Sunday, April 26, 2009

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US Declares Public Health Emergency For Swine Flu Top
WASHINGTON — The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday to deal with the emerging new swine flu, much like the government does to prepare for approaching hurricanes. Officials reported 20 U.S. cases of swine flu in five states so far, with the latest in Ohio and New York. Unlike in Mexico where the same strain appears to be killing dozens of people, cases in the United State have been mild _ and U.S. health authorities can't yet explain why. "As we continue to look for cases, we are going to see a broader spectrum of disease," predicted Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're going to see more severe disease in this country." At a White House news conference, Besser and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to assure Americans that health officials are taking all appropriate steps to minimize the impact of the outbreak. Top among those is declaring the public health emergency. As part of that, Napolitano said roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu will be moved from a federal stockpile to places where states can quickly get their share if they decide they need it. Priority will be given to the five states with known cases so far: California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas. Napolitano called the emergency declaration standard operating procedure _ one was declared recently for the inauguration and for flooding. She urged people to think of it as a "declaration of emergency preparedness." "Really that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size of seriousness of this outbreak is going to be." ___ On the Net: CDC: http://www.cdc.gov More on Health
 
Rick Perry, After Raising Secession, Calls For Fed Help With Swine Flu Top
Less than two weeks after raising the prospect of seceding from the union, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is calling on the federal government to come to his state's aid in the midst of the swine flu outbreak. The San Marcos Record reports : Gov. Rick Perry today in a precautionary measure requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide 37,430 courses of antiviral medications from the Strategic National Stockpile to Texas to prevent the spread of swine flu. [...] "As a precautionary measure, I have requested that medication be on hand in Texas to help curb the spread of swine flu by helping those with both confirmed and suspected cases of this swine flu virus, as well as healthcare providers who may have come in contact with these patients," said Gov. Rick Perry. "We will continue to work with our local, state and federal health officials to ensure public safety is protected." Back on April 15, Perry was taking a rather different stance towards the federal government: "There's a lot of different scenarios," Perry said. "We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot." He said when Texas entered the union in 1845 it was with the understanding it could pull out. However, according to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Texas negotiated the power to divide into four additional states at some point if it wanted to but not the right to secede. HT: Wonkette Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter .
 
David Roberts: Quit arguing with douchebags that everyone hates, part two Top
grist.org Following up a bit on my previous post , let's make some more specific points. Point number one: Newt Gingrich is a douchebag and everyone hates him. Few figures in American politics (beyond Dick Cheney) are as discredited and unpopular as the bilious windbag Newt, whose renewed prominence as an "intellectual" on the right side of the aisle is the single best piece of evidence of irrevocable conservative decline. As Miles Grant reminded us last year : If there's anyone who proves time may not necessarily heal all wounds, it's Newt. Nearly a decade after he resigned from the House with an approval rating of just 28 percent, a 2007 poll showed remarkable 54 percent of Americans still held an unfavorable opinion of Gingrich. Cheney was only slightly less popular, rated unfavorably by 57 percent of those polled. It's true that he blatantly contradicted himself in his Congressional testimony last week. It's true that his "solution" to climate change is a transparently industry-beholden stew of corporate welfare . It's true that he lies like he breathes . But do progressives have to panic and hold strategy meetings every time he burps up more gas? No. Everybody hates the guy. He's a spokesdouche you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Point number two: Congressional Republicans are douchebags and everyone hates them. You might think from their program of uncompromising, unreasoning obstruction that they have some secret master plan to regain seats in Congress (which, as you might have noticed, they keep losing), but as Matt Yglesias points out , it's not so. Even National Republican Senatorial Committee chair John Cornyn (TX) admits that it's all but a fait accompli that Democrats will reach 60 votes in the Senate in 2010. That's because everyone likes Obama, and everyone hates Republicans. As Chris Bowers has documented in an ongoing series, they are less popular among the American public than Obama, Congressional Dems, marijuana legalization , Venezuela , China , and probably this new pig flu, though no one's polled that yet. They screwed up the country, they don't have credible solutions to any of its problems, and the only people who listen to their increasingly loopy rhetoric are part of the 30% remnant. Point number three: Marc Morano is a douchebag and most people don't even give enough of a crap about him to hate him. Once James Inhofe's Senate butt boy, which gave him a modicum of relevance and credibility, Morano is now the proprietor of an obscure Drudge-wannabe climate denial site. He is useful to the 30% and their Congressional representatives; he supplies their climate-related talking points. But those talking points are crazy, and everyone hates the people repeating them. Morano scammed his way into an NYT profile , but only as a flat-earth clown. The only way he gets any ongoing press coverage outside the 30% is by baiting progressive bloggers and journalists, jumping into their comment sections and sending them email every time they so much as mention his name. But the public at large, outside the ideological tribe? They don't know. They don't care. And if they knew, they'd hate him too, like other mouth-breathers preaching conspiracy theories. The same can be said of the whole constellation of blogs and TV shows made by and for the 30%. There is simply no need to devote much attention to refuting the lies that pour forth from this revanchist remnant. Concern over climate change and support for action to address it is the mainstream position in America. Those writing and speaking in the mainstream ought to address themselves to the mainstream, helping to address its questions and concerns about the transition away from fossil fuels. (And there are plenty.) Some time in the next hour, somebody will say something stupid on cable TV. Somebody will write an idiot op-ed. Somebody will be wrong on the internet. Let. It. Go. Focus on wavering Dems and their constituents and their constituents' jobs. Focus on how energy/climate legislation will make the country cleaner, healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous. The Newts can't stop anybody, they can only distract and sap energy from those doing the work. They are not Boogie men. They are douchebags, and everyone hates them. More on Climate Change
 
Ali Soufan Interview: FBI Interrogator Of Zubaydah Breaks Silence, Condemns Torture Tactics Top
"I've kept my mouth shut about all this for seven years," Soufan says. But now, with the declassification of Justice memos and the public assertions by Cheney and others that "enhanced" techniques worked, Soufan feels compelled to speak out. "I was in the middle of this, and it's not true that these [aggressive] techniques were effective," he says. "We were able to get the information about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a couple of days. We didn't have to do any of this [torture]. We could have done this the right way."
 
