Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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Jeff Stein: CIA Has a Bash, Jeremy Bash Top
It's not everyday that a new CIA chief of staff arrives at work having already been portrayed in a movie. That comes later, if things go badly enough. But Jeremy Bash is making his entrance as CIA boss Leon E. Panetta's new chief of staff with just that credit in his portfolio. During the protracted Florida recount in 2000, Bash was on the team of Democratic Party lawyers trying to win the state for standard-bearer Al Gore. When HBO made a docudrama on the legal and political death match, Bash's character (as it were) had a brief shining moment on the small screen Otherwise, the Harvard Law grad, now 37, is best known for his role as chief minority counsel of the House Intelligence Committee and close aide to Rep. Jane Harman , D-Calif., the committee's top Democrat before the 2006 elections. His specialty? The CIA. When Harman was passed over the chairmanship by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., it was only a matter of time before Bash moved on to bigger things. "Jeremy's smart, loyal, honest and discrete. He's an asset for whomever he works for," said Jake Tapper, the ABC-TV White House correspondent, who authored a book on the 2000 recount, Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency . Bash could be cantankerous with a reporter whose questions or story he didn't like, but otherwise he won plaudits for his quick call-backs and professionalism. With the addition of Bash, Panetta would seem to be putting muscle behind his oft-stated vow during his nomination hearings to work more closely with Congress, where he himself spent eight terms as a California representative. But now the gumshoe's on a different footing. Back in Dec. 2006, Bash told an American Bar Association conference that, "We are conducting too little meaningful, constructive oversight" of the intelligence community." "Constructive" is the key word there. No doubt Bash and Panetta will soon be kvetching about "unconstructive" congressional oversight. But Bash has a wide array of friends to turn to for private counsel, including the news business. From 1998 through 2007, he was married to Dana (Schwartz) Bash, a CNN producer and congressional correspondent. An even more valuable friend could be federal judge Leonie Brinkema , for whom Bash clerked after Harvard Law. Sitting on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Brinkema has been deeply involved in some of the most vexing cases involving U.S. intelligence, including the prosecutions of 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui . When she asked about CIA videotapes showing the interrogation of al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah , the government denied their existence. On Monday the CIA admitted over 90 videotapes had been destroyed. Jeff Stein can be reached at jstein@cq.com. Go to his daily SpyTalk blog at CQ Politics.com for more on this and other national security topics
 
Rahm Emanuel's Seat Primary Results: FINAL VOTE RESULTS Top
CHICAGO — Voters have nearly two dozen candidates to choose from Tuesday in the special primary to replace former U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel. For the hopefuls seeking their respective parties' nominations, the campaign has been more like a sprint. They've had less than two months to campaign, and the nominees will have just another month before the April 7 special election in the strongly Democratic district. The 23 candidates are vying to finish out the two-year term Emanuel won in November and then gave up to become President Barack Obama's chief of staff. The primary pits a dozen Democrats against one another, including Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, longtime Chicago Alderman Patrick O'Connor and state Reps. Sara Feigenholtz and John Fritchey. Quigley garnered endorsements from the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. "We don't anticipate a big turnout," said Billy Weinberg, a spokesman for Quigley. "But the ones who do turn out will be hugely motivated. I think they will be hungry for change." The race also includes six Republicans and five Green Party candidates. Emanuel was first elected to Congress in 2002. The largely white district stretches from Chicago's wealthy North Side lakefront to ethnic enclaves on the northwest side and neighboring Cook County suburbs. It's the same seat once held by now-ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich and former House Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski. Whoever wins, candidates are counting on having some advantage in Washington _ although not seniority _ coming from Emanuel's old district in the home city of the president. ___ On the Net: Cook County Clerk's Office: http://www.voterinfonet.com
 
Google Earth Pinpoints Top-Secret British Nuke Base Top
The British military has worked itself into a lather over new high-resolution images on Google Earth showing an aerial view of its top-secret nuclear defence base, which, it says, could help terrorists. More on England
 
Coleman Wants Do-Over: Lawyers Ask That Election Be 'Set Aside' Altogether Top
For more than a month, Norm Coleman stressed flaws in Minnesota's election system. And on Monday, Coleman lawyer Jim Langdon wrote the three-judge panel to suggest the problems are so serious they may not be able to declare a winner. More on Al Franken
 
Michelle Obama To Visit Arlington Cemetery Top
WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama plans to visit a women's center at Arlington National Cemetery. Obama is honoring Women's History Month as part of her focus on military families, an interest that began during the presidential campaign. The White House says Mrs. Obama will visit the cemetery's Women in Military Service for America Memorial Center on Tuesday. While President Barack Obama was campaigning for the White House, Michelle Obama made frequent stops near military bases to meet with spouses of those in uniform. She has been an advocate for families on the home front and has encouraged citizens to send packages to those serving in the military. More on Michelle Obama
 
Madoff Victims Mapped Out Top
Check out this interactive map of Bernard Madoff's victims. You can search by name, density and other criterion. It also looks really cool! More on Bernard Madoff
 
David Sirota: Threatening to End Reid's Career in 2010: The Best Chance to Pass EFCA Top
The Huffington Post reports that there is growing concern in organized labor that a faction of Democratic senators will vote against the Employee Free Choice Act, thus killing it. Unions will (and should) work hard on a state-by-state basis to keep Democratic lawmakers on board (and I promise to do my part to get my own wavering Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet on board ), but it seems to me there's a much easier way to enforce unity: Make Harry Reid choose between getting every Democrat on board, or ending his political career. This is not a far-fetched idea. In fact, the inevitable whining, screaming and moaning from Establishment Democrats aside, it would be relatively simple to pull off, and Reid - a smart politician - would know that labor could pull it off in a state like his. Nevada is a conservative-leaning state, but is also both relatively cheap for political advertising/campaigns, and has an extremely strong labor movement, with roughly 14 percent of its workforce organized. Reid is running for reelection in 2010 in a state that tends to have extremely close elections. The labor movement, therefore, could make a very simple proposal to the Senate Majority Leader: Reid can either A) Schedule the votes for EFCA, during the crucial cloture vote to stop a filibuster get every Democratic senator to vote for cloture, and then get 51 Democrats to vote for it on final passage or B) Not do A, and therefore end his political career knowing that organized labor will put $2 or $3 million into an independent third-party progressive candidate against him in the general election. That relatively modest (by national political standards) amount of money (which labor could easily muster and which could go a fairly long way in a state like Nevada) combined with the infrastructure of a powerful Nevada labor movement would do two things: 1) Prompt candidacies from top-tier Republican candidates who would otherwise take a pass on the run but who know the independent candidacy would weaken Reid and 2) very likely peel away anywhere from 5 to 15 percent from Reid in his reelection run, all but guaranteeing his defeat to said Republican and the end of his political career. Let's be clear: Harry Reid himself is not the problem on EFCA. He supports it. But this isn't about Harry Reid or any individual senator - it's about the best means to enacting a desperately needed policy (or at least it shouldn't be for organized labor on an integrally important bill like this). Let's also be clear - it wouldn't be fair to ask Reid to be responsible for finding the 2 or 3 Republican senators needed to overcome a filibuster. Pressuring the GOP is where labor's state-by-state money should be going, not to efforts to simply get the Democrats (which labor has been supporting for years) to vote the right way. Lord knows, getting a few Republican votes is a big enough task for unions without having to worry about Democratic defectors. That said, it's completely fair to ask Reid - as leader of a Democratic Party that achieved its majority because of union support - to be responsible for getting every Democratic vote for EFCA. He signed up to be leader and Spiderman reminds us that with great power comes great responsibility. If he's any kind of leader, he should be able to meet the challenge, especially with the fire of potential forced retirement lit under him. And if he can't, then he doesn't belong in office. Now, I'm sure there will be people who will say, "What, you think a Republican would be better in Nevada's senate seat?" No, I don't. But this has to be a general election strategy - not a primary strategy - because a primary is far less frightening to Reid than a well-financed third-party candidate taking votes out of his base in a general election. More importantly, for organized labor, which knows EFCA is a life-or-death matter to them and who should know that this issue is even more important to them than their clubby relationship with D.C. Democrats, this is the most efficient way to deal with the problem of defecting Democrats. And for progressives who are serious about passing transformative policies, one senate seat in an election year where the Senate majority isn't really in doubt is a worthy wager for a bill as important to the economy and to workers as EFCA. Indeed, when it comes to a bill like EFCA, which will draw a huge amount of corporate opposition, the only way to get it passed will be to deploy the stick, and not just the carrot that labor has been giving to Democrats with almost no real demands for anything in return. And to those who say this is too sharp a stick, I say get over your queasiness - as they said in Jerry Maguire , this isn't show friends, its show business, or to paraphrase A League of Their Own , this is politics, and there's no crying in politics. If you want to get something as monumental done as EFCA, it's going to require the same kind of stick that passed every other transformative policy, from the New Deal to the Great Society to civil rights laws. Because of both Reid's reelection calendar and Nevada's dynamics as a conservative-leaning large-union state, the question is no longer whether labor has a powerful enough stick. It does right at its fingertips. It's all a matter of whether the labor movement is willing to act like a movement - whether it is willing to use that stick and put policy goals ahead of individual political relationships in Washington, D.C.
 
