Monday, June 22, 2009

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Lane Hudson: The White House, The Gays, and Lessons to Learn Top
It's important to learn lessons from the things we do so that we can do better the next time around. There are many lessons the White House can take away from last Wednesday's announcement about benefits to gay Federal employees. Monday morning quarterbacking is far easier than governing, so this analysis is meant with the intention to help the White House get it right the next time, the time after that, and the time after that and.....Get my drift? Lesson #1: Understand your audience. Amid growing criticism from the LGBT community, quietly spreading the word of a pending 'major announcement' in order to quell unrest raises the bar. If you are not going to be able to meet expectations, it's a bad idea to suggest that you will, especially among a constituency sensitive to being let down. It's just setting you up for failure and a higher volume of criticism. Lesson #2: Don't get blindsided by your own Administration. While it is understandable to be sensitive to the Bush Administration's over-politicization of the Justice Department, having an overreaction of giving no oversight is a mistake. Doing so sets you up for instances such as the DOJ brief on a lawsuit challenging the Defense of Marriage Act, where they compared marriage equality to incest, among other things. That brief became the standard by which next steps were judged. It was a standard the White House could not possibly meet with Wednesday's announcement and will take some time to make reparations for. Instructing DOJ to run legal briefs by the White House Counsel's office, if for no other reason than to know what's in the pipe, would give the White House much-needed knowledge in order to act upon. Lesson #3: Don't overstate. Honesty and frankness, while not always popular, will help avoid criticism. Selling something as more than it is invites criticism. Having properly characterized the action being taken from the Administration would have prevented certain criticism and also lessened the perception that the announcement was far from meeting expectations. Lesson #4: Get the messaging right. This episode was wrought with confusing and complicating points. First, the issuance of a Presidential Memorandum instead of an Executive order began a distracting side conversation that immediately began to undermine the announcement. On further investigation, I found that the Office of Personnel Management is actually changing Federal regulations and has drafted and published them to the Federal Register. That is an accurate portrayal of what happened and would have avoided many of the confusing perceptions in the discussion about it. Lesson #5: Optics matter. They also need to match the rhetoric and the reality. Part of the anger surrounding this announcement is that the White House was trying to claim credit for more than they were doing. (See Lesson #3.) Oval Office ceremonies are a big deal; they are often used to sign landmark legislation. While a positive step forward was certainly made with this announcement, it is a small step when compared against the large number of changes that need to be made to erase each instance of discrimination that currently exists in the Federal code of laws. The event was staged straight out of the 90's and, with the changing of the characters, could have been President Clinton signing the executive order banning discrimination in the administration of security clearances. The standard practice to give 'official' approval of 'the gay community' is to place leaders of gay rights organizations and gay elected officials behind the President. For a President that built the largest grassroots movement in the history of our nation, such a visual is disrespectful at best. Since the action was most important to Federal employees, a more appropriate venue would have been at OPM addressing those employees about the changes being made. It would have shown that the White House understood those that were affected by the announcement and avoided criticism that it was suggesting the scope was broader than it was. Lesson #6: Staff matters and hearing what they have to say is critical. There is a perception that the Obama Administration lacks sensitivity to the LGBT community. This can be easily addressed by empowering staff to address this within the White House and to a diversity of people on the outside. This may, and likely does, require that staff abandon traditional thinking about the gay community. Major changes to both the structure and mindset of the LGBT community have occurred in the past two years. Having staff that not only understand that, but also embody that change will help to ensure that the White House takes them into consideration on future decisions affecting the gay community. Without new perspective, mistakes may continue and that is something the Administration can't afford to do. More on Barack Obama
 