Wallace J Nichols: Nature Versus Narco Top
Of the tens of billions of dollars in cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs consumed in America each year, most come from or through Mexico. In their wake, the narco-industry has left a brutal legacy of violence that plays out nightly on our news -- decapitations, executions, assassinations and gun battles all along the border and increasingly across it. The main cost of the narco-industrial complex to our society, of course, is in the loss of lives, health and community. But the environment has proved a surprising victim of this insidious industry, as well. The production, processing and trafficking of narcotics are slowly and quietly wreaking havoc on nature and undermining environmental conservation from Colombia to British Columbia and hundreds of points between. Precious thousands of acres of endangered ecosystems are laid low by deforestation and clear-cutting to make way for coca and poppy fields or ill-conceived coastal development designed to launder money rather than build local economies. Herbicides aimed at eradicating drug crops poison soils and sensitive, rare amphibians. Chemicals used to fabricate methamphetamine -- many new even to water quality analysts, with environmental impacts as yet unknown -- flow into waterways and spew into the air. High on drugs, fishermen work three days at a stretch, testing their own physical limits, while extracting tuna, abalone, sea turtles, sharks and shrimp, leaving barren swaths of dying ocean floor in their wake. Illegal traffic in endangered wildlife streams through the same cash-lined channel as guns and drugs. In a March 2008 statement to Congress, Interpol linked the underground trade of endangered Bengal tigers with organized crime's drug and arms trafficking activities. The free flow of untold sums of narco-cash leads to demoralization of those outside the industry and impunity for those inside. This cash has a cancerous, corrupting effect in the poor economies of the world. It undermines environmental policies and erodes the rule of law. In many parts of Mexico, for instance, wildlife enforcement agents fear for their lives and are unwilling to risk run-ins with narco-traffickers. Biologists in the field have direct encounters with heavily armed smugglers. Ecotourists to the region's biodiversity hotspots, a legal and lucrative economic lifeblood, are deterred by drug violence. At the root of it all is the hunger for hard drugs. Despite tens of billions of dollars spent in recent decades to fight the drug industry's supply side, we have too little to show for our efforts. Disrupting the cartels begets only more violence and inflated prices as gang members clash, fill power vacuums and maneuver to meet persistent demand. What the casual American drug user or addict cannot, or will not, grasp are the long-term environmental consequences of his or her actions. Vital natural resources are sacrificed for a short-term high. The hidden costs to human and ecosystem health, tourism economies, biodiversity and fisheries caused by this corrupt industry are large and under-appreciated. Without U.S. demand, the flow of the drug economy, and associated environmental and societal destruction, would largely cease. And we would see improvement in human lives, human health, populations of endangered animals, the quality of our air and water, entire ecosystems, entire communities and even democracy and the rule of law. As we rethink our approaches to the drug "war," let's shine a bright light on the problem and spell out the real, full costs of a supply-side drug policy that has failed -- including the costs to environmental health. Let's seek creative, new approaches that accept the need for demand-side solutions that reduce use of hard drugs domestically. We need smart and strong drug policies that are based on the best available science, address the full range of interconnected social and environmental issues and integrate creative and experimental solutions. Treating drug-dependent criminals, extending treatment to addicts who have not broken the law and expanding school-based prevention programs can substantially cut drug use. With new and innovative programs like these, and others yet to be devised, we can solve the worst problems at home and sap the power of the narco-traffickers abroad. Illicit drugs and green living are rarely discussed in the same breath, but they are closely linked. There are many unintended, unseen consequences to the purchases we make be they non-organic produce, unsustainable seafood, an SUV or a speedball. Let's make the right decisions when it comes to rethinking drug policies, personally and publicly. Our health, communities and our environment all depend on it. More on Mexico
 
Obama Golfing At Andrews Air Force Base Courses Top
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. — President Barack Obama took advantage of the summer conditions in Washington on Sunday to play a round of golf for the first time since taking office. His motorcade left the White House at midmorning Sunday for the course at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Obama arrived at the course wearing sunglasses, a cream-colored baseball cap, short-sleeved shirt and khaki shorts. He shook hands with a few other golfers and waved to other onlookers before stepping into a golf cart driven by the course's general manager, Mike Thomas. Joining the president were Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and presidential aide Marvin Nicholson. The Courses at Andrews Air Force Base is a popular destination for presidents because of its proximity to the White House and the security it offers on a military base. Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush all played there. Its three 18-hole courses are a part of the base's recreation program for military personnel and Defense Department employees. More on Barack Obama
 
Dave Johnson: On Jerry Brown's Campaign For California Governor Top
He was called "Moonbeam" and mocked, but he was right, and we were right, and the country needs to come to terms with this this so we can move on and finally DO right. Jerry Brown was Governor of California from 1975 to 1983. He was a symbol of "the 60's" even though it was the 70's, because he came from the times, cared about the issues of the times, spoke the language of the times and governed for the people, from the times. He opposed the Vietnam war. He talked about protecting the environment and conserving energy and providing education and "Buddhist economics." He fought corporate power and sued large corporations, particularly in the area of campaign finance. He was right . For taking these positions Jerry was called "Moonbeam" and mocked for advocating things that we now all understand were correct and necessary. It is 30 years later and the country needs to get past that mocking of the people who were right. But the mocking and obstruction by entrenched interests are still in the way of letting us move on and do the things we need to do for the economy, the country, and the planet. Now Jerry is again running for Governor of California and I think this is important to our current national conversation at a time when we must come to terms with the reasons that we have waited 30 years to start doing something about major problems. Jerry's campaign will force a conversation that will clarify for the country that the "dirty hippies" were right, that we need to learn to ignore the mocking that is a primary weapon of the corporate right, that we need to take care of the planet, that we need to take care of each other, that we need to be in charge of the corporations, not the other way around. In his speech to the California Democratic Convention he talked about how 30 years ago he changed California's energy policies, and how the result has been that California has barely increased its energy use since while the rest of the country has. He talk about a number of things like this, but what most resonated with me was when he talked about how we educate kids. The current emphasis on testing is stifling the creativity of kids. He says we need to bring back education that stimulates creativity. Wow -- how long since I have heard "60's" talk that's so right?! Talk that recognizes our humanity and says that we are not just cogs in a corporate machine. Who talks about these things today? A few years ago, when Jerry was running for Attorney General, I wrote , I've loved Jerry Brown since his 1992 campaign for President. During that campaign he proposed boosting the economy and helping the energy/pollution/Middle East problem with a national program to hire unemployed people to retrofit buildings to be energy efficient. Imagine if we had done that! So now 13 years later we have the Apollo Alliance but Jerry doesn't seem to get much credit for being so far ahead on this. A few years before that I wrote , In the 1992 campaign Jerry Brown made a suggestion that I haven't forgotten. He suggested putting the unemployed to work retrofitting buildings and homes to be energy efficient. It requires an up-front investment but it returns a more efficient economy (everyone paying less for energy) and national energy independence as a foreign policy bonus. Meanwhile all those unemployed people are getting and spending paychecks, boosting the economy. It helps everyone but the oil companies. Oh. I guess not, then. I don't know right now if Brown can or should win and this is not an endorsement. But I think this is a conversation that we all need to have and learn from.
 
Beyonce Rules Box Office As 'Obsessed' Hauls In $28M Top
LOS ANGELES — Audiences were in the mood for some fatal attraction action at the box office. Beyonce Knowles and Idris Elba's "Obsessed" debuted as the top weekend movie with $28.5 million in ticket sales. The Sony Screen Gems thriller stars Knowles and Elba as a couple whose ideal marriage lands on the rocks after a psychotic temp played by Ali Larter begins stalking the husband. The strong opening for "Obsessed" helped maintain Hollywood's hot streak, with overall revenues at about $112 million, up 23.5 percent from the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers. The busy summer season starts Friday with 20th Century Fox's spinoff "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman in the title role he played in three "X-Men" blockbusters. Studios head into summer on a box-office tear, with receipts running at a record pace. Revenues for the year are at $3.06 billion, up 17.4 percent over last year. Factoring in higher ticket prices, movie attendance is up 15.7 percent. "We have never been in this strong a position heading into the summer season, ever," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. Zac Efron's "17 Again" and Channing Tatum's "Fighting" were neck-and-neck for the No. 2 spot. With Sunday estimates of $11.7 million, the Warner Bros. comedy "17 Again" had the edge. After debuting in first-place a week earlier, "17 Again" raised its 10-day total to $40 million. Rogue Pictures' "Fighting," starring Tatum and Terrence Howard in the story of a rising star in New York City's underground bare-knuckle fight circuit, debuted with $11.4 million. The two movies were close enough that rankings could change when final numbers come out Monday. Paramount's drama "The Soloist" opened at No. 4 with $9.7 million. It stars Jamie Foxx as a schizophrenic music prodigy living on the streets of Los Angeles and Robert Downey Jr. as a reporter who befriends him. Disney's nature documentary "Earth" premiered in fifth place with $8.6 million, bringing its total to $14.2 million since opening Wednesday. "Obsessed" was not screened in advance for critics, and those who reviewed it generally trashed the movie as a lame retread of 1987's "Fatal Attraction," which starred Glenn Close as a demented woman pursuing a married man, played by Michael Douglas. But "Obsessed" had the lure of singer Knowles stepping out from her pop star image and duking it out with the crazy lady threatening her home and marriage. "There's something about wanting to see Beyonce kick butt. She's taking on one wacked chick, played very well by Ali Larter," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "Let's face it, everyone loves Beyonce, and to see her in this role is a treat." Documentaries rarely open in nationwide release or break into the top 10, but Disney aimed for a wide audience with "Earth," which traces families of polar bears, elephants and humpback whales over the course of a year. Disney pledged to plant a tree for every viewer who sees the movie in the first week, with the number climbing to more than 2 million after five days. The film was tied to Earth Day and was the first release of the studio's Disneynature label. "We just felt like if we make an event out of this, tied it to this whole plant-a-tree effort, tied it to Earth Day, maybe we could break the mold and come up with the kind of opening that you'd be satisfied with on a regular film," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. "Obsessed," $28.5 million. 2. "17 Again," $11.7 million. 3. "Fighting," $11.4 million. 4. "The Soloist," $9.7 million. 5. "Earth," $8.6 million. 6. "Monsters vs. Aliens," $8.5 million. 7. "State of Play," $6.9 million. 8. "Hannah Montana: The Movie," $6.4 million. 9. "Fast & Furious," $6.1 million. 10. "Crank: High Voltage," $2.4 million. ___ On the Net: http://www.mediabynumbers.com ___ Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Rogue Pictures are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; DreamWorks, Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros., New Line, Warner Independent and Picturehouse are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lionsgate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.
 