Indian Parents Look To Web To Arrange Matchmaking And Marriage Top
When Shreyas Deokule phoned his parents in Mumbai, India, in the summer of 2008, he received unexpected news. They had posted his profile on a matrimonial Web site. "We had a major argument after that," said Deokule, 30, who works as a software consultant in Kansas City, Mo. Eventually, Deokule said, his parents managed to persuade him to leave the profile up on the matrimonial Web site. They promised that his sister would deal with all the details of fielding inquires from prospective brides and that he would not be bothered until it came time to choose a suitable bride from a selection of candidates. Deokule said his parents underscored the fact that he was already 30, and they had to explain to all their relatives and friends in India why he was not married yet. Yielding to the pressure, he gave them permission to go ahead with the bride search through the Web site. Deokule's parents are representative of many families in India whose sons and daughters work or study in the United States. Indian parents post their children's profiles on the matrimonial Web sites, which have become a successful business in India over the last decade. Some of the most popular matrimonial Web sites are shaadi.com, bharatmatrimony.com and jeevansathi.com (in Hindi, shaadi means wedding, Bharat means India and jeevansathi means life partner). Historically, evolution of matrimonial matchmaking in India can be traced to the late 19th century, said Rochona Majumdar, assistant professor at the University of Chicago's Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations. Marriages arranged by family, both extended, or by the parent of the man or woman involved, usually were made on the basis of matching income levels, caste and the like. The process of finding a suitable partner went through many changes, said Majumdar. "First it was through caste journals and caste magazines, gradually it moved to newspapers, now from newspapers to online sites," she said. Modern technology, however, highlights the differences in expectations of parents regarding the age at which they think their children should get married and the speed at which they take that step, and, on the other side, the children's desire to take more time in choosing life partners. "People who are on the matrimonial Web site probably want to get married soon, and I didn't want to get married to someone I just met," said Deokule. He did, however, respond to e-mails from two women who had contacted him after his sister gave them his e-mail address. Deokule corresponded with them over a couple of months, but they never talked on phone or met, and the e-mail exchanges eventually stopped. "The girls were in the same boat as me," said Deokule. "They didn't want to do this, but they were forced into it by their parents." Namrata Tognatta, whose mother created a profile for her on shaadi.com, shared a similar experience. When Tognatta, 30, started working as an educational testing researcher in Philadelphia in 2007, her mother, who lives in Pune, India, created a profile for her, even though her daughter said she was not interested in it. "Every time I spoke to my parents," said Tognatta, "there was excessive pressure to get active on the Web site." As a result she spoke to two men her mother had selected on the phone and met with one. Tognatta said she knew she was not interested in her date within the first 15 minutes of the meeting at a café in Philadelphia. They had different ideas on where they would like to settle--she would consider going back to India or moving to any other country, he wanted to stay in the U.S.; she put a high priority on education, he did not; she wanted to enjoy her work, for him, being paid well was worth enduring a job he did not like. By mid 2007, Tognatta decided to stop considering men who expressed interest through the matrimonial Web site. Since then she has not logged onto the site, and no longer gets notifications of interest. As far as dating goes, Tognatta decided to replace the virtual world with the dating scene in Philadelphia. Posting a profile on a matrimonial Web site, however, does not always spark a clash between parents in India and their children in the U.S. Nandita Mullapudi, 30, created a profile on telugumatrimony.com together with her parents when she was nearing the end of her Ph.D. in genetics at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. Since the profile was created in 2006, she has communicated with about 15 men and met with five. Nandita's father, S.V. Rao Mullapudi, 63, who works as a consultant in information technology in Hyderabad, India, said he and his wife looked for simplicity, honesty and a willingness to work hard when they chose candidates for their daughter. He thought the groom search should be a joint exercise, since, he believes, the marriage is a bond between two families and not between just two individuals. Even though Mullapudi was open to meeting the candidates her parents had screened, none of them worked out. "There was no chemistry," said Mullapudi. Then, in 2008, she met, through friends, a man with whom she went to school in India. They started dating and have continued their relationship after she moved to New York, where she now works as a post-doctoral associate at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her parents agreed to remove the profile from the Web site, but the pressure is still on. "They're planning" the wedding, said Mullapudi. "They're hoping I'll marry soon." Even though they have not participated in the selection of her current boyfriend, Mullapudi's parents have accepted him as their daughter's potential future husband. "Times are changing, and so are we," her father said. While some parents accept the different lifestyle their children have in the U.S., many young people from India still take the matrimonial Web site route and get married quickly after making initial contact. Sanjiv Vinaik, 35, a database architect from Omaha, Neb., and Bhavna Toteja, 32, a recruitment associate at a leadership consulting firm in New Delhi, met last December. After expressing interest in each other through a matrimonial Web site, they met twice in New Delhi--once with both families present; the second time alone. On the third they celebrated their engagement, and in May this year they will get married. Toteja plans to move to the U.S. to live here with her future husband. Deokule, too, wishes to get married. If he can take time to make the decision, he is open to everything else. "It doesn't matter if my parents introduce me to that person or I find that person myself," he said. More on India
 
Taliban Rivals Unite To Fight US Troop Surge Top
Three rival Pakistani Taliban groups have agreed to form a united front against international forces in Afghanistan in a move likely to intensify the insurgency just as thousands of extra US soldiers begin pouring into the country as part of Barack Obama's surge plan. More on Afghanistan
 
Alexander Heffner: The State of the Nation, Facebook, and How Technology Has Made Politics Fun Top
One of our lead political correspondents at Scoop44 , Liz Cermak, wrote up a terrific review of the recent CNN/Facebook collaboration during President Obama's quasi-State of the Union. She recounts the history of past transformative new media and their impact on American political life, analyzing the future of Internet-based communication and the rapidly evolving Facebook user demographic. She also kept tabs on Facebook comments and status updates from online viewers across the nation, from the stream's start to finish. Anything that makes this dialogue faster, including technological advances, has the potential to bring us closer to the nation's original ideal. Even so, democracy will not progress unless such tools are used appropriately...Never before in history has something allowed people doing so many different things in so many different places to engage in political discussion with each other simultaneously (a day in the life of generational multi-taskers). Dyan Edwards-Cagley at one point posted that she 'just did home surgery on her dog while trying to listen to the Prez on TV.' Ryan Hernandez was 'in class right now and can't get caught watching this.' Perhaps the most important thing to take away from her piece: technology continues to empower a generation coming of age at an ever-expanding rate. Moreover, as she writes, "technology is taking the White House and Uncle Sam by storm" citing one Facebook commenter who noted, plain and simple, "technology has made politics fun" and another who considered the President's Blackberry evidence that our current trend is "irreversible." You can read the full piece ">here and track her detailed chronicle of comments during the speech here . The CNN/Facebook forum was almost indistinguishable from 1990s style chat rooms that led to the labeling of anonymous internet interaction as dangerous. Warnings such as, 'Don't give out your phone number or address'...were preached as frequently as the D.A.R.E. program's slogan, 'just say NO to drugs.' The forum was chaotic, full of meaningless and often offensive comments and usually had no comprehensible theme. Interaction between Facebook commenters and the moment-to-moment action of the event settled down when President Obama began to speak, kicking off a more suddenly organized and purposeful chat room. It is the analysis of this conversation that provides the basis of an even larger investigation. Could open forums such as this enhance America's democracy and increase citizen participation and involvement? She concludes, "Until November 5, 2008, the new forms of online interaction and collaboration with politicians were focused more exclusively on campaigns, but President Obama may have different ideas about incorporating his Web vision into actual governance." I wrote about this same need for Obama to revolutionize the nation's online West Wing wrote in yesterday's Washington Post, are daunting. More on CNN
 
Britain's Brown looks for boost from Obama meeting Top
WASHINGTON — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is looking for a boost to his political fortunes by meeting President Barack Obama to discuss the global economic crisis. In hard political times at home, Brown hopes to benefit from Britons' high regard for the American president and to demonstrate British leadership at a time of economic uncertainty. He is the first European leader to visit Obama. Brown, who was to meet Obama on Tuesday, is laying the groundwork for a G-20 economic summit of advanced and developing nations meeting in London next month. The summit, which Brown is chairing, is critical for improving global economic confidence as well as Brown's political prospects. Brown planned to deliver a tough economic message for the White House and lawmakers, whom he will address Wednesday. He is urging the United States to avoid protectionism at a time that it has populist appeal. That theme is likely to loom large at the London summit. Ahead of the U.S. trip, Brown stressed the traditionally strong bonds between British and American leaders and urged the two countries to lead the world out of crisis. The White House pointed to the need for coordinated economic action. "The president said in September that we have to act together in helping to stimulate the economies of the G-20 as well as ensuring that there are some financial rules of the road so that we don't find ourselves in the same position a few years down the line," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday. Brown has been falling significantly behind the conservative opposition in British opinion polls. Supporters hope an appearance with Obama and a leading role in next month's economic summit will change his fortunes. After showing a sometimes frosty front with President George W. Bush, Brown hopes to prove ties to London are as crucial to the United States as developing relations with China and Japan. But in tackling the protectionism issue, the British leader seeks to present himself as a plain-speaking friend, not reluctant to question his trans-Atlantic ally like predecessor Tony Blair, whom critics dubbed Bush's poodle. Writing in London's Sunday Times during the weekend, Brown said he wanted to reach agreement with Obama on a global pact for the summit. He said all nations should agree to inject cash into their economies, sign up to universal banking reforms and back an overhaul of international institutions. "President Obama and I will discuss this week a global new deal, whose impact can stretch from the villages of Africa to reforming the financial institutions of London and New York _ and giving security to the hardworking families in every country," Brown wrote. Britain has invested billions to bail out banks and boost the country's economy, while Obama has had a $787 billion economic stimulus bill passed in the United States. The two leaders are also likely to touch on the war in Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear program, global warming and other topics. More on President Obama
 