Iran Election Live-Blogging (Monday June 22) Top
This is an archive of my Iran live-blogging from Monday, June 22. For the latest updates, click here . 8:12 PM ET -- Pictures of Neda. The wrong photo and the right one . 8:07 PM ET -- 'Rafsanjani poised to outflank Khamenei.' An analysis by Eurasianet, a project of the George Soros' Open Society Institute: Looking past their fiery rhetoric and apparent determination to cling to power using all available means, Iran's hardliners are not a confident bunch. While hardliners still believe they possess enough force to stifle popular protests, they are worried that they are losing a behind-the-scenes battle within Iran's religious establishment. A source familiar with the thinking of decision-makers in state agencies that have strong ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there is a sense among hardliners that a shoe is about to drop. Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani -- Iran's savviest political operator and an arch-enemy of Ayatollah Khamenei's -- has kept out of the public spotlight since the rigged June 12 presidential election triggered the political crisis. The widespread belief is that Rafsanjani has been in the holy city of Qom, working to assemble a religious and political coalition to topple the supreme leader and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "There is great apprehension among people in the supreme leader's [camp] about what Rafsanjani may pull," said a source in Tehran who is familiar with hardliner thinking. "They [the supreme leader and his supporters] are much more concerned about Rafsanjani than the mass movement on the streets." 7:01 PM ET -- Solidarity. If compilation videos aren't your thing, move along. But a reader passed along this video with the note, "Something uplifting after a week of dreadful news. Would be great if this could reach as many people as possible in Iran so they see how much support there is worldwide." Take a look: 6:29 PM ET -- Special court for arrested protesters. "Iran's judiciary will set up a special court to try protesters arrested in the surge of civil unrest since the disputed reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a judiciary official said on state television, as the government continues its crackdown aimed at crushing its greatest domestic challenge in 30 years." 6:00 PM ET -- Google moves quickly. In the course of a few hours, it spikes a blog using Google's publishing service to post photos of the demonstrators to collect their personal information. 5:53 PM ET -- Another form of peaceful protest. Turning on your car brights and honking your horn a lot . 5:48 PM ET -- Googoosh. Several Iranians have sent over this video, by a singer named Googoosh. Here's Wikipedia's summary : In the 1970s, Googoosh was considered the most celebrated recording artist in Iran. In addition to music, Googoosh was also an actress in many Persian films of the 1960s and 1970s. She is more widely known as a singer than as an actress. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979 she remained in Iran until 2000 but did not record or perform again due to the ban on solo female singers. Still, her following grew. Younger people have rediscovered her music via bootleg recordings. In the song below, meant for Iranian expats, she asks if they have forgotten about Iran since the '79 revolution. She answers the question with the title of the song -- "Man Hamoon Iranam," or "I am the same Iran." She dedicates it to the young Iranians who have died in Iran during the last week. 5:39 PM ET -- Big day on Thursday. "Mousavi's facebook page just announced that they want to hold global solidarity demonstrations on Thursday 'for the martyrs that have been lost so far in our fight for justice.' In Tehran, the demonstration will be held at Imam Khomeini Shrine, according to the announcement." This follows another statement by Karroubi today also calling for a demonstration to commemorate the martyrs. A reader notes, "According to Islam, no violence is allowed inside the Imam Khomeini's shrine. Good tactical thinking." 5:20 PM ET -- A word about the past two days. In ordinary times, the violence in the streets on Sunday and Monday would have been shocking. But compared to Saturday's massive outpouring, the turnout of demonstrators has been significantly smaller. There is a good reason for it. Over the past week, the reformist rallies that have succeeded were those scheduled days in advance, with turnout aided by massive word-of-mouth promotion. Today's mourning rally for Neda, on the other hand, was announced only this morning on Karroubi's social networking sites. In the midst of a near-complete media and technological blackout, these large demonstrations need time to develop. It's virtually impossible for anyone to gauge whether there is a petering off of intensity among demonstrators, who now know they face incredible risks if they show up in the streets. But the last two days should not be used to argue that the unrest has dampened. The reformists are organizing another major demonstration for Thursday, and a national strike is set to begin by tomorrow or Wednesday. Those will be far better guides to how Iranians are reacting to the government's campaign of repression. 4:51 PM ET -- Terror in the streets. A dispatch about today's events published by TehranBureau.com : we moved through the various alleyways too until shouted at to leave. these police are v v intimidating. like animals really as u just dont know if they are gonna wack you (which they would). i wanted to take photos of the milit presence, but it was way too scary. honestly people who manage to record or take photos are incredibly shoja (brave). then we saw that they had blockaded one alleyway (koocheh mina) and people were getting trapped and beaten up with the batons. there were people on roofs/windows looking so i hope they managed to record some stuff. we moved around the meydoon and streets. after hearing/seeing that they were blockading people in alleys. we decided it was safer to stay in the main square and move around. over the few hours it was getting busier with protesters, but i think they needed someone like mousavi or another figure so as to gather around him. it was v v difficult to gather. then we moved to another side of the square and the police started chasing and tear gassing people -- it really spreads... and though i wasn't too close it went up my nose and had a strong burning/stinging sensation. people were now wearing those surgical masks but there eyes were all red. people were lighting cigarettes and blowing the smoke into peoples eyes as it helps get rid of the stinging. i gave several people cigarettes to help and blew smoke into a strangers faces to help them (something i would of course never do!!). then the police started chasing people down a street and smashing windows and following protesters into bldngs which was quite scary (no where is safe then). 4:43 PM ET -- Iran's state television network... becomes a focus for Iranian anger . 4:28 PM ET -- Demonstrators help an injured riot cop. This video was uploaded several days ago, but I hadn't seen it until today, and it only has 2,000 views, so it doesn't seem to have spread widely. As we've seen on other occassions, this clip shows an injured riot officer with a significant head injury being attended to by demonstrators, who wrap a cloth around his head to stop the bleeding and then help him away from the large crowds. 4:17 PM ET -- John McCain addresses Neda on Senate floor. "Today, I and all America pays tribute to a brave young woman who was trying to exercise her fundamental human rights and was killed in the streets of Tehran." 3:54 PM ET -- Iran scraps certain punishments. Strange timing, I'd say. "Iran's parliament plans to scrap stoning and amputation of a hand as punishments in a revised version of the Islamic penal code, the official IRNA news agency reported Monday." 3:43 PM ET -- Journalists say conditions worse than during Iraq-Iran war. The U.S.-funded Radio Farwa reports that over 180 Iranian journalists signed a letter today protesting severe restrictions on their ability to publish. According to the report, the journalists say that state agents now must approve a wide range of their content, and that the crackdown is worse than even during the long war between Iraq and Iran. 3:41 PM ET -- Italy gets "testy." "[I]n a sign of testiness with Iran, Italy said Monday it will consider Iran's G-8 invitation rejected if the country does not reply by the end of the day." 3:25 PM ET -- What Iranians are seeing in the papers. The front page of Kayhan News , a major Iranian newspaper. The splash headline: "$400 Million CIA Budget For Creating Riots After The Election." A couple readers have said that the article is based off a piece by Paul Craig Roberts, likely this one . Others have written to emphasize that while claims of U.S. involvement in the current demonstrations are unfounded, the U.S. government does have a long well-documented history of meddling in Iran . 3:13 PM ET -- Obama "moved" by demonstrators. White House Press Secretary just now on President Obama: "I think he has been moved what we've seen on television. I think particularly so by images of women in Iran who have stood up for their right to demonstrate, to speak out and to be heard." Gibbs said that the president "continues to have concerns and questions" about the way that Iran's presidential election was run. 3:07 PM ET -- 'Iran to release box-by-box vote count.' That's what Iran's state media is reporting : Amid claims of a 'rigged-election' by certain defeated Iranian presidential candidates, a top election official says the box-by-box details of the vote will be released. "During previous elections in the Islamic Republic, statistics concerning individual ballot boxes were considered confidential information ... this kind of information was only available to certain officials," deputy head of the Interior Ministry's election headquarters Ali-Asghar Sharifi-Rad said Sunday. According to Sharifi-Rad, the Ministry had, however, decided to publish the results "box by box," to resolve ambiguities about the disputed election in which incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a landslide victory, ILNA reported. 2:47 PM ET -- Warning: Graphic video. This video was posted on YouTube today though there is no mention of when it was taped. It shows two men apparently injured, one in the upper thigh and another very badly in the head, possibly by gunfire (multiple shots are heard through the tape). 2:32 PM ET -- Karroubi criticizes Guardian Council, calls for new election. Via the excellent NIAC , the latest statement by one of the other presidential candidates who has since been supporting and appearing with Mousavi: In an open letter, Karroubi complained to the speaker of the Guardian Council about the provinces where the number of votes exceeded the number of eligible voters. According to Karroubi, there are more than 200 such regions. "But the problems are not limited to these regions... the interesting thing is why the Guardian Council, which oversaw the qualification of the administrators, did not report such widespread fraud on the day of the election?" Karroubi said. Therefore, he asked the Guardian Council to save the country from great danger by canceling the elections instead of "wasting time" by recounting the votes. 2:19 PM ET -- Mousavi fever spreads to volleyball. A reader sends along
 
Steve Ettlinger: MTA Hands Millions to Billionaire Developer Top
Surely one of the most bizarre events in the tortured story of the city's relationship with developers occurred today, in what may be the first of several upsetting events this week. At a time when the city and MTA are scrambling for money through fare hikes and budget cuts, the Finance Committee of the MTA, which more or less controls the fate of billionaire developer Bruce Ratner (of Forest City Ratner), recommended Monday to drop the price of the air rights to their Brooklyn Vanderbilt Yards and let him off the hook for tens of millions of dollars. What's weird is that his billion-dollar proposed Atlantic Yards development can't go forward without a deal, so you'd tend to think the price would go UP, not down. Only in New York would things go backward like that. Ratner was obliged to pay $100 million, which is $50 million less than Extell Development Company 's bid of a few years ago, on the condition that they build an improved and enlarged railyard. Now the MTA seems to be simply rubber-stamping Ratner's brazen demand to pay only $20 million up front and a 25% smaller railyard. And the likelihood that the MTA will see the rest of that cash is unclear. Ostensibly he has offered $80 million in today's dollars over the next 22 years. Those are REALLY nice terms, considering the original deal was full cash in the pocket of us poor folks, the MTA ridership. (More info can easily be found on a blog that reports on every mention of the ill-fated Atlantic Yards, www.nolandgrab.org .) Stay tuned - the MTA Board has to 'vote' on this on Wednesday 6/24/09, and the ESDC, which is the ostensible entity driving this for the government, will have a board meeting on Tuesday 6/23/09. I'm planning on attending the ESDC meeting, and will report. I wonder if Ratner's paid goons from BUILD will try to disrupt the meeting, as they did a May 29 hearing. Should be exciting.
 