Mark Goulston, M.D.: Twitter at Your Own Risk Top
Maybe what goes in Vegas, stays in Vegas, But what goes on the Internet, goes everywhere and stays there forever. Since disconnectedness causes more problems than connectedness, the good probably does outweigh the bad when it comes to social networking via Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, MySpace and beyond. But beware (and you especially may want to tell this to your children), whatever you put up on the Internet becomes viewable to anyone, anytime, anywhere. The more immature - and exhibitionistic -your personality, the more likely you will put anything you choose, up anywhere you please. When questioned, you will reply: "Oh everyone is doing it" or (if you're really immature) "If it feels good and it's not hurting anyone else, what's wrong?" Guess what? It's hurting you . Why? Because anyone who may decide to accept you into their school, college or community and anyone considering hiring you, will increasingly look you up on the web wherever you are. And among the things they will be looking for are common sense and judgment. Anyone who puts up information that screams, "Look at me!" may not be someone schools, colleges and jobs believe will be able to put that aside to focus on what is important to them. A close friend of mine used to interview just out of law school applicants for her law firm. Her favorite question: "Tell me about yourself?" What was she looking for? Not your hobbies, friendships or family stories (if she wanted to find out about those, she'd ask specifically about them). She was looking to see if you had the judgment to realize that you're being hired to help a law firm be more successful, and looking for answers that would set you up to succeed rather than fail. The most damaging and insidious cost of "twittering" away your life is that joining one of those sites and attracting hundreds, if not thousands of followers or contacts (BTW I am not one to speak, since I have a profile up at Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin) can give you figuratively and literally a "contact" high. And that can become addictive. What's wrong about that? Having all that buzz about you or connected to you can make you feel like a "somebody." The problem is that in most of our jobs and even intimate relationship we can easily begin to feel less special, more like an "anybody" than a "somebody." And as several people I know have confided, "When you go from feeling like a 'somebody' to feeling like an 'anybody,' you feel like a 'nobody'." At that point you can become distracted, irritable and thinking only of your next "Blackberry fix." If the coin of the realm is giving our jobs and the people we care about our undivided attention, our addiction to Twitter et al is rapidly bankrupting the quality in our relationships. I've heard something attributed to Marilyn Monroe was that when everyone adores you, but nobody knows you, you can die of loneliness. The same might be said that when you're connected to everybody, you're connected to nobody. More on Twitter
 
New Yorker Profiles Peter Orszag: How Obama's Budget Genius Was Tripped Up By Jon Stewart Top
A few weeks ago, Peter Orszag, President Obama's trim, apple-cheeked budget director, stretched out in the green room of what has become, in recent years, the locus of reliably liberal sensibility in this country--the midtown studios where Jon Stewart tapes "The Daily Show."
 
David Roberts: Quit arguing with douchebags that everyone hates Top
grist.org Catching up with email and blog posts I missed while on vacation for a few weeks has been instructive. It appears to me, from this fresh perspective, that progressive bloggers, journalists, and activists are wasting a lot of their time. To understand why, we need to be clear on the current landscape. Right now, Republicans represent about 30-40% of the public. They are increasingly beholden to the hardcore, angry-white-man demographic, which is getting increasingly insular and wingnutty, screaming about socialism and handshakes with Chavez and one-world currency. Republicans in Congress have decided on a program of total obstruction. This shrinking minority and its representatives in Congress are unreachable and unreasonable. They speak only to one another and their shared mythology of victimization and looming threat is increasingly baroque and opaque to those outside. They are shrinking into themselves, drifting into the wilderness, becoming more and more cultish. There is, in short, no reason to pay much attention to them. Meanwhile, among the other 60-70%, there's a serious debate happening about how best to act on climate and energy. There's broad understanding that there's a problem and broad support for moving forward, but among industrial state Dems and many citizens there's fear that the transition will be painful. The rational response to this landscape would be to spend time arguing -- and displaying real confidence -- that the transition will in fact be good for the entire country; that industrial states will benefit as well; that the nation will be stronger, safer, and more prosperous as a result of action. It is the waverers and nervous nellies who need attention and persuasion. Instead, progressive media types and activists spend a wildly disproportionate amount of time running around like their hair's on fire every time a wingnut goes on cable news or writes an op-ed saying ridiculous things. Every time Newt Gingrich or Marc Morano or Joe Barton says something stupid, green bloggers start holding strategy sessions and freaking out about how to pressure this or that media outlet to repudiate the comments. They write more about, and to, the 35% than they do the 65%. This makes them -- and the forces of climate action generally -- look defensive and brittle and jumpy. It gives the wingnuttery they're responding to more credibility and oxygen than it would otherwise have. After all, if the people who want action think these arguments are worth so much time ... Progressives need to get it through they're heads that they won . They're in charge; they hold the levers of power. They understand the nation's problems and are proposing credible solutions. They should feel a sense of momentum and optimism and confidence. That feeling is contagious. It's what draws people in and soothes their fears. It's what broadens a movement and creates social capital. (Think back to when you were a marginalized nerd in high school. Yeah, you. Did the "popular kids" spend a lot of time arguing with you? Explaining why you were goofy and wrong? Getting upset when you said nerdy things? No. They paid no attention to you. Such are social hierarchies built and enforced. If you think public life is not just a larger version of the same thing -- if you think it's some kind of salon where the best facts and arguments win out -- well, good luck.) Anyway. Quit playing defense when you don't have to. Quit paying so much attention to wingnuts. They are douchebags. Everyone hates them. More on Climate Change
 