Cat In Bong: Man Arrested For Smoking Bong With Cat Inside (VIDEO) Top
In one of this week's more bizarre stories, a Nebraska man was arrested for smoking marijuana out of a bong that had his cat stuffed inside. The man, who claims he was trying to calm down his hyperactive pet, faces animal cruelty charges but thankfully the cat, who was understandably disoriented, seems to be on the road to a full recovery : "This cat was just dazed," Sgt. Andy Stebbing said. "She was on the front seat of the cop car, wrapped in a blanket, and never moved all the way to the humane society." Schomaker told deputies 6-month-old Shadow was hyper and he was trying to calm her down. The contraption she had been stuffed inside was 12 inches by 6 inches. Shadow was timid but in good condition Monday at the Capital Humane Society, executive director Bob Downey said. MSNBC's Tamron Hall covered the story and was unable to stifle her giggles as she introduced the "sad but true" story. The network evidently felt the story lacked a certain realism because they played the sound of gurgling water over the anchor's report. Anchor Contessa Brewer couldn't quite believe that the cat was stuffed inside the bong, but as Tamron informed her, "I understand you can make a bong out of anything." There were then more giggles all around. [WATCH] More on Video On HuffPost
 
Egypt: Ancient Tomb Discovered In Saqqara Top
CAIRO — Archaeologists say they have discovered a more than 3,200-year-old tomb in the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Saqqara. Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities says a limestone sarcophagus belonging to a noblewoman was found in the tomb in Saqqara, which is south of Cairo. In the statement released Tuesday, the council says three mummies and several funerary fragments also were in the tomb. It was not known who the mummies were. The council says the sarcophagus was found in pieces along the south wall of the tomb, which dates back to the 19th Dynasty. Excavations at Saqqara have been going on for 150 years, uncovering a necropolis of pyramids and tombs dating mostly from the Old Kingdom but also tombs from as recently as the Roman era. More on Egypt
 
Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Promo Draws Southwest Airlines Complaints: "Flying Porn Ad" Top
Here's when a magazine marketing idea that sounds good on paper can backfire. Southwest Airlines is taking some heat over the steamy picture of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover model Bar Rafaeli splashed on the side of one of its commercial 737s. Since the illustrated jet first hit the runway February 11, the airline has received angry letters and comments on its official blog about the SI tie-in promotion. "This looks like a flying porn ad," one commenter wrote. "I'm a longtime fan of SWA, this is one reason for me to change airlines."
 
Bush Considered Throwing Out First Amendment Top
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Justice Department secretly gave the green light for the U.S. military to attack apartment buildings and office complexes inside the United States, deploy high-tech surveillance against U.S. citizens and potentially suspend First Amendment freedom-of-the-press rights in order to combat the terror threat, according to a memo released Monday.
 
Ben Sherwood: Hug the Monster: 4 Secrets of Surviving the Recession Top
In the remote forests of Washington state near the Canadian border, where the air force teaches its aviators to survive in hostile environments, the instructors hate the sunshine. They like it cold, wet and miserable. Rough weather, they say, makes the best pilots and survivors. Adversity is the best teacher. Stripped of every comfort and left to their wits, the pilots are forced to think, adapt, and make a plan. The same goes for the sinking economy. Survival means adapting quickly and forging new plans. Tough times also create opportunities for those who can change their attitudes and actions. For the past few years, I've explored the secrets of the world's most effective survivors and thrivers while researching and writing The Survivors Club . I met people slammed by life who managed to recover, repair and rebuild. Along the way, I spent some time at the air force's SERE school in Spokane, Washington, where survival specialists teach men and women how to survive, escape, resist and evade in extreme situations. The basic lessons of survival school apply to all kinds of adversity, like vanishing jobs, foreclosed homes and disappearing 401(k)'s. 1. Situational Awareness . The military acronym is S/A and it means knowing what's going on around you and being able to act. Are you alert to threats to your survival and what's your plan and backup if everything goes to hell? In this tough economy, many of us don't have much S/A. We see the grim economic headlines but don't change our behavior. We refuse to open our 401 (k) mailings because we don't want to see the wreckage. S/A means facing reality. It means recognizing that as many as three million jobs will be lost in the next year - or 340 pink slips every hour. Nearly half of America's households are underfinanced for retirement. The average retirement account has lost a third of its value in the last year; collectively, some $2 trillion in retirement savings have been erased. Sure, many of us may realize this, but the air force guys know there's a big difference between awareness and action. It's not enough to notice your wing is on fire. You need a plan. When it comes to a crisis or emergency, experts say that as many as 80 percent of us freeze and fail to act. We wait for an authority figure to tell us what to do. If you want to survive, you to take action. Quickly. 2. Hug the Monster . It's pretty scary to watch your 401 (k) disappear. Worse is letting your fears run wild. Neuroscientists say that the fear of losing money can activate the same alarms in the brain that go off when we're attacked, unleashing neurochemicals that can wreak havoc on clear-thinking and decision-making. The Air Force calls this "analysis paralysis." What to do? Instructors tell trainees to hug the monster: grab hold of their fears, wrestle with them, and turn them into motivation. Grapple with your fears and they become more familiar to you. Soon, those fears can become your allies and help you survive and thrive. 3. Eat an Elephant One Bite at a Time . Survival is one big ornery animal, and if you try to swallow a 15,000-pound pachyderm in one gulp, two things can happen. You'll either give up or you'll get really bad indigestion. The key is to slow down. Take one small bite. Chew. Swallow. Then take another. Using different language and metaphors, nearly every survivor described the same method: Divide unwieldy challenges into achievable tasks. One goal at a time. One decision at a time. One action at a time. Before you know it, you can make real progress. The military acronym is STOP: Stop, think, observe, plan. Follow those steps in a financial crisis, and soon, you'll be moving deliberately in a better direction. 4. Know Yourself. In the end, experts say, the best survival kit is right between your ears. So use it. It also helps to know your Survivor IQ. How do you behave in a crisis? What are your strengths (and weaknesses)? Working with a team of personality testing experts, I developed the Recession Survival Quiz that gives you a glimpse of your Survivor Type and matches you with top business leaders who share your strengths. The free and fast quiz also points you to some of the best resources and guides on the Web for dealing with unemployment, credit and debt problems, and other financial challenges. More on Bankruptcy
 
The Media Consortium: Weekly Audit: Budget Good, Bailout Bad Economy NewsLadder Top
By Zach Carter, Media Consortium MediaWire Blogger President Barack Obama rolled out his highly anticipated federal budget proposal on Thursday, and while the plan represents a dramatic departure from the priorities of the Bush administration, its ultimate impact may be crippled by a counterproductive bank bailout. First, the good news: The budget is awesome. "Obama would raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for healthcare for the uninsured; cap pollution emissions; put billions more dollars into infrastructure and new technology; ... invest in new education programs; and roll back the U.S. troop presence in Iraq," Mike Madden writes for Salon . "There were proposals to save money by modernizing the healthcare system ... and by eliminating federal farm subsidies to the biggest and wealthiest recipients." While it's refreshing to see a set of priorities that put economic stability ahead of entrenched corporate interests, Obama's call to reduce the federal deficit comes as a bit of a surprise. He has inherited a massive recession and defecit. Over at The American Prospect , Ezra Klein highlights an analysis of spending by Media Consortium alum Brian Beutler . Both bloggers agree that government debt is not a major problem, provided that borrowed funds are used to invest in something meaningful. "Debt can be good if you expect that spending will offer a greater return than saving," Klein writes. "And right now, because Treasury bonds are the last safe investment, it's the cheapest it's been for the government to borrow money in 50 years." Republicans are screaming about the enormous deficit that Obama's budget requires, but most of that debt was passed down by President George W. Bush. Obama has actually taken cues from Congressional Republicans to find funding for financial shortfalls. Steve Aquino of Mother Jones notes that Obama's move to raise premiums on Medicare received by wealthy Americans is a longstanding Republican priority. Additionally, Obama's move to cap the itemized deduction tax subsidy at 28 cents on the dollar would re-establish Reagan-era levels. But the line items missing from Obama's budget are just as noteworthy. The Washington Monthly 's Steve Benen dissects the Republican angst over Obama's refusal to push for cuts in Social Security benefits. During his speech before Congress last week, Obama breezed right by the alleged Social Security crisis without asking elderly Americans, who have already seen their 401k plans cut in half over the past year, to take further cuts in their retirement income. That's a good thing, because as Matthew Rothschild explains for The Progressive , Social Security's looming implosion is a Republican myth . "Social Security isn't going bankrupt," Rothschild writes. "It's fully funded until 2041, and could remain so for many more years simply by making the wealthiest Americans kick in their share." The income limit for Social Security taxes is $105,000 a year, so billionaires pay the same Social Security as those making $105,000 annually. If Social Security ever does run into trouble, it can be easily fixed by charging rich people more for the program. On to the bad news. The government bailed out Citigroup and its shareholders for the third time on Friday, converting $25 billion in preferred stock into ordinary, run-of-the-mill, we-own-this-company common stock. But while Citi's stock market value was hovering around $13 billion at the time, taxpayers only received a 36% stake in return for their largesse. The Real News has a great interview with economist William Engdahl about the banking lobby's ability to exercise control over public policy, despite the industry's self-inflicted collapse. Engdahl argues persuasively that it is time for the government to stop propping up bank shareholders under the hope that "market prices" will magically appear for worthless assets. "Write those assets, those toxic assets, down to zero," Engdahl says. "Only the state can do that at this point. You don't find the market price for these things." The government has been playing for time for the last 18 months in hopes that the financial crisis could iron itself out. Rather than reward investors who put money into bad companies, Engdahl says Obama needs to wipe out the shareholders of failed banks and kick out the management teams that steered their companies into catastrophe. Playing for time was the central economic strategy of Henry Paulson's tenure as Treasury Secretary, but as Lagan Sebert and David Murdoch make clear in the below video for The American News Project, Paulson also managed to slip in major giveaways to big U.S. banks in the process. The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) allowed the government to inject capital into banks, but Paulson charged them a much lower than market rate of return on the investment. As a result, taxpayers missed out on about $78 billion that they could have expected to receive in interest payments had their money been managed by, say, Warren Buffett instead of Paulson. To put that number in perspective: President Obama's entire plan to avert foreclosures will cost taxpayers $75 billion. The U.S. banking system is completely broken and will need an enormous taxpayer commitment to return to any semblance of health. But there are good ways and bad ways to go about doing that. A bailout should be accompanied by control over how a bank is managed. The banking industry is working very hard to portray TARP as something other than a bailout. When Northern Trust, for example, throws decadent parties after receiving taxpayer funds, its executives justified those lavish expenditures by claiming that their company was not "bailed out," but merely received capital which it is paying for. The pricing of TARP was so favorable to banks and so disadvantageous for taxpayers that this claim cannot be taken seriously. Northern Trust got a bailout, and even if they pay back their TARP funds ahead of time, the interest they are paying is so far below market rates that the company will still be coming out ahead. Obama's budget shows that he knows what it takes to turn the economy around, but his financial policy indicates that he lacks the political will to shake off the banking lobby and do what is necessary to save ordinary Americans from disaster. This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about the economy. Visit StimulusPlan.NewsLadder.net and Economy.NewsLadder.net for complete lists of articles on the economy, or follow us on Twitter . And for the best progressive reporting on critical health and immigration issues, check out Healthcare.NewsLadder.net and Immigration.NewsLadder.net . This is a project of The Media Consortium , a network of 50 leading independent media outlets, and was created by NewsLadder . More on Citibank
 