Patt Cottingham: Goodbye/Hello 10 "Iran's Fine Green Line Between A People's Right To Protest, Violence, And Death" Top
Just coming off Father's Day in the US it is hard to see an Iranian father kneeling over his dying daughter laid out bleeding on a street in Tehran. In a video uploaded to news organizations a young woman, and student of Philosophy, named Neda Agha Soltan was shot to death for protesting. As she lay dying her father called out to her in great anguish "Neda, Neda, Open your eyes!" In this desperate expression, are the people of Iran who, in great numbers, are opening their eyes and calling for more freedom, change, and connection to the world around them. With 60% of Iran's population under 30 years of age its youth are very internet savvy. Their cell phones capture images and video that citizen reporters upload to social networking sites and then find their way to news organizations around the world. This means the world community now also bears witness to the events in Tehran. The curtain that governments have tried to keep drawn to inhibit their people from seeing the outside world, as well as the outside world looking in, is becoming more and more transparent, letting more light in with each passing day because of the internet. President Obama stated, "Martin Luther King once said, 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.' I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian people's belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness." Iranian authorities have now acknowledged that voting discrepancies in 50 cities did, in fact, take place. The Revolutionary Guard however has threatened to crush any dissenters. Mir Hussein Moussavi posted on his website Sunday night a call to supporters to demonstrate peacefully. Saying " Protesting to lies and fraud is your right." It is not clear if Moussavi supporters will continue to take their protests to the streets of Tehran in a silent vigil as most powerfully seen last week. Or, whether the crack down of the Revolutionary Guard will cause more bloodshed to be spilled in this on going fight for change. The right to freedom of speech was recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly December 10, 1948 but the arc of the moral universe may take a bit longer for the theocracy government of Iran to afford its people. Here in the US we have long enjoyed the right to freedom of speech, which is protected by our Constitution. We have the right to criticize the government and advocate unpopular ideas that people may find distasteful or against public policy, such as racism. Women's rights and equality has largely been part of American culture since 1920. Although we are a nation of immigrants that came here to escape repressive regimes or governments as a society we have largely forgotten what it is like to put our lives on the line to call forth change. We have forgotten what its like for our bones to be broken by batons, teargas to sear our eyes and lungs, have a bullet snuff out our life, or a crushing regime extinguish our hope for change. The people of Iran are part of the long march of humanity, on its way to the right for free and open expression for all human beings. Green, the symbolic color of the supporters of Moussavi stands for life, renewal, and growth. May Neda, and all the Moussavi supporters who have given, and may still give their lives in the name of Iran's freedom, make the fertile ground that this new freedom will spring from. The following simple lines are dedicated to Neda Agha Soltan from the people who witnessed her death. Neda, you're the "Face of Freedom" in Iran. You will not be forgotten. May God Rest you in Peace. Goodbye to wielding bullets, batons, and teargas to squash human rights Hello to dialogue, fairness, justice, and conciliation to encourage human rights Goodbye to suppression and stomping the free expression of people Hello to the right for all people to express themselves freely and openly Goodbye to governments and regimes that close their eyes to change Hello to governments and regimes that open their eyes to change More on Women's Rights
 
PAT, Bolivian News Channel, Falls For "Lost" Hoax About Air France Crash (VIDEO) Top
That Air France flight that tragically crashed this month over the Atlantic Ocean has gained an air of mystery as investigators struggle to understand how and why it crashed. However, one news channel in Bolivia, PAT, was a little too credulous when they aired what seemed to be extraordinary photos said to be from the last moments before the plane crash , "retrieved from a recovered Casio Z750, which was subsequently traced via the serial number to its owner - "Paulo G. Muller, an actor from a well-known children's theatre on the out More..skirts of Porto Alegre". In fact, the photos are from the very fake plane crash from the very popular U.S. television show "Lost." Readers who are fans of the show will likely recognize star Evangeline Lilly in the foreground of the photos. The news channel also should have been tipped off to the hoax because the photos of the "crash" are taken during daylight when the Air France crash occurred at night. Also, did they really think someone would have been casually snapping photos as their plane broke in half ? Watch the Bolivian news channel's report on the "crash" below.
 
Chicago Olympic Bid Chief Downplays Taxpayer Burden, Reveals City Knew It Would Have To Ante Up Top
The head of Chicago's Olympic bid committee tried to calm anger Monday over Mayor Daley's disclosure last week that the city will sign a contract assuming complete financial responsibility for the 2016 Games. Scroll down to read the full AP story. The tone of the coverage of Pat Ryan's press conference was remarkably consistent-- and critical. From the Sun-Times ' Fran Spielman : Mayor Daley's Olympic planners knew several weeks ago that Chicago would have to sign a host-city contract that amounts to an open-ended guarantee from local taxpayers, but chose to keep it quiet. From Crain's Chicago Business political columnist Greg Hinz , who called the event a "damage control press conference": The head of the city's Olympics bid team Monday conceded that officials intentionally withheld news about a key shift in the city's Olympics financing scheme, but says they had to do so to keep the city's 2016 hopes alive. Chicago Public Radio also played up the prior knowledge angle in its report . Read the complete AP story from Don Babwin: CHICAGO (AP) -- The head of the Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics sought Monday to calm jittery taxpayers and the City Council about the prospect of being on the hook for millions of dollars if the city wins the games, calling such a development "highly improbable." Patrick Ryan's news conference came days after organizers told the International Olympic Committee that they would come up with an additional $500 million in private insurance and that Mayor Richard Daley would sign a contract requiring the city to take full responsibility for the games. While that was meant to erase any doubts the IOC might have had about the city's commitment to hosting the games, it prompted Chicago Alderman Joe Moore to demand that Daley explain his thinking. As reassuring as Ryan sought to be Monday, it was clear that he recognized that local residents and the City Council now pose as much of a threat to the effort to bring the Olympics to Chicago as the other cities competing for the games. "Of course we're trying to bolster public opinion," said Ryan, who has spent more than three years trumpeting the widespread support the bid has in Chicago and throughout the U.S. Part of the furor over last week's announcement was that it seemed to mark a departure for the city, which has raised concerns about some guarantees included in the standard host city contract. After learning recently that the IOC would not accept any amendments to the contract, organizers decided they had to act quickly, with Ryan saying the intention was always to return to Chicago and lay out the specifics of the new $500 million in private insurance. Ryan said he cannot see any development or even a catastrophe on the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina or the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that could use up what is now a $2.5 billion safety net. "It is highly improbable that anything could go wrong that could eat through that amount of money, that amount of cushion," he said. Ryan said organizers would take the matter to the City Council within the next 60 days, well before the IOC is scheduled to cast its vote on whether to award the games to Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo. The council, which has already approved a $500 million guarantee against any operating losses, would then vote on the $500 million in private insurance. If the council votes it down, that would effectively kill the bid, Ryan said. "If the representatives of the public say no to this, then wouldn't that be the answer?" he asked. Ryan did say that Daley does not have to sign the financial responsibility contract but that no city that has failed to sign has ever been awarded the games. The way recent events unfolded has at least one alderman rethinking his support of hosting the games. On Monday, Moore, who voted for the first $500 million guarantee, questioned why organizers need 45 to 60 days to present the matter to the City Council. "If they have it all figured out and we have nothing to worry about, then why don't we have a hearing next week?" he asked. One thing Ryan will likely stress to the council is what he has said all along: That the games, expected to cost $4.8 billion, will be paid for by private financing. More on Olympics
 
