELY DEFUND & REMOVE THE U.N. HEADQUARTERS FROM AMERICAN SOIL!
FOX NEWS REPORTS:
Disarmament Body Now
Led by ... North Korea?
Jun 29, 2011 11:09 PM EDT
Despite numerous breaches of arms embargoes and continued threats to expand its nuclear weapons program, North Korea has assumed the presidency of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament. In a speech to the 65-nation arms control forum in Geneva, the newly-appointed president, North Korean Ambassador So Se Pyong, said he was very much committed to the Conference.
Appointing a North Korean to chair the UNs only multilateral disarmament forum is like asking the fox to guard the chickens, says Hillel Neuer, of the UN watchdog organization UN Watch. Neuer is calling on the U.S. and European governments to protest the appointment, which he says, damages the UNs credibility.
When asked about the controversy over North Koreas new leadership role, UN spokesman Farhan Haq pointed out that the head of the Conference on Disarmament is selected by the member states that sit on the conference, not the UN secretary general.
Haq added that when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke at the Conference on Disarmament this January, he urged the states who sit on the conference to do more to advance its work, so that it does not become irrelevant.Aware that many nations see the Conference on Disarmament as a place of talk rather than a forum that does substantive work, Secretary General Ban warned: The very credibility of this body is at risk.
The United States, Great Britain, Canada and other Western members of the conference have grown frustrated over the UN forums failure over the past decade to move forward on its core disarmament responsibilities, including curbs on the proliferation of fissile material.
Iran, China and Burma were among nations that congratulated North Korea on assuming the presidency of the conference. This month, the U.S. Navy intercepted a North Korean ship suspected of trying to deliver missiles to Burma, forcing its return to North Korea. It was the latest incident among many, as Pyongyang continues the proliferation of arms and weapons-related materials, despite UN Security Council sanctions.
Determined not to be cowed by the West and to provoke Washington, North Korea celebrated July 4, 2009, by firing 7 missiles into the Sea of Japan. UN Watch sees North Koreas appointment to lead the Conference on Disarmament as a political victory for Pyongyang. It is common sense that a disarmament body should not be headed by the worlds arch-villain on illegal weapons and nuclear proliferation, said Neuer.
A diplomat from the North Korean Mission to the UN, which is notorious for not returning calls from the Western media, called Fox News to say that complaints about the appointment of their nation to lead the Conference on Disarmament are just the continuation of the Western mindset that refuses to acknowledge that the Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) is fighting for disarmament.
The diplomat, who requested that he remain anonymous added, It is normal for my nation, just as any nation, to become president of a UN conference.
Disarmament Body Now
Led by ... North Korea?
Jun 29, 2011 11:09 PM EDT
Despite numerous breaches of arms embargoes and continued threats to expand its nuclear weapons program, North Korea has assumed the presidency of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament. In a speech to the 65-nation arms control forum in Geneva, the newly-appointed president, North Korean Ambassador So Se Pyong, said he was very much committed to the Conference.
Appointing a North Korean to chair the UNs only multilateral disarmament forum is like asking the fox to guard the chickens, says Hillel Neuer, of the UN watchdog organization UN Watch. Neuer is calling on the U.S. and European governments to protest the appointment, which he says, damages the UNs credibility.
When asked about the controversy over North Koreas new leadership role, UN spokesman Farhan Haq pointed out that the head of the Conference on Disarmament is selected by the member states that sit on the conference, not the UN secretary general.
Haq added that when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke at the Conference on Disarmament this January, he urged the states who sit on the conference to do more to advance its work, so that it does not become irrelevant.Aware that many nations see the Conference on Disarmament as a place of talk rather than a forum that does substantive work, Secretary General Ban warned: The very credibility of this body is at risk.
The United States, Great Britain, Canada and other Western members of the conference have grown frustrated over the UN forums failure over the past decade to move forward on its core disarmament responsibilities, including curbs on the proliferation of fissile material.
Iran, China and Burma were among nations that congratulated North Korea on assuming the presidency of the conference. This month, the U.S. Navy intercepted a North Korean ship suspected of trying to deliver missiles to Burma, forcing its return to North Korea. It was the latest incident among many, as Pyongyang continues the proliferation of arms and weapons-related materials, despite UN Security Council sanctions.
Determined not to be cowed by the West and to provoke Washington, North Korea celebrated July 4, 2009, by firing 7 missiles into the Sea of Japan. UN Watch sees North Koreas appointment to lead the Conference on Disarmament as a political victory for Pyongyang. It is common sense that a disarmament body should not be headed by the worlds arch-villain on illegal weapons and nuclear proliferation, said Neuer.
A diplomat from the North Korean Mission to the UN, which is notorious for not returning calls from the Western media, called Fox News to say that complaints about the appointment of their nation to lead the Conference on Disarmament are just the continuation of the Western mindset that refuses to acknowledge that the Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) is fighting for disarmament.
The diplomat, who requested that he remain anonymous added, It is normal for my nation, just as any nation, to become president of a UN conference.
LIGHTENING STRIKES TWICE FOR USA WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM - USA: 2 - NORTH KOREA 0
USA beats North Korea 2-0 behind Lauren Cheney's goal
By David Leon Moore, USA TODAY
DRESDEN, Germany — Lauren Cheney was born and grew up in Indianapolis before becoming a soccer star at UCLA.
So she was a Hoosier first, then a Bruin, and on Tuesday an American hero.
An unlikely one, at that.
Heading to Germany for the FIFA Women's World Cup, Cheney, 23, a part-time starter, figured her role would be as a substitute forward.
But two days ago, U.S. coach Pia Sundhage pulled a surprise, telling Cheney she was going to start the World Cup opener against North Korea at left midfielder in place of expected starter Megan Rapinoe.
"I had embraced my role of coming off the bench," Cheney said. "But you don't say no to an opportunity like that."
And so it was Tuesday that a Midwesterner took the field in central Europe and wound up in the middle of things most of the day. It was a good day, too, for the Americans, who won 2-0.
In the first half, Cheney seemed to be around the ball for all 45 minutes. She had several good opportunities to score but kept kicking the ball directly at North Korea goalkeeper Hong Myong Hui.
On defense, she had trouble keeping up with North Korea's right side, which was creeping forward and giving Cheney and left-side defender Amy LePeilbet fits.
But when the halftime whistle came, it was 0-0.
Cheney was satisfied with her first 45 minutes of World Cup soccer.
It was about to get a lot better.
Nine minutes into the second half, midfielder Carli Lloyd sent a long pass down the left side that U.S. veteran Abby Wambach ran down. Wambach moved the ball to her right foot and delivered a sharp, perfectly placed cross to Cheney.
Cheney slipped away from her defender, patiently measured the pass and redirected it off her forehead and into the net on a bounce just inside the left post for her 15th international goal.
"I just knew I wanted to get into the box," she said. "I did, and I got my head on it."
It was the kind of goal Wambach, famous for using her head, usually scores.
It was the kind of goal Cheney almost never scores.
"Actually, I'm not a very good header," she said. "I just knew I wanted to redirect it to the same place it had come from."
Cheney recalled that her last goal off a header came last year with the Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer, for whom she scored five goals and was a starter in the WPS All-Star Game.
"And that one was kind of a dinker," she said.
Tuesday's was more of a slam dunk. It was just what Sundhage was looking for when she decided to start Cheney.
"She's been playing so well and practicing so well," Sundhage said. "One of the things I am trying to do with the team is to create an atmosphere where we're competing for spots. Lauren has been doing a good job of that."
Will she stay in the starting lineup? "That's a good question," Sundhage said, smiling.
Based on her first half, when Cheney had trouble on defense, the answer might be no.
But Cheney, who scored in a 1-0 victory vs. Mexico in the team's last friendly in early June, was perhaps the most offensive-minded player on the American team Tuesday, and her goal broke the ice.
She said the difference between playing forward with Wambach and playing on the midfield flank is "you have to run a lot more."
She didn't mind the extra running. She'll play wherever and whenever she is directed to do so.
"It's great to know that the coach has that much confidence in me," she said.
By David Leon Moore, USA TODAY
DRESDEN, Germany — Lauren Cheney was born and grew up in Indianapolis before becoming a soccer star at UCLA.
So she was a Hoosier first, then a Bruin, and on Tuesday an American hero.
An unlikely one, at that.
Heading to Germany for the FIFA Women's World Cup, Cheney, 23, a part-time starter, figured her role would be as a substitute forward.
But two days ago, U.S. coach Pia Sundhage pulled a surprise, telling Cheney she was going to start the World Cup opener against North Korea at left midfielder in place of expected starter Megan Rapinoe.
"I had embraced my role of coming off the bench," Cheney said. "But you don't say no to an opportunity like that."
And so it was Tuesday that a Midwesterner took the field in central Europe and wound up in the middle of things most of the day. It was a good day, too, for the Americans, who won 2-0.
In the first half, Cheney seemed to be around the ball for all 45 minutes. She had several good opportunities to score but kept kicking the ball directly at North Korea goalkeeper Hong Myong Hui.
On defense, she had trouble keeping up with North Korea's right side, which was creeping forward and giving Cheney and left-side defender Amy LePeilbet fits.
But when the halftime whistle came, it was 0-0.
Cheney was satisfied with her first 45 minutes of World Cup soccer.
It was about to get a lot better.
Nine minutes into the second half, midfielder Carli Lloyd sent a long pass down the left side that U.S. veteran Abby Wambach ran down. Wambach moved the ball to her right foot and delivered a sharp, perfectly placed cross to Cheney.
Cheney slipped away from her defender, patiently measured the pass and redirected it off her forehead and into the net on a bounce just inside the left post for her 15th international goal.
"I just knew I wanted to get into the box," she said. "I did, and I got my head on it."
It was the kind of goal Wambach, famous for using her head, usually scores.
It was the kind of goal Cheney almost never scores.
"Actually, I'm not a very good header," she said. "I just knew I wanted to redirect it to the same place it had come from."
Cheney recalled that her last goal off a header came last year with the Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer, for whom she scored five goals and was a starter in the WPS All-Star Game.
"And that one was kind of a dinker," she said.
Tuesday's was more of a slam dunk. It was just what Sundhage was looking for when she decided to start Cheney.
"She's been playing so well and practicing so well," Sundhage said. "One of the things I am trying to do with the team is to create an atmosphere where we're competing for spots. Lauren has been doing a good job of that."
Will she stay in the starting lineup? "That's a good question," Sundhage said, smiling.
Based on her first half, when Cheney had trouble on defense, the answer might be no.
But Cheney, who scored in a 1-0 victory vs. Mexico in the team's last friendly in early June, was perhaps the most offensive-minded player on the American team Tuesday, and her goal broke the ice.
She said the difference between playing forward with Wambach and playing on the midfield flank is "you have to run a lot more."
She didn't mind the extra running. She'll play wherever and whenever she is directed to do so.
"It's great to know that the coach has that much confidence in me," she said.
Friday, June 24, 2011
BREAKING NEWS: CARLY FIORINA MAY RUN AGAINST DICK DURBIN FOR THE ILLINOIS SENATE SEAT!!!
http://www.onewomaninitiative.org/
SHE'S NOT YOU'RE AVERAGE BUMP IN THE ROAD.
SHE MAY HAVE A CURE FOR ALL OF ILLINOIS' AUTO-IMMUNE DEFICIENCIES.
SHE'S NOT ONE OF CHICAGO'S "GOOD OLE" JUNKERS.
SHE IS A WOMAN ON A MISSION.
CAN SHE DRIVE IT HOME?
JOIN HER ON THE ONE WOMAN INITIATIVE!
http://www.onewomaninitiative.org/
SHE'S NOT YOU'RE AVERAGE BUMP IN THE ROAD.
SHE MAY HAVE A CURE FOR ALL OF ILLINOIS' AUTO-IMMUNE DEFICIENCIES.
SHE'S NOT ONE OF CHICAGO'S "GOOD OLE" JUNKERS.
SHE IS A WOMAN ON A MISSION.
CAN SHE DRIVE IT HOME?
JOIN HER ON THE ONE WOMAN INITIATIVE!
http://www.onewomaninitiative.org/
SENATOR HATCH TOUTS LEGISLATION PREVENTING U.S. TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO THE IMF AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2011
Hatch Touts Legislation Preventing Taxpayer Bailouts to Foreign Countries on Fox
CONTACT:
Mark Eddington (801) 375-7881
Heather Barney (801) 524-4380
Utah Senator Says, “We’ll be 190 percent Of GDP by 2035 if we keep on this current Obama schedule. When are we going to wake up and realize we cannot live with that and remain even partially the greatest country in the world. We are hurting ourselves. Sooner or later we got to say the game is up.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, appeared on “On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren” last night to discuss his efforts to prevent bailouts of foreign countries, including heavily indebted Greece, by U.S. taxpayers.
In 2009, at the urging of the Obama Administration, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was provided access to additional funding of up to $108 billion which can be used to bailout foreign countries. Hatch has joined U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to introduce S. 1276, legislation to rescind the authorization. The lawmakers also filed an amendment, the Anti-IMF Bailout Amendment, which is pending in the Senate and could be voted on as soon as next week.
The following are excerpts from the interview:
On Tax Evasion in Greece:
“The problem is that so many people are on the dole in Greece. We are getting there too. Used to be only 40% of households didn't pay income taxes in this country. With two years under [President] Obama it is now 51%. Headed towards 60%, which is Europe revisited. That's what this administration is doing. The same thing that happened to the profligate people in Greece.”
On IMF Bailout of Greece:
“We just heard that by 2035 -- we heard if we follow the Obama [Administration’s] approaches that’s happening right now - our debt will be at 190% of GDP. Greece right now is somewhere around 150%. That gives you a little bit of perspective what going to happen to us. They call upon us at the IMF to come up with billions when we have our own economic difficulties to handle. Then again, the Europeans don't know what to do either. They don't want to pay any more. They are afraid if Greece goes down a lot of other countries will too.”
On a Default of Greek Debt:
“It may be the only way Greece will realize they have to live within certain restraints and revamp their whole role of government. There are too many people on the dole there. The United States [is] going in the same direction under this administration.”
On the Debt Crisis in the U.S.
“And then I just told you that we’ll be 190% Of GDP by 2035 if we keep on this current Obama schedule. When are we going to wake up and realize we cannot live with that and remain even partially the greatest country in the world? We are hurting ourselves. Sooner or later we got to say the game is up.”
###
June 24, 2011
Hatch Touts Legislation Preventing Taxpayer Bailouts to Foreign Countries on Fox
CONTACT:
Mark Eddington (801) 375-7881
Heather Barney (801) 524-4380
Utah Senator Says, “We’ll be 190 percent Of GDP by 2035 if we keep on this current Obama schedule. When are we going to wake up and realize we cannot live with that and remain even partially the greatest country in the world. We are hurting ourselves. Sooner or later we got to say the game is up.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, appeared on “On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren” last night to discuss his efforts to prevent bailouts of foreign countries, including heavily indebted Greece, by U.S. taxpayers.
In 2009, at the urging of the Obama Administration, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was provided access to additional funding of up to $108 billion which can be used to bailout foreign countries. Hatch has joined U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to introduce S. 1276, legislation to rescind the authorization. The lawmakers also filed an amendment, the Anti-IMF Bailout Amendment, which is pending in the Senate and could be voted on as soon as next week.