Gov: AIG's Systemic Risk Could Lead To Collapse Of Insurance Industry Top
One of the biggest worries, besides the considerable collateral damage to the banking system, is a risk that most people aren't talking about, perhaps because it's too scary. This one is probably easier to understand than any kind of financial chicanery: the dangers lurking below A.I.G.'s seemingly stable, highly regulated life insurance business. In the United States, A.I.G. has more than 375 million policies with a face value of $19 trillion. If policyholders lost faith in A.I.G. and rushed to cash in their policies all at once, the entire insurance industry could falter. More on AIG Bailout
 
Huff TV: Arianna Talks Rush Limbaugh, Politics On The Rachel Maddow Show (VIDEO) Top
Arianna joined comedian Hal Sparks on The Rachel Maddow Show last night to discuss the fallout from Rush Limbaugh's controversial speech at CPAC and whether Republicans are secretly hoping for President Obama to fail. [WATCH] Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy More on Rachel Maddow
 
GroundReport: Pakistan Attacks On Sri Lankan Cricket Team Leave At Least 6 Dead, Stun Region Top
Published by GroundReport.com , a global citizen news platform with over 4,000 international reporters. By Imran Schah LAHORE- Unknown assailants opened fire on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore today, killing six security personnel and injuring several players. The Sri Lankan cricket team was touring Pakistan and on their second game when the assailants opened fire on their bus as they left Gaddafi Stadium today. Five Sri Lankan players were injured and six security personnel killed in the assault. All were transported to the hospitals, according to media. The terrorists came from three directions and attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team's convoy near the stadium. The attack took place in Gulberg, an upscale, commercial area in Lahore, as the Sri Lankan cricket team was en route to the Gaddafi Stadium. Lahore Capital City Police Officer Haji Habib-ur-Rehman said it was a planned attack and that the terrorists looked well-trained upon review of the incident footage. The Lahore police have begun search operations throughout the city. The Pakistan Cricket Board, PCB, has officially canceled the Sri Lankan tour of Pakistan, according to the media. Punjab Governor Salman Taseer compared the events to the Mumbai attacks. The Pakistani President and Prime Minster condemned the attacks and called them an act of cowardice. After the attacks, two Pakistan army helicopters airlifted the Sri Lankan cricket team to Lahore Airport to return them to Sri Lanka. Injured Sri Lankan player Samaraveera was not stable enough to travel, and his flight has been delayed until this evening. Go to GroundReport.com for more insider news and opinion on Pakistan . GroundReport is a citizen journalism platform that allows anyone to publish global news and earn money . More on Pakistan
 
Obama aides to defend budget plan to Congress Top
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is sending his Treasury secretary and budget director to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to defend his proposed tax increases, which are being met with misgivings by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Lawmakers in both parties question Obama's call to reduce high-income earners' tax deductions for the interest on their house payments and for charitable contributions. Also drawing fire is his proposal to start taxing industries on their greenhouse gas pollution _ a move sure to raise consumers' electric rates. Obama and his top aides have been promoting the budget package since unveiling an outline last week, but Tuesday will provide the lawmakers their first opportunity to publicly question top officials about the details. Administration officials say the nation's economic crisis requires bold action to right the economy and expand access to health care while providing tax breaks to middle- and low-income families. The economy took another hit Monday when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged below 7,000 for the first time since 1997. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was scheduled to appear Tuesday before the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, which also is likely to question him about Obama's declaration last week that he may be asking Congress this year for another $750 billion bailout for troubled banks. Meanwhile, White House Budget Director Peter Orszag was to testify Tuesday before the House Budget Committee on Obama's spending priorities in the administration's $3.5 trillion budget blueprint for the 2010 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Obama has been careful throughout the presidential campaign and since being elected to say he would impose higher taxes only on the wealthiest. Republicans, however, say Obama's energy proposal amounts to a tax that would increase energy costs for all Americans. "This massive hidden energy tax is going to work its way through every aspect of American life," said Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee. "How we light our homes, heat our homes and pay for the gas in our cars, in every phase of our daily lives, we will be paying higher costs." Under the energy plan, Obama wants to reduce the emissions blamed for global warming by auctioning off carbon pollution permits. The proposal, known as cap and trade, is projected to raise $646 billion over 10 years. Most of the money would be used to pay for Obama's "Making Work Pay" tax credit, which provides up to $400 a year to individuals and $800 a year to couples. The plan also would raise money for clean-fuel technologies, such as solar and wind power. Orszag has acknowledged that the energy proposal would increase costs for consumers, but he argues that the vast majority of consumers will get tax breaks elsewhere in Obama's budget package. More on President Obama
 
Wall Street heads for a rebound after big drop Top
NEW YORK — Wall Street is headed for a bounce Tuesday as investors recover from a massive selloff and await data on home and auto sales. Stocks often rebound after heavy selling as bargain-hunters emerge to snap up pummeled stocks. "It's the rational side of the brain taking over," said Jack A. Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank. The Dow Jones industrial average on Monday plunged far below the 7,000 mark to end at 6,763 _ the lowest close for the Dow since April 25, 1997. The Dow has fallen more than 52 percent since hitting a record high of 14,164.53 in October 2007. Another government bailout of American International Group Inc., a disappointing profit drop at the European bank HSBC PLC, and a pessimistic economic outlook from billionaire investor Warren Buffett triggered Monday's decline. The selloff had been a long time coming, with investors worrying for months how far stocks could fall given the broken financial system and persistently weak global economy. Monday's drop was understandable because AIG is not only a "confusing, complicated situation, but it seems like a black hole at the same time," Ablin said. AIG posted a nearly $62 billion fourth-quarter loss even after getting a $150 billion loan from the government. But, he added, many stocks are looking very cheap right now. Ahead of the market's open, Dow futures rose 52, or 0.77 percent, to 6,842. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 5.00, or 0.71 percent, to 710.50, and Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 5.25, or 0.48 percent, to 1,091.25. Later in the session, the National Association of Realtors is expected to report a decline in pending sales of existing homes for January, and automakers will report vehicle sales for February. In earnings news, auto parts retailer Auto Zone Inc. reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, while bond insurer MBIA Inc. and media company E.W. Scripps Co. posted losses. Government bonds _ considered a safe haven when stocks are tumultuous _ were mostly lower in early trading. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 2.94 percent from 2.87 percent late Monday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, rose to 0.28 percent from 0.27 percent. The dollar was mostly lower against other major currencies, while gold prices fell. Light, sweet crude rose $1.00 to $41.50 a barrel in electronic premarket trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei stock average slipped 0.69 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 2.30 percent on the heels of Wall Street's massive selloff. In afternoon trading in Europe, markets were mixed. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 1.68 percent, Germany's DAX index rose 0.19 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.38 percent. ___ On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com
 
Obama Cancels Press Conference With Gordon Brown "Because Of Snow" Top
Strange goings on surrounding the programme for the first day of Gordon Brown's visit to Washington. More on Barack Obama
 
Shelly Palmer: Adobe & Time Warner Announce Video Aliance: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer March 3, 2009 Top
Adobe and Time Warner are expected to form a video partnership . While plans are unknown, the deal most likely relates to digital rights management, measurement and monetizing content. The deal could spur multi-platform distribution methods Jeff Bewkes hinted at during a recent Ad Age interview. It is also the first sign that media companies are willing to build video technology in house, rather than rely on third parties. The White House decided not to distribute President Obama's weekly address on YouTube . Instead of using the defacto streaming video service, President Obama's address was distributed on WhiteHouse.gov with an in-house streaming video player. Chris Soghoian of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, noted "The fact that they are paying for a video solution speaks to privacy issues. The only way I can see they are doing this is that it gives them a finer grain of control over the privacy issues." Microsoft has begun testing Kumo , it's new search engine. The refresh and name change may be a chance to rebrand its Windows Live Search product. According to comScore, in January Microsoft accounted for only 9.9% of web searched, with Yahoo taking 22.2% and Google 58.5%. Sources say that CBS is set to renew Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory . Both Warner Bros. sitcoms are expected to get multi-season deals. Two and a Half Men, which is expected to get three more seasons, is the number one primetime comedy. If true, the deal could settle a $49.5 million lawsuit Warner Bros. filed against CBS over Two and a Half Men becoming a hit. Netflix and South Park have signed a deal to stream episodes of the show on its Watch Instantly service . South Park, which had been courting both Hulu and Joost, went with Netflix after the company offered them cash for the show. The move is another example of Netflix bolstering its Watch Instantly product with popular content. Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards ). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here . Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net More on CBS
 
FIRST LOOK: Angelina Jolie Goes Undercover In 'Salt' Top
Angelina Jolie begins work today on "Salt," in which she plays a rogue CIA operative trying to clear her name after being accused of working for the Russians. Sony has released two photos of her in character, seen below. USA Today reports : Among the many different looks she has in the film are a soft-looking, all-business blonde and a raven-haired femme fatale who easily could be concealing a dagger or a gun. Which is the real Salt? That's what filmmakers say is the central mystery. "She's a character you never know," says Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who also produced Transformers and the upcoming G.I. Joe. "People who think they know the real her may or may not. Those who think they can tell whether she's in a disguise also may or may not. PHOTOS OF JOLIE UNDERCOVER (RELEASED BY SONY): The film was initially intended for Tom Cruise Liev Schreiber has signed on to costar. Jolie has been in New York with her kids preparing to film The Jolie-Pitts were reported to have rented a Long Island estate Sassafras during filming. More on Angelina Jolie
 
Metropolitan Opera's Chagall Paintings Used As Collateral Top
In a move described by a Metropolitan Opera board member as "a decision of last resort," the company has collateralized the giant Chagalls in its lobby. Titled The Triumph of Music and The Sources of Music, they were commissioned for Lincoln Center when it was new.
 