Jacki Zehner: Shattering the Ceilings, for Good Top
I started in the financial services industry in 1988 as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. Eight years later at the age of 32, I was the first female trader and youngest woman to be invited in to the partnership of this firm. I was an example of how women could make it on Wall Street and the financial services in general. Or was I? At the time I made partner I was one of two women in a class of 38 and the percentages are not that much different today. The barriers that continue to prevent women from reaching senior leadership in critical mass in the financial services industry and more generally--negative gender stereotyping, lack of women in line positions, a narrow pipeline, lack of mentoring and promotion opportunities, work/life balance challenges, limited access to powerful professional networks--are the same ones faced over a decade ago. So little is changed and we are left asking why. Rilke once said we should honor the questions, and we should, but in this case solutions are long overdue. A report that will be released Wednesday, June 24th, by the National Council for Research on Women , "Women in Fund Management: A Roadmap to Positive Change and Why it Matters" offers some of both. It's time to get beyond the ambivalence, embrace the solutions, and make progress lasting and real. These questions are not new, just newly applied--though one starts to wonder if anyone has been paying attention lo these many years. "Weren't we supposed to be beyond this by now?" asked Portfolio's Harriet Rubin in relation to women's lack of progress at work. She notes that 'while women have made huge professional gains in the past three decades, progress now appears to have slowed or stalled. In some cases it is even backsliding." Despite growing and consistent evidence that having women on boards enhances corporate performance, fifty-nine of the largest companies in America are still without even one. The numbers are not much better on the political front. "In a year of unprecedented attention to women in politics, female candidates made only marginal gains" says Vanessa Gezari in the Washington Post . It is all just so disappointing. What will it take for positive change to finally take hold? Perhaps it took a full-scare financial and economic crisis the likes of which we have not seen since the Great Depression to push us in to new solutions, primary among which is attaining a critical mass of women in leadership and decision making roles. Critical mass is defined as 30%, as research bears out that it is this percentage that decision -making dynamics changes for the better. Given the poor decision making, failure of leadership, excessive leveraging, the lack of appropriate regulatory oversight and the broad failure of risk management systems, we can no longer afford not to draw on the talents of our entire population, 51% of which are women, to rebuild our financial system and bring stability to our national and global economies once more. With the spotlight clearly on the world's largest financial institutions and regulatory agencies the Council's solutions are both comprehensive and timely. They provide the road map for positive change. Here is what is needed: Recognize and address the complex interconnectedness and global nature of the crisis. Adopt the critical mass principle for board composition and senior leadership positions. Recognize that women fund managers and business owners lack access to capital, and provide work to open the channels for funding. Require greater transparency and accountability broadly. Expand the pipeline for women entering careers in financial services and business generally. Build and expand professional networks. Provide mentoring opportunities at all levels. Highlight the achievements of successful women in finance to provide role models for other women. Work to change the climate and culture. Support and fund more research in this field. To be sure, lack of women in finance is but one of many possible problems that led us to this dark place. But it's a problem that can be addressed. So let's move. Time to stand up and demand that the leadership of our country's largest institutions, and in particular our financial institutions including our regulatory institutions, more closely represent the populations they are intended to serve. Just last week the government announced the most broad based changes to our financial institutions in 80 years and yet absent from that was this. Let us make it a goal to have a critical mass of talented and committed women to join the decision-making tables including senior leadership and boards of directors. The Financial Times called for this measure saying "that is there is ever a time for women to make a decisive breakthrough in corporate boardrooms, it is surely now." Just a few weeks later they featured an article on how the country of Norway is quickly becoming an example to the world by institutionalizing this commitment. We can do this here. From brokenness comes opportunity. From failure comes success. And from destruction comes the possibility of a stronger and more sustainable future. My daughter is 9 years old. One day, I hope she will consider a career on Wall Street like her mother. And I hope that when that day comes, she can look at the leadership of our country's largest financial institutions and see women's faces in critical mass saying yes, this is where you belong. More on Women's Rights
 
Stuart Shapiro: Governors: Don't Fray the Medicaid Safety Net Top
Governors: Don't Fray the Medicaid Safety Net Congress: Don't Let Them By Stuart H. Shapiro, M.D. President and CEO Pennsylvania Health Care Association sshapiro@phca.org The federal government is pumping trillions of dollars into state programs to help get the national economy back on track and Americans back on their feet. But whether our most vulnerable citizens truly get the financial assistance promised to them is another question. The National Governor's Association, led by its chairman, Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, succeeded in persuading the U.S. Congress to add $87 billion, nationally, in Medicaid funding to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. These state and federal leaders were right in doing this. Medicaid stimulus dollars are vital to the nation's economic recovery. When times are tough, demand for the social services rises, and that further fuels demand for Medicaid funds. Even before the economic downturn, state Medicaid programs were stretched too thin. When financial markets crashed and unemployment soared, state tax revenues fell like a stone off a cliff.. Given that Medicaid is a state and federal taxpayer-funded public health insurance program that finances essential health care and long-term care for those in need, few states would have been able to manage increasing Medicaid costs to help the growing ranks of those in need, and still find money to invest in programs that promote economic growth. The federal stimulus money helped to stave off a health-care emergency on top of our economic collapse. At least, that was the theory. Unfortunately, in state Capitols across country, governors are playing a shell game with state and federal dollars. Federal stimulus funds were meant to shore up a fraying safety net that cares for needy citizens, including children, seniors and disabled individuals. But as federal Medicaid funds flow in, state Medicaid dollars are being shifted to pay for other budget priorities, such as corrections, transportation and education. In other words, just as the federal government is reducing the size and numbers of the holes in the safety net, governors are enlarging the holes by removing other parts of the netting. All of this isn't to say these other programs aren't worthy of additional funds. They may be. But the real issue is whether Congress intended that social service dollars be diverted for other purposes, and whether this federal money is being used in a way that violates the spirit of the stimulus law that Congress passed. Congress clearly included the Medicaid funding in the economic stimulus package in order to preserve health-care access. Instead, in many states those funds are being used to substitute for state dollars. Federal legislators would be wise to keep watch over states to ensure their intent is met. As the nation begins a serious debate on health-care reform, a crisis could be at hand if already limited Medicaid dollars continue to be diverted to other needs....or health-care reform is "paid forr" by cutting Medicare and Medicaid funding. States should not be allowed to play a shell game with the dollars when it comes to managing the health-care needs of a rapidly aging population. We, in Pennsylvania, among the oldest in the nation, are fortunate that Governor Rendell recognizes this fact. In fact, this past weekend he told the media, "Ending vital programs for sick children and adults with disabilities would simply increase unfunded costs to hospitals and nursing homes, many of which are already near the brink of financial collapse." Other Governors should follow his lead and recognize that Medicare and Medicaid cuts simply cannot be absorbed if the elderly are to continue to receive quality care. While all health care providers lose money caring for Medicaid patients, nursing homes are especially impacted, since nationally, more than 60 percent of nursing home residents are on Medicaid. On average nationally, for each one of those residents, a nursing home is forced to absorb nearly $12.50 a day, or $4,500 a year. One-third of those entering nursing homes as self-paying individuals spend down their assets and eventually qualify for Medicaid. With the stock market collapse eating up nest eggs, people have fewer dollars and are turning to Medicaid much sooner. Making matters worse are proposed regulatory changes at the federal level that will cut Medicare-financed nursing home care by $18 billion in the year ahead. In fact, the Obama administration has proposed the identical cuts that the Democrats in Congress defeated when they were proposed by President Bush Medicare and Medicaid funding are inextricably linked, and the combination of cuts to both programs squeezes facilities in a manner harmful to older residents' growing care needs. Congress included Medicaid stimulus dollars precisely for this reason --- to ensure our most vulnerable residents, especially the frail elderly and disabled in nursing homes, get the high level of care we all want and expect for our loved ones. States would be wise to follow the lead. Ensuring quality care into the future means using health-care funds as intended, and not shifting those resources to pay for other budget priorities. Stuart H. Shapiro, M.D. President and CEO Pennsylvania Health Care Association Visit us on the Web at www.paforqualitycare.org
 