The following are excerpts from the interview:
On Tax Evasion in Greece:
“The problem is that so many people are on the dole in Greece. We are getting there too. Used to be only 40% of households didn't pay income taxes in this country. With two years under [President] Obama it is now 51%. Headed towards 60%, which is Europe revisited. That's what this administration is doing. The same thing that happened to the profligate people in Greece.”
On IMF Bailout of Greece:
“We just heard that by 2035 -- we heard if we follow the Obama [Administration’s] approaches that’s happening right now - our debt will be at 190% of GDP. Greece right now is somewhere around 150%. That gives you a little bit of perspective what going to happen to us. They call upon us at the IMF to come up with billions when we have our own economic difficulties to handle. Then again, the Europeans don't know what to do either. They don't want to pay any more. They are afraid if Greece goes down a lot of other countries will too.”
On a Default of Greek Debt:
“It may be the only way Greece will realize they have to live within certain restraints and revamp their whole role of government. There are too many people on the dole there. The United States [is] going in the same direction under this administration.”
On the Debt Crisis in the U.S.
“And then I just told you that we’ll be 190% Of GDP by 2035 if we keep on this current Obama schedule. When are we going to wake up and realize we cannot live with that and remain even partially the greatest country in the world? We are hurting ourselves. Sooner or later we got to say the game is up.”
###
U.S. HOUSE SUBCOMITTEE CONDUCTS HEARINGS ON IMPOSING U.S. SANCTIONS AGAINST VENEZUELA! OBAMA ADMIN CONTINUES TO OBSTRUCT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!
House Subcommittees Hear About Venezuela's Ties to Iran
Members looked at effectiveness of economic sanctionsHearing on Venezuela Sanctions.
WATCH VIDEO TESTIMONY HERE:
http://www.c-span.org/Events/House-Subcommittees-Hear-About-Venezuelas-Ties-to-Iran/10737422464-1/
Washington, DC
Friday, June 24, 2011
0 0 0EmailNewShareThree House Subcommittees held a joint hearing Friday on Venezuela and whether that country is in violation of U.S. policies that might lead to further economic sanctions.
Late last month the State Department hit Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA, with sanctions after finding that the company had violated the embargo against Iran. Though the sanctions prevent U.S. companies from doing some business with PDVSA, they don't prohibit Venezuela from exporting oil to the U.S. under its CITGO brand.
Subcommittee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said that he believes Venezuela is increasingly willing to partner with countries that are hostile to the U.S. He expressed his frustration with the Obama Administration and accused it of not providing officials the subcommittee has requested to testify.
Members of the subcommittees wanted to know whether Venezuela or its state-run industries might be engaged in other activities that violate U.S. or international rules- like drug trafficking, supporting Hezbollah and similar groups, and allowing Iran to use Venezuelan banks to circumvent current sanctions against that country.
The hearing also looked at what effect, if any, the current sanctions have had on Venezuela. Subcommittee Chairman Connie Mack (R-FL) said in a statement that the State Department’s actions are "welcome, (but) the slow and inadequate response has been frustrating....The U.S. needs to move quickly to cut off (Venezuelan President Hugo) Chávez’s source of revenue, and bring an end to both his influence in Latin America and his dangerous relationship with the terrorist-supporting Iranian regime before it’s too late.”
Members also discussed whether U.S. actions may actually be helping President Chávez, since he's been able to portray the sanctions as violations of Venezuela's sovreignty. Chávez took to his Twitter account to comment, saying "Sanctions against the Fatherland of Bolivia? Imposed by the Gringo imperialist? Well, welcome Mr. Obama, don't forget we are the children of Bolivar!"
Members looked at effectiveness of economic sanctionsHearing on Venezuela Sanctions.
WATCH VIDEO TESTIMONY HERE:
http://www.c-span.org/Events/House-Subcommittees-Hear-About-Venezuelas-Ties-to-Iran/10737422464-1/
Washington, DC
Friday, June 24, 2011
0 0 0EmailNewShareThree House Subcommittees held a joint hearing Friday on Venezuela and whether that country is in violation of U.S. policies that might lead to further economic sanctions.
Late last month the State Department hit Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA, with sanctions after finding that the company had violated the embargo against Iran. Though the sanctions prevent U.S. companies from doing some business with PDVSA, they don't prohibit Venezuela from exporting oil to the U.S. under its CITGO brand.
Subcommittee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said that he believes Venezuela is increasingly willing to partner with countries that are hostile to the U.S. He expressed his frustration with the Obama Administration and accused it of not providing officials the subcommittee has requested to testify.
Members of the subcommittees wanted to know whether Venezuela or its state-run industries might be engaged in other activities that violate U.S. or international rules- like drug trafficking, supporting Hezbollah and similar groups, and allowing Iran to use Venezuelan banks to circumvent current sanctions against that country.
The hearing also looked at what effect, if any, the current sanctions have had on Venezuela. Subcommittee Chairman Connie Mack (R-FL) said in a statement that the State Department’s actions are "welcome, (but) the slow and inadequate response has been frustrating....The U.S. needs to move quickly to cut off (Venezuelan President Hugo) Chávez’s source of revenue, and bring an end to both his influence in Latin America and his dangerous relationship with the terrorist-supporting Iranian regime before it’s too late.”
Members also discussed whether U.S. actions may actually be helping President Chávez, since he's been able to portray the sanctions as violations of Venezuela's sovreignty. Chávez took to his Twitter account to comment, saying "Sanctions against the Fatherland of Bolivia? Imposed by the Gringo imperialist? Well, welcome Mr. Obama, don't forget we are the children of Bolivar!"
U.S. CONGRESS PRESERVES LIBYA WAR FUNDING, BUT REFUSES TO AUTHORIZE OBAMA'S MISSION!
THE HILL
House preserves Libya funding but refuses to authorize mission
By Pete Kasperowicz and Molly Hooper - 06/24/11 01:59 PM ET
The House on Friday afternoon rejected legislation that would have prohibited the funding of military operations in Libya with only a few exceptions.
The 180-238 vote against the bill came after a debate in which both parties were split on how best to handle U.S. involvement in Libya, even as they seemed to agree that President Obama should have involved Congress in that decision at a much earlier stage.
As expected, most Republicans supported the bill: 144 voted in favor of it, but 89 voted against. These vote totals changed at the last minute several times as members altered their votes.
Democrats were less divided: 36 voted for it, and 149 voted against.
Earlier in the day, in a rebuke to President Obama, the House rejected a resolution that would have authorized continued U.S. military operations in Libya for one year. Congress and the White House have been disputing the extent of the president's power to act in Libya without congressional approval. Although the House did not authorize the effort Friday, it also did not go so far as to defund it.
The defeated resolution, offered by Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), would have restricted the role that U.S. troops would play in the continuing NATO military campaign to oust Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi from power in that country.
Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) broke with his fellow House GOP leaders to oppose the measure; he watched the tally board along the back wall of the House until the 15 minute vote was moments from closing before casting his no vote.
House GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a point of noting that the votes on the Libya matter were not whipped by leadership - it was up to individuals to "vote their conscience," as an aide explained.
Earlier in the day, it was all but expected that the House - clearly upset with the President for not having made a case to Congress before involving U.S. forces in Libya - would support Rooney's measure.
36 House Democrats, including outspoken liberal Reps. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) and John Conyers (Mich.) joined 144 House Republicans in support of the measure. But 89 conservative Republicans joined 149 Democrats to ultimately defeat the measure.
The bill would have allowed the U.S. to continue its involvement in activities such as search and rescue, intelligence, aerial refueling and operational planning. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) called it a "reasonable approach" that would let the U.S. continue to help its NATO allies.
But Democrats argued that these limited activities would prevent the U.S. from helping much with the humanitarian mission, and several suggested that the U.S. needs more authority to assist than what was offered in the bill.
Some Republicans agreed with this broad sentiment. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) added that even if passed, it would not have any immediate effect as it would also have to be approved by the Senate.
Another Republican, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), called on members repeatedly to reject this bill because it would continue to authorize some activities in Libya.
House preserves Libya funding but refuses to authorize mission
By Pete Kasperowicz and Molly Hooper - 06/24/11 01:59 PM ET
The House on Friday afternoon rejected legislation that would have prohibited the funding of military operations in Libya with only a few exceptions.
The 180-238 vote against the bill came after a debate in which both parties were split on how best to handle U.S. involvement in Libya, even as they seemed to agree that President Obama should have involved Congress in that decision at a much earlier stage.
As expected, most Republicans supported the bill: 144 voted in favor of it, but 89 voted against. These vote totals changed at the last minute several times as members altered their votes.
Democrats were less divided: 36 voted for it, and 149 voted against.
Earlier in the day, in a rebuke to President Obama, the House rejected a resolution that would have authorized continued U.S. military operations in Libya for one year. Congress and the White House have been disputing the extent of the president's power to act in Libya without congressional approval. Although the House did not authorize the effort Friday, it also did not go so far as to defund it.
The defeated resolution, offered by Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), would have restricted the role that U.S. troops would play in the continuing NATO military campaign to oust Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi from power in that country.
Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) broke with his fellow House GOP leaders to oppose the measure; he watched the tally board along the back wall of the House until the 15 minute vote was moments from closing before casting his no vote.
House GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a point of noting that the votes on the Libya matter were not whipped by leadership - it was up to individuals to "vote their conscience," as an aide explained.
Earlier in the day, it was all but expected that the House - clearly upset with the President for not having made a case to Congress before involving U.S. forces in Libya - would support Rooney's measure.
36 House Democrats, including outspoken liberal Reps. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) and John Conyers (Mich.) joined 144 House Republicans in support of the measure. But 89 conservative Republicans joined 149 Democrats to ultimately defeat the measure.
The bill would have allowed the U.S. to continue its involvement in activities such as search and rescue, intelligence, aerial refueling and operational planning. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) called it a "reasonable approach" that would let the U.S. continue to help its NATO allies.
But Democrats argued that these limited activities would prevent the U.S. from helping much with the humanitarian mission, and several suggested that the U.S. needs more authority to assist than what was offered in the bill.
Some Republicans agreed with this broad sentiment. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) added that even if passed, it would not have any immediate effect as it would also have to be approved by the Senate.
Another Republican, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), called on members repeatedly to reject this bill because it would continue to authorize some activities in Libya.
BRITISH CANADIAN CONRAD BLACK & THE CHICAGO SUN TIMES CONTINUE FRAUD & OBSTRUCTION OF U.S. JUSTICE --- BLACK RESENTENCED 3-5 YEARS IN U.S. FED PRISON!
CONRAD BLACK RESENTENCED TO A UNITED STATES' FEDERAL PRISON!
By KEVIN HELLIKER
CHICAGO—A federal judge here Friday ordered media baron Conrad Black to return to prison for about a year on top of the 29 months he already has served on fraud and obstruction of justice charges.
In imposing that sentence, Judge Amy J. St. Eve rejected the arguments of Mr. Black and his attorneys that he'd already served time commensurate with his convictions, especially considering his age—66—and his good behavior behind bars.
But the sentence was even less a victory for prosecutors, who had asked the judge to stand behind her original sentence of 78 months, which would have sent Mr. Black back to jail for about four years.
Before issuing her ruling, Judge St. Eve said that her decision was heavily influenced by letters the court had received from prisoners and staff at the Coleman Federal Correctional prison in Florida near Orlando. The letters described Mr. Black as going beyond the requirements of his job as a prison tutor, helping fellow inmates achieve their high-school equivalency degrees and beyond. The judge read from one letter whose author described arriving at prison filled with bitterness, only to undergo a change of attitude thanks to the influence of Mr. Black.
Prosecutors originally had alleged that Mr. Black, the former chairman of media conglomerate Hollinger International Inc., and other executives supported lavish lifestyles by siphoning off millions from the company through bogus management fees and noncompetition agreements as Hollinger sold off many of its smaller newspapers.
Mr. Black and the other executives said they didn't steal from the company but instead sought to structure certain management fees in a way that the payments they received wouldn't be taxable.
Mr. Black was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison. He served more than two years of his jail term but was freed on bail last July, after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the reach of a federal law that gave prosecutors the authority to bring cases against executives who deprive companies of their "honest services." The justices then ordered the lower courts to take another look at Mr. Black's conviction.
Last October, the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed two fraud counts against Mr. Black but affirmed his conviction on one fraud count and an obstruction-of-justice charge.
Write to Kevin Helliker at kevin.helliker@wsj.com
By KEVIN HELLIKER
CHICAGO—A federal judge here Friday ordered media baron Conrad Black to return to prison for about a year on top of the 29 months he already has served on fraud and obstruction of justice charges.
In imposing that sentence, Judge Amy J. St. Eve rejected the arguments of Mr. Black and his attorneys that he'd already served time commensurate with his convictions, especially considering his age—66—and his good behavior behind bars.
But the sentence was even less a victory for prosecutors, who had asked the judge to stand behind her original sentence of 78 months, which would have sent Mr. Black back to jail for about four years.
Before issuing her ruling, Judge St. Eve said that her decision was heavily influenced by letters the court had received from prisoners and staff at the Coleman Federal Correctional prison in Florida near Orlando. The letters described Mr. Black as going beyond the requirements of his job as a prison tutor, helping fellow inmates achieve their high-school equivalency degrees and beyond. The judge read from one letter whose author described arriving at prison filled with bitterness, only to undergo a change of attitude thanks to the influence of Mr. Black.
Prosecutors originally had alleged that Mr. Black, the former chairman of media conglomerate Hollinger International Inc., and other executives supported lavish lifestyles by siphoning off millions from the company through bogus management fees and noncompetition agreements as Hollinger sold off many of its smaller newspapers.
Mr. Black and the other executives said they didn't steal from the company but instead sought to structure certain management fees in a way that the payments they received wouldn't be taxable.
Mr. Black was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison. He served more than two years of his jail term but was freed on bail last July, after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the reach of a federal law that gave prosecutors the authority to bring cases against executives who deprive companies of their "honest services." The justices then ordered the lower courts to take another look at Mr. Black's conviction.
Last October, the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed two fraud counts against Mr. Black but affirmed his conviction on one fraud count and an obstruction-of-justice charge.
Write to Kevin Helliker at kevin.helliker@wsj.com
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
WILL SHE SINK? CAN SHE SWIM? IS IT POSSIBLE FOR HER TO REFUEL HERSELF? STAY TUNED FOR EPISODE II
MED-USA HAS BEEN PARTIALLY REPEALED, BUT IT'S NOT TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE BANK, YET!
Boeing and State of Washington Back Aerospace and Defense Supplier SummitBoeing endorses networking event connecting aerospace buyers and sellers
SEATTLE, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the first event of its kind in the United States, manufacturers and suppliers from major global aerospace and defense industries will come together in Seattle next year to help create business opportunities and share information on the industry growth trends.
The Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit, hosted by BCI Aerospace and supported by The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) and the Washington State Department of Commerce, is scheduled for March 12-15 at the Seattle Convention Center. Four Boeing business units -- Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Engineering, Operations & Technology; and Shared Services Group -- will participate in the event.
"The aerospace industry is facing unprecedented demand and opportunity in the coming years," said Stan Deal, vice president and general manager of Supplier Management for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for suppliers to engage with major suppliers of The Boeing Company, and make connections that can expand their business and technology reach."
"We are very pleased to have this important international supplier summit make its debut in Washington State," said Rogers Weed, commerce director and chair of the Governor's Council on Aerospace. "This is an ideal opportunity to showcase the hundreds of outstanding local aerospace companies to important industry partners from around the country and the world."