Srinivasan Pillay: The Science of Visualization: Maximizing Your Brain's Potential During The Recession Top
The recession is frightening and overwhelming for many of us. Jobs are scarce. Housing is a mess. And the difficulty of making money threatens our comfort and leaves us feeling anxious and stressed. At times like these, we may hear advice columnists tell us to "visualize success" or to "imagine our greatest possibilities". While this is inspiring, is there actually a science behind this? The brief answer to this question is: yes. Although visualization was regarded as "new age hype" for many years, research has shown that there is a strong scientific basis for how and why visualization works. It is now a well-known fact that we stimulate the same brain regions when we visualize an action and when we actually perform that same action. For example, when you visualize lifting your right hand, it stimulates the same part of the brain that is activated when you actually lift your right hand. This shared area of brain activation when we imagine an action and perform it has been demonstrated extensively in the scientific literature. A striking example of how visualization increases brain activation is seen in stroke. When a person has a stroke due to a blood clot in a brain artery, blood cannot reach the tissue that the artery once fed with oxygen and nutrients, and that tissue dies. This tissue death then spreads to the surrounding area that does not receive the blood any more. However, if a person with this stroke imagines moving the affected arm or leg, brain blood flow to the affected area increases and the surrounding brain tissue is saved. Imagining moving a limb, even after it has been paralyzed after a stroke, increases brain blood flow enough to diminish the amount of tissue death. This is a very clear indicator of the power of visualization. In fact, athletes have known about this power for a long time. Expert athletes use imagery and visualization to run their races in their goal times. Studies have shown that these athletes first imagine running the race in the goal time in as much detail as possible and are then able to execute it after practicing visualizing this. One study showed that "...visualizations under hypnosis enabled nationally ranked Stanford male gymnasts to execute for the first time several complex tricks that they had been working on for over a year. The gymnasts were able to eliminate timing errors in the tricks, to increase flexibility, and, possibly, to concentrate strength..." Another study showed that youth soccer players increased their confidence in playing when they visualized their moves. Visualization has also been shown to improve high jumpers clearing the bar. Tell your brain your plan in a thousand words, and it gets bored mid-way and wants to go to sleep. But draw it a picture, and it will respond with much deeper interest and attention. While this is all well and good, how can you apply this science to maximize your brain's potential during the recession? Here are some suggestions to get you started: 1. "...It is now a well-known fact that we stimulate the same brain regions when we visualize something and when we actually do it..." If, during the recession, you have no idea how to act, start by imagining what you want. What you want will not come immediately, but imagining is a way of getting the process started quickly. For example, if you want to start a home-based baking business, start by imagining being in the kitchen surrounded by cakes and cookies that you are taking out of the oven. Draw a sketch of this, and then draw sketches that come before and after this. The more clearly and repetitively you outline this, the more likely it will be that you will succeed. 2. "...if a person with this stroke imagines moving the affected arm or leg, brain blood flow to the affected area increases and the surrounding brain tissue is saved..." If you have had a setback, don't give up. Keep the blood flowing to the brain area that will execute your action by focusing your visualization on what you want. During the recession, people often focus on their fears. All this will do is increase blood flow to the brain regions that will stop your actions. Remember, a failure is not a final statement that you will not succeed. It is information that your vision has to be changed, refined or repeated. 3. "...visualizations under hypnosis enabled nationally ranked Stanford male gymnasts to execute for the first time several complex tricks that they had been working on for over a year..." Hypnosis here works because it decreases anxiety and increases focus. When you start your visualization, strive to construct the image with your mind free of worries even if you have to sculpt out an "artificial space" to do this. When you visualize while worrying, it is like painting with a shaky brush. Calmness increases the creativity and authenticity of your "brushstrokes". 4. "...youth soccer players increased their confidence in playing when they visualized their moves..." If you find that the recession has eroded your confidence, use visualization of your goals to help increase your confidence. Practice makes perfect. Repeat these visualizations every day. As you imagine your goal and process more clearly, your confidence will increase enough to execute on your desired goal. These are a few principles of visualization that can help maximize your brain's capacity as you plan for growth during the recession. Remember: visualization is not just some hokey way of getting to your goals. The principles are grounded in science and with all the recession chaos going on, it is important to carve out a space to use the palette of your mind to paint the pictures that you desire. When you do this, your brain will act in accordance with your visions. More on The Recession
 
Silver Foxes In Politics: Who Decided To Stay Gray (SLIDESHOW) Top
More on Slideshows
 
Schumer Proposed Russian Deal To Bush In 2008 Top
A little less than a year before President Obama reportedly sent a secret letter to Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev, offering to forgo an anti-missile shield if Russia would help prevent Iran from building long-range missiles and nuclear warheads, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) had pushed the same idea to his predecessor. At the White House in the spring of 2008, Schumer personally urged President Bush and Vice President Cheney to pursue such a deal, spokesman Brian Fallon said. He was rebuffed. Schumer followed the meeting with an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in June 2008, laying out the case for such an arrangement. "[W]e should tell Mr. Putin we will cease building the ineffective antinuclear missile defense sites in Eastern Europe in return for him joining the boycott," Schumer wrote. "It is our best hope to avoid a nuclear Iran, because a successful economic boycott would certainly force the Iranian regime to heed Western demands more than anything attempted so far." More on Dick Cheney
 
Stephen Colbert Explains Rap Battles To RNC (VIDEO) Top
Recently, Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, in an interview with the "Washington Times," said he was planning an "off the hook" public relations offensive for the RNC. "We need messengers to really capture that region -- young, Hispanic, black, a cross section ... We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-surburban hip-hop settings." Last week, Colbert latched on to this hip-hopification of the GOP and challenged Mr. Steele to a freestyle rap debate about core conservative values. Steele told Politico.com that he accepted the challenge, but failed to show up last night (we have no idea if he was actually invited.) As a result, Colbert felt it necessary to school Steele in the rules of a rap battle. WATCH: The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Michael Steele Gets Served Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy More on The Colbert Report
 
Two Top Obama Science Advisers Blocked By NJ Senator Top
The nominations of two of President Obama's top science advisers have stalled in the Senate, according to several sources, posing a challenge to the administration as it seeks to frame new policies on climate change and other environmental issues. More on President Obama
 
Spirit Airlines: Fee For Buying Tickets Top
There are fees for checked luggage, reservation changes and even pillows and blankets. And now, one airline is poised to start levying a fee when you simply buy a ticket. Spirit Airlines Inc., an ultra-low-cost carrier that has pioneered many fees, says it has worked out an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin charging a "passenger usage fee" -- perhaps $5 to $10 per ticket -- for the privilege of buying a ticket anyplace other than at Spirit's airport ticket counters. More on Airlines
 
'The Daily Show' Takes On Twitter (VIDEO) Top
In a segment called "Old Man Stewart Shakes His Fist At [Twitter]" Jon explored the world of tweeting last night with help from Samantha Bee, who is not only on Twitter, but Grunter and Stalker as well. Stewart raised concerns that this trend further frays our already small attention spans, and admitted that he "has no f**king idea how Twitter works or why it is." But Bee assured him "it's awesome." She went on to explain that it offers insight into our most important news makers least important thoughts and that young people love it according to old people. WATCH: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Twitter Frenzy Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things With Demetri Martin Political Humor Joke of the Day More on Daily Show
 