Pope Benedict Names 5 New Saints Top
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI named five new saints Sunday, including Portugal's 14th century independence leader and a priest who ministered to factory workers at the dawn of the industrial era. Speaking in a packed St. Peter's Square, Benedict praised each of the five as a model for the faithful, saying their lives and works were as relevant today as when they were alive. Benedict singled out the Rev. Arcangelo Tadini, who lived at the turn of the last century and founded an order of nuns to tend to factory workers _ something of a scandal at the time, since factories were considered immoral and dangerous places. Tadini also created an association to provide emergency loans to workers experiencing financial difficulties. "How prophetic was Don Tadini's charismatic intuition, and how current his example is today, in this time of grave economic crisis!" Benedict marveled in his homily. The only non-Italian canonized Sunday was Nuno Alvares Pereira, who helped secure Portugal's independence from the Spanish kingdom of Castile, leading Portuguese forces in the critical Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. After leaving the military, he entered religious life as a Carmelite and changed his name to Nuno de Santa Maria. He dedicated himself to the poor, never taking the privileges that would have been afforded to him as a former commander. He is remembered as a national hero today in Portugal, with street signs named after him in many towns, but also as a humble man of great spirituality. "The canonization of Nuno Alvares Pereira honors one of the personalities that most clearly mapped out our national history," Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva said in Lisbon. Also canonized Sunday was Bernardo Tolomei, a nearly blind monk who founded the Benedictine Congregation of Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto in the 1340s. He died in 1348 along with 82 of his monks after leaving the safety of his monastery to tend to plague victims in Siena. Benedict praised his dedication, saying he died "as an authentic martyr of charity." The others canonized were Gertrude Comensoli and Caterina Volpicelli, 19th century Italian nuns who founded religious orders. Benedict has presided over a handful of canonization ceremonies in his four-year pontificate, and has left it to other Vatican officials to officiate at beatification ceremonies. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, beatified 1,338 people and canonized 480 during his quarter-century pontificate. Beatification is the first step to possible sainthood. The Vatican must certify one miracle attributed to the candidate's intercession for beatification, and a second miracle that occurred after beatification for the candidate to be declared a saint. ___ Associated Press reporter Harold Heckle in Madrid contributed to this report. More on Christianity
 
Sherry Johnston, Facing Felony Drug Charges, Shouldn't Have Left Alaska To Do Tyra, Prosecutor Says Top
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Palmer District Attorney said if he had known just why Sherry Johnston needed to travel outside Alaska he would not have signed off on the trip. Johnston, who is facing felony drug charges, left Alaska to appear on "The Tyra Banks Show" and "Larry King Live." Prosecutor Roman Kalytiak said he thought Johnston, who is the mother of Levi Johnson who fathered a child with Bristol Palin, Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter, had something important to do that justified traveling. Kalytiak said the way the legal motion was worded, it appeared that Johnston needed to travel for important family business. He said he now knows that was not the case. They "didn't say she was going out of state to appear on various TV shows," he said. Johnston, 42, appeared on the programs alongside her daughter, Mercede, 17, and 18-year-old son, Levi. Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston's out-of-wedlock pregnancy was announced while Palin was running for vice president. The two broke up shortly after the December birth of their son, Tripp. The Johnstons talked on the shows about the rift between their family and the Palins. Kalytiak said that people accused of serious crimes who are not in jail awaiting trial are sometimes allowed to travel for unusual circumstances like funerals, medical treatment or other family emergencies. But of Johnston's trips, he said, "It appears like these appearances are something she's doing as a choice and they certainly aren't necessary to her family or her case." In December, Johnston was charged with dealing the prescription painkiller OxyContin, a popular but highly addictive recreational drug. Her trial is scheduled to begin May 18. Kalytiak said Johnston should be thinking about the trial and working on her defense instead of traveling. Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . More on Sarah Palin
 
Clinton reassures Lebanon on overtures to Syria Top
BEIRUT — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reassured the Lebanese people Sunday that Washington supports "voices of moderation" and will never make a deal with Syria that undermines the country's interests. Clinton spoke on a surprise visit to Beirut ahead of a critical June 7 election that could see the pro-U.S. Lebanese government ousted by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies, possibly paving the way for renewed Syrian influence over the country. "The people of Lebanon must be able to choose their own representatives in open and fair elections without the specter of violence or intimidation and free of outside interference," Clinton told a news conference in Beirut after meeting with President Michel Suleiman. "Beyond the elections, we will continue to support the voices of moderation in Lebanon and the responsible institutions of the Lebanese state they are working hard to build. Our ongoing support for the Lebanese armed forces remains a pillar of our bilateral cooperation," she added. Syria dominated Lebanon for nearly three decades before it was forced to withdraw its tens of thousands of troops four years ago this week in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. There have been concerns among anti-Syrian factions in the pro-U.S. parliamentary majority that the Obama administration talks with Syria could weaken American support for Lebanon. But Clinton said she delivered a letter from Obama to Suleiman expressing strong support for a free, sovereign and independent Lebanon. She said U.S. attempts to engage Syria and Iran are not being done at the expense of that support. "There is nothing that we would do in any way that would undermine Lebanon's sovereignty," Clinton said. "I want to assure any Lebanese citizen that the United States will never make any deal with Syria that sells out Lebanon and the Lebanese people. You have been through too much and it is only right that you are given a chance to make your own decisions," Clinton said. "It's a complicated neighborhood you live in and you have the right to your own future," she added. Hezbollah spokesman Ibrahim Mussawi said Clinton's visit could have a negative impact on the pro-U.S. factions in the country. Speaking on the group's Al-Manar TV after Clinton arrived, Mussawi said it was too early to tell whether the Obama administration has reassessed its policy. But he added that American "interference in the past was never positive." He also criticized what he termed a "double standard and deception" when the U.S. calls for Islamic factions to participate in elections and then refuses to accept the results if they win. Clinton, whose first trip to one of the most volatile countries in the Middle East lasted a little less than three hours, would not speculate on the results of the election and what the U.S. would do if Hezbollah wins, stressing a free and fair elections. "We certainly hope that ... the results of the election will continue a moderate, positive direction that will benefit all of the people of Lebanon," she said at the presidential palace. But U.S. officials have said they would review aid to Lebanon, including military assistance, depending on the composition of the new government. The United States has provided $1 billion in aid since 2006, including $410 million in security assistance to the military and the police. Although the U.S. and Israel regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, the militant Shiite group shares power in Lebanon's current government and along with its allies, has veto power on major decisions. A strong showing by Hezbollah would further boost Iranian and Syrian influence in the Mideast and could harm Arab-Israeli peace efforts. Prior to Clinton's visit, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon had already expressed concern about the election, and Hezbollah's opponents warned a victory for the militant group could bring international isolation and reduced aid from Washington. While urging free and fair elections, the Obama administration is treading carefully. The Bush administration encouraged the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and then saw the radical Hamas movement win handily and badly damage efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Reflecting that concern, Clinton met during her brief stay with just one senior official, President Suleiman. U.S. officials say her meeting with Suleiman only is because the U.S. doesn't want to be seen as taking sides in the elections. Suleiman is considered a consensus leader and neutral in the political struggle. Even if it wins, Hezbollah cannot rule alone because of Lebanon's complex, sectarian power-sharing system in which the major of the 18 sects must be represented in parliament and the Cabinet. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says the group knows that trying to dominate Lebanon's politics would destabilize the country. In the past four years, Lebanon has nearly tumbled into a repeat of the 1975-90 civil war as the pro-Syrian and pro-U.S. camps struggled for the upper hand. Hezbollah has taken the strategy of a low-key election campaign with a moderate message, aiming to show that a victory by its coalition should not scare anyone. Nasrallah has even said that if the coalition wins, it would invite its opponents to join in a national unity government to ensure stability. Before leaving Lebanon, Clinton stopped at Hariri's grave on the main Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut to lay a wreath and pay respects. She renewed U.S. support for an international tribunal based in the Netherlands to try his killers. "There needs to be an absolute end to an era of impunity for political assassinations in Lebanon," Clinton said. Hariri's flower-bedecked grave has been a focal point of political rallies and visits by foreign dignitaries. Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive truck bombing on a seaside Beirut street on Feb. 14, 2005. The attack set off massive street protests which, along with an international uproar, forced Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon after nearly 30 years of dominating its smaller neighbor. The tribunal began its work in March. But four years after the assassination, no one has been brought to justice. An early U.N. probe into the killing concluded the complexity of the assassination plot suggested a role by the Syrian intelligence services and its pro-Syria Lebanese counterpart. Four Lebanese pro-Syrian generals have been under arrest since. But Syria denies any involvement. More on Lebanon
 