Stu Kreisman: Trying To Make Obama As Stupid As Bush Top
The recent spate of talking points centering on calling President Obama out on his supposedly wimpy backing of the protesters in Iran are obviously trying to pressure the President to act as recklessly and impulsively as their own albatross-in-chief, George W. Bush. By pulling a Bush and inflaming the country even more, turning the Muslim world against us once again and probably going into another pointless war would conveniently divert attention from their disaster in Iraq. Republicans like Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham suddenly care more about the protesters cause in Iran than they did the Americans who protested during the run up to the war in Iraq. In case you forgot, Republicans, conservatives and neo-cons laughed at the hundreds of thousands of American citizens who took to the streets to correctly protest the reckless bloodlust that killed over 4,000 troops, untold hundred of thousands of innocent Iraqis and destroyed the American economy. Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we could force Obama to make the same stupid mistakes? You betcha! The talking points also mention that Ronald Reagan never ran from a fight when he dared Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall" in Berlin. What fight? Unfortunately the simplistic Republicans conveniently forget that glasnost was already taking place, other countries, most notably Germany itself were already doing the heavy lifting in regard to uniting the east and west and Berlin wasn't the war zone that Tehran is right now. It was a good speech but it was just stating the obvious. Of course looking through the gauze of Republican revisionist history, the media seems to believe that the speech was the sole reason the cold war came to a close and Reagan was the Abraham Lincoln of Western Europe. President Obama's carefully worded statements and levelheaded handling of the situation obviously is not enough for the right. They want impulsiveness! They want fighting words! They want misinformation. They want another Christian Crusade! No wimps here! Rattle those sabers! Bomb-bomb-bomb Iran! More war! More terrorism! More Bush-like only without Bush! More blame to throw on the Democrats! Yeah, that's the ticket! Apparently the Republican playbook is to make sure that Obama is pushed into repeating all the mistakes George W. made, no matter what the cost. Then they will be free to voice their righteous indignation at the ineptitude of the Commander-In-Chief. However Frank Luntz, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steele and the other poobahs in charge of the message have overlooked one important difference. Barack Obama is no George W. Bush. Thankfully. Stu Kreisman is the author of Dick Cheney's Diary available here , Amazon , and Barnes and Noble . More on Iranian Election
 
Gary Teen Charged In Daylight Murder Of Gas Station Clerk (WATCH SURVEILLANCE VIDEO) Top
A Gary, Ind., teen was charged Monday with murdering a gas station attendant during a robbery attempt that was caught on camera last week . Stephen Michael Haines, 18, is being held without bond for the murder of 26-year-old Gurjeet Singh. Police said the surveillance footage, which they released in the hopes that it would generate leads, helped track down Haines, the Tribune reports : Someone gave police Haines' nickname, "Lil Mike," and investigators were able to track him down because Haines had been arrested before. After determining the teen's identification, Gary fire officials received a report of a car on fire. The car matched the one that appeared on the video, and police discovered it was registered to Haines' mother. The surveillance video appears to show only the slightest struggle. "It was senseless. And really all homicides are senseless but what we gather from this, there was very little resistance," Gary Police Department Commander Anthony Titus told CBS 2 last week . "It didn't have to end the way it did." Watch the surveillance video:  
 
Rob Richie: Lessons from downtown business attacks on instant runoff voting in San Francisco Top
The San Francisco Bay Guardian 's long-time editor Tim Redmond had an important scoop last week: the downtown business community is contemplating an assault on San Francisco's instant runoff voting (IRV) system. At a June 18th strategy meeting, the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and several other downtown leaders talked about a potential campaign to repeal IRV. A Chamber executive said that its recent polling had found that after five annual elections with IRV in 2004-2008, support for IRV was strong, but potentially vulnerable to the right combination of attacks. The Chamber's representative was revealing in explaining his opposition to IRV. "The Chamber has always been in favor of direct runoffs" because "it allows the top two candidates to directly address their differences on the issues." Steven Hill, director the Political Reform program of the New America Foundation, astutely observed that when San Francisco had traditional runoffs, however, "We saw regular attack ads and nasty campaigning. The Ethics Commission found a four-fold increase in independent expenditures during direct runoffs. Getting rid of IRV is a vote to empower special interests." Redmond added, "In other words, direct runoffs allow groups like the Chamber and its allies to dump huge amounts of money into negative campaigns in a short election period. " The Chamber has no fundamental reason to be against IRV, of course. It's based on one fact: they're losing in the current system. Redmond points out: "Downtown has never liked [IRV]. The Chamber and Committee on JOBS folks also dislike the fact that they've gotten their butts kicked in the past few supervisorial elections -- and instead of finding better candidates, or recognizing that the electorate really isn't interested in a pro-corporate Republican-style agenda, they've decided to go after 'the system.'" Sometimes the best way to measure the value of a reform proposal is by who's against it -- and why. That certainly is the case with IRV. When it was just a "neat idea" in the United States, instant runoff voting was seen by many as win-win solution to problems like "spoilers" in partisan elections and expensive, low-turnout runoff elections. That's why reform-minded major party leaders like Barack Obama and John McCain both have actively supported it. That's why ballot measures on IRV have often passed by such lopsided margins, including wins by two to one or more in major cities like Minneapolis, Oakland and Memphis. That's why we almost certainly would have IRV for statewide elections in both red and blue states if our election administration regime had greater flexibility and resources for accommodating innovation. I believe it's only a matter of time before IRV becomes a fixture in our politics -- that within a decade the phrase "Rock the Vote" will effectively be replaced by "Rank the Vote." But before that transition happens, IRV advocates will have to beat back the inevitable backlash due to partisans and special interests that measure a reform not by how it performs for voters, but whether it helps their side win. Call it "outcome-based evaluation. " An electoral reform is only as good as what it does for your special interest in the short-term, not what it does for the democratic process as a whole. That's why instant runoff voting is the subject of a repeal attempt in Pierce County (WA) this year, where insider county political leaders became uneasy in the wake of last year's elections. In the highly competitive county executive race, a Republican had a plurality lead after counting first choices, but lost to a Democrat when the field was narrowed to two - so some Republicans aren't happy. However, the winning Democrat -- the first woman county executive in Washington State history - wasn't the favorite of the Democratic Party establishment and was outspent by another Democrat - so some establishment Democrats aren't happy. Not only that, but in a down-ballot race, an independent - horrors of horrors - defeated several elected Republicans and Democrats. To cap things off, several races didn't go to the best-funded candidate, something that always makes special interests nervous. Meanwhile, angry partisans are gathering signatures to force a repeal vote on instant runoff voting on the March 2010 ballot in Burlington (VT). A Republican again won the plurality of first choices, but lost to the Progressive incumbent Bob Kiss in the final round. Because Democrats have yet to win under the new system, their support has become more tepid. Never mind the fact that Burlington campaigns have been substantive, voters have had more choices and the impact of money has been lessened (Kiss in fact was outspent by all three of his major rivals). Such "good government" outcomes are irrelevant to partisans when their side loses. Looking at this narrowly, IRV advocates obviously have to be smart in defending reform. But more broadly, our political leaders need to look in the mirror. Are they just mouthing support for democracy while only pursuing or opposing changes based on calculations about whether it helps their side in the next election? Or when it comes to democracy, will they start putting principle first?
 