A total of 600 businesses and 1,200 individuals are expected to participate, exchanging ideas and exploring potential business opportunities. The first day of the event will include workshops and key insights from industry leaders. The following two days will be devoted to face-to-face meetings between companies with mutual interests. Each of the 600 companies present will participate in an average of 15, 30-minute meetings.
In addition to providing a forum for exchanging ideas and developing future business opportunities, the Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit will be one of the world's largest networking events.
For more information, go to www.bciaerospace.com/seattle.
Contact:
Mary Kelly
+1 425-717-9845
mary.k.kelly@boeing.com
SOURCE Boeing
Boeing and State of Washington Back Aerospace and Defense Supplier SummitBoeing endorses networking event connecting aerospace buyers and sellers
SEATTLE, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the first event of its kind in the United States, manufacturers and suppliers from major global aerospace and defense industries will come together in Seattle next year to help create business opportunities and share information on the industry growth trends.
The Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit, hosted by BCI Aerospace and supported by The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) and the Washington State Department of Commerce, is scheduled for March 12-15 at the Seattle Convention Center. Four Boeing business units -- Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Engineering, Operations & Technology; and Shared Services Group -- will participate in the event.
"The aerospace industry is facing unprecedented demand and opportunity in the coming years," said Stan Deal, vice president and general manager of Supplier Management for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for suppliers to engage with major suppliers of The Boeing Company, and make connections that can expand their business and technology reach."
"We are very pleased to have this important international supplier summit make its debut in Washington State," said Rogers Weed, commerce director and chair of the Governor's Council on Aerospace. "This is an ideal opportunity to showcase the hundreds of outstanding local aerospace companies to important industry partners from around the country and the world."
A total of 600 businesses and 1,200 individuals are expected to participate, exchanging ideas and exploring potential business opportunities. The first day of the event will include workshops and key insights from industry leaders. The following two days will be devoted to face-to-face meetings between companies with mutual interests. Each of the 600 companies present will participate in an average of 15, 30-minute meetings.
In addition to providing a forum for exchanging ideas and developing future business opportunities, the Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit will be one of the world's largest networking events.
For more information, go to www.bciaerospace.com/seattle.
Contact:
Mary Kelly
+1 425-717-9845
mary.k.kelly@boeing.com
SOURCE Boeing
AUTO-PILOT ENDS FOR JP MORGAN CHASE & RBS --- WALKING THE GREASY PLANK OF INCOMPETENT FAILED STATE TREASURER ASSOCIATIONS!
Financial Services JPMorgan, RBS Sued Over Bond Sales
By Joseph Woelfel 06/21/11 - 05:16 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (TheStreet) -- JPMorgan Chase and Royal Bank of Scotland have been sued over mortgage-bond sales made to five failed wholesale credit unions.
The National Credit Union Administration sued the securities divisions of the banks in a bid to recover about $840 million in losses tied to the high-risk mortgages. The NCUA claims the credit unions, which failed in 2009 and 2010, weren't told the true risks of the securities.
The failure of the five credit unions "resulted in the worst crisis faced by the credit-union industry in its history," said Debbie Matz, NCUA chairman. "We believe numerous parties within the chain, primary underwriters and intermediaries as well, have responsibility."
"Those who caused the problems in the wholesale credit unions should pay for the losses now being paid by retail credit unions," she also said.
The NCUA is seeking $278 million from JPMorgan Securities LLC and $565 million from RBS Securities Inc. The lawsuits were filed in federal court in Kansas City.
Both JPMorgan and RBS declined to comment.
-- Written by Joseph Woelfel
By Joseph Woelfel 06/21/11 - 05:16 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (TheStreet) -- JPMorgan Chase and Royal Bank of Scotland have been sued over mortgage-bond sales made to five failed wholesale credit unions.
The National Credit Union Administration sued the securities divisions of the banks in a bid to recover about $840 million in losses tied to the high-risk mortgages. The NCUA claims the credit unions, which failed in 2009 and 2010, weren't told the true risks of the securities.
The failure of the five credit unions "resulted in the worst crisis faced by the credit-union industry in its history," said Debbie Matz, NCUA chairman. "We believe numerous parties within the chain, primary underwriters and intermediaries as well, have responsibility."
"Those who caused the problems in the wholesale credit unions should pay for the losses now being paid by retail credit unions," she also said.
The NCUA is seeking $278 million from JPMorgan Securities LLC and $565 million from RBS Securities Inc. The lawsuits were filed in federal court in Kansas City.
Both JPMorgan and RBS declined to comment.
-- Written by Joseph Woelfel
WILL A NEW BILL FIX OBAMA'S FDA PROBLEMS' WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THE AMERICAN CHILDREN, AND THE AMERICAN ECONOMY?
Issa questions FDA over J&J plant, bill could offer fixes.
House Oversight Chair Darrell Issa has been looking into the FDA’s action at a closed Johnson & Johnson medicine plant in Puerto Rico. Three months after the Justice Department took ownership of three troubled J&J plants through a consent decree, Issa is concerned that regulators and the company aren’t working quickly enough to fix the deep quality problems there.
According to Bloomberg, Issa complained that regulators have not reviewed corrective action plans for the plant since the division was taken over in March, and have not visited the site since September.
Remember, that’s before a pretty bruising hearing in late September 2010 at which J&J had few answers about why it carried out a “phantom recall” to pull faulty Motrin from shelves, and the FDA said that it found quality problems in every one of J&J’s plants.
While it’s good that Issa’s subcommittee is keeping an eye on the FDA and the progress of the J&J case, the Energy and Commerce Committee has already identified some of the root problems and drawn up smart, comprehensive solutions—not just to the J&J case, but to the system failures behind some of the company’s problems.
The Drug Safety Enhancement Act (HR 1483), introduced in April, would answer some of Issa’s question by boosting mandatory inspections, and giving the FDA better enforcement tools in the form of recall and subpoena authority.
Issa is right to question the J&J aftermath and be dismayed at the larger problems in our drug safety system. He and his committee members should recognize the DSEA as an important step toward fixing those problems, and make sure this bill has the support it needs to move in Congress.
Read more on the bill at the blog, and a summary of HR 1483 here (pdf).
-Kate Petersen, PostScript blogger
House Oversight Chair Darrell Issa has been looking into the FDA’s action at a closed Johnson & Johnson medicine plant in Puerto Rico. Three months after the Justice Department took ownership of three troubled J&J plants through a consent decree, Issa is concerned that regulators and the company aren’t working quickly enough to fix the deep quality problems there.
According to Bloomberg, Issa complained that regulators have not reviewed corrective action plans for the plant since the division was taken over in March, and have not visited the site since September.
Remember, that’s before a pretty bruising hearing in late September 2010 at which J&J had few answers about why it carried out a “phantom recall” to pull faulty Motrin from shelves, and the FDA said that it found quality problems in every one of J&J’s plants.
While it’s good that Issa’s subcommittee is keeping an eye on the FDA and the progress of the J&J case, the Energy and Commerce Committee has already identified some of the root problems and drawn up smart, comprehensive solutions—not just to the J&J case, but to the system failures behind some of the company’s problems.
The Drug Safety Enhancement Act (HR 1483), introduced in April, would answer some of Issa’s question by boosting mandatory inspections, and giving the FDA better enforcement tools in the form of recall and subpoena authority.
Issa is right to question the J&J aftermath and be dismayed at the larger problems in our drug safety system. He and his committee members should recognize the DSEA as an important step toward fixing those problems, and make sure this bill has the support it needs to move in Congress.
Read more on the bill at the blog, and a summary of HR 1483 here (pdf).
-Kate Petersen, PostScript blogger
NLRB LAWYER GRILLED WITH QUESTIONS DURING UNITED STATES' CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS!
NLRB lawyer grilled with questions during Congressional hearing
Posted: Jun 17, 2011 7:11 AM CDT
By Alex Kreitman - By Deja Knight -
Rep. Tim Scott speaks at Friday's hearing.
Attorney General Alan Wilson's testimony.
NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon's testimony.
Sen. Lindsey Graham's letter to Congressional committee.
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - After almost four hours of debating, a Congressional hearing on the National Labor Relations Board's complaint against Boeing wrapped up for the day.
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government convened in North Charleston to discuss the NLRB's allegations that Boeing built an assembly line for its new 787 aircraft in South Carolina to avoid unionized workers in Washington state.
Republicans on the panel grilled NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon about the lawsuit, citing that no jobs were lost in Washington when Boeing created a second plant in North Charleston.
"Boeing did not eliminate union jobs or remove work from Washington State, it merely created new work in Charleston," said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. "Under Board law, it must be shown that existing work was eliminated, subcontracted, or relocated. In fact, even legal experts who support the Board, concede this action is unprecedented."
Democrats on the congressional panel seemed outraged that the hearing was even held, saying that it put the NLRB in a defenseless position, which allowed Republicans to fire off tough questions.
NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon, who filed the labor complaint against Boeing over North Charleston's nonunion plant, was grilled with questions by the panel. Solomon said he regrets the fear that the lawsuit has caused workers in South Carolina.
Solomon said that he attended the hearing reluctantly, but on his own will. He testified that the complaint was not intended to affect the works in South Carolina, but to protect those in Washington. Soloman says he won't turn a blind eye on what looks like unfair labor practices by Boeing.
"These are difficult economic times, and I truly regret the anxiety this case has caused them and their families," Solomon said during his testimony. "The issuance of the complaint was not intended to harm the workers of South Carolina but rather to protect the rights of workers."
During the hearing, Solomon was asked several tough questions by the panel and the following exchange took place.
Panel: "Can you name me a single, solitary worker in Washington state who has lost there job as a result of Boeing's decision to build a separate distinct line in Charleston?"
Solomon: "Not at this time."
Panel: "Can you name me a single solitary employee who has lost benefits as a result of Boeing's decision to build a separate distinct line in Charleston."
Solomon: "Not at this time."
Panel: "Then where's the retaliation?"
Rep. Tim Scott said that the NLRB lawsuit is baseless and is wasting millions of dollars. He said he doesn't understand how creating new jobs in SC has "hurt anyone."
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) disagrees and said that Boeing is not above the law.
Boeing employee Cynthia Ramaker told the panel that moving 787 jobs to Washington would be devastating to SC.
"To me they are violating my right to work, my hands are shaking," said a Boeing employee who wants to stop the NLRB's lawsuit during testimony.
Rep. Joe Wilson says the state has been shunned by unions and Gov. Nikki Haley has been attacked by them. Haley is also expected to testify. A judge in Seattle is hearing the NLRB complaint, but the committee is investigating what was behind it.
Copyright 2011 WCSC. All rights reserved.
Posted: Jun 17, 2011 7:11 AM CDT
By Alex Kreitman - By Deja Knight -
Rep. Tim Scott speaks at Friday's hearing.
Attorney General Alan Wilson's testimony.
NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon's testimony.
Sen. Lindsey Graham's letter to Congressional committee.
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - After almost four hours of debating, a Congressional hearing on the National Labor Relations Board's complaint against Boeing wrapped up for the day.
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government convened in North Charleston to discuss the NLRB's allegations that Boeing built an assembly line for its new 787 aircraft in South Carolina to avoid unionized workers in Washington state.
Republicans on the panel grilled NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon about the lawsuit, citing that no jobs were lost in Washington when Boeing created a second plant in North Charleston.
"Boeing did not eliminate union jobs or remove work from Washington State, it merely created new work in Charleston," said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. "Under Board law, it must be shown that existing work was eliminated, subcontracted, or relocated. In fact, even legal experts who support the Board, concede this action is unprecedented."
Democrats on the congressional panel seemed outraged that the hearing was even held, saying that it put the NLRB in a defenseless position, which allowed Republicans to fire off tough questions.
NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon, who filed the labor complaint against Boeing over North Charleston's nonunion plant, was grilled with questions by the panel. Solomon said he regrets the fear that the lawsuit has caused workers in South Carolina.
Solomon said that he attended the hearing reluctantly, but on his own will. He testified that the complaint was not intended to affect the works in South Carolina, but to protect those in Washington. Soloman says he won't turn a blind eye on what looks like unfair labor practices by Boeing.
"These are difficult economic times, and I truly regret the anxiety this case has caused them and their families," Solomon said during his testimony. "The issuance of the complaint was not intended to harm the workers of South Carolina but rather to protect the rights of workers."
During the hearing, Solomon was asked several tough questions by the panel and the following exchange took place.
Panel: "Can you name me a single, solitary worker in Washington state who has lost there job as a result of Boeing's decision to build a separate distinct line in Charleston?"
Solomon: "Not at this time."
Panel: "Can you name me a single solitary employee who has lost benefits as a result of Boeing's decision to build a separate distinct line in Charleston."
Solomon: "Not at this time."
Panel: "Then where's the retaliation?"
Rep. Tim Scott said that the NLRB lawsuit is baseless and is wasting millions of dollars. He said he doesn't understand how creating new jobs in SC has "hurt anyone."
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) disagrees and said that Boeing is not above the law.
Boeing employee Cynthia Ramaker told the panel that moving 787 jobs to Washington would be devastating to SC.
"To me they are violating my right to work, my hands are shaking," said a Boeing employee who wants to stop the NLRB's lawsuit during testimony.
Rep. Joe Wilson says the state has been shunned by unions and Gov. Nikki Haley has been attacked by them. Haley is also expected to testify. A judge in Seattle is hearing the NLRB complaint, but the committee is investigating what was behind it.
Copyright 2011 WCSC. All rights reserved.
OBAMA'S FED STOLE BILLIONS OF UNITED STATES' TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS, OFFICIALS SAY IT WAS NOT MISPLACED OR MISSING. FED STOLE BILLIONS!
ONE BILLION UNITED STATES' TAXPAYER DOLLARS STOLEN FROM UNITED STATES' AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, BILLIONS OF UNITED STATES' TAXPAYER DOLLARS STOLEN BY THE FED IN PAKISTAN, BILLIONS OF UNITED STATES' TAXPAYER DOLLARS STILL REMAIN UNACCOUNTED FOR AND OFFICIALS SAY THE MONEY WAS NOT MISPLACED AND IS NOT MISSING - THE FED STOLE IT!
+++++++++
Missing Iraq money may have been stolen
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Missing Iraq money may have been stolen, auditors say
U.S. Defense officials still cannot say what happened to $6.6 billion, sent by the planeload in cash and intended for Iraq's reconstruction after the start of the war.
By: Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times
After the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the George W. Bush administration flooded the conquered country with so much cash to pay for reconstruction and other projects in the first year that a new unit of measurement was born.
Pentagon officials determined that one giant C-130 Hercules cargo plane could carry $2.4 billion in shrink-wrapped bricks of $100 bills. They sent an initial full planeload of cash, followed by 20 other flights to Iraq by May 2004 in a $12-billion haul that U.S. officials believe to be the biggest international cash airlift of all time.
This month, the Pentagon and the Iraqi government are finally closing the books on the program that handled all those Benjamins. But despite years of audits and investigations, U.S. Defense officials still cannot say what happened to $6.6 billion in cash - enough to run the Los Angeles Unified School District or the Chicago Public Schools for a year, among many other things.
For the first time, federal auditors are suggesting that some or all of the cash may have been stolen, not just mislaid in an accounting error. Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, an office created by Congress, said the missing $6.6 billion may be "the largest theft of funds in national history."