Sophie Keller: How Happy is... How To Really Look 7 Years Younger Top
Obviously, this could be an article about Botox, collagen, skin resurfacing and face-lifts. However, it's not, because this piece is not about looking younger on a superficial level -- which is only masking what's really going on below the surface -- it's about looking younger from the inside out. All the above techniques have their place and believe me; my theory is, if it's available and you want it, get it. However, from my experience these following five tips are way more powerful, long lasting and profound. 1. How loving are you? There are billions of people on the planet and everyday we are surrounded by others. It would be easy to divide the population in to two: those who love human beings foremost and those who love animals more than their fellow man. It makes sense that if you are surrounded by something that you love, your face will look much more relaxed and open. I remember seeing a man years ago with a badge on his coat which said, 'The more people I meet, the more I like my dog'. Obviously it was meant to be funny, but I actually felt sorry for him that that was his experience. So, if you are one of those people who do prefer animals to people, it might be worth looking in to why you have that perspective and see if you can shift it to one that is more loving and forgiving to your fellow man, it will definitely show on your face as well as in the quality of your relationships. 2. Let go now! Release any built up anger as quickly as possible and if you have any resentment that has accumulated in your body over the years you need to find physical ways to release it. With an emotion that has as much power as anger, talking it out is not enough in itself, as anger is physical, and contains a huge amount of negative energy that can be very self-destructive. By releasing it, it will soften your facial features. So, without taking your frustration out or putting the blame on anyone outside of yourself, find a physical therapy that releases emotions from the cells and, in the meantime, learn to let go of negative emotions quickly, before they settle in your body. 3. What do you have? Stop focusing on what you don't have and look at what you do have. The whole emotion of wanting, whether it's a car, a house, a relationship, a job or anything else, can be very frustrating and will show on your face. In many ways, it implies that you will not be satisfied until you get that want. So, if you want to look younger then you need to appreciate the blessings you already have. I have in the past discussed the when I 'have' this or when I 'do' this, then I will 'be' happy syndrome. It is so much better as human 'beings' to 'be' happy now, appreciate what you have and have a real sense of peace, regardless of whether you get anything else. 4. Drink lots and lots of water . You need to keep your cells moist and to replace all the water that you lose through out your day. This will help with you metabolism and keep your colon working. (The key to really good health!) You'll see the difference in the brightness of your eyes, the skin under them and in your skin color in general. Also, remember to exercise, as that keeps oxygen (life) moving in to the cells, as well as obviously keeping you in great external, physical shape. 5. You are not alone. Strengthen your spiritual life and the sense that you are connected to all things and being taken care of by a higher consciousness. Sometimes it might not feel like that as you go through hard times, but it will help you have the sense that you are not alone and take some pressure off. It will also help you to be aware of what your mission is here is on the planet and how you make a difference. By knowing that you are making a difference to other's lives, without sacrificing your own, will automatically give your life meaning and take years off your face. That's it for this week! If you want to make contact with me, I would love to hear from you so please do contact me at sophie@howhappyis.com . More on Health
 
Starbucks Breakfast, Coffee: Balancing Cheap And Fancy Top
SEATTLE -- When Starbucks begins serving a new line of breakfasts early Tuesday morning, the coffee shop chain is hoping its egg sandwiches achieve more than just the perfect balance of smoky bacon and salty parmesan cheese. Starbucks is also trying to pull off another balancing act: the meals must be inexpensive enough to draw in frugal customers, yet fancy enough to appeal to those who care more about quality than price.
 
Fortune: Apple Most Admired Company Top
It's been a rocky year for Apple: CEO Steve Jobs' health made headlines, and critics said Cupertino wasn't being open enough about it. But customers remained loyal to the brand that made white ear buds cool. As much of the computer industry struggled, Apple shipped 22.7 million iPods during its first quarter (up 3 percent from last year), 2.5 million Macs (up 9 percent), and 4.4 million iPhones. No wonder Apple tops our Most Admired list for the second year in a row. More on Apple
 
Rocky Mountain News Web Traffic Surges In Final Days Top
The website of the Rocky Mountain News , the Scripps paper that closed on Friday after it was unable to attract a buyer, experienced a surge in web traffic in its final days. On Thursday, February 26 — when it was announced the Rocky would fold the next day — RockyMountainNews.com saw 250,000 unique visitors, well above its 12-month average of approximately 90,000 uniques a day, according to Jim Nolan, a spokesman for the Denver Newspaper Agency. On Friday, February 27, with the website full of goodbye messages and a poignant "Final Edition" video, the website recorded 278,000 unique visitors. Of course, there was a surge in pageviews as well. Whereas the site's 12-month daily average was around 383,000, it served 1,130,797 pageviews on Thursday and 1,286,756 pageviews on Friday. The Denver Newspaper Agency could not confirm whether the unique visitor and pageview totals represented record highs for RockyMountainNews.com . As expected, the paper also saw extraordinarily high newsstand sales Friday for the final edition of the paper . The staffers' "Final Edition" video is embedded below, and it is presently still available on the home page of RockyMountainNews.com . Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo .
 
Jane Velez-Mitchell Goes From "Glorified Freelancer" To Ratings Gold Mine On HLN Top
Jane Velez-Mitchell is a true-crime author, a television talking head, a lesbian, an animal activist, a recovering alcoholic and a vegan. She was until recently a glorified freelancer for Headline News, the sister channel of CNN. Now she is one of Headline News's nightly hosts -- and her 7 o'clock show is setting ratings records for the network.
 
Pakistan: Sri Lankan Cricket Team Attacked By Gunmen With Rifles, Grenades, Rocket Launchers Top
LAHORE, Pakistan — At least a dozen men attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers Tuesday ahead of a match in Pakistan, wounding seven players, an umpire and an assistant coach. Six policemen and a driver were killed in the brazen assault on South Asia's most beloved sport. Two players were hospitalized with bullet wounds that were not life-threatening and the umpire was in stable condition, officials said. Five other players and a British assistant coach had minor injuries. In a coordinated attack, the assailants ambushed the convoy carrying the squad and match officials at a traffic circle 100 yards (meters) from the main sports stadium in the eastern city of Lahore, triggering a 15-minute gunbattle with police guarding the vehicles. None of the attackers was killed or captured at the scene, city police chief Haji Habibur Rehman said. Authorities did not speculate on the identities of the attackers or their motives, but the chief suspects will be Islamist militants, some with links to al-Qaida, who have staged high-profile attacks on civilian targets before. The attack reinforced perceptions that nuclear-armed Pakistan is veering out of control under terrorist assault. It will end hopes of international cricket teams _ or any sports teams _ playing in the country for months, if not years. Sri Lanka had agreed to this tour _ allowing Pakistan to host its first test matches in 14 months _ only after India and Australia backed out of scheduled trips over security concerns. Tuesday's attack came three months after the Mumbai terror strikes that killed 164 people. Those raids were allegedly carried out by Pakistan militants, and the assault in Lahore resembled them in many respects. Both were coordinated attacks, used multiple gunmen, apparently in teams of two, who were armed with explosives and assault rifles, carried backpacks and apparently had little fear of death or capture. Authorities will also consider possible links to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger separatist rebels who are being badly hit in a military offensive at home, though Sri Lankan military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said officials there did not believe the group was responsible. Authorities canceled the test match against Pakistan's national team and the Lahore governor said the team was flying home. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa condemned the attack and ordered his foreign minister to immediately travel to Pakistan to help assist in the team's evacuation and ensure they are safe. The attackers hit the team bus with automatic weapons from several locations and fired a rocket and a grenade that missed, witnesses and officials said. They did not manage to stop the vehicle _ something that likely saved the squad from a worse fate. Other vehicles traveling with or close to the convoy stopped. TV footage of the attack showed at least two pairs of gunmen with backpacks firing from a stretch of grass and taking cover behind a small monument before moving on. It was taken from the offices of a Pakistani news channel overlooking the site of the ambush. "These people were highly trained and highly armed. The way they were holding their guns, the way they were taking aim and shooting at the police, it shows they were not ordinary people," said Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province. "This is the same style as the terrorists who attacked Mumbai." Other video showed damaged vehicles and unexploded grenades lying on the ground along with three bodies. An Associated Press reporter saw police handling what looked like two suicide jackets. Officers also recovered two backpacks apparently used by the attackers before fleeing, as well as walkie-talkies. "It is a terrible incident, and I am lost for words," said Steve Davis, an Australian who was to have umpired the match. Nadeem Ghauri, a Pakistani umpire who witnessed the attack, said the umpires were behind a bus of Sri Lankan players when suddenly they heard gunshots that lasted for 15 minutes. "Our driver was hit, and he was injured," he said. Lahore police chief Rehman said "between 12 and 14 men" took part in the assault and they resembled Pashtuns, the ethnic group that hails from close to the Afghan border, the stronghold of al-Qaida and the Taliban. He said officers were hunting them down. "Our police sacrificed their lives to protect the Sri Lankan team," he said. Two Sri Lankan players _ Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana _ were being treated for injuries in a hospital but were stable, said Chamara Ranavira, a spokesman for the Sri Lankan High Commission. Medical Superintendent of the Services Hospital, Mohammad Javed, told The Associated Press that a total of 15 wounded were admitted to the hospital. Among them was umpire Ahsan Raza, whom Javed said was "seriously wounded." He added: "He has got one bullet in his abdomen that has damaged his internal parts." Of the two players, Paranavitana was grazed by a bullet in the chest, and Samaraweera has a bullet wound in his thigh. Team captain Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Suranka Lakmal and Chaminda Vaas had minor injuries, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board said. Ranavira said British assistant coach Paul Farbrace also sustained minor injuries. Veteran batsman Sangakkara told Sri Lankan radio station Yes-FM that "all the players are completely out of danger." Haider Ashraf, another police officer, said six policemen and a driver of a Pakistan Cricket Board vehicle were killed. Three hours after the attack, at least Sri Lankan eight players and team officials left the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore on a Pakistani army helicopter that took off from the pitch. Wajira Wijegunawardena, the Sri Lankan cricket board's media manager, said the team planned to board a flight to Abu Dhabi later Tuesday and return to Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said little could be done to stop such an attack. "I think the Pakistani authorities have provided adequate security but as we know from experience ... there is never enough security to counter a well organized and determined terrorist group," Kohona said. The Dubai-based International Cricket Council condemned the attack. ICC President David Morgan told the British Broadcasting Corp. that the organization had no role in deciding on whether Pakistan was safe enough for a tour. "So long as the two countries are in agreement on safety and security, the ICC does not have a role," Morgan said. One militant group likely to fall under particular suspicion is Lashkar-e-Taiba, the network blamed for the Mumbai terror attacks in November, in which 10 gunmen staged a three-day siege targeting luxury hotels, a Jewish center and other sites. The group has been targeted by Pakistani authorities since then, and its stronghold is in eastern Pakistan. In the past, India and Pakistan have blamed each other for attacks on their territories. Any allegations like that will trigger fresh tensions between the countries, which are already dangerously high. More on Sri Lanka
 