Conrad Moves Closer To Public Health Care After Negotiations Top
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) moved sharply toward public health care Monday, saying that he could "absolutely" support major parts of Sen. Chuck Schumer's compromise proposal for a public option after closed-door negotiations. Conrad has backed a health care co-op proposal that advocates of a public option have thoroughly rejected. Schumer (D-N.Y.) took their side on Sunday in comments made to the Associated Press. "I don't think I could say with a straight face that this [co-op proposal] is at all close to a nationwide public option," Schumer said. "Right now, this co-op idea doesn't come close to satisfying anyone who wants a public plan." The wheels looked to be coming off with health care reform last week. But a poll showing huge public support for a public health care option and a strong bill from the House of Representatives have changed the dynamic. Schumer and other backers of a public option insist that any plan must be national in scope, have substantial funding at the beginning from the federal government, and include national purchasing power in order to negotiate lower prices. Conrad ticked off the areas of agreement that were reached Monday. "National structure: I believe to be effective there has to a national entity with state affiliates and those affiliates have to have the ability to regionalize. I think his concern there can be addressed," said Conrad. "Second, he believes there needs to be national purchasing power. I think that's a good point that the national entity would be able to do purchasing on behalf of the state and regional affiliates and on behalf of the national entity itself." Schumer wants $10 billion to start the plan, after which it would be self-sustaining. Conrad said the "state of negotiations" is that $3 to $4 billion would be provided. Schumer wants the board overseeing the plan to be appointed by the president. Conrad said that according to the state of negotiations, the Health and Human Services Secretary would be charged with appointing the board. Conrad wants the board to be temporary and eventually disappear, leaving the co-op to be run by its members. Schumer, said Conrad, still wants the board to be permanent. "Poll numbers, as you know, are here today and gone tomorrow. What's going to decide what passes here are votes," said Conrad. "Votes of members. And the reason I was asked to get involved in this was an effort to find a compromise. And what I read in Senator Schumer's comments are that he's continuing to negotiate, and negotiate in a forthright, aggressive way. Good for him." As Conrad spoke to reporters, Schumer stepped off the Senate floor and passed the conversation. "My remarks were not directed at him, they were directed at someone on the other side of the aisle," Schumer quipped, underlining, if only in jest, the new Democratic unity that seemed to be forming. Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!
 