The mystery is a growing embarrassment to the Pentagon, and an irritant to Washington's relations with Baghdad. Iraqi officials are threatening to go to court to reclaim the money, which came from Iraqi oil sales, seized Iraqi assets and surplus funds from the United Nations' oil-for-food program.
It's fair to say that Congress, which has already shelled out $61 billion of U.S. taxpayer money for similar reconstruction and development projects in Iraq, is none too thrilled either.
"Congress is not looking forward to having to spend billions of our money to make up for billions of their money that we can't account for, and can't seem to find," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), who presided over hearings on waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq six years ago when he headed the House Government Reform Committee.
Theft of such a staggering sum might seem unlikely, but U.S. officials aren't ruling it out. Some U.S. contractors were accused of siphoning off tens of millions in kickbacks and graft during the post-invasion period, especially in its chaotic early days. But Iraqi officials were viewed as prime offenders.
The U.S. cash airlift was a desperation measure, organized when the Bush administration was eager to restore government services and a shattered economy to give Iraqis confidence that the new order would be a drastic improvement on Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
The White House decided to use the money in the so-called Development Fund for Iraq, which was created by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to hold money amassed during the years when Hussein's regime was under crippling economic and trade sanctions.
The cash was carried by tractor-trailer trucks from the fortress-like Federal Reserve currency repository in East Rutherford, N.J., to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, then flown to Baghdad. U.S. officials there stored the hoard in a basement vault at one of Hussein's former palaces, and at U.S. military bases, and eventually distributed the money to Iraqi ministries and contractors.
But U.S. officials often didn't have time or staff to keep strict financial controls. Millions of dollars were stuffed in gunnysacks and hauled on pickups to Iraqi agencies or contractors, officials have testified.
House Government Reform Committee investigators charged in 2005 that U.S. officials "used virtually no financial controls to account for these enormous cash withdrawals once they arrived in Iraq, and there is evidence of substantial waste, fraud and abuse in the actual spending and disbursement of the Iraqi funds."
Pentagon officials have contended for the last six years that they could account for the money if given enough time to track down the records. But repeated attempts to find the documentation, or better yet the cash, were fruitless.
Iraqi officials argue that the U.S. government was supposed to safeguard the stash under a 2004 legal agreement it signed with Iraq. That makes Washington responsible, they say.
Abdul Basit Turki Saeed, Iraq's chief auditor and president of the Iraqi Board of Supreme Audit, has warned U.S. officials that his government will go to court if necessary to recoup the missing money.
"Clearly Iraq has an interest in looking after its assets and protecting them," said Samir Sumaidaie, Iraq's ambassador to the United States.
+++++++++
Missing Iraq money may have been stolen
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Missing Iraq money may have been stolen, auditors say
U.S. Defense officials still cannot say what happened to $6.6 billion, sent by the planeload in cash and intended for Iraq's reconstruction after the start of the war.
By: Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times
After the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the George W. Bush administration flooded the conquered country with so much cash to pay for reconstruction and other projects in the first year that a new unit of measurement was born.
Pentagon officials determined that one giant C-130 Hercules cargo plane could carry $2.4 billion in shrink-wrapped bricks of $100 bills. They sent an initial full planeload of cash, followed by 20 other flights to Iraq by May 2004 in a $12-billion haul that U.S. officials believe to be the biggest international cash airlift of all time.
This month, the Pentagon and the Iraqi government are finally closing the books on the program that handled all those Benjamins. But despite years of audits and investigations, U.S. Defense officials still cannot say what happened to $6.6 billion in cash - enough to run the Los Angeles Unified School District or the Chicago Public Schools for a year, among many other things.
For the first time, federal auditors are suggesting that some or all of the cash may have been stolen, not just mislaid in an accounting error. Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, an office created by Congress, said the missing $6.6 billion may be "the largest theft of funds in national history."
The mystery is a growing embarrassment to the Pentagon, and an irritant to Washington's relations with Baghdad. Iraqi officials are threatening to go to court to reclaim the money, which came from Iraqi oil sales, seized Iraqi assets and surplus funds from the United Nations' oil-for-food program.
It's fair to say that Congress, which has already shelled out $61 billion of U.S. taxpayer money for similar reconstruction and development projects in Iraq, is none too thrilled either.
"Congress is not looking forward to having to spend billions of our money to make up for billions of their money that we can't account for, and can't seem to find," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), who presided over hearings on waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq six years ago when he headed the House Government Reform Committee.
Theft of such a staggering sum might seem unlikely, but U.S. officials aren't ruling it out. Some U.S. contractors were accused of siphoning off tens of millions in kickbacks and graft during the post-invasion period, especially in its chaotic early days. But Iraqi officials were viewed as prime offenders.
The U.S. cash airlift was a desperation measure, organized when the Bush administration was eager to restore government services and a shattered economy to give Iraqis confidence that the new order would be a drastic improvement on Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
The White House decided to use the money in the so-called Development Fund for Iraq, which was created by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to hold money amassed during the years when Hussein's regime was under crippling economic and trade sanctions.
The cash was carried by tractor-trailer trucks from the fortress-like Federal Reserve currency repository in East Rutherford, N.J., to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, then flown to Baghdad. U.S. officials there stored the hoard in a basement vault at one of Hussein's former palaces, and at U.S. military bases, and eventually distributed the money to Iraqi ministries and contractors.
But U.S. officials often didn't have time or staff to keep strict financial controls. Millions of dollars were stuffed in gunnysacks and hauled on pickups to Iraqi agencies or contractors, officials have testified.
House Government Reform Committee investigators charged in 2005 that U.S. officials "used virtually no financial controls to account for these enormous cash withdrawals once they arrived in Iraq, and there is evidence of substantial waste, fraud and abuse in the actual spending and disbursement of the Iraqi funds."
Pentagon officials have contended for the last six years that they could account for the money if given enough time to track down the records. But repeated attempts to find the documentation, or better yet the cash, were fruitless.
Iraqi officials argue that the U.S. government was supposed to safeguard the stash under a 2004 legal agreement it signed with Iraq. That makes Washington responsible, they say.
Abdul Basit Turki Saeed, Iraq's chief auditor and president of the Iraqi Board of Supreme Audit, has warned U.S. officials that his government will go to court if necessary to recoup the missing money.
"Clearly Iraq has an interest in looking after its assets and protecting them," said Samir Sumaidaie, Iraq's ambassador to the United States.
FRANKS BLASTS OSAMA FOR SEIZING 1 MILLION ACRES IN URANIUM-RICH UNITED STATES' OF AMERICAN LAND!
Franks Blasts Administration for Seizing 1 Million Acres of Uranium-Rich Land
June 20, 2011- Following an announcement by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that the Obama Administration intends to make 1 million acres of uranium-rich land in Arizona off-limits for future uranium mining, Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) released the following statement.
"This shameful effort by the Obama Administration is a step in precisely the wrong direction for the American economy, making the U.S. even more dependent on foreign powers and potentially creating a serious national security threat going forward.
"Of America's existing 104 operating nuclear reactors, 90% now import the uranium they use from foreign countries, as opposed to the 1970's, when America was 100% self-sufficient.
"Despite the fact that uranium mining efforts have for decades operated without impacting the environment or our the beauty of our national parks, President Obama is nonetheless seeking to make 326-375 million pounds of the best quality uranium in the entire country off-limits, thus putting the desires of a handful of rabid environmentalists above America's long-term energy independence and national security."
Congressman Franks was the lead sponsor last year of H.R. 5665, which aimed to protect Arizona's land from just such an expected overreach by the Obama Administration.
Congressman Franks is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the Judiciary Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and a member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law. He is also a member of the Armed Services Committee, where he serves on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
###
2435 Rayburn HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-4576
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 20, 2011- Following an announcement by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that the Obama Administration intends to make 1 million acres of uranium-rich land in Arizona off-limits for future uranium mining, Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) released the following statement.
"This shameful effort by the Obama Administration is a step in precisely the wrong direction for the American economy, making the U.S. even more dependent on foreign powers and potentially creating a serious national security threat going forward.
"Of America's existing 104 operating nuclear reactors, 90% now import the uranium they use from foreign countries, as opposed to the 1970's, when America was 100% self-sufficient.
"Despite the fact that uranium mining efforts have for decades operated without impacting the environment or our the beauty of our national parks, President Obama is nonetheless seeking to make 326-375 million pounds of the best quality uranium in the entire country off-limits, thus putting the desires of a handful of rabid environmentalists above America's long-term energy independence and national security."
Congressman Franks was the lead sponsor last year of H.R. 5665, which aimed to protect Arizona's land from just such an expected overreach by the Obama Administration.
Congressman Franks is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the Judiciary Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and a member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law. He is also a member of the Armed Services Committee, where he serves on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
###
2435 Rayburn HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-4576
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHO AUTHORIZED THE CONTINUED COMCAST CABLE FRAUD DELETING PROGRAMMED C-SPAN SCHEDULES?
Finally, the foreign national cleaning woman who swept me children's home for thirteen years illegally videotaping them and exploiting them for a foreign government while committing acts of terrorism and suing the United States of America at the World Trade Center has been removed from the home.
No prosecution has taken place, YET!
We are still waiting to discover who AUTHORIZED THIS?
Why are we continuing to be subjected to federal criminal wire fraud and harassment in our homes on a DALEY BASIS, as well as mail fraud?
Is this ROD BLAGOJEVICH's fault.
Last week our homes received NONE OF THE SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING ADVERTISED AND APPROVED BY C-SPAN, and our NEWS REPORTS FROM FOX were TAMPERED WITH!
STILL, WE DON'T KNOW WHO AUTHORIZED THIS AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROSECUTIONS -- JUST MORE DARK DISGUSTING BLACK PAGES!
In the meantime, I loved the telephone message from a foreign hospital located in the US by a gay man who was fired from his job who is now calling from an OIL COMPANY with gossip about their NURSING STAFF?
Wow....and suffice to say, WE ARE STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT WHO RELEASED THE TERRORIST MEGRAHI WITH TWO MONTHS TO LIVE AFTER HE BOMBED UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FLYING OVER SCOTLAND!
BUT WAIT...HOLD ON...THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD WILL BE OVER IN APPROXIMATELY SEVENTEEN MONTHS!
No prosecution has taken place, YET!
We are still waiting to discover who AUTHORIZED THIS?
Why are we continuing to be subjected to federal criminal wire fraud and harassment in our homes on a DALEY BASIS, as well as mail fraud?
Is this ROD BLAGOJEVICH's fault.
Last week our homes received NONE OF THE SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING ADVERTISED AND APPROVED BY C-SPAN, and our NEWS REPORTS FROM FOX were TAMPERED WITH!
STILL, WE DON'T KNOW WHO AUTHORIZED THIS AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROSECUTIONS -- JUST MORE DARK DISGUSTING BLACK PAGES!
In the meantime, I loved the telephone message from a foreign hospital located in the US by a gay man who was fired from his job who is now calling from an OIL COMPANY with gossip about their NURSING STAFF?
Wow....and suffice to say, WE ARE STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT WHO RELEASED THE TERRORIST MEGRAHI WITH TWO MONTHS TO LIVE AFTER HE BOMBED UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FLYING OVER SCOTLAND!
BUT WAIT...HOLD ON...THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD WILL BE OVER IN APPROXIMATELY SEVENTEEN MONTHS!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
NEWT CLEARLY WON THE DEBATE: "DEFUND THE NLRB"...READ NEWT'S DEBATE VICTORY STATEMENT!
Newt Gingrich: Defund NLRB for Boeing challenge
By Associated Press
Saturday, May 14, 2011
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former U.S. House Speaker and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is calling on Congress to defund the National Labor Relations Board if it continues to pursue a complaint against Boeing Co.
Gingrich’s remarks at a conference Friday in Washington came a day after he formally entered the 2012 GOP presidential race.
+++++++++++++
Statement on Newt's Debate Victory
Newt 2012 released the following statement from campaign Communications Director Joseph DeSantis:
Newt Gingrich clearly won the debate.
He cut through the clutter and spoke clearly. His message resonates. Newt decisively addressed the challenges facing the nation, the destructiveness of the Obama administration, and offered an optimistic vision for America’s future.
Newt Gingrich is the only candidate offering solutions as big as America’s challenges. And he has a track record of success to make these solutions a reality. Under his Speakership, over 8 million new jobs were created. Taxes were cut. Spending was cut. The budget was balanced. Hundreds of billions of dollars of debt were paid off. Surpluses were created.
Newt Gingrich’s Jobs and Prosperity Plan is the boldest blueprint for turning our economy around and creating millions of new jobs.
His “Patient Power” healthcare plan to replace Obamacare is detailed and in depth, reflecting the decades he has spent studying the issue and would ensure healthcare for all without mandates or bureaucracy.
Newt is a national champion for an American Energy Plan. His Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less petition-drive energized the 2008 campaign and led to the end of the Presidential and Congressional bans on offshore drilling.
His authority and knowledge on these critical issues and more were on display tonight, showing everyone that Newt is the right man to take on President Obama in the general election and the right man to lead this country in these challenging times.
By Associated Press
Saturday, May 14, 2011
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former U.S. House Speaker and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is calling on Congress to defund the National Labor Relations Board if it continues to pursue a complaint against Boeing Co.
Gingrich’s remarks at a conference Friday in Washington came a day after he formally entered the 2012 GOP presidential race.
+++++++++++++
Statement on Newt's Debate Victory
Newt 2012 released the following statement from campaign Communications Director Joseph DeSantis:
Newt Gingrich clearly won the debate.
He cut through the clutter and spoke clearly. His message resonates. Newt decisively addressed the challenges facing the nation, the destructiveness of the Obama administration, and offered an optimistic vision for America’s future.
Newt Gingrich is the only candidate offering solutions as big as America’s challenges. And he has a track record of success to make these solutions a reality. Under his Speakership, over 8 million new jobs were created. Taxes were cut. Spending was cut. The budget was balanced. Hundreds of billions of dollars of debt were paid off. Surpluses were created.
Newt Gingrich’s Jobs and Prosperity Plan is the boldest blueprint for turning our economy around and creating millions of new jobs.
His “Patient Power” healthcare plan to replace Obamacare is detailed and in depth, reflecting the decades he has spent studying the issue and would ensure healthcare for all without mandates or bureaucracy.
Newt is a national champion for an American Energy Plan. His Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less petition-drive energized the 2008 campaign and led to the end of the Presidential and Congressional bans on offshore drilling.
His authority and knowledge on these critical issues and more were on display tonight, showing everyone that Newt is the right man to take on President Obama in the general election and the right man to lead this country in these challenging times.
OBAMA MET WITH UNION MILITANTS WITH TIES TO TERROR NOW BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE F.B.I.
http://biggovernment.com/laborunionreport/2011/06/14/union-militants-organize-against-fbis-terror-tie-investigation/
Union Militants Organize Against FBI’s Terror-Tie Investigation
by LaborUnionReport
Last September, federal agents conducted a search of the homes of 23 left-wing, anti-war activists, several of whom are union activists from Illinois and Minnesota. The searches were in execution of warrants “seeking evidence in support of an ongoing Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation,” stated Steve Warfield, a spokesman for the FBI in Minneapolis, at the time.
In Chicago, among those whose homes were searched was Joe Isobaker and his wife Stephanie Weiner (a founder of AFSCME Local 3506). Isobaker was, at the time, a Chief Steward with the 24,000-member SEIU Local 73 and an activist, as well as a writer for Fight Back, a Marxist magazine.