Tim Giago: A Ripe and Rank Case of Dishonest Dealings Top
By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) © 2009 Native Sun News April 26, 2009 When U. S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun wrote his brief on a case that had dragged on for 60 years before reaching his desk in 1980, a case dealing with the illegal taking of the Black Hills from the Sioux Tribes, he wrote in describing the role of the United States government in the theft of the Hills, "A more ripe and rank case of dishonest dealings may never be found in our history." Twenty-nine years have elapsed since the Court awarded the Tribes of the Great Sioux Nation $105 million in a case marked as Docket 74A. Although these tribes are among the poorest people in America (three of the reservations in the suit were among the top 10 of the poorest counties in America in the 1980 U. S. Census) they have refused to accept the monetary award. For most of those years they have faced an unfavorable Republican regime and when they did get a bill introduced by Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ) in the early 1980s, the lack of a united front by the tribes caused Bradley to withdraw. Many elders of the Sioux Nations believe that it now a most favorable time to introduce new legislation. President Barack Obama promised them during his campaign that he would not force a monetary settlement upon them. He is open to discussion on this most touchy of topics, at least touchy in South Dakota. Attorney Mario Gonzalez, an Oglala Lakota, said that the time to negotiate a settlement is now, while there is a favorable administration in Washington, DC. His idea bears serious consideration by the leaders all the Sioux tribes involved in the settlement. Gonzalez suggests that the tribes nominate one of their strongest leaders, perhaps Rodney Bordeaux, President of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and then select a strong representative from each of the remaining tribes to put together a list of realistic demands and suggestions. He believes that if the tribes found a powerful spokesman, former President Bill Clinton for example, to take their points of negotiation to President Obama, and once the negotiating points are discussed and approved, they could then introduce a bill to finally settle the Black Hills Claim. In this fashion all of the sticking points would have been decided and clarified with assistance from the President of the United States before introducing a bill to Congress. Every tribe of the Sioux Nation would have to be in agreement on all of the negotiating points. Of course the return of some land and a monetary settlement would head up the negotiating points. And all of this would have to be done with an eye on the realistic evaluation of America as it stands in 2009. One consideration that several prominent Lakota have put forward is that the Black Hills be considered as property of the Sioux Nation (I used the term Sioux Nation as it is written in all of the legal documents concerning the Black Hills) and that a lease or rental agreement be enacted that would provide annual income to all of the tribes and that a portion of the Hills under the control of the U. S. Forest Service be returned to the Tribes to be used as a religious sanctuary. In other words, the Sioux Nation would become the "landlord" over the Black Hills. I believe Gonzalez and other prominent tribal members when they say that this is a window of opportunity that must not be wasted. My newspaper, Native Sun News, is presently running a survey that would give every Native American that is an enrolled member of the tribes involved in the Black Hills Claim, to vote. The survey is intended to let the United States government know once and for all the feelings of the People of the Sioux Nations. The results of the survey will be announced on May 20, 2009 and without giving away the results, let me say that so far the votes are leaning heavily in favor of those who honestly believe that, "The Black Hills are not for sale." Much too often in the past the people involved in this settlement decision have been inexplicably divided. And that is hard to decipher because, in the long run, all of them are reaching for the very same goal. They just have a variety of ways to approach that goal and too often end up lining up behind someone who can only lead them to division and eventually defeat. The most opportune time to strike is now and this will require a lot of rethinking of objectives and a strong pull towards communicating with those among the people with different views. The only way the Black Hills Claims Settlement will ever be resolved is if the people of the Sioux Nation finally unite behind a common theme and a common negotiating platform. Through all of these years I have heard so many say, "The Sioux people are their own worst enemies." We can only hope that this accusation is false, and if not, that it can be overcome. Perhaps the majority of Americans will support a reasonable bill if the tribes of the Great Sioux Nation can unite and also support it. (Tim Giago, an Oglala Lakota, is the publisher of Native Sun News. He can be reached at editor@nsweekly.com)
 
McCain: Cheney Is Wrong, But Ed Schultz Is "Shameful" Top
Sen. John McCain said on Sunday that he disagrees with Dick Cheney's efforts to publicize torture memos that show enhanced interrogation techniques working, calling such a move unnecessary. The Arizona Republican did, however, add that Cheney is entitled to do just, and then called a political pundit -- apparently MSNBC's Ed Schultz -- "shameful" for suggesting that the former vice president would feel vindicated if America were attacked again. Appearing on CBS's Face the Nation, McCain was asked about Cheney's request for documents that would prove that the United States gained vital information from using torture techniques on detainees. "Well, as you know, the vice president and I strongly disagreed on the fundamentals of this issue," McCain replied. "But the vice president of the United States has the right to weigh in on this discussion if he wants to." "Do you agree with him?" asked Bob Schieffer. "No, I don't think it's necessary, to be honest with you," replied McCain, who also reiterated his opposition to investigating the use of torture by the Bush administration. "But if the vice president feels it's necessary, then I think he's entitled." Then, rather abruptly, McCain declared: "And when extreme talk show hosts say that he wants another attack on the United States, I think that's shameful." The latter remark seemed geared towards Schultz who, this past week, argued that Cheney wanted the country to "get hit again for political gain" -- a sort of sad vindication that harsh interrogation techniques, including torture, had somehow been essential for national security purposes. "I think that Dick Cheney wants this country to get hit again for political gain," Schultz said . "I believe that he thinks, in his mind, that if we can think, make them think - the enemy - that if we're weak, because Obama can't stand up for us, we're gonna get hit. And then of course we can paint the picture that the Democrats just can't get the job done on national security. I think Cheney is that mean." Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . More on John McCain
 
Swine Flu Press Conference (VIDEO) Top
The Obama administration is holding a press conference to discuss measures the U.S. is taking to combat the outbreak of swine flu. Watch it live below. Click here for updates on the White House response. More on Video
 
Glenn Greenwald: Torture Supporters Are The Ones Politicizing The Debate Top
The core assumption here -- shared by most establishment pundits -- is that the call for criminal investigations is nothing more than a partisan-driven desire to harm Republicans and Bush officials ("retribution"), and if they can show that some Democratic officials might be swept up in the inquiry, then, they assume, that will motivate investigation proponents to think twice. Those who make that argument are clearly projecting. They view everything in partisan and political terms...
 
Ahmadinejad To Obama: Return My Messages (VIDEO) Top
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, up for reelection later this year but appearing on ABC's This Week this Sunday, sought to portray Barack Obama as the leader most tepid about thawing or resetting U.S.-Iranian relations. Asked about a video message that Obama recorded to the Iranian people earlier this year calling for less brinkmanship between the two countries, Ahmadinejad responded that he had sent a communique of his own, one that, he complained, went unreturned. "I sent a congratulatory message to Mr. Obama," he told host George Stephanopoulos. "This was a major decision, although the Iranian people were very much dismayed with the conduct of previous U.S. administrations. And I was criticized here at home, in Iran. Nevertheless, I did that. I am yet to receive a response." Later in the interview, Ahmadinejad again expressed his personal disappointment in not having his outreach returned by the president. "Iran and U.S. relations are dependent on the decision taken by the U.S. administration," he said. "Mr. Obama sends us messages of friendship but in the communique issued by the five plus one, enmity can be seen. So this is a dual route, if you will... I have sent a message to Mr. Obama myself. We welcome change. We are praying to the All Mighty for that. And we will help to bring change about." As for a forum in which Iranian and U.S officials could have started a dialogue -- the recently completed Durban II conference on world racism -- Ahmadinejad lamented the fact that Obama decided to pull out of the event. The White House had been concerned that world leaders would use the affair as a means to level anti-Zionist diatribes, a concern that was realized during Ahmadinejad's speech. Asked why he continued to deny the Holocaust, the Iranian leader responded: "When I was talking against the Zionist regime in the racism conference, the first proviso for successful talks would be to give the other party the freedom to speak. Mr. Obama has the right to have his own opinion, obviously. He is ready to express his points of view. But the Geneva conference had been organized to combat racism, to oppose racism. My point of view is that the Zionist regime is the manifestation of racism." Watch video of the interview: Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . More on Ahmadinejad
 