Oprah Receives Leadership Award From Columbia University Top
NEW YORK — Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has received a leadership award from Columbia University. University officials say the talk show host received the 2009 Klingenstein Leadership Award Friday for her philanthropy in education and promotion of reading. The award is given by The Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership. The center says Oprah's Angel Network has helped open 60 schools in 13 countries while her foundation has awarded hundreds of grants and scholarships. In 2007, Winfrey opened the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. The center says its director presented the award to Winfrey in Chicago. ___ On the Net: The Klingenstein Center: http://www.klingenstein.org Teachers College: http://www.tc.columbia.edu More on Oprah
 
Christine Hassler: Are You Annoyed By A Co-Worker? Top
Dear Christine, There is a woman I work with everyday who absolutely drives me crazy. She's emotional, always has to get her opinion heard and be right, and monopolizes a lot of attention. She's also not accountable and often takes days just to return a simple email. I have a lot of integrity and prefer not to bring drama into work, but I find her distracting and she's affecting my enthusiasm. How do I deal with her? Should I confront her about her behavior or talk to my boss? Annoyed with co-worker, 27, Pittsburg Dear Annoyed with Co-worker, I really get that this co-worker is pushing all your buttons which is exactly why you should not confront her right now. You are too fired up by annoyance and judgments so a confrontation would most likely resemble a sibling spat. There is a way to resolve this that actually may not involve her at all - it could be an inside job. In order to handle this situation with the integrity you claim to have, you must look at this from both a professional and personal growth perspective. Let's start with the professional perspective. Any successful business person must learn to deal with myriad of personality types and workplace issues. If rising to the top ranks is your goal, learn this lesson now. I would bet that the mental energy you are investing in being annoyed by her is far more distracting and time-consuming than her actual behavior so stop the trash talk going on in your head. Redirect your focus to how you contribute to the overall vision of the company instead of allowing this woman to affect your enthusiasm. Work on cultivating your other work relationships with people that you don't find annoying. Then challenge yourself to bring out the best in your co-worker. She has not been fired so there must be something your employer finds redeeming. What does she do well? And if your answer is "nothing," remember that any great leader or manager identifies and encourages the strengths in others. When we constantly expect somebody to act a certain way and fixate on that, the person usually acts accordingly. While you can't control how she acts; you can choose how you respond to her, what words you use and how you act around her. Sometimes when we change our responses and/or our perception, miracles happen. Let's take it to a deeper level. From a psychological standpoint, what may be going on here is called projection. Projection occurs when a person attributes their unacceptable personal thoughts, feelings, or behaviors onto others. It's a defense mechanism we all have. It's much easier to point a finger at someone than to own the things we don't like about ourselves. In the book If Life is a Game, These are the Rules , Dr. Cherie-Scott writes, "Others are only mirrors of you and your reactions to other people are really just barometers for how you perceive yourself. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself." She also advises that: "Conversely you can view the people you judge negatively as gifts, presented to show you what you are not accepting about yourself. Imagine that every time you are angered, hurt or irritated by another, you are actually being given the opportunity to heal past incidents of anger, hurt, or irritation. Perhaps viewing weakness in others is an opportunity to extend the loving arm of compassion to them; or it could be the perfect moment to heal the unconscious judgment you have secretly harbored against yourself." Your first reaction may be, "I am absolutely nothing like this woman." Although natural, defensive thinking is a dead-end. Consider: How are you like her? In what aspects of your own life are you unaccountable? Do you keep your word to yourself? Really? Ever promised you'd change a behavior or take on a new routine and not followed through? Are there times when you are righteous and fight for your opinion? Are you craving attention? By understanding ourselves, we can understand others better which offers more clarity on how to handle challenging situations. Fortunately, none of us are ever at a loss for this opportunity as there are always plenty of people around to push our buttons. Now that I've encouraged you to own your end of this, that doesn't mean her unaccountable behavior should just be dismissed. Consider having a conversation with her about how you'd like to be in better communication. Support her in her accountability by including, "please respond today" in the first line of your emails or take the old-fashioned approach and walk over to her desk to have a face-to-face conversation. If you are utterly convinced that it is just her and you've done everything you possibly can to either improve or accept her behavior; then, yes, a conversation with your boss may be necessary. I caution you to be as neutral and fact-based as possible. Avoid blame, gossip and becoming emotional. Integrity is not just about having integrity in your own world. Part of living a life with integrity is not judging or condemning people, but rather learning how to interact with them in a way that is less reactive and more proactive. -Christine Please send me your questions to christineAThuffingtonpost.com More on Careers
 
YouTube Symphony Orchesta Picks Its Members Top
NEW YORK — The auditions are over. The first YouTube Symphony Orchestra _ selected by viewers of the Web site _ will consist of more than 90 musicians from some 30 countries. More than 3,000 videos were submitted by amateur and professional musicians from 70-plus countries. Musicians from professional orchestras including the London and San Francisco symphonies and the Berlin, Hong Kong and New York philharmonic orchestras picked 200 finalists. The winners were then selected by voters on YouTube. "We are excited about the talent, variety and adventurousness of the musicians who are coming together from around the world to form the YouTube Symphony Orchestra," conductor Michael Tilson Thomas said Monday. "I am looking forward to our exploration of the incredible range of classical music's 1,200-year-old tradition which we will present in a unique way to our audience." The orchestra will have 26 different instruments. The selected musicians, ranging from ages 17 to 55, will participate in three days of master classes and rehearsals next month, culminating in an April 15 concert at Carnegie Hall conducted by Thomas, the San Francisco Symphony's music director. They will perform composer Tan Dun's "Internet Symphony No. 1, Eroica," a piece specially arranged for the occasion. A mashup will be posted on YouTube.com on April 16. Among those selected: Calvin Lee, a 37-year-old surgeon in Modesto, Calif. "The strings on my violin were 15 years old when I first learned of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra and that's when I realized it was time to get my violin out of the closet," Lee said. "Since then I've been practicing, playing and thoroughly enjoying meeting other passionate musicians from across the globe through the YouTube Symphony Orchestra." Besides California, the U.S. winners are from Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington state. The international winners are from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine. ___ On the Net: http://www.YouTube.com/Symphony More on YouTube
 
Philadelphia Daily News To Be Edition Of Inquirer Top
PHILADELPHIA — The company that owns both the Philadelphia Daily News and The Philadelphia Inquirer will start publishing the tabloid Daily News as an edition of the broadsheet Inquirer starting March 30. The newspapers announced the change Monday. Mark Frisby, publisher of the Daily News, says the combination will allow the papers to save on wire service fees and "take greater advantage of combined advertising revenue." Company officials say the change won't affect staffing, content or management. Each paper will continue to report to circulation auditors under the Inquirer heading, but the circulation will be combined for auditing purposes. The company, Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week.
 
Clinton: US Will Be "Vigorously Engaged" In Pursuit Of 2-State Solution Top
JERUSALEM — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the U.S. will "vigorously" pursue the creation of a Palestinian state. Clinton is making her first visit to the Mideast as the top U.S. diplomat. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, she said pursuit of a peace agreement that includes a Palestinian state "seems inescapable." Clinton says the U.S. "will be vigorously engaged in the pursuit of a two-state solution every step of the way." She spoke alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni ahead of a meeting later in the day with Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu's criticism in the past of peace talks with the Palestinians and the possibility of Palestinian independence has raised concerns that his new government could clash with the U.S. More on Palestinian Territories
 
Jimmy Fallon Makes His Debut As 'Late Night' Host Top
NEW YORK — As Jimmy Fallon prepared to debut as host of NBC's "Late Night," he found his predecessor, Conan O'Brien, in his dressing room, still packing up. "I'm about to start my first show," Fallon told him eagerly. "Oh, is that tonight?" O'Brien replied. "I was gonna TiVo it, or something." A new era began Monday in the time slot commonly known as "12:30" (more accurately, 12:37 a.m. EST) as Fallon arrived with a new-era version of "Late Night," flush with his wired-up personality, a classy, comfy set and a super-cool house band, the Roots. After the O'Brien bit, Fallon stepped on stage with a brisk, if forgettable, monologue, followed by a cleverer "Slow Jam" presentation of the news (bluesy and romantic, as accompanied by the Roots). After that came a comic tribute to the show's designated target demographic: Blonde Mothers. A possibly recurring game-show spoof, "Lick It For Ten," invited three "contestants" from the audience to lick something _ a lawn mower, a photocopier and a bowl of goldfish _ for a $10-dollar prize. And all that was before the first guest, Robert De Niro, who was game to play off of his reputation as a difficult interview. "I wrote some questions with one-word answers," said Fallon helpfully. Consulting his list, he asked De Niro, "How are you?" "I'm OK." "Are you happy to be here?" "I don't know yet," De Niro replied. Fallon did his De Niro impression and got De Niro to do a Jimmy Fallon impression. Then they appeared in a sketch together. Justin Timberlake came on next and plugged a new reality series with a film clip that seemed like yet another spoof, but is actually for real. Finishing up was Van Morrison, who performed a song amid a huge band of his own. And that's how the hour went. Whew! No one could say the pace ever dragged or the energy lagged. It certainly didn't with its hyper host. Fallon, a former cast member of "Saturday Night Live" with several films to his credit, has tapped a longtime "SNL" hand, Michael Shoemaker, as his producer. Co-producer is Gavin Purcell, who ran "Attack of the Show," the daily Net-centric news hour on cable's G4 channel. Lorne Michaels (who used to be Fallon's boss on "SNL") continues as "Late Night" executive producer. So it would seem he has all the pieces in place, as he faces competition that includes Craig Ferguson on CBS' "The Late Late Show." His major challenge in his new talk-show gig is to chill a little. Or even a lot. "I know I'm gonna get reviewed off the first show, as opposed to the first couple of months," Fallon predicted in a recent interview. "`He's no Conan,' or `He's no Letterman' _ I just want that to be said, and put out there. Then viewers can relax and watch and enjoy." Fallon's arrival sets in motion a carefully arranged host shift at NBC. O'Brien, who took over "Late Night" from its original host, David Letterman, in 1993, is now devoting full time to prepping his version of the Los Angeles-based "Tonight" show, where he will replace Jay Leno in June. Then, come fall, Leno will return to the air with a new weeknight prime-time hour airing at 10 p.m. An hour before Fallon's premiere Monday, CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" kicked off a full week of appearances by the superstar band U2. Besides performing a new song, U2's four members also pitched in for some comedy. Letterman said viewers shouldn't just think "these are pretty-boy rock 'n' rollers." They're willing to help however they're needed, he said as the camera switched to a shot of U2 shoveling snow outside the Ed Sullivan Theater. Fallon also found humor in the wintry weather during his debut monologue as he joked about opening-night jitters. "New York City was hit with a huge snow storm," he noted, "and I woke up this morning and said, `Please, let it be a snow day! Please!'" But that was clearly a joke. Considering his level of enthusiasm, it would have taken a full-scale blizzard, at the least, to keep him off the air. More on Jimmy Fallon
 