According to the Star Tribune, the search was part of a “mysterious, ongoing nationwide terrorism investigation with an unusual target: prominent peace activists and politically active labor organizers, a number of them in Minnesota.”
The probe — involving subpoenas to 23 people and raids of seven homes last fall — has triggered a high-powered protest against the Justice Department and, in the process, could create some political discomfort for President Obama with his union supporters as he gears up for his re-election campaign. Investigators, according to search warrants, documents and interviews, are examining possible “material support” for Colombian and Palestinian groups designated by the U.S. government as terrorists.
All along, the activists have claimed they have no ties to terrorism, despite the appearance that the investigation is into possible ties to the communist Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), “a revolutionary socialist and Marxist-Leninist organization in the United States” that is seeking to end America’s free-enterprise system.
The Freedom Road Socialist Organization has links (literally) to both the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [background here] and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) [background here], two groups on the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations.
Another of those being investigated is Hatem Abudayyeh who, according to his bio, is the Executive Director of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European, and Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAAELII), is a founding Advisory Board member of the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), and sits on the National Coordinating Committee of the United States Palestine Community Network (USPCN).
Now, with possible indictments looming, some of the individuals being investigated are attempting to strike back.
Several activists and their lawyers said they believe indictments could come anytime, so they have turned their organizing skills toward a counteroffensive, decrying the inquiry as a threat to their First Amendment rights. All 23 of the activists invoked their right not to testify before a grand jury, defying U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, whose office is spearheading the investigation. A spokesman for Fitzgerald declined to comment.
The activists have formed the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, organized phone banks to flood Attorney General Eric Holder’s office and the White House with protest calls, solicited letters from unions and faith-based groups and sent delegations to Capitol Hill.
“I am so disgusted when I see that so many union people have been targeted in this,” said Phyllis Walker, president of AFSCME Local 3800, which represents clerical workers at the University of Minnesota, including four members who are possible targets.
On May 17th, according to the Committee to Stop FBI Repression’s website, another activist’s home was raided in Los Angeles and the activist, Carlos Montes, was detained and questioned about the Midwest activists, as well as the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
On June 16th, the Committee is planning a “Day of Action in Solidarity with Carlos Montes.”
On the actvists’ website, there is a timeline of events that includes actions the activists have taken to counter the investigation into their activities, as well as the list of Democrat politicians the group has enlisted to support them.
By the looks of it, with indictments possibly being issued soon, there will likely be much more coming out in the coming weeks and months ahead.
_________________
“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Union Militants Organize Against FBI’s Terror-Tie Investigation
by LaborUnionReport
Last September, federal agents conducted a search of the homes of 23 left-wing, anti-war activists, several of whom are union activists from Illinois and Minnesota. The searches were in execution of warrants “seeking evidence in support of an ongoing Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation,” stated Steve Warfield, a spokesman for the FBI in Minneapolis, at the time.
In Chicago, among those whose homes were searched was Joe Isobaker and his wife Stephanie Weiner (a founder of AFSCME Local 3506). Isobaker was, at the time, a Chief Steward with the 24,000-member SEIU Local 73 and an activist, as well as a writer for Fight Back, a Marxist magazine.
According to the Star Tribune, the search was part of a “mysterious, ongoing nationwide terrorism investigation with an unusual target: prominent peace activists and politically active labor organizers, a number of them in Minnesota.”
The probe — involving subpoenas to 23 people and raids of seven homes last fall — has triggered a high-powered protest against the Justice Department and, in the process, could create some political discomfort for President Obama with his union supporters as he gears up for his re-election campaign. Investigators, according to search warrants, documents and interviews, are examining possible “material support” for Colombian and Palestinian groups designated by the U.S. government as terrorists.
All along, the activists have claimed they have no ties to terrorism, despite the appearance that the investigation is into possible ties to the communist Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), “a revolutionary socialist and Marxist-Leninist organization in the United States” that is seeking to end America’s free-enterprise system.
The Freedom Road Socialist Organization has links (literally) to both the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [background here] and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) [background here], two groups on the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations.
Another of those being investigated is Hatem Abudayyeh who, according to his bio, is the Executive Director of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European, and Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAAELII), is a founding Advisory Board member of the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), and sits on the National Coordinating Committee of the United States Palestine Community Network (USPCN).
Now, with possible indictments looming, some of the individuals being investigated are attempting to strike back.
Several activists and their lawyers said they believe indictments could come anytime, so they have turned their organizing skills toward a counteroffensive, decrying the inquiry as a threat to their First Amendment rights. All 23 of the activists invoked their right not to testify before a grand jury, defying U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, whose office is spearheading the investigation. A spokesman for Fitzgerald declined to comment.
The activists have formed the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, organized phone banks to flood Attorney General Eric Holder’s office and the White House with protest calls, solicited letters from unions and faith-based groups and sent delegations to Capitol Hill.
“I am so disgusted when I see that so many union people have been targeted in this,” said Phyllis Walker, president of AFSCME Local 3800, which represents clerical workers at the University of Minnesota, including four members who are possible targets.
On May 17th, according to the Committee to Stop FBI Repression’s website, another activist’s home was raided in Los Angeles and the activist, Carlos Montes, was detained and questioned about the Midwest activists, as well as the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
On June 16th, the Committee is planning a “Day of Action in Solidarity with Carlos Montes.”
On the actvists’ website, there is a timeline of events that includes actions the activists have taken to counter the investigation into their activities, as well as the list of Democrat politicians the group has enlisted to support them.
By the looks of it, with indictments possibly being issued soon, there will likely be much more coming out in the coming weeks and months ahead.
_________________
“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
WEINY ANTHONY REFUSES EXECUTION DIAGNOSIS & SEEKS SECOND OPINION!
http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/glennfoden
http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/
.
http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/
.
ACHILLOBAMONEY: EMANUEL CREATES NON-EXEMPT TAX JOBS FOR 60% HIKE CREDIT COLLECTORS AS OBAMA TAUTS NON-VOTING RIGHT & TAX-EXEMPT ISLAND VOTERS!
TAX-EMPMPT CAMPAIGN & LOBBY CONTRIBUTORS TO MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES' CONGRESS IN MERGER BETWEEN GE & COMCAST, CASTING SEVERE DOUBT THAT TWO ILLINOIS' GOVERNORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FEDERAL CRIMINAL WIRE FRAUD & HARASSMENT:
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/79557-comcast-ge-ramp-up-campaing-contributions-to-key-lawmakers-ahead-of-merger-scrutiny
+++++++++++
UNITED STATES' CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ON TAX-EXEMPT CORPORATIONS & CHARITABLE CAUSES, OPEN LINK TO READ:
http://www.nonprofitlawblog.com/home/2007/07/congressional-h.html
+++++++++++
INVESTORS' DAILY REPORTS:
Obama pledges focus on job creation
By JIM KUHNHENN
Posted 06/13/2011 10:08 PM ET
CREE Cree Inc GE General Electric Co * Top-Rated Company DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Beset by a grim employment picture, President Barack Obama on Monday pledged to ease the way for businesses to expand hiring and offered assurances to an anxious public that he is focused on creating jobs — the top political issue heading into the 2012 election and the Achilles heel of his presidency.
"The sky is not falling," Obama said. But the president, in a state that he narrowly won in 2008, could not ignore dismal recent economic reports.
"Our economic challenges were years in the making," he told workers at an energy-efficient lighting plant in Durham, "and it will take years to get back to where we need to be."
Obama called for educating more high-technology workers, announcing a plan to train 10,000 new American engineers every year through a public-private partnership. He also held a high-profile meeting with top CEOs who make up his advisory jobs council, offering encouragement for several ideas, including a plan that could create an estimated 114,000 jobs by increasing energy efficiencies in commercial and apartment buildings.
The visit to North Carolina, which was to be followed by fundraising stops in Miami later Monday, illustrated the political high stakes for Obama. By focusing on jobs, Obama provided a counterpoint to his Republican critics, particularly the seven 2012 presidential hopefuls who met in New Hampshire Monday evening for a debate and drew sharp contrasts with his approach on the economy.
"Today, the single most serious economic problem we face is getting people back to work," the president said. "We stabilized the economy, we prevented a financial meltdown, and an economy that was shrinking is now growing. ... But, I'm still not satisfied. I will not be satisfied until everyone who wants a good job that offers some security has a good job that offers security."
The stop in North Carolina was the first in a two-day trip with major political implications. Obama was attending three fundraisers later Monday in Miami, burnishing his profile in the crucial battleground of Florida. On Tuesday he planned a rendezvous with an important Hispanic constituency on the island of Puerto Rico. Voters of Puerto Rican descent make up a significant bloc in Florida.
Eager to rekindle enthusiasm for his presidency, Obama told political donors that "big changes don't happen overnight" as he tapped low- and high-dollar contributors in Miami.
Obama spoke to 80 wealthy supporters who paid $10,000 each to meet him at the home of former Samsonite CEO Steve Green, who was ambassador to Singapore under President Bill Clinton. Obama also attended a fundraiser at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, where about 900 supporters awaited him. A third, more intimate event attracted about 40 donors who paid the maximum allowed, $35,800.
The money raised goes to the Obama Victory Fund 2012, which splits the proceeds between the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
At the Arsht Center, a member of the audience stood and shouted, "Keep your promise, stop AIDS now!" before the crowd drowned him out with cheers of "Obama, Obama!"
Obama seemed to acknowledge the complaint, saying, "The reason we're here today is because our work is not done."
Republicans dismissed Obama's efforts on the economy.
"Photo-ops with business leaders only reinforce that no one in this administration has ideas to create the private sector jobs our economy desperately needs," said Brendan Buck, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Before his remarks to workers at Cree Inc., the president met with his jobs council, a group headed by General Electric chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. The group aired concerns about everything from difficulty getting small-business loans to regulatory burdens on airlines, and the president pledged to do what he could to help as his administration aims to breathe life into the faltering economic recovery.
At one point, Obama and the CEOs discussed the need to streamline contact permit approvals and poked fun at what had been the administration's pitch for the $800 billion economic stimulus program Congress approved in 2009. "Shovel-ready was not as shovel-ready as we expected," Obama said.
Obama's options are limited after that massive amount of spending. The administration and Congress are now focused on cutting long-term spending, the price for increasing the government's borrowing authority. The government says it will exceed its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling on Aug. 2.
Obama tried to make real for people what's at stake in that debate. He argued for smart decisions on what to cut and how, sending a message to Republicans who say they won't agree to raise the debt limit unless Obama and Democrats agree to enormous spending cuts and no tax increases.
Obama agrees on the need for spending cuts overall, but wants to increase spending in some areas, such as education and clean energy technology like the LED lighting the Durham plant creates, spending that he says creates jobs.
"So the American people need to know that over the next month, as we focus on making sure that we have a balanced thoughtful resolution to this problem, this isn't to the exclusion of worrying about jobs," the president said, "but is actually in service of making sure businesses have enough confidence about the investment environment so that they can start getting off the sidelines and putting more money to work and hiring more people."
Obama said the economy had made "great strides" from where it stood in 2008. But he said that even though jobs were being created they weren't being created fast enough. Job growth slowed sharply in May, with the private sector adding just 54,000 jobs.
At the same time, unemployment increased a 10th of a percentage point in April and again in May, bringing the joblessness rate to 9.1 percent. After voicing cautious optimism over the past several months that the recovery was beginning to take hold, Obama is now taking a different tack.
The May unemployment report, which showed the private sector adding just 54,000 jobs, "showed that job creation has not moved as quickly as we'd like," Obama told the CEOs.
In unveiling his jobs council proposals in North Carolina, Obama chose a state with the 10th highest unemployment rate in the country and the state where he won his narrowest victory in the 2008 presidential campaign.
++++++++++
Mayor Emanuel Announces 1,000 New GE Capital Jobs Coming to Chicago
Updated: Monday, 23 May 2011, 11:32 AM CDT
Published : Monday, 23 May 2011, 11:32 AM CDT
FOX Chicago News
Chicago - GE Capital, the financial services arm of General Electric, will expand its operations in Chicago and bring 1,000 new jobs to the city, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office announced Monday.
“I promised the people of Chicago that I would work tirelessly to create a business climate in Chicago that makes companies want to move here, stay here and bring high quality jobs to the hardest-working people in America,” Emanuel said. “I commend GE for recognizing the opportunity for growth and success in our great city.”
Emanuel made the announcement jointly with Dan Henson, president and CEO of GE Capital Americas, a release from Emanuel's office said.
The jobs will consist of skilled commercial, technical and regulatory positions and will make Chicago the company's second-largest location, with an employee base of 2,000. Of the 1,000 positions, 500 will be added in the next year and 500 in years after that. GE Capital is currently searching for a new, larger Chicago location, according to the release.
++++++++++++++
GREECE DOWNGRADED TO JUNK STATUS, OPEN LINK AND READ:
http://www.fxstreet.com/fundamental/market-view/daily-us-forex-summary/2011/06/15/
++++++++++++++
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/79557-comcast-ge-ramp-up-campaing-contributions-to-key-lawmakers-ahead-of-merger-scrutiny
+++++++++++
UNITED STATES' CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ON TAX-EXEMPT CORPORATIONS & CHARITABLE CAUSES, OPEN LINK TO READ:
http://www.nonprofitlawblog.com/home/2007/07/congressional-h.html
+++++++++++
INVESTORS' DAILY REPORTS:
Obama pledges focus on job creation
By JIM KUHNHENN
Posted 06/13/2011 10:08 PM ET
CREE Cree Inc GE General Electric Co * Top-Rated Company DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Beset by a grim employment picture, President Barack Obama on Monday pledged to ease the way for businesses to expand hiring and offered assurances to an anxious public that he is focused on creating jobs — the top political issue heading into the 2012 election and the Achilles heel of his presidency.
"The sky is not falling," Obama said. But the president, in a state that he narrowly won in 2008, could not ignore dismal recent economic reports.
"Our economic challenges were years in the making," he told workers at an energy-efficient lighting plant in Durham, "and it will take years to get back to where we need to be."
Obama called for educating more high-technology workers, announcing a plan to train 10,000 new American engineers every year through a public-private partnership. He also held a high-profile meeting with top CEOs who make up his advisory jobs council, offering encouragement for several ideas, including a plan that could create an estimated 114,000 jobs by increasing energy efficiencies in commercial and apartment buildings.
The visit to North Carolina, which was to be followed by fundraising stops in Miami later Monday, illustrated the political high stakes for Obama. By focusing on jobs, Obama provided a counterpoint to his Republican critics, particularly the seven 2012 presidential hopefuls who met in New Hampshire Monday evening for a debate and drew sharp contrasts with his approach on the economy.
"Today, the single most serious economic problem we face is getting people back to work," the president said. "We stabilized the economy, we prevented a financial meltdown, and an economy that was shrinking is now growing. ... But, I'm still not satisfied. I will not be satisfied until everyone who wants a good job that offers some security has a good job that offers security."
The stop in North Carolina was the first in a two-day trip with major political implications. Obama was attending three fundraisers later Monday in Miami, burnishing his profile in the crucial battleground of Florida. On Tuesday he planned a rendezvous with an important Hispanic constituency on the island of Puerto Rico. Voters of Puerto Rican descent make up a significant bloc in Florida.
Eager to rekindle enthusiasm for his presidency, Obama told political donors that "big changes don't happen overnight" as he tapped low- and high-dollar contributors in Miami.