Chris Weigant: Barney Frank Introduces Marijuana Legislation Top
Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts has introduced two pieces of legislation on marijuana -- one medical, and one recreational -- that deserve a lot more attention (and support by fellow House members) than they have been getting. The first would change federal law to allow states to experiment with medical marijuana without interference from Washington. And the second would drastically reduce federal penalties for "personal possession" of marijuana. The medical marijuana bill aims to fix a problem in the federal classification of marijuana. The problem was best summed up in a live performance by Bill Maher I saw a number of months ago, where he talked about medical marijuana laws that states such as California (and others) have passed. I don't remember his exact words, but it went something like this: "It's still illegal to grow it, it's illegal for doctors to prescribe it, it's illegal to sell it, it's illegal to buy it, but if a joint happens to fall from the sky into your lips, then it's OK to smoke it." There's a reason for this legal disconnect. States are afraid of legalizing a production chain for marijuana because such legislative attempts always run into a brick wall called "federal law." Federal law always trumps state law, and federal law says that marijuana is illegal. Period. Federal law also states that marijuana has no medical value, and therefore even doctors who prescribe it are at risk of legal trouble with the feds for doing so. A few months back, I called upon President Obama to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance, instead of Schedule I. The difference between the two is that Schedule I drugs have "no currently accepted medical use." Schedule II drugs do. Schedule II drugs (which include cocaine, opium, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and PCP) are just as illegal as Schedule I drugs, but doctors are still allowed to prescribe them. That's really the only difference between the two. The first of Frank's bills, (which you can look up under the number "HR 2835") is titled "The Marijuana Patient Protection Act" and (from Frank's press release ): "would prevent federal authorities from prosecuting pharmacies, growers and users of medical marijuana in states where the use of the substance for medical reasons is legal." Congressman Frank himself says about his bill: "There are some people who are in severe pain for whom nothing else seems to work. It is cruel to prevent them from having access to something which helps relieve their pain. This is especially true because so many states allow it. For the federal government to come in and supersede state law is a real mistake." His bill, to date, has 16 cosponsors, including two Republicans (Ron Paul and Dana Rohrabacher). Barney Frank has been fighting this battle for a long time, and has introduced similar legislation in every Congress since 1995, when he picked up the baton from the late Congressman McKinney from Connecticut (Frank had supported McKinney's bills for ten years prior to introducing his own bill in 1995). Back in 2006, when he introduced a similar bill, Frank was more expansive: "This is an issue on which people around the country are ahead of the politicians. Many elected officials are hesitant to support any proposals that might be viewed as weakening our drug laws, but I believe this is a common sense idea that will give some people who are suffering a measure of relief. "If there are doctors willing to recommend the use of marijuana for their patients, and states willing to permit it. I think it's wrong for the federal government to subject either the doctors or the patients to criminal prosecution. Nothing in this proposal would make marijuana more available for the general population. The bill is limited to medicinal use of marijuana with a doctor's approval. The bill does, however, offer a challenge to conservatives who often profess their support for states' rights. I am delighted that some of my conservative colleagues, including Congressmen Ron Paul and Dana Rohrabacher, along with former Reagan Administration official Lyn Nofziger, have joined in this effort. "I would add that taking legal action against those who use small quantities of marijuana for medical purposes is a highly questionable use of scarce prosecutorial resources at a time when they could be put to much better use." The second legislation Congressman Frank introduced recently is "The Act to Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults" ( search for it under "HR 2943"), which would (again, from Frank's press release ): "eliminate federal penalties, but not override existing state law, on the possession or not-for-profit transfer of small amounts of marijuana. The bill would allow possession of up to 100 grams of the substance, and not-for-profit transfer of up to 28.3 grams (1 ounce). The legislation would also create a $100 fine (a civil penalty) for public use of marijuana." This is a harder row to hoe politically, which is why Frank lists responses to common criticisms: The legislation would not affect federal laws prohibiting the cultivation or sale of marijuana for profit. It would not legalize major drug dealing or create obstacles for federal officials from prosecuting such activity. It would not affect any state or local laws regulating marijuana. It would not alter the status of marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act   That last one is a bit of a disconnect, since H.R. 2835 would do exactly that, making it a bit odd in a press release that highlights both bills. Frank has, so far, gotten less support for H.R. 2943 than for the medical marijuana bill, shown by the fact that there are currently only four cosponsors (two of which are the aforementioned Republicans). But Frank doesn't mince words on this issue either: "I think John Stuart Mill had it right in the 1850s, when he argued that individuals should have the right to do what they want in private, so long as they don't hurt anyone else. It's a matter of personal liberty. Moreover, our courts are already stressed and our prisons are over-crowded. We don't need to spend our scarce resources prosecuting people who are doing no harm to others." The congressman does not say, but I am assuming he is referring to the Mill quote: "The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest." The question now is whether either of these bills is going to get anywhere. Frank's press office was not overly optimistic about chances for passage this year, seeing as how he's been fighting to get this done for almost a quarter-century now. A call to Henry Waxman's office (the chairman of the House committee both bills have been referred to) asking when the committee would hold a vote or move the legislation went unreturned by my deadline. A call to the White House press office asking whether President Obama could sign, or would support, this legislation also went unreturned. It's all fine and good that Obama has said that his administration wouldn't be going after legal (by state law) medical marijuana facilities, but the only way to guarantee that this policy outlives his term in office is to change the classification from Schedule I to Schedule II. This would allow the states to set up their own framework for the legal growth, transportation, and availability of marijuana to medical patients, without being worried about the heavy hand of Washington smacking down their efforts. Changing marijuana's classification, and reducing federal penalties for personal use are both commonsense changes at the federal level which are long overdue. While Barney Frank is to be applauded for pushing the issue forward, he cannot do this on his own. Like other issues Democrats have dragged their heels on, one has to wonder: "If not now, when?" How many Democrats do we need to elect to Congress before such commonsense laws are passed to rein in some of the excesses of past eras? How big a majority would it take? I strongly encourage anyone who cares about this issue to search for the these bills' cosponsors, and if you don't see your representative on those lists, contact them and ask them why they aren't.   [ Technical note: The Library of Congress' THOMAS site is a great resource for looking up the text and details of bills as they wend their way through Congress. However, the links they return when you search for a bill seem to be temporary, and do not work hours after you post them. So I apologize for the hassle of doing your own searches instead of providing direct links. Go to the THOMAS site , click on "search on bill number" to see details of bills. ]   Chris Weigant blogs at: ChrisWeigant.com   More on Barack Obama
 
Leah McElrath Renna: McCain and Iran -- Hypocrisy Defined Top
Watching Senator McCain, the man who once infamously joked about bombing Iran, speak about the martyrdom of the Iranian protester Neda provides more evidence of the absence of a soul in the Republican Party. Here is Senator McCain, talking with great apparent piety about the murder of Neda Agha-Soltan by a pro-government militia sharpshooter in Tehran, Iran: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irvwOHZS6mk Keep in mind that the motivation behind this speech is not actually to give tribute to this young woman's bravery. Rather, the intent is to try to take on the appearance of having the political and moral high road over President Obama. This is the same McCain who, when he was candidate-for-president, was asked about how the United States should respond to Iran and, in particular was asked by an audience member about sending an "air mail message to Tehran" - with the apparent inference being dropping bombs by air on the city. In response to this question, McCain then made his glib reference to the Beach Boys' song and infamously sang "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran" to its tune. Watch for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-zoPgv_nYg So why is this hypocrisy? It's not just about seemingly different perspectives on the nation and people of Iran. And it's not just about the fact that had we "bombed" Iran or sent an "air mail message to Tehran" this woman and other innocents like her would have been endangered and possibly killed. No. It's not that simple. By grasping at Neda's death to satisfy his own partisan manipulations, McCain is objectifying this young woman as certainly as he objectified the entirety of Iran in his glib response about bombing the nation. The hypocrisy here comes from the fact that, in his speech about Neda, McCain is purporting to have empathy and affection for her when he is in fact using her. Seems to be a pattern on his part. Anyone remember Sarah Palin? More on Iranian Election
 
Press Corps Demands To Know If Obama's Still Smoking Top
There was no shortage of news on Sunday, with an uprising in Iran approaching new levels of violence, nuclear brinkmanship in North Korea, and crisis in health care reform. One of the most frequent questions asked at the daily press briefing at the White House, however, was a bit more personal: Was President Obama still smoking cigarettes? Earlier in the day, the president had signed an anti-smoking bill that gave the Food and Drug Administration more authority to regulate cigarette sales and advertising. And in the process, the president referenced his own struggles as a smoker -- which he said he gave up during the presidential campaign. "Each day, 1,000 young people under the age of 18 become new, regular, daily smokers, and almost 90 percent of all smokers began at or before their 18th birthday," said the president. "I know. I was one of these teenagers. And so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time." Hours later, in between a host of questions on weighty international and domestic topics, the press flexed its curiosity. Four separate times, Press Secretary Robert Gibs was asked whether Obama was still smoking or, by extension, why he wasn't more autobiographical in his remarks. From the White House transcript come the following exchanges: Q : And just quickly, could you be more clear than you have been about whether the President does still occasionally continue smoking? MR. GIBBS : I haven't probed any deeper than the statements that I've given you all in the past several days, that, as he has told me, it's something that he continues to struggle with as somebody -- like millions of Americans have. Q : Robert, just to follow up on Jennifer's question on smoking, why haven't you probed the President on his smoking habits? MR. GIBBS : Just hasn't crossed my mind. Q : I mean, it just seems to me like today it would have been a good explanation point at the end to say, you know, I had this habit and I kicked the habit -- MR. GIBBS : Well, Dan -- Q : -- if in fact that's what he's done. MR. GIBBS : I think that anybody that -- I'm not a smoker, I don't -- it's probably just one vice I don't have. I think the President has on any number of occasions discussed the struggle that -- the vice of smoking, what's that done to him and that he struggles with it every day. I don't honestly see the need to get a whole lot more specific than the fact that it's a continuing struggle. Q : If I could ask one more thing on smoking. During the campaign, the President -- then-senator at the time -- and Mrs. Obama went on "60 Minutes" and used his smoking as part of his biography, as part of his sort of campaign narrative, if you will. He has used his biography in many ways. Why not use this as an opportunity, if he has or if he hasn't quit smoking, to discuss this with the American people or even offer a warning to young children about smoking? MR. GIBBS : Well, again, I think he was fairly forward today in discussing the fact that this is, as I've said throughout the last couple of weeks, something that he continues to struggle with. Q : No, he used about eight words in his speech, though, as opposed to saying something that -- MR. GIBBS : I don't know what the appropriate word count would have been in order to check the box. And, again, I think the President spoke about this in personal terms, regardless of the word count. Q : Is it something that still aggravates him, when he's asked about this? MR. GIBBS : Maybe I should give you that opportunity to ask tomorrow. (Laughter.) Q : I did ask him, and he turned away -- walked away. MR. GIBBS : Well, go figure. Q : I'd just like to follow up on cigarettes. When you say he still struggles, does that mean he still smokes sometimes? Is that what that means? MR. GIBBS : I'm not going to parse the President's words on this today. Q : So those were not how he describes it? MR. GIBBS : How did he say it today? Q : He said, in the past, he had been one of the teenagers who had been -- or the current -- I just wanted to understand the -- MR. GIBBS : Again, I think I said last week -- I'd have to go back and look at my exact statement -- but I got from him that obviously this is a struggle that he continues to have. Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!
 