Peter Daou: Why on Earth Are Democrats Legitimizing and Empowering Rush Limbaugh? Top
I don't buy into this 'brilliant' strategy of elevating Rush Limbaugh in the hopes that it will tarnish Republicans. Focus relentlessly on the disastrous Bush presidency to tarnish Republicans, yes. Overturn every single illegal and unconstitutional Bush-era policy and show the country and the world that we're reclaiming the moral high ground, yes. Implement bold strategies and use soaring rhetoric to inspire Americans, yes. Hew fiercely to Democratic principles, reassert the greatness of our American identity, demonstrate the true meaning of liberalism, of progressivism, providing opportunity, seeking justice and fairness, helping those in need, yes. Spend our resources healing the sick, feeding the hungry, lifting the poor, cleaning the planet, rather than on war and more war, yes. But expand Rush Limbaugh's profile and platform? No. It's bad for the country and it's bad politics. Limbaugh and his cohorts (Coulter, Hannity, Beck, Savage, and so on), are largely responsible for our toxic political environment. Given major media platforms to launch crude and brutal political and cultural attacks, to demonize liberals, and to use rage as a means of lining their own pockets, these 'entertainers' have poisoned our national discourse. There's precious little benefit in making Limbaugh more of a central player, in engaging him directly from the White House podium, in raising his stature, in stamping, sealing and approving the years he's spent bashing his political opponents. There was a moment, a brief moment, after Barack Obama was elected president, a moment long gone, where the likes of Limbaugh and Hannity could have become marginalized, bit players rather than media movers and shakers, the detritus of a sorry era. But instead, they have been granted more power - out of some contrived political calculus. This, at a time when we don't need political calculus, we need single-minded determination to get us out of this economic calamity and to restore sanity to our government. I know it's hard for Democrats to appreciate how quickly political fortunes turn - the glow of victory, the high of electoral success gives a sense of inevitability and invincibility, of permanence. But there's nothing permanent about power. The tide will turn again, and the engine that will drive it is the fury stirred by the likes of Limbaugh. Feeding that machine, expanding and enhancing it is a mistake. A serious one. It's a truism that victory makes every decision seem genius, defeat, the reverse. Democrats, now in power, have a sense of triumph that makes every decision feel smart, every chess move a checkmate. Thus the "Rush strategy" foisted on those of us who have spent the past decade trying to point out how noxious and pernicious Limbaugh and his ilk have been (and continue to be), and how detrimental the anger they've stoked. Empowering Limbaugh in the hopes of a bank-shot against Republicans will yield the opposite result: Limbaugh will become more powerful, Republicans will relish his increased influence and allow him to do their dirty work. It's easy to feel like the old era is gone, the old demons slain, that we WON, that nobody's afraid of the once-vaunted Republican attack machine. But Barack Obama's unquestioned discipline, steadfastness and intelligence notwithstanding, he wouldn't be president without a tsunami of Hillary-hatred expertly surfed by his campaign, mishandled by hers, a tsunami generated over the years precisely by people like Rush Limbaugh. The myth of a technological, grassroots revolution, of prodigious strategic and tactical brilliance, of a do-no-wrong campaign, perhaps the greatest ever run, that myth sounds good, but it's not what happened. The reality was that the 2008 election was the age-old battle of character-building and character-destruction. Obama's team won that battle against Hillary Clinton not just because of Obama's abundant positive traits but because people like Rush Limbaugh gave him a 15-year head start against her. He won it against John McCain because McCain squandered years of character-building by enabling the excesses of George W. Bush and by running an erratic, unfocused campaign that served to highlight the best of Obama's character and the worst of his. Character versus character. Democratic strategists, busy sparring with Rush Limbaugh, should keep that in mind. The seeds of Democratic defeat are planted not by Republican elected officials, who, like McCain, will carry the Bush albatross for years to come, but by those who can freely fan the flames of outrage, who can fight dirty, who can bend and break the rules with impunity, who can tear down their opponents' integrity and character, and whose apparent reward (as in the case of Ann Coulter) is to be given yet a larger platform. No thanks. More on Barack Obama
 
Sean Penn To Lobby For Harvey Milk Day Top
SAN FRANCISCO — Fresh from his best actor Oscar for his performance as Harvey Milk, Sean Penn is pushing California to officially recognize the late gay politician's birthday. State Senator Mark Leno plans to reintroduce a bill Tuesday with Penn by his side designating Milk's birthday a "day of significance." Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the same bill last year. In his veto message, the governor said Milk should be honored in San Francisco but not statewide. Leno says Penn's award shows that Schwarzenegger's argument about Milk being only of provincial interest no longer holds up. More on Sean Penn
 
Clinton: US To Dispatch Envoys To Syria Top
JERUSALEM — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday the new U.S. administration will vigorously pursue the creation of a Palestinian state, stressing that movement toward Palestinian independence seems "inescapable." Clinton also said the U.S. would soon send two envoys to Syria for "preliminary conversations." It was the most significant sign yet that the Obama administration is ready to mend relations with the Damascus regime. The U.S. withdrew its ambassador in 2005, accusing Syria of supporting terrorism. "We have no way to predict what the future with our relations concerning Syria might be," she told a Jerusalem news conference. "There has to be some perceived benefit of doing so for the United States and our allies and our shared values. But I think it is a worthwhile effort to go and begin these preliminary conversations." Clinton, making her first visit to the region as secretary of state, made her comments ahead of a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister designate. Netanyahu's past criticism of peace talks and opposition to full Palestinian independence has raised concerns that his incoming government could clash with the U.S. When asked about Netanyahu, she acknowledged the possibility of disagreements with the hawkish Israeli politician and made clear the U.S. will push forward with its efforts to forge a peace deal that includes the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. "The United States will be vigorously engaged in the pursuit of a two-state solution every step of the way," she said. "The inevitability of working toward a two state-solution is inescapable." Ahead of their meeting, Netanyahu showed signs of backing off his previous pledges to abandon the current round of peace talks, launched in November 2007 at a U.S.-hosted summit. That message would mark a change in the Likud leader's long-stated position that peace talks are a waste of time because of the weakness of the Palestinian leadership. He has suggested in the past he would instead invest in the Palestinian economy while continuing Israel's military occupation of the West Bank indefinitely. And Clinton signaled that open confrontation with Israel is unlikely, stressing the close relationship between the two countries and saying Israel must ultimately decide what is in its best interests. "We happen to believe that moving toward the two-state solution, step by step, is in Israel's best interests. But obviously it's up to the people and the government of Israel to decide how to define your interests," she said. Clinton also stressed the "unrelenting" U.S. commitment to Israel's security. Clinton specifically criticized continuing rocket attacks out of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. "There is no doubt that any nation, including Israel, cannot stand idly by while its territory and people are subjected to rocket attacks," she said at an earlier news conference with Israel's ceremonial president, Shimon Peres. Netanyahu, leader of the hardline Likud Party, is putting together a new coalition government after right-wing and Orthodox Jewish parties won a majority of seats in last month's Israeli parliamentary election. He is expected to be sworn in as prime minister within weeks. His criticism of U.S.-led Mideast peace talks during the recent election campaign _ along with his reliance on small hardline partners _ has raised fears that his government could clash with the Obama administration. Netanyahu planned to tell the secretary of state that his government will continue peace talks with the Palestinians, a lawmaker from Netanyahu's Likud Party said. "I think that Hillary Clinton, when she comes today, will find Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to continue to hold negotiations, not only on economic projects but also political negotiations, a political process," said Likud lawmaker Silvan Shalom, a former foreign minister. In Damascus, the U.S. Embassy announced that Jeffrey Feltman, the State Department's top diplomat for the Middle East, would lead the American delegation headed to the Syrian capital. Embassy spokeswoman Katherine Vandevate said the visit aims to build on his "substantive and constructive" meeting last month with Syria's ambassador in Washington, Imad Moustapha. U.S.-Syrian relations have long been tense, particularly since the U.S. ambassador was pulled out by the Bush administration in 2005 to protest Syria's suspected role in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Damascus denied involvement but in the uproar that followed was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, ending a 29-year dominance. The United States has also criticized Syria for supporting militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah and has accused Syria of not doing enough to prevent foreign fighters from crossing into Iraq. Syria has said it is doing all it can to safeguard its long, porous border. Clinton arrived in Jerusalem Monday evening from the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, where she pledged $900 million in U.S. aid at an international donors conference for rebuilding the Gaza Strip after Israel's recent offensive against its Hamas rulers. A packed schedule of meetings with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem included talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. On Wednesday, she is to call on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. More on Syria
 

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