Obama spoke to 80 wealthy supporters who paid $10,000 each to meet him at the home of former Samsonite CEO Steve Green, who was ambassador to Singapore under President Bill Clinton. Obama also attended a fundraiser at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, where about 900 supporters awaited him. A third, more intimate event attracted about 40 donors who paid the maximum allowed, $35,800.
The money raised goes to the Obama Victory Fund 2012, which splits the proceeds between the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
At the Arsht Center, a member of the audience stood and shouted, "Keep your promise, stop AIDS now!" before the crowd drowned him out with cheers of "Obama, Obama!"
Obama seemed to acknowledge the complaint, saying, "The reason we're here today is because our work is not done."
Republicans dismissed Obama's efforts on the economy.
"Photo-ops with business leaders only reinforce that no one in this administration has ideas to create the private sector jobs our economy desperately needs," said Brendan Buck, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Before his remarks to workers at Cree Inc., the president met with his jobs council, a group headed by General Electric chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. The group aired concerns about everything from difficulty getting small-business loans to regulatory burdens on airlines, and the president pledged to do what he could to help as his administration aims to breathe life into the faltering economic recovery.
At one point, Obama and the CEOs discussed the need to streamline contact permit approvals and poked fun at what had been the administration's pitch for the $800 billion economic stimulus program Congress approved in 2009. "Shovel-ready was not as shovel-ready as we expected," Obama said.
Obama's options are limited after that massive amount of spending. The administration and Congress are now focused on cutting long-term spending, the price for increasing the government's borrowing authority. The government says it will exceed its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling on Aug. 2.
Obama tried to make real for people what's at stake in that debate. He argued for smart decisions on what to cut and how, sending a message to Republicans who say they won't agree to raise the debt limit unless Obama and Democrats agree to enormous spending cuts and no tax increases.
Obama agrees on the need for spending cuts overall, but wants to increase spending in some areas, such as education and clean energy technology like the LED lighting the Durham plant creates, spending that he says creates jobs.
"So the American people need to know that over the next month, as we focus on making sure that we have a balanced thoughtful resolution to this problem, this isn't to the exclusion of worrying about jobs," the president said, "but is actually in service of making sure businesses have enough confidence about the investment environment so that they can start getting off the sidelines and putting more money to work and hiring more people."
Obama said the economy had made "great strides" from where it stood in 2008. But he said that even though jobs were being created they weren't being created fast enough. Job growth slowed sharply in May, with the private sector adding just 54,000 jobs.
At the same time, unemployment increased a 10th of a percentage point in April and again in May, bringing the joblessness rate to 9.1 percent. After voicing cautious optimism over the past several months that the recovery was beginning to take hold, Obama is now taking a different tack.
The May unemployment report, which showed the private sector adding just 54,000 jobs, "showed that job creation has not moved as quickly as we'd like," Obama told the CEOs.
In unveiling his jobs council proposals in North Carolina, Obama chose a state with the 10th highest unemployment rate in the country and the state where he won his narrowest victory in the 2008 presidential campaign.
++++++++++
Mayor Emanuel Announces 1,000 New GE Capital Jobs Coming to Chicago
Updated: Monday, 23 May 2011, 11:32 AM CDT
Published : Monday, 23 May 2011, 11:32 AM CDT
FOX Chicago News
Chicago - GE Capital, the financial services arm of General Electric, will expand its operations in Chicago and bring 1,000 new jobs to the city, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office announced Monday.
“I promised the people of Chicago that I would work tirelessly to create a business climate in Chicago that makes companies want to move here, stay here and bring high quality jobs to the hardest-working people in America,” Emanuel said. “I commend GE for recognizing the opportunity for growth and success in our great city.”
Emanuel made the announcement jointly with Dan Henson, president and CEO of GE Capital Americas, a release from Emanuel's office said.
The jobs will consist of skilled commercial, technical and regulatory positions and will make Chicago the company's second-largest location, with an employee base of 2,000. Of the 1,000 positions, 500 will be added in the next year and 500 in years after that. GE Capital is currently searching for a new, larger Chicago location, according to the release.
++++++++++++++
GREECE DOWNGRADED TO JUNK STATUS, OPEN LINK AND READ:
http://www.fxstreet.com/fundamental/market-view/daily-us-forex-summary/2011/06/15/
++++++++++++++
Monday, June 13, 2011
WESTBORO'S BRITISH BAPTIST CHURCH PLANS HOSTILE FOREIGN TAKEOVER OF U.S. AIRPORT WHILE TRAFFICKING AMERICAN CHILDREN WITH ILL & FL STATE EMPLOYEES!
Controversial O'Hare concession contract poses test for Emanuel
Mayor must support Daley's selection process or start over
June 11, 2011|By David Kidwell and John Chase, Tribune reporters
A political battle over a multimillion-dollar contract to control what international travelers eat and buy at O'Hare International Airport for the next 25 years is raging at City Hall, and all eyes are on Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Emanuel had barely been elected this year when he quietly sent signals he wanted aldermen to slow down the Daley administration's push to hire one of two well-connected firms before the outgoing mayor left office.
Find out who has been awarded federal contracts. Try our tool. www.bgov.comNow Emanuel has inherited the choice, and with it a dilemma that will shed light on how his campaign rhetoric about ending insider deals matches the reality of running the city.
The airport deal is the first major contract issue the new mayor faces. At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the cash-strapped city and expanded offerings for travelers waiting for international flights, from restaurants to newsstands.
Lobbyists for the bidders are blanketing aldermanic offices with their pitches and warning the wrong choice could become a fiasco akin to Daley's 2008 parking meter privatization. That deal was criticized as shortchanging the city while sticking motorists with soaring parking fees.
Amid the competing claims, eight aldermen last week signed a letter to the city Department of Aviation demanding to see the detailed proposals from every bidder, including the firm the department is recommending.
Emanuel must decide whether to support a selection process he inherited or scrap it and start over, a choice that could set back improvements at the airport months if not years.
"It is fair to say at this point that until the mayor and his staff have a grasp of all these proposals, this is going to be hanging," said former Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine, a lawyer for the partnership led by McDonald's that has had the contract since 1993, Chicago Aviation Partners.
The group's contract at O'Hare has long been perceived to be untouchable because among its shareholders was Jeremiah Joyce, one of Mayor Richard Daley's closest political advisers and friends. Joyce was a top strategist on numerous campaigns for Daley and his allies, including Devine, while maintaining a low public profile.
But four years ago Joyce lost a separate piece of airport business — for duty-free shops in domestic terminals — after his clout was highlighted in a federal prosecution of illegal patronage hiring at City Hall. And a year ago, Daley's airport commissioner, Rosemarie Andolino, decided not to continue Chicago Aviation Partners' contract at the international terminal.
Instead, a selection committee chosen by Andolino picked Westfield Concession Management LLC, a subsidiary of multinational shopping mall and concessions developer the Westfield Group.
Westfield has powerful connections of its own. Its lobbying team includes Tim Dart, brother of Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, and Demetrius Carney, president of the Chicago Police Board.
The Westfield Group also has long employed two of the most powerful politicians in Illinois as tax lawyers. The law firms of House Speaker Michael Madigan and Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, each represent suburban Westfield shopping malls.
"Whatever the alleged clout may be, the only question for the mayor is what is the best financial deal for the city," Devine said.
"You can't make a commitment like this, whether it's 10 years, 20 years or 30 years, without keeping your eye on the financial ball. It has to be about what benefits the city."
Any delay benefits Devine and his clients, because every month a new deal isn't inked, Chicago Aviation Partners continues to handle concessions in Terminal 5.
Several sources, including aldermen, told the Tribune they got word before Emanuel took office that he would like time to review such a long-standing and controversial deal.
Emanuel "expressed he did not want to rush this because it was important to get it right," his spokeswoman Chris Mather confirmed. Westfield got a meeting Friday with the administration, but Mather told the Tribune the contract wasn't discussed because aldermen are making their own assessment.
Emanuel made reform a central theme of his campaign and repeatedly pledged to change the culture of City Hall.
"Government can no longer be an insider's game, serving primarily the lobbyists and well-connected," he said at his November campaign kickoff. "We need to make sure that city contracts go to the lowest bidders who provide the best services — not to the best connected."
No matter which company is selected, the winner's political ties could open Emanuel and aldermen to criticism of insider dealing.
Mayor must support Daley's selection process or start over
June 11, 2011|By David Kidwell and John Chase, Tribune reporters
A political battle over a multimillion-dollar contract to control what international travelers eat and buy at O'Hare International Airport for the next 25 years is raging at City Hall, and all eyes are on Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Emanuel had barely been elected this year when he quietly sent signals he wanted aldermen to slow down the Daley administration's push to hire one of two well-connected firms before the outgoing mayor left office.
Find out who has been awarded federal contracts. Try our tool. www.bgov.comNow Emanuel has inherited the choice, and with it a dilemma that will shed light on how his campaign rhetoric about ending insider deals matches the reality of running the city.
The airport deal is the first major contract issue the new mayor faces. At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the cash-strapped city and expanded offerings for travelers waiting for international flights, from restaurants to newsstands.
Lobbyists for the bidders are blanketing aldermanic offices with their pitches and warning the wrong choice could become a fiasco akin to Daley's 2008 parking meter privatization. That deal was criticized as shortchanging the city while sticking motorists with soaring parking fees.
Amid the competing claims, eight aldermen last week signed a letter to the city Department of Aviation demanding to see the detailed proposals from every bidder, including the firm the department is recommending.
Emanuel must decide whether to support a selection process he inherited or scrap it and start over, a choice that could set back improvements at the airport months if not years.
"It is fair to say at this point that until the mayor and his staff have a grasp of all these proposals, this is going to be hanging," said former Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine, a lawyer for the partnership led by McDonald's that has had the contract since 1993, Chicago Aviation Partners.
The group's contract at O'Hare has long been perceived to be untouchable because among its shareholders was Jeremiah Joyce, one of Mayor Richard Daley's closest political advisers and friends. Joyce was a top strategist on numerous campaigns for Daley and his allies, including Devine, while maintaining a low public profile.
But four years ago Joyce lost a separate piece of airport business — for duty-free shops in domestic terminals — after his clout was highlighted in a federal prosecution of illegal patronage hiring at City Hall. And a year ago, Daley's airport commissioner, Rosemarie Andolino, decided not to continue Chicago Aviation Partners' contract at the international terminal.
Instead, a selection committee chosen by Andolino picked Westfield Concession Management LLC, a subsidiary of multinational shopping mall and concessions developer the Westfield Group.
Westfield has powerful connections of its own. Its lobbying team includes Tim Dart, brother of Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, and Demetrius Carney, president of the Chicago Police Board.
The Westfield Group also has long employed two of the most powerful politicians in Illinois as tax lawyers. The law firms of House Speaker Michael Madigan and Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, each represent suburban Westfield shopping malls.
"Whatever the alleged clout may be, the only question for the mayor is what is the best financial deal for the city," Devine said.
"You can't make a commitment like this, whether it's 10 years, 20 years or 30 years, without keeping your eye on the financial ball. It has to be about what benefits the city."
Any delay benefits Devine and his clients, because every month a new deal isn't inked, Chicago Aviation Partners continues to handle concessions in Terminal 5.
Several sources, including aldermen, told the Tribune they got word before Emanuel took office that he would like time to review such a long-standing and controversial deal.
Emanuel "expressed he did not want to rush this because it was important to get it right," his spokeswoman Chris Mather confirmed. Westfield got a meeting Friday with the administration, but Mather told the Tribune the contract wasn't discussed because aldermen are making their own assessment.
Emanuel made reform a central theme of his campaign and repeatedly pledged to change the culture of City Hall.
"Government can no longer be an insider's game, serving primarily the lobbyists and well-connected," he said at his November campaign kickoff. "We need to make sure that city contracts go to the lowest bidders who provide the best services — not to the best connected."
No matter which company is selected, the winner's political ties could open Emanuel and aldermen to criticism of insider dealing.
MARIA PAPPAS' AND OBAMA'S GREASY DREAM OF A 60% UTILITY RATE HIKE MAY COME TRUE AS YOUR CHILDREN GO MISSING TO FL COURTHOUSES FOR FLIGHT TRAINING!
The Illinois Review
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Obama's dream of a 60% utility rate hike may come true
If things got nasty in Springfield over Com Ed's Smart Grid program costing the average consumer less than $10 a month more, what's going to happen when Barack Obama's dream comes true and our electric bills shoot up 60 percent more? It's all about closing coal plants - one of Obama's home state's most lucrative industries. Coal plants will soon be a source of energy of the past if Obama's EPA is successful. So what does that mean for Illinoisans? Chicago Tribune writes:
What analysts know is that a portion of ComEd bills that pays electricity generators to reserve a portion of their power three years into the future will increase more than fourfold. That would translate into increases of $107 to $178 a year for an average residential customer in ComEd's territory, starting in 2014, according to calculations by Chris Thomas, policy director for consumer advocacy group Citizens Utility Board.
Add that to our ridiculously high per gallon fill ups and surely a huge increase in our NiCor bills, and how much more can we tighten our belts?
Today's Chicago Tribune confirms Obama's delight in our utility bills skyrocketing, and PubliusForum.com's Warner Todd Huston writes:
But one thing the Tribune did not mention. Obama campaigned on forcing us to pay that 60% more on our electric bills. Obama wants to bankrupt the electric industry, he wants us to lose jobs, he wants us to be soaked to pay more for our energy. He wants this because he feels America should be taken down a notch or two He wants to hobble this country. It’s what he’s said since day one…
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d834515c5469e2014e8916ead5970d
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Obama's dream of a 60% utility rate hike may come true:
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Obama's dream of a 60% utility rate hike may come true
If things got nasty in Springfield over Com Ed's Smart Grid program costing the average consumer less than $10 a month more, what's going to happen when Barack Obama's dream comes true and our electric bills shoot up 60 percent more? It's all about closing coal plants - one of Obama's home state's most lucrative industries. Coal plants will soon be a source of energy of the past if Obama's EPA is successful. So what does that mean for Illinoisans? Chicago Tribune writes:
What analysts know is that a portion of ComEd bills that pays electricity generators to reserve a portion of their power three years into the future will increase more than fourfold. That would translate into increases of $107 to $178 a year for an average residential customer in ComEd's territory, starting in 2014, according to calculations by Chris Thomas, policy director for consumer advocacy group Citizens Utility Board.
Add that to our ridiculously high per gallon fill ups and surely a huge increase in our NiCor bills, and how much more can we tighten our belts?
Today's Chicago Tribune confirms Obama's delight in our utility bills skyrocketing, and PubliusForum.com's Warner Todd Huston writes:
But one thing the Tribune did not mention. Obama campaigned on forcing us to pay that 60% more on our electric bills. Obama wants to bankrupt the electric industry, he wants us to lose jobs, he wants us to be soaked to pay more for our energy. He wants this because he feels America should be taken down a notch or two He wants to hobble this country. It’s what he’s said since day one…
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d834515c5469e2014e8916ead5970d
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Obama's dream of a 60% utility rate hike may come true:
STOP PROSECUTING EVERY GOVERNOR FOR THE GREEK WHORES' CHILD TRAFFICKING PROBLEMS WITH K.C. JETLINERS & MADELINE MCCANN! F.I.S.A. WARRANTS REQUIRED!