Americans Salute Neda And Show Solidarity With Iranians Top
Americans from coast to coast turned out this weekend to show their support for protesters in Iran and to memorialize the fallen. The graphic video of the death of Neda Agha-Soltan has become a viral rallying cry with reverberations felt throughout the world. In the US, demonstrations were held this weekend in New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and several Southern California locations to pay tribute to the young woman, and to show support for those who continue to protest the results of the election in Iran. Hundreds have been gathering at the sites throughout the country since the young woman's death on Saturday. She has become a catalyzing symbol of the flawed Iranian elections. "Neda will not die in vain," promised one sign in Washington, D.C. In California, protesters carried a painting that dubbed her the angel of Iran. President Obama has been hesitant to reflect these sympathies, though he said today that he was "moved [by] what we've seen on television." Nico Pitney reported today that Mousavi is calling for another, global show of solidarity this Thursday. The demonstration, he says, will honor "the martyrs that have been lost so far in our fight for justice." Send your pictures of local demonstrations in support of Iranians to photos@huffingtonpost.com . Get HuffPost Eyes&Ears on Facebook and Twitter! More on Iranian Election
 
Ho Eng Hui, Kung Fu Master, In Record Books For Smashing 4 Coconuts With Only His Index Finger (VIDEO) Top
Ho Eng Hui of Malaysia, a Kung Fu master, stepped into the record books when he cracked four coconuts in just over 30 seconds using only his index finger. Now that he's broken the Malaysian record, he's preparing for the Guiness Book of World Records: "Now, I will start preparing myself to get into the Guinness Book of World Records," Master Ho told the newspaper. Read more from AFP here . -OR- Watch video of the contest below. More on Video
 
Donald Fehr To Retire As Head Of Baseball Players' Union Top
NEW YORK — Donald Fehr announced his retirement Monday as head of the baseball players' association after a quarter-century marked by a strike that canceled the World Series, record salaries and finally 14 years of labor peace. Fehr, who turns 61 next month, said he will leave the powerful union no later than the end of March. Fehr recommended that he be succeeded by union general counsel Michael Weiner, the No. 3 official and his longtime heir apparent. The move is subject to approval by the union's executive board and possible ratification by all players. "I have no hesitancy in recommending to the players that he be given the opportunity to do this job," Fehr said. The 47-year-old Weiner will lead negotiations for the next contract; the current labor agreement expires in December 2011. Weiner and Steve Fehr, the union leader's brother, were the primary day-to-day negotiators of labor contracts in 2002 and 2006, baseball's first since 1970 that were achieved without a work stoppage. "I think I have some sense of what I'm getting into," Weiner said. As part of the succession plan, Weiner met Monday in the union's conference room with Fehr and the 92-year-old Marvin Miller, Fehr's predecessor. "I think that he's a bright guy," Miller said in a telephone interview. "He's certainly not lacking in experience. He's got the background for it." Fehr headed negotiations for five labor contracts plus a divisive August 2002 drug agreement that was revised three times under congressional pressure. He decided he didn't want to negotiate the next labor contract in two years and wanted to give Weiner lead time. "After a while, it wears you down," Fehr said. "I think it will be good for everybody." Weiner has been with the players' association since September 1988 and has been its general counsel since February 2004. The No. 2 official is Gene Orza, the chief operating officer. Orza praised Weiner for "enormous intelligence and incredible energy." "I'm sure when Michael becomes executive director, and he should, we'll sit down and chat about the future, bearing in mind of course that I'm even older than Don is," said Orza, who has been with the union since 1984 and turns 63 in July. A clerk to a federal judge who became the top lawyer to Miller in August 1977, Fehr took over as acting executive director on Dec. 8, 1983. That was 2 1/2 weeks after players fired Kenneth Moffett, the former mediator who had succeeded Miller following a 50-day strike in 1981. "I never thought I was in Marvin's shadow. I did think that I had an extraordinary example to look up and try and follow," Fehr said. Fehr led players through a two-day strike in 1985, then became executive director on a full-time basis the following January. His early years were defined by collusion. The union successfully charged management with conspiring against free agents following the 1985, 1986 and 1987 seasons in violation of the labor contract and settled the cases for $280 million. Baseball's average salary was $289,000 when he took over 26 years ago, and it rose to $2.9 million by last year. Although players fended off management's repeated attempts to obtain a salary cap, he has been criticized by some for not agreeing to drug testing until 2002. "If we, I, had known or understood what the circumstances were a little better, then perhaps we would have moved sooner," Fehr said. Weiner, like Fehr, was critical of purported leaks of Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa from the list of 104 names of players testing positive from the 2003 anonymous drug-testing survey. Federal prosecutors seized the list the following year before it could be destroyed, and the union sued for its return, litigation that is pending before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "It is regrettable that the names have been out there,'" Weiner said. "It is regrettable that the government showed no respect for the collective bargaining agreement and, according to several judges, the Constitution." Fehr presided over a two-day strike in 1985 followed by a 32-day lockout in 1990 and a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that wiped out the World Series for the first time in 90 years. That stoppage ended only when the National Labor Relations Board, at the union's behest, obtained an injunction to restore work rules from U.S. District Judge Sonia Sotomayor, nominated last month by President Barack Obama for the Supreme Court. "It was very satisfying at the end to say that the players got through it, they got through it one piece and regardless of what it took to get there, they got a very good agreement," said Fehr, who ranked the agreement that followed as his proudest achievement. There has been labor peace since then, with the current collective bargaining agreement running through the 2011 season, and Fehr developed a businesslike if not warm relationship with commissioner Bud Selig. "Don has represented his constituency with passion, loyalty and great diligence," Selig said in a statement. "Although we have had our differences, I have always respected his role." Fehr said he hopes bargaining will remaining peaceful, but he's confident the union would strike if necessary. "Players will do it," he said. "I have very little doubt about that."
 

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