Italian Cruise Ship Fights Off Pirates With Gunfire Top
ROME — An Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people on board fended off a pirate attack far off the coast of Somalia when its Israeli private security forces exchanged fire with the bandits. Six men in a small, white Zodiac-type boat approached the Msc Melody at about 1730 GMT Saturday and opened fire with automatic weapons, Msc Cruises director Domenico Pellegrino said. They retreated after the security officers returned fire and sprayed them with water hoses. The ship continued its journey with its windows darkened. "It felt like we were in war," the ships commander, Ciro Pinto, told Italian state radio. None of the roughly 1,000 passengers and 500 crew members was hurt, Pellegrino said. The passengers were asked to return to their cabins and the external lights on board turned off. Pellegrino said all Msc cruise ships around the world are staffed with Israeli security agents because they are the best trained. The attack occurred about 200 miles (325 kilometers) north of the Seychelles, and about 500 miles (800 kilometers) east of Somalia, according to the anti-piracy flotilla headquarters of the Maritime Security Center Horn of Africa. Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet, said that last fall after the attack on a Saudi tanker more than 400 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia there had been "a definite shift in (the pirates) tactical capabilities." "It's not unheard of to have attacks off the coast of the Seychelles, we've even had some in the past month," he said. "But at the same time, it is a sign that they are moving further and further off the Somali coast." Separately Sunday, four Yemeni tankers escorted by a Yemeni coast guard boat on their way to Aden were attacked by pirates. Three of the ships escaped and coast guards captured five pirates and wounded two others, said Mohammed Abdul-Rahman, a senior official at the Overseas Shipping and Stevedoring Company. Pirates could only seize one of the tankers, the Qana. The Yemeni Interior Ministry said coast guards were trying to free it. And the Turkish cruiser Ariva 3, with two British and four Japanese crew aboard, survived a pirate attack near the Yemeni island of Jabal Zuqar, said Ali el-Awlaqi, head of the Yemeni El-Awlaqi Marine company said. "Pirates opened fire at the cruise ship for 15 minutes then stopped for no reason," he said, adding that the cruiser was heading to Aden, Yemen, to fix a broken engine. International military forces have battled pirates, with U.S. Navy snipers killing three holding an American captain hostage in one of the highest-profile incidents. But Saturday's exchange of fire between the Melody and pirates was one of the first reported between pirates and a nonmilitary ship. Civilian shipping and passenger ships have generally avoided arming crewmen or hiring armed security for reasons of safety, liability and compliance with the rules of the different countries where they dock. Pellegrino said the pistols on board the Melody were available to the commander and security agents. He said they were used as a deterrent, "in an emergency operation." It was not the first attack on a cruise liner. In November, pirates opened fire on a U.S.-operated ship, the M/S Nautica, which was taking 650 passengers and 400 crew members on a monthlong luxury cruise from Rome to Singapore. The cruise liner was able to outrun the pirates. In early April a tourist yacht was hijacked by Somali pirates near the Seychelles just after having dropped off its cargo of tourists. The Melody was on a 22-day cruise from Durban, South Africa, to Genoa, Italy, when the pirates attacked late Saturday, slightly damaging the liner, Pinto said. "After about four or five minutes, they tried to put a ladder up," Pinto told Sky TG24. "They were starting to climb up but we reacted, we started to fire ourselves. When they saw our fire, and also the water from the water hoses that we started to spray toward the Zodiac, they left and went away." "They followed us for a bit, about 20 minutes, and continued to fire," he said. Cruise line security work is a popular job for young Israelis who have recently been discharged from mandatory army service, as it is a good chance to save money and travel. "We have always had great faith in their capacity, they have always been very qualified," Pellegrino said of the Israelis, though he declined to give the name of the firm. The Spanish warship SPS Marques de Ensenada met up with the Melody to escort her through the pirate-infested northern Gulf of Aden, the Maritime Security Center said. The cruise ship was headed as scheduled to the Jordanian port of Aqaba, returning to the Mediterranean for spring and summer season cruises. Meanwhile, Somali pirates on Sunday demanded a $5 million ransom for the release of two Egyptian fishing boats hijacked earlier this month, and the safe return of their crew, Egyptian Foreign Ministry official Ahmed Rizq said in Cairo. "Tribal sheiks are trying to mediate to convince the hijackers to release the boats and the sailors, but it's clear to everybody that we are dealing with piracy that has no other purpose but money," he said, adding that the negotiations were between the hijackers and the boats' owners. Pirates have attacked more than 100 ships off the Somali coast over the last year, reaping an estimated $1 million in ransom for each successful hijacking, according to analysts and country experts. Another Italian-owned vessel remains in the hands of pirates. The Italian-flagged tugboat Buccaneer was seized off Somalia on April 11 with 16 crew members aboard. On Saturday, the Foreign Ministry dispatched a special envoy, Margherita Boniver, to Somalia to try to win the release of the tug and crew. In a statement, the ministry also denied reports by relatives of the crew that an ultimatum had been issued by the pirates. ___ Associated Press writers Rukmini Callimachi in Nairobi, Kenya, Ahmed al-Haj in Yemen and Maggie Michael in Cairo contributed to this report.
 
Bailed-Out Banks Continue Shipping Jobs Overseas Top
US banks that have taken billions of dollars in taxpayer bailouts are still shipping thousands of jobs overseas. More on Citibank
 
Nouriel Roubini Discusses Economic Crisis: Bottom Is Still A Year Off Top
Most other economists rolled their eyes when Nouriel Roubini warned in a September 2006 speech to the International Monetary Fund that the global bubble was going to burst. They nicknamed him "Dr. Doom"--and then the hard times hit. As finance ministers and central bankers from the world's major economic powers gather in Washington this weekend, they might consider listening to what Roubini has to say now. The New York University professor told NEWSWEEK's Lally Weymouth why he sees more trouble ahead and what the recovery will look like. Excerpts: More on The Recession
 
Obama Off To Strong Start In First 100 Days, Poll Finds Top
Barack Obama's performance in the first 100 days of his presidency draws strong public approval in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, but there is decidedly less support for his recent decision to release previously secret government memos on the interrogation of terrorism suspects, an initiative that reveals deep partisan fissures. More on Barack Obama
 
Secessionist Texas Governor Rick Perry Asks Federal Government For Help Dealing With Swine Flu Top
Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), who was last making headlines for suggesting that Texas may consider seceding from the Union, is requesting help from the federal government to deal with a possible swine flu pandemic:
 