F.I.S.A. WARRANTS ARE REQUIRED TO PROSECUTING ILLINOIS EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN HIJACKING K.C. JETLINERS, RECEIVING ILLEGAL FLIGHT CHILD TRAFFICKING IN FLORIDA, AND TIME TO DIS-BAR AND REMOVE FROM THE JUDICIAL BENCH ALL JUDGES INVOLVED, AND TIME FOR THE PROSECUTION OF NOT JUST BLAGOJEVICH, BUT ALL ILLINOIS EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM AND INTERNATIONAL CHILD TRAFFICKING AND HOME INVASIONS!
++++++++++++
Man on house arrest for Fla. hit-and-run to be jailed in Illinois
BY KARA SPAK AND STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporters June 11, 2011 5:18PM
Ryan LeVin
Updated: June 11, 2011 9:05PM
A Barrington Hills man, sentenced to two years of house arrest in his parents’ oceanfront Florida condominium after mowing down two men with his Porsche, is scheduled to turn himself in to an Illinois prison Monday for an unrelated parole violation.
Ryan LeVin, 36, is due at 10 a.m. Monday at Stateville Correctional Facility in Joliet, said Cara Smith, chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Corrections. LeVin was on parole in Illinois for a 2006 high-speed chase that injured a Chicago police officer and two motorists.
In 2009, with permission from Illinois officials, LeVin went to Fort Lauderdale to look after his parents’ properties. There, while driving a Porsche, he struck and killed two men walking to their hotel.
Although he initially denied he was driving the car, last week LeVin pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide. A Broward County judge ordered LeVin, whose parents founded a suburban Chicago direct-sales company, to serve two years of house arrest after he agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit with the men’s families.
Florida prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison sentence.
Illinois officials say LeVin violated the terms of his parole when he went to Florida in 2010 without permission to deal with those charges.
“Our goal in all cases is to hold all offenders accountable, and that’s true here as well,” Smith said.
Smith said she worked with Florida officials and LeVin’s attorney to bring him to Illinois.
His parole hearing likely will be held in early July, Smith said. He could, at most, serve a year behind bars for the violation.
Contributing: AP
++++++++++++
Man on house arrest for Fla. hit-and-run to be jailed in Illinois
BY KARA SPAK AND STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporters June 11, 2011 5:18PM
Ryan LeVin
Updated: June 11, 2011 9:05PM
A Barrington Hills man, sentenced to two years of house arrest in his parents’ oceanfront Florida condominium after mowing down two men with his Porsche, is scheduled to turn himself in to an Illinois prison Monday for an unrelated parole violation.
Ryan LeVin, 36, is due at 10 a.m. Monday at Stateville Correctional Facility in Joliet, said Cara Smith, chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Corrections. LeVin was on parole in Illinois for a 2006 high-speed chase that injured a Chicago police officer and two motorists.
In 2009, with permission from Illinois officials, LeVin went to Fort Lauderdale to look after his parents’ properties. There, while driving a Porsche, he struck and killed two men walking to their hotel.
Although he initially denied he was driving the car, last week LeVin pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide. A Broward County judge ordered LeVin, whose parents founded a suburban Chicago direct-sales company, to serve two years of house arrest after he agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit with the men’s families.
Florida prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison sentence.
Illinois officials say LeVin violated the terms of his parole when he went to Florida in 2010 without permission to deal with those charges.
“Our goal in all cases is to hold all offenders accountable, and that’s true here as well,” Smith said.
Smith said she worked with Florida officials and LeVin’s attorney to bring him to Illinois.
His parole hearing likely will be held in early July, Smith said. He could, at most, serve a year behind bars for the violation.
Contributing: AP
TIME TO DIS-BAR, REMOVE FROM THE JUDICIAL BENCH, REPEAL DR. VASS, & FIRE INCOMPETENT TSA WORKERS WHO TRAFFIC AMERICAN WOMEN & CHILDREN!
TSA workers face dismissal over baggage screening
By Ashley Halsey III,
Published: June 10
The Transportation Security Administration is moving to fire more than 30 of its security personnel at Hawaii’s Honolulu International Airport after the discovery late last year that they were not properly screening checked bags for bombs, the TSA said Friday.
A dozen more TSA workers face suspension, the TSA said. Those slated for firing included workers responsible for the actual screening, several supervisors and the federal security director for the Honolulu airport, the TSA said.
“TSA holds its workforce to the highest ethical standards and we will not tolerate employees who in any way compromise the security of the traveling public,” TSA Administrator John Pistole said in a statement announcing the actions.
The workers reportedly came under investigation after two TSA workers complained to their supervisors that colleagues were not screening checked luggage being loaded aboard flights in a section of the airport that serves Qantas, WestJet, Philippine Airlines, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Alaska Air, Air Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Delta Airlines, China Airlines, Air Pacific and Jetstar Airways.
Investigators found that each day during the last few months of 2010, planes from an undetermined number of those airlines took off with unscreened baggage on board.
Pistole said TSA managers had been dispatched to the Honolulu airport to ensure that bomb-screening procedures were being properly followed
By Ashley Halsey III,
Published: June 10
The Transportation Security Administration is moving to fire more than 30 of its security personnel at Hawaii’s Honolulu International Airport after the discovery late last year that they were not properly screening checked bags for bombs, the TSA said Friday.
A dozen more TSA workers face suspension, the TSA said. Those slated for firing included workers responsible for the actual screening, several supervisors and the federal security director for the Honolulu airport, the TSA said.
“TSA holds its workforce to the highest ethical standards and we will not tolerate employees who in any way compromise the security of the traveling public,” TSA Administrator John Pistole said in a statement announcing the actions.
The workers reportedly came under investigation after two TSA workers complained to their supervisors that colleagues were not screening checked luggage being loaded aboard flights in a section of the airport that serves Qantas, WestJet, Philippine Airlines, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Alaska Air, Air Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Delta Airlines, China Airlines, Air Pacific and Jetstar Airways.
Investigators found that each day during the last few months of 2010, planes from an undetermined number of those airlines took off with unscreened baggage on board.
Pistole said TSA managers had been dispatched to the Honolulu airport to ensure that bomb-screening procedures were being properly followed
WOW...MY PLANE'S BEEN HIJACKED --- TIME TO DISBAR ILLINOIS LAWYERS WHO REFUSE TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM MY RESIDENCE & ISSUE F.I.S.A. WARRANTS!
Sisters' thermostat war heats up in court
'Thermostat war' ended in lawsuit, battery charge
June 12, 2011|By Steve Schmadeke, Tribune reporter
Two Plainfield sisters planned to spend their golden years together, but their retirement dream was shattered by a brawl over the thermostat setting, leading to criminal charges against the older sister and a court battle over ownership of their shared home.
Ilona Sales, 62, is scheduled to go on trial in Joliet Monday in the fracas that started two days after Christmas, when Sales raised the temperature in their house from 67 to 68 degrees shortly after her younger sister, Wanda Lupina, returned home.
'Thermostat war' ended in lawsuit, battery charge
June 12, 2011|By Steve Schmadeke, Tribune reporter
Two Plainfield sisters planned to spend their golden years together, but their retirement dream was shattered by a brawl over the thermostat setting, leading to criminal charges against the older sister and a court battle over ownership of their shared home.
Ilona Sales, 62, is scheduled to go on trial in Joliet Monday in the fracas that started two days after Christmas, when Sales raised the temperature in their house from 67 to 68 degrees shortly after her younger sister, Wanda Lupina, returned home.
FALSIFIED COURT REPORTS WHILE DR. VASS POSES AS A CHICAGO TSA AGENT WHILE TRAFFICKING AMERICAN CHILDREN CONTINUES...
Casey Anthony trial: Testimony highlights of Week 3
6:12 p.m. CDT, June 11, 2011
MONDAY
THE BOEING K.C. TRIAL BY DR. VASS, A FEDERAL TSA AGENT INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONAL CHILD TRAFFICKING ON BEHALF OF EUROPEAN AIRBUS AND GREECE IN CHICAGO'S COOK COUNTY JUVENILE COURT CONTINUES... FROM MACEDONIA, TO GREECE, TO BRITAIN, TO PORTUGAL, AND NOW FLORIDA AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS, WHO NOW EMPLOY THE 911 HIJACKERS DEFENSE ATTORNEYS...
Dr. Arpad Vass, a top scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, testified about human-decomposition-odor analysis and how the concept was applied to samples from Casey Anthony's car.
Defense attorney Jose Baez questioned Vass about a possible financial incentive for getting the science of odor analysis accepted in the courts. Vass said he could see 15 percent royalties if a device he helped design is sold and marketed to law enforcement.
TUESDAY
Orange County Deputy Jason Forgey explained how police dogs are trained to detect human decomposition and what happened when his K-9, Gerus, got involved in the Casey Anthony case and alerted authorities to a possible site of decomposition.
Dr. Michael Rickenbach, a forensic chemist examiner with the FBI, told jurors that he was surprised that residue of chloroform was detected on fabric from a spare tire cover taken from the trunk of Casey Anthony's car because the chemical usually dissipates quickly.
WEDNESDAY
A forensic computer expert testified that someone in the Anthony house performed computer searches for such terms as "ruptured spleen," "internal bleeding," "neck breaking" and "chloroform" in March 2008, several months before Caylee Marie Anthony disappeared.
A dog handler testified that a second dog trained to detect cadavers had alerted on the area near Caylee's backyard playhouse. The same dog gave no alert during a second search, however. No remains were ever found at that location.
THURSDAY
During a dramatic day in court, jurors saw gruesome photos of Caylee's remains, including her skull, duct tape that was found wrapped around Caylee and children's shorts found with the remains.
Casey Anthony became ill and was escorted out of the courtroom; a short time later, Chief Judge Belvin Perry called an early recess and sent the jurors home for the day.
FRIDAY
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia said she listed Caylee's death as homicide due to undetermined means because duct tape over the nose and mouth or chloroform could have caused death.
Jurors watched a video of Caylee's face that morphed into her skull with duct tape over it. Jose Baez asked for a mistrial, calling the video prejudicial. He was denied.
UF anthropology professor Michael Warren said duct tape could have been used to cover Caylee's nose and mouth.
UCF forensic anthropology professor John Schultz testified animals had chewed on two leg bones.
6:12 p.m. CDT, June 11, 2011
MONDAY
THE BOEING K.C. TRIAL BY DR. VASS, A FEDERAL TSA AGENT INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONAL CHILD TRAFFICKING ON BEHALF OF EUROPEAN AIRBUS AND GREECE IN CHICAGO'S COOK COUNTY JUVENILE COURT CONTINUES... FROM MACEDONIA, TO GREECE, TO BRITAIN, TO PORTUGAL, AND NOW FLORIDA AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS, WHO NOW EMPLOY THE 911 HIJACKERS DEFENSE ATTORNEYS...
Dr. Arpad Vass, a top scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, testified about human-decomposition-odor analysis and how the concept was applied to samples from Casey Anthony's car.
Defense attorney Jose Baez questioned Vass about a possible financial incentive for getting the science of odor analysis accepted in the courts. Vass said he could see 15 percent royalties if a device he helped design is sold and marketed to law enforcement.
TUESDAY
Orange County Deputy Jason Forgey explained how police dogs are trained to detect human decomposition and what happened when his K-9, Gerus, got involved in the Casey Anthony case and alerted authorities to a possible site of decomposition.
Dr. Michael Rickenbach, a forensic chemist examiner with the FBI, told jurors that he was surprised that residue of chloroform was detected on fabric from a spare tire cover taken from the trunk of Casey Anthony's car because the chemical usually dissipates quickly.
WEDNESDAY
A forensic computer expert testified that someone in the Anthony house performed computer searches for such terms as "ruptured spleen," "internal bleeding," "neck breaking" and "chloroform" in March 2008, several months before Caylee Marie Anthony disappeared.
A dog handler testified that a second dog trained to detect cadavers had alerted on the area near Caylee's backyard playhouse. The same dog gave no alert during a second search, however. No remains were ever found at that location.
THURSDAY
During a dramatic day in court, jurors saw gruesome photos of Caylee's remains, including her skull, duct tape that was found wrapped around Caylee and children's shorts found with the remains.
Casey Anthony became ill and was escorted out of the courtroom; a short time later, Chief Judge Belvin Perry called an early recess and sent the jurors home for the day.
FRIDAY
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia said she listed Caylee's death as homicide due to undetermined means because duct tape over the nose and mouth or chloroform could have caused death.
Jurors watched a video of Caylee's face that morphed into her skull with duct tape over it. Jose Baez asked for a mistrial, calling the video prejudicial. He was denied.
UF anthropology professor Michael Warren said duct tape could have been used to cover Caylee's nose and mouth.
UCF forensic anthropology professor John Schultz testified animals had chewed on two leg bones.
AMERICAN CATHOLICS WILL NOT FOLLOW GREECE OR THE 911 HIJACKERS' ATTORNEYS INTO THE COCKPIT OF THE BOEING K.C. WITH COOK COUNTY ILL CHILD TRAFFICKERS!
BELFAST TELEGRAPH REPORTS:
Hopes rise for finding Madeleine
Monday, 13 June 2011
Kate McCann and other mothers of missing children outside the House of Commons
The chances of missing Madeleine McCann being found are improving after Scotland Yard was called in to review the investigation, the young girl's mother Kate has said.
Mrs McCann, whose daughter Madeleine went missing from her family's holiday flat in the Algarve shortly before her fourth birthday, said grieving families should not be left to search for their loved ones alone.
Calling for the Government to improve support, she said there was "currently no legislation to protect missing people and their families left behind".
Mrs McCann, 43, issued her appeal to Ministers as Scotland Yard continues its review of the investigation into her daughter's disappearance in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007.
The official Portuguese inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008, although private detectives employed by the McCanns have continued the search.
"I don't think this should be the role of grieving parents," she said. But she added that now Scotland Yard was involved, "I feel the chances of her being found are improving".
The lack of support the McCanns received was compounded by a "lack of communication and information", she said.
Calling for a single point of contact between the families of missing people and the police, Mrs McCann added: "To be left in the dark when your child is missing and at risk is unbearable."
Human beings are not equipped to deal with such ordeals and more support is crucial if "families are to survive", she said. "Many people have been worn down by this process because it's absolutely relentless and exhausting."
Mrs McCann, with her voice shaking, was giving evidence to MPs holding an inquiry into the support available for the families of missing people.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/hopes-rise-for-finding-madeleine-16011058.html#ixzz1PAP8hSmN
Hopes rise for finding Madeleine
Monday, 13 June 2011
Kate McCann and other mothers of missing children outside the House of Commons
The chances of missing Madeleine McCann being found are improving after Scotland Yard was called in to review the investigation, the young girl's mother Kate has said.
Mrs McCann, whose daughter Madeleine went missing from her family's holiday flat in the Algarve shortly before her fourth birthday, said grieving families should not be left to search for their loved ones alone.
Calling for the Government to improve support, she said there was "currently no legislation to protect missing people and their families left behind".
Mrs McCann, 43, issued her appeal to Ministers as Scotland Yard continues its review of the investigation into her daughter's disappearance in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007.
The official Portuguese inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008, although private detectives employed by the McCanns have continued the search.
"I don't think this should be the role of grieving parents," she said. But she added that now Scotland Yard was involved, "I feel the chances of her being found are improving".
The lack of support the McCanns received was compounded by a "lack of communication and information", she said.
Calling for a single point of contact between the families of missing people and the police, Mrs McCann added: "To be left in the dark when your child is missing and at risk is unbearable."
Human beings are not equipped to deal with such ordeals and more support is crucial if "families are to survive", she said. "Many people have been worn down by this process because it's absolutely relentless and exhausting."
Mrs McCann, with her voice shaking, was giving evidence to MPs holding an inquiry into the support available for the families of missing people.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/hopes-rise-for-finding-madeleine-16011058.html#ixzz1PAP8hSmN
Monday, June 6, 2011
2012 IS COMING - 2012 IS COMING -- SARAH PALIN IS THE FRONT-RUNNER FOR THE UNITED STATES' PRESIDENCY SHOULD SHE CHOOSE TO RUN!
http://www.nationalreview.com
Jim Geraghty
June 5, 2011 11:00 P.M.
Palin the Undefeated
A new documentary film illuminates her achievements, and possibly her future.
The Undefeated is the story of Sarah Palin’s life in politics, refracted through the prism of Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey.”
The documentary film’s closing image is Palin at an April 17 Tea Party rally in Wisconsin, declaring, “President Obama, game on!” The film is tentatively scheduled to have its first releases in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, all key primary states. Obviously, a Palin presidential campaign is official only when word comes from Palin herself. But this stirring, surprisingly artistic, and narrative-driven film will seem strangely incomplete without one.
Shortly after the 2010 midterms, Rebecca Mansour and Tim Crawford of SarahPAC approached Stephen Bannon, creator of the documentary Fire in the Heartland, about doing a 30-minute short about Palin. He replied that the proposed concept and format didn’t interest him, but that he did have his own vision for a full-length documentary film, one he was willing to finance himself. His only request for Palin’s PAC was help in getting access to some key figures from the early days of her career in Alaska. Palin herself had no editorial control of the film, and in fact first watched a cut only two weeks ago. Last week, on Greta Van Susteren’s show, Palin declared she was “blown away” by the film.
Before the screening, Bannon mentioned that I and other political reporters were about to watch the “X-rated version,” as opposed to a “XXX-rated version” that he envisions being released on DVD someday. Within the first four minutes, the reason for that cryptic remark was clear, and the X rating is well deserved: The worst sneers, insults, and furious denunciations from Palin’s enemies are presented in their original language, sans any bleeps. (A version in theaters is likely to bleep out the worst ones.) The F word and the C word make multiple appearances. What’s remarkable is that the acidic comments from comedians such as David Letterman, Joan Rivers, Rosie O’Donnell, and Tracey Morgan aren’t really jokes. There’s no punch line per se; calling Palin “slutty” or a “whore,” or offering some other (usually sexual) insult, apparently is supposed to be the punch line.
“I believe you have to grab the audience in the beginning,” Bannon says. Perhaps he’s understated his grab.
The Undefeated skips through most of Palin’s early life with a series of family photos and home movies. Using Palin’s voice from the audiobook version of Going Rogue, Bannon begins his narrative with the Exxon Valdez disaster, and we note that in the late 1980s, Palin was a mom-to-be working on her husband’s commercial-fishing vessel, witnessing the carnage of unemployment, foreclosures, alcoholism, divorces, and suicides unleashed by the catastrophe and its aftermath. It is as difficult to picture young Palin as a future national political leader as to imagine an awkward, biracial teen in Punahou School in Honolulu the late 1970s winning the presidency.
By far, the most eye-opening part of the film — and no doubt, most useful to the presidential hopes of Palin — is the second act, detailing Palin’s time as Alaska’s governor. Oil companies are the relentless villain of Alaskan politics; in retrospect it seems bizarre that the woman most hated by modern liberals spent so much of her career fighting tooth and nail with oil-company executives. During this whole stretch, there isn’t a partisan note. Alaskan politics is painted as a rigged game benefiting the politically powerful and influential with the citizenry getting the short end of the stick, time and again — until Palin appears on the scene.
“I’ve had people tell me it’s too long, you’ve got to shorten it and dumb it down, but I believe that if you expect more of your audience, they’ll rise to the material,” Bannon says. “It’s like a Harvard Business School case study. I would put her accomplishments in those most important 18 months up against the most productive 18 months of any other governor of the 20th century or 21st century. And even though I never mention it in the film, in the middle of all that, she had a baby.”
Bannon’s style is characterized by rapid editing; he notes that the film includes three times as many images and cuts as would a comparable PBS documentary. His illustrative choices are comical (while an Alaskan official discusses intense legal fights with the oil companies, we see two men in suits, one concealing a knife behind his back, the other a gun), vivid (war footage), and sometimes unnerving (when talking about how the Left sought to drive Palin out of public life, we see sand being shoveled on a corpse).
Before the screening, Bannon had jokingly called the film “a John Ford Western about Sarah Palin.” Asked about the comparison afterward, he cringed and emphasized that he didn’t want to compare himself to the legendary director. But he did acknowledge that “in John Ford’s movies, Monument Valley is playing West Texas. In this film, Alaska is a character.” He emphasizes the unique culture of the state with a combination of historical footage, sweeping helicopter shots cruising through breathtaking vistas, and a lengthy focus on how living in the dramatic environment shapes Alaska’s people.
Once the film catches up to where most of America met Palin — when she joined John McCain on the campaign trail — it loses a bit of its narrative punch. For those who have followed the news, the story of the convention speech, the dramatic surge her selection provided to the McCain campaign, and the financial meltdown are familiar territory. Palin’s decision to resign is given a better explanation and justification here than in her actual resignation speech.
Tammy Bruce, Mark Levin, and Andrew Breitbart are featured heavily in this section, and with no disrespect intended to any of them, Palin’s story is more powerfully told through the voices of Alaskans obscure to most Americans than through the semi-familiar voices of conservative pundits. This is not to say this section doesn’t pack its punches, one of which is a particularly impassioned prosecutorial indictment of the Republican party establishment. (Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, along with House leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor, might want to step out for popcorn at this point.) Breitbart in particular gets a memorable denunciation of “eunuchs” on the cultural right in Washington and New York City.
There’s some extraneous commentary, but Levin does astutely note that the Palin campaign rallies in autumn 2008 can easily be seen as embryonic Tea Party rallies, and the film ably contends that Palin’s values and approach to governing experienced a vivid national vindication in the historic Republican wins in the 2010 midterms. This appears to be why Bannon picked the title The Undefeated, already being mocked by the familiar chorus. One of the last comments from Breitbart is, “Thank God Sarah Palin refused to accept the premise of her own destruction.”
Bannon notes that the film implicitly contrasts two images of Palin: First her convention debut, on a bright stage, in perfectly polished form (her choice to dress in off-white looks almost symbolic in retrospect), and then her appearance on a rainy, gray day in Wisconsin in spring 2011, politically bruised but unyielding, much farther along in her life’s journey and much more tested by hardships, setbacks, and the difficult climb confronted by any great protagonist. Add one more countenance to The Hero With a Thousand Faces.
—Jim Geraghty writes the Campaign Spot on NRO.
POPE BENEDICT XVI VISITS PREDOMINANTLY CATHOLIC CROATIA PRAISING FAMILIES & CHILDREN AND URGING THEM TO BE "COURAGEOUS"!
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/2011/index_croazia_en.htm
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/2011/index_croazia_en.htm
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/2011/index_croazia_en.htm
Friday, June 3, 2011
U.S. HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER'S LIBYA RESOLUTION PENDING!
John Boehner’s Libya Resolution: Mr. President, We Need Information
The State Column | Staff | Friday, June 03, 2011
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Speaker of the House, and a small group of Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated over the U.S.’s continued involvement in Libya and President Obama’s circumvention of the War Powers Act of 1973. On Thursday, Boehner introduced a House resolution that would force President Obama to provide information on the U.S.’s involvement in Libya within 14 days of the resolution being passed.
“The President has failed to explain to the nation how this military action is consistent with U.S. national security goals and policy,” said Boehner in a statement released on Thursday. “This Administration has committed American resources to enforcing a U.N. resolution that is inconsistent with our stated policy goals and national interests when it comes to removing Muammar Qadafi from power,” added Boehner.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced a measure on Wednesday that would put an immediate halt on U.S. involvement in Libya. Boehner said that Kucinich’s measure would have “long-term consequences that are unacceptable, including a precipitous withdrawal from our role supporting our NATO allies in Libya – which could have serious consequences for our broader national security.”
The text of Boehner’s resolution included the statement: “Not later than ___, 2011, [14 days from the passing of the resolution] the President shall transmit to Congress a report describing in detail United States security interests and objectives, and the activities of United States Armed Forces, in Libya since March 19, 2011.”
The War Powers Act of 1973 is meant to limit the ability of the executive branch to commit U.S. Armed Forces to combat such as President Obama did in Libya. In fact, the resolution only gives the president the power to send U.S. troops into combat if certain conditions are met. Some, including Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), question whether these conditions were met in Libya.
Additionally, a specific time restriction is placed on the length of America’s involvement in an armed conflict unless congress approves additional time. The War Powers Act says that “within sixty calendar days after a report is submitted or is required to be submitted pursuant to section 4(a)(1), whichever is earlier, the President shall terminate any use of United States Armed Forces with respect to which such report was submitted (or required to be submitted), unless the Congress (1) has declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces.” The 60-day mark has come and gone.
Boehner and his colleagues will vote on this measure today.
Read more: http://www.thestatecolumn.com/capitol/john-boehners-libya-resolution-mr-president-we-need-information/#ixzz1OEDQbs2W
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL ACCUSES EPA OF WAR ON AMERICA'S NATURAL RESOURCES!
Mitch McConnell accuses EPA of war on coal
SOURCE: COURIER JOURNAL
5:30 PM, Jun. 1, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday of declaring war on the coal industry and blamed Democrats for regulations that he said kill jobs and increase energy costs.
In a speech to the Kentucky Coal Association, McConnell criticized the EPA for changing or reinterpreting long-standing regulations, which he said has threatened the future of some mines and left new projects in limbo.
Attempts by the agency to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants amount to a “backdoor” energy tax, he said.
“What the EPA is doing is outside the scope of its authority and the law, and it represents a fundamental departure from the permitting processes as originally envisioned by Congress,” McConnell said. “And it’s time for Congress to rein the EPA in.”
The Kentucky Republican noted that he is a co-sponsor of legislation, introduced earlier this year, that is aimed at creating more regulatory certainty for the coal industry and at speeding up the mining permit process. The measure requires EPA regulators to approve or reject permits within 60 days.
McConnell said the legislation would not have any adverse impact on the environment, but critics counter that it will impose unreasonable deadlines on the EPA.
“Of course, the EPA’s real goal here is not to see the Kentucky coal industry comply with its boatload of regulations and red tape,” McConnell said. “It is to see the Kentucky coal industry driven out of business altogether.”
Tom FitzGerald, director of the Kentucky Resources Council, disputed the assertion that the EPA is overstepping its mission.
For decades, he said, the Clean Water Act wasn’t implemented as Congress originally intended, and recent changes are requiring the coal industry to fully account for pollution and sediment for the first time.
While politicians find it fashionable to criticize the EPA, “the truth is that for many years the coal industry has been skating by the edges of complying with these laws and in many cases not complying,” FitzGerald said.
Elizabeth Crowe, of the Kentucky Environmental Foundation, said many EPA initiatives would not be needed if the coal industry were more concerned about protecting public health.
She cited higher cancer rates, asthma and learning disabilities among the health effects of coal and said Kentucky pays in the form of higher health care costs and lost productivity, in addition to the cost of environmental cleanup.
“Thank goodness that we have an agency that is taking a closer look,” she said. “The impact from lax regulations is really being felt today by communities all over Kentucky.”
The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on McConnell’s remarks.
In his speech, McConnell also blasted Democrats for creating a “train wreck” of rules and regulations that he said are raising energy prices for consumers and hindering economic expansion as the nation emerges from a major recession. Those policies will cause outsourcing of energy jobs and make the nation more dependent on foreign oil, he charged.
“(Democrats) just don’t get it,” he said. “They have failed to give the American people any realistic solutions … to this crisis of high fuel prices.”
McConnell added that America must take advantage of alternative energy sources as part of an “all-of-the-above” approach. He listed coal, oil shale and natural gas as essential elements of energy production.
“A real-world strategy like this is the only thing that can succeed, because most Americans still drive their cars to work, and they are not solar- or wind-powered yet,” he said.
Bill Bissett, the coal association’s president, said the message from McConnell’s talk is that changes affecting energy production will affect the economy as well.
“The great concern here is that decisions … being made by bureaucrats and not Congress … are going to have devastating implications for people here in Kentucky,” he said.
SOURCE: COURIER JOURNAL
5:30 PM, Jun. 1, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday of declaring war on the coal industry and blamed Democrats for regulations that he said kill jobs and increase energy costs.
In a speech to the Kentucky Coal Association, McConnell criticized the EPA for changing or reinterpreting long-standing regulations, which he said has threatened the future of some mines and left new projects in limbo.
Attempts by the agency to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants amount to a “backdoor” energy tax, he said.
“What the EPA is doing is outside the scope of its authority and the law, and it represents a fundamental departure from the permitting processes as originally envisioned by Congress,” McConnell said. “And it’s time for Congress to rein the EPA in.”
The Kentucky Republican noted that he is a co-sponsor of legislation, introduced earlier this year, that is aimed at creating more regulatory certainty for the coal industry and at speeding up the mining permit process. The measure requires EPA regulators to approve or reject permits within 60 days.
McConnell said the legislation would not have any adverse impact on the environment, but critics counter that it will impose unreasonable deadlines on the EPA.
“Of course, the EPA’s real goal here is not to see the Kentucky coal industry comply with its boatload of regulations and red tape,” McConnell said. “It is to see the Kentucky coal industry driven out of business altogether.”
Tom FitzGerald, director of the Kentucky Resources Council, disputed the assertion that the EPA is overstepping its mission.
For decades, he said, the Clean Water Act wasn’t implemented as Congress originally intended, and recent changes are requiring the coal industry to fully account for pollution and sediment for the first time.
While politicians find it fashionable to criticize the EPA, “the truth is that for many years the coal industry has been skating by the edges of complying with these laws and in many cases not complying,” FitzGerald said.
Elizabeth Crowe, of the Kentucky Environmental Foundation, said many EPA initiatives would not be needed if the coal industry were more concerned about protecting public health.
She cited higher cancer rates, asthma and learning disabilities among the health effects of coal and said Kentucky pays in the form of higher health care costs and lost productivity, in addition to the cost of environmental cleanup.
“Thank goodness that we have an agency that is taking a closer look,” she said. “The impact from lax regulations is really being felt today by communities all over Kentucky.”
The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on McConnell’s remarks.
In his speech, McConnell also blasted Democrats for creating a “train wreck” of rules and regulations that he said are raising energy prices for consumers and hindering economic expansion as the nation emerges from a major recession. Those policies will cause outsourcing of energy jobs and make the nation more dependent on foreign oil, he charged.
“(Democrats) just don’t get it,” he said. “They have failed to give the American people any realistic solutions … to this crisis of high fuel prices.”
McConnell added that America must take advantage of alternative energy sources as part of an “all-of-the-above” approach. He listed coal, oil shale and natural gas as essential elements of energy production.
“A real-world strategy like this is the only thing that can succeed, because most Americans still drive their cars to work, and they are not solar- or wind-powered yet,” he said.
Bill Bissett, the coal association’s president, said the message from McConnell’s talk is that changes affecting energy production will affect the economy as well.
“The great concern here is that decisions … being made by bureaucrats and not Congress … are going to have devastating implications for people here in Kentucky,” he said.
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