Pakistan launches new offensive against militants Top
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan launched an operation against militants Sunday in a district covered by a government-backed peace deal, threatening the survival of a pact that raised U.S. concerns about the country's willingness to confront the insurgents. A top government official insisted the deal remained "intact" and denied American pressure prompted the offensive, while another warned that the Taliban in a valley that was the focus of the deal must disarm or "face action." A military statement said the offensive in Lower Dir had already killed "scores" of militants, including a commander, and left at least one paramilitary soldier dead. It said the operation was launched at the request of the provincial government and local residents, but did not give details of exactly what it entailed or how many troops were involved. Television footage from the district showed at least two helicopter gunships heading toward the mountains. Troops guarded a road blocked with paramilitary trucks, while some families sat nearby. Another family headed away in a vehicle packed with luggage. The Dir region neighbors Afghanistan and the beleaguered Swat Valley. The government agreed to impose Islamic law in Swat and the surrounding districts that make up Malakand Division if the Taliban there would end their violent campaign in the one-time tourist haven. In recent days, Taliban forces from Swat began entering Buner, a neighboring district which lies just 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Officials said most of the insurgents pulled out of Buner on Friday amid reports of possible military action, and threats that the government would scrap the deal. The decision to attack militant hideouts in Lower Dir was something of a surprise, though reports of a rising militant presence there and in Upper Dir have been growing. Losing either district of Dir to militants would be a significant not only for Pakistan but also for the U.S. because a part of the region borders Afghanistan, where the U.S. is sending thousands more troops to shore up the faltering war effort. The Dir region lies above Bajur, a tribal area where the military staged another offensive. Many of the militants now in Dir may have come from Bajur. It was unclear if Swat militants were in Dir, though they have been reported in nearby districts other than Buner. The Swat Taliban spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. Farhatullah Babar, spokesman for Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, insisted that a military offensive did not render the peace agreement moot. He said the government would fulfill its pledge to establish Islamic courts in Malakand, a long-standing demand of local residents exhausted by the inefficient regular judicial system _ and a grievance exploited by the Taliban. Still, Babar added, the government would not tolerate militants' spread. "The peace deal is intact _ the government has not revoked the peace deal," Babar said. "At the same time the government is determined to root out the militants hell-bent on destroying the law and order situation." Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik, the country's top civilian security official, had harsher words, even speaking of the deal in past tense when saying the Swat militants had to disarm. "Enough is enough," Malik said. "There is no option for them except to lay down their arms, because the government is serious now to flush them out." The Pakistani military's ability or willingness to take on the Taliban has been questioned by some top U.S. officials in recent days, even as they ponder giving Pakistan billions more in military and other aid. Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, said Pakistan's leaders should focus on the looming threat posed by extremists within their borders, instead of their rivalry with India. "The most important, most pressing threat to the very existence of their country is the threat posed by the internal extremists and groups such as the Taliban and the syndicated extremists," Petraeus told a congressional panel Friday. Babar said the offensive Sunday had nothing to do with American pressure. "There is no question of pressure by anybody," Babar said. Some two years worth of clashes between the military and insurgents in Swat killed hundreds of people and displaced up to a third of the valley's 1.5 million people. U.S. officials and many Pakistani critics view the Swat pact as a capitulation before extremists who have beheaded opponents, burned girls schools and said they would welcome and protect Osama bin Laden. Western officials also worry that Swat could turn into an expanding haven for al-Qaida allies. The deal's supporters argue that the concession on Islamic law robs hard-liners of any justification for continuing to bear arms. Meanwhile, police said they received a casket Sunday with the remains of a Polish geologist kidnapped in the lawless regions along the Afghan border in September. A video released in February showed 42-year-old Piotr Stanczak's apparent beheading. Polish authorities believe the footage is authentic. Malik said that the body would be given to Polish embassy officials on Monday, but he wouldn't confirm if Stanczak had been beheaded. Also Sunday, a group of NATO destroyers and frigates arrived in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi ahead of two days worth of exercises with the Pakistani navy that focus on counterterrorism and battling piracy. ___ Associated Press writers Asif Shahzad and Nahal Toosi in Islamabad and Rasool Dawar in Miran Shah contributed to this report. More on War Wire
 
TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Top
Good morning and welcome to a hopefully swine flu free version of your Sunday Morning LiveBlog. My name is Jason. First things first, a sentence diagram, from last week, by Steven Thurston: "You will see in a systematic and coordinated way the transparency of determining and showing all involved some of the results of these stress tests." I decided to take your Gibbs diagram challenge. (Hat-Tip to Mrs. James, my sixth-grade English teacher who made diagramming a fun blackboard game!) The e-mail format won't let me do the formal diagram with writing on diagonal lines and such, so I'll provide the essentials of my solution in a text-based format. The root grammatical structure of the sentence is: You [S] will see [V] (the) transparency [O]. ((Right away, we know we're headed for serious trouble: How can a person 'see' 'transparency'?)) The phrase "in a systematic and coordinated way" modifies the verb 'will see'. All the junk at the end--"of determining and showing all involved some of the results of these stress tests"--modifies the object 'transparency'. To parse the junk more finely: "of determining" and "[of] showing all involved" are equivalent verb phrases (both applied to 'transparency'). The object of both verb phrases is "some of the results" ... which is itself modified by "of these stress tests." Excellent work! But how to reward? My favorite part was your closing Drama of the MTP roundtable, especially the Cast. And that leads me to the bizarre subject line of this e-mail.... I first came to the DC area (Fairfax) as a graduate student in GMU's MFA-Fiction program. After a workshop session, four or five writers liked to go pubbing together and talk ship, then retire to Mark's place for some sweet smoke . In the wee hours, sitting in Mark's kitchen, the conversation turned to short-story endings and we hit upon an All-Purpose Sure-Fire Works-Every-Time Surprise Ending: "And then he was run over by a Mack Truck. The End." Or if there were lots of characters: "And then they were all run over by Mack Trucks. The End." Done! The next Meet The Press drama will end with everyone getting killed by Mack Trucks. Today, we have an almost 100 days of Obama set of shows to discuss/ridicule. Please feel free to leave comments about how you'd grade the various White House efforts. Or, send emails about whether you are enjoying watching Dark Victory on Turner Classic Movies. And you may always follow me on Twitter . Pour on out for Bea Arthur, and gird thine loins for the beginning of... Fox News Sunday Oh, man. Lawrence Summers on a Sunday Morning. Can't keep doing this! But, all the banks had to take their stress tests, and WOW! GUESS WHAT? They are all, somehow, well-capitalized! Awesome! Man, you remember the last time there was a banking crisis? Like, a few months ago? It's nice to know that had nothing to do with anyone's insolvency or anything! Wallace asks, "Do you have a sense that...you have an economic freefall under control?" Summers says, basically, now there are "some positive indicators." The turd omelette has been marked to market! What about Chrysler? Will they be heading for Chapter 11? Summers says "you never know until the very end." At the end of some stories, the DEUS EX MACHINA arrives on the scene to save the day. Summers is hopeful that the DEUS EX MACHINA will arrive Wednesday, in need to buy a few thousand Chryslers, at sticker price. How is it that Larry Summers isn't falling asleep? It's so early in the morning, and that dude is always falling asleep. I want to fall asleep! Summers makes me want to sleep forever. Wallace says, "You sound like you really want to avoid a bankruptcy?" Summers doesn't say very much to that, except offer some bromides. A chyron runs at the bottom that says, "Exclusive," but this is not exclusive, he says this stuff to everybody. Wallace points out that unemployment rate is high and increasing. How long before it turns around. Summers says that it was clear that "sharp declines" in employment were in the offing for a long time. But strong plans take time to work. Of course, the stimulus could have been a lot stronger! Summers insists that this is a stresst test we'll pass by the end of the year, because of the inventory cycle - we'll literall need someone to make some stuff. What if we decide, more or less, that we don't need as much stuff, because we realize we can't all buy three cars and spend money on credit to buy things we don't need? "Confidence" will play a part in "containment" and "building a foundation." LIGHTNING ROUND! Will Obama put a freeze on retroactive interest rate increases? Summers says they are working on legislation in which "relief comes fast," like swift and furious divine justice. What did Summers do with a hedge fund? He gave it advice. And the government said it was cool the Summers did this. I can't believe that this is the picayune "conflict of interest" question we get asked. What about, "How come you all come from Goldman Sachs? And does that have anything to do with this: " Goldman principal program trading is now well over 5x compared to its customer and agency trades and a 150 million share pick up compared to last week. For yet another week, Goldman's principal trading represents more than half of all NYSE member firm principal transactions. Why is Summers always falling asleep? Is Obama boring? "We're all working very hard, and are slowly turning into sleepless zombies, shambling endlessly into an uncertain future, with swine flu." Torture memos and prosecution time, with Carl Levin and Kit Bond. Let's argue! Lots of photos of people up to some no-good Abu Ghraib shenanigans. Bond says, we shouldn't release the photos, it will help with terrorist recruitment. Levin says, we shouldn't do things that get thuslyB captured in such photographs, because they help with terrorist recruitment. Bond suggests that there was committee dissent on Levin's report on these matters, but Levin points out that the report received unanimous bipartisan support in committee. He had to work to get that in. Levin says investigations/prosecutions should be prompted by special prosecutors, outside of the justice department, appointed to those roles. Levin expresses concern that in situations like Abu Ghraib, low level soldiers have borne the brunt of blame, and that no one higher up the food chain has had to answer for those matters. And they absolutely should. Bond complains that this concern over torture has put the CIA in a "cover your ass" mode. One has to imagine that the CIA is in "cover your ass" mode on everything. And, RECYCLED CANARD ALERT: Bond says now we've tipped off terrorists to our torture techniques. They're already aware of them, Kit, if that is your REAL NAME. Bond is worried that we're going to be criminalizing past policy decisions, but I have a good feeling that we should only criminalize the decisions that involve criminal activity. Meanwhile, sectarian violence in Iraq has ticked up! Doesn't this mean that we have to stay, forever? Levin says that it's the Iraqis show now! We're hewing to the Status of Forces Agreement. Bond says these decisions should be made by "commanders on the ground," and even suggests that military decisions should not be made at "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue." When did venerating the "Commander in Chief" end, Senator Bond? Anyway, the "commanders on the ground" are hewing to the Status of Forces agreement. And now, the Fox Zombie Panel is here to piss and moan over the torture memos. Brit Hume says that the Obama White House really let the torture memos get away from them. "The base was not placated," Hume says. And also, Brit, MAINSTREAM AMERICA WAS NOT PLACATED. In February, long before the memos were relased, nearly 60% of Americans favored SOME FORM OF INVESTIGATION, criminal or no. That's not "the base" or "the left" talking. That's America, reaffirming some American values. How much is this adding to the "poison of the Washington atmosphere?" Kristol says the release of the memos is an implicit "embrace of the narrative" that the Bush administration committed crimes. Basically, Kristol suggests that if we prosecute crimes and investigate, how does that help us, doesn't that damage our national security. Juan Williams doesn't understand how it damages our national security. Williams points out that subjecting a person to over a hundred sessions of waterboarding is just "beyond the pale in terms of human behavior." Way beyond the pale. The pale is like a dot on the horizon. Liasson: What they did was "morally repugnant...but that doesn't mean that they committed a crime." BELTWAY JOURNAMALISM, ladies and gentlemen! Hume: "Can anyone identify a benefit" to prosecutions? UHM, CRIMINALS ARE PUNISHED? Kristol is straight sputtering! Let's have everyone testify! Let's have Dick Cheney take on everyone! GOD, THE SALTY TEARS OF THE WEEKLY STANDARD MUST BE FLOWING, at the thought that someone would challenge their version of American exceptionalism, where moral repugnance in the service of their own quasi-concept of America cannot possibly be questioned, ever. Meanwhile, 100 days! Make way for some media tropes! Hume says the White House has been "exceedingly ambitious," and "broad, deep, and huge." "Cap and trade" may stall, but the Obama administration is off to a "good start" legislatively. Ultimately, however, it's policy efficacy that matters, Hume says. Wallace thinks the Obama budget and policy goals were surprising, because apparently Wallace didn't listen to a single fracking thing Obama said whilst campaigning. "Is he a radical figure in American politics?" he asks. Liasson says, UHM, NO. Obama's poll numbers are high, though! Kristol harrumphs that it's all about the "HONEYMOON." OH, FOR REAL GUYS? Surely this show has previously declared the honeymoon to be over! You know, you can't just TURN THE HONEYMOON ON AND OFF AGAIN. Obama's talked about building a more "constructive relationship" with Venezuela. He yammers, "What makes him think we got into a destructive relationship with Venezuela?" Uhm, Brit, for what its worth, FOMENTING FAILED COUP ATTEMPTS generally puts you into a destructive relationship with people. ALLEGEDLY! THIS WEEK, with George Stephanopoulos I wish THIS WEEK was more like this: Instead it will be whatever it is, today. GS says, "Obama has spiked a SURGE of optimism." And the SURGE of the sue of the word SURGE continues. Meanwhile, GS interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad! He towers over Mahmoud! GS asks MA if he's going to be straight up huggin' Obama and handing him books? MA says that peace makes him happy, outside of the whole DEATH TO ISRAEL/AMERICA/GAY IRANIANS. Are you prepared to talk without preconditions? MA says his "congratulatory" message to Obama was a major decision! He was criticized! He did that! And no one gives him props for that! I have no idea what any of this has to do with anything, by the way. MA is just cheesed that no one sent him a reply card. GS says, "It sound like Iran has got preconditions! Why not sit down and talk with America and Europe?" MA says they sent a package, and now they need to send a new package. But they're always ready to talk. The ground must be prepared! Global friendship! BLAH. Ahmadinejad is maybe the most vapid person on earth. GS keeps asking the same question, and MA is like, "YAH! THE NEWSPAPERS. Why didn't Obama talk about the Geneva conference on racism? SURELY OBAMA DOES NOT SUPPORT RACISM?" GS is like, BISH PLS. You gave nonsense speeches, and angered everyone. You totally ruined that conference. You ruin ALL CONFERENCES ON RACISM. MA says, "The Zionist regime is the manifestation of all racism!" "I have posed two questions over the Holocaust," MA says. He says that Holocaust amends should have been made in Europe. Of course, he doesn't believe in it. And doesn't understand why a historical event should be venerated. Why are we venerating a historical event he doesn't believe in, and why can't we amend the wrongs he doesn't believe in in a way that he will dictate. The guy makes no sense. Will Iran support a two-state solution? MA says, "You and us should not determine the Palestinian course." GS asks again, support a two-state solution? MA stonewalls, asking if America would support Israel withdrawing from the Palestinian territories. GS says, that he'll have to ask some Americans about that. he asks again, MA hedges his answer, saying Iran will support whatever is determined, but it's clear that he'd rather that no determination ever gets made. GS thanks MA, which means he is a dictator hugging monster. GIVE US BACK ROXANA SABERIA. Crash to the roundtable. What does the panel make of all that nonsense? George Will lapses into one of historical reveries. Iran has long pursued the nuke, and we'll never stop them. Sanger points out that the Obama plan is to arrest their nuclear ambitions short of weaponized uranium enrichment. Chrystia Freeland points out that we're at an uncertain moment, really, as far as wants and needs and possibilities, because it's like the Obama administration has opened a new chess game, with a new gambit. Dowd says that the public wants Obama to succeed, and that the public will support talking with Iran. Will criticizes Obama on the whole "doing too many things at once" trope, which is I guess a one-size fits all critique. Honestly, though, this panel discussion is hash because of Ahmadinejad's practiced obtuseness. It's hard to react to paragraphs of translated, subtance-free bilge from a crackpot. GS says MA is "open to the idea" of reducing Roxana Saberi's sentence, but that it's "up to the Iranian judiciary." More panelling! Torture memo edition! Will 's position is that crimes should not be investigated for the sake of preserving "comity." Sanger thinks that the real story here is that the White House lost the message. Brazile says that no one is above the law, and that we should prosecute no matter if it's Republicans or Democrats, "let's get it on." Freeland says that it's an issue of "right and wrong," not "right and left." Dowd presents it as an issue of the "base." THE BASE WANTS TO PUNISH PEOPLE. Well, good for the base! Hooray base! And, as I've said before, that February Gallup Poll on this matter seems to indicate that 60% of American now forms the "liberal base." Will seems to think that we should learn more about who's alive because KSM was waterboarded 183 times, and he's confident that someone did because two torture enthusiasts gave statements, for his index cards. George Will is worried that Americans might learn more about the Office of Legal Counsel. And he's worried that going forward, the OLC will worry about the American people's opinions about their legal advice. My thought is maybe the OLC can give good legal advice? Maybe they can do
 

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