Wednesday, June 3, 2009

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Patrick Takahashi: A Pandemic Worse than the Swine Flu Top
Five billion are killed by a virus. Sound familiar? Think the reaction to swine flu. The 1995 science fiction film starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt called 12 MONKEYS identifies a terror group implicated in this plot. This was a red herring (diverted attention). Willis failed in his return from the future and doomsday was not prevented. It occurred to me that our current imagined pandemic might well be the modern day equivalent. Again, we are focused on the wrong target. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned. As a starter, let us review where we are on this subject. RJ Eskow provided in HuffPo an excellent summary, entitled, The Meaning of Swine Flu, the Universe, and Everything . If you read through the comments and trace some of the references, you can take a comedic pathway leading to Jeff Horwich's Don't Cough on Me Alejandro (sung to Don't Cry for me Argentina) , a satire found in Face Book. Also, too, you just can't skip another HuffPo posting, this one in the Comedy section, by Juliet Jeske, on Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's Guide to the Swine Flu . You will then be trapped into yet another Comedy HuffPo, this one by Will Menaker , on CongressBorat Bachmann, from Minnesota, always in the top ten among states in educational achievement and well being (health). Yet, funny, but they produce a Governor Jesse Ventura and can't extricate themselves from the continuing farce with Al Franken, known as their senatorial race. But I digress. You might think that I am making a joke of the swine flu, for my April 24 posting was entitled, Benefits of the Swine Flu Scare , followed on May 5 with Cinco de Mayo and the Swine Flu . But no, my message is deeper, for these seeds of hysteria provide clues about our future. You can wonder about how we got ourselves into this dilemmic mode: on the one hand, we have something that will almost never happen (a serious swine flu epidemic), while on the other, there is death, worried mothers and panic. Let's first look at the reality. You can go to my Chapter 2 of SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Humanity (see box on the right) or Planet Earth and Humanity , where hard numbers are provided. To summarize: 1. The regular flu kills one in a thousand, while the swine flu seems closer to one in a hundred. That previous avian flu of a decade ago has a 60% mortality rate, but it is not all that contagious. The fear is that the swine flu will morph into a more dangerous form. The potential of this happening is very low, and, in any case, it is appearing that all 50 or so variations might turn out to be treatable with one vaccine. So, certainly, continue the vigilance and spend my tax dollars to develop a common vaccine, but don't close down countries and schools, and, by the way, tourists can safely return to Mexico and Hawaii. 2. The numbers are embarrassingly obvious. Since the so-called epidemic was announced only a little more than a month ago, we have had about 500 cases and 3 deaths a day. I wouldn't want to be one of those statistics, but consider that a million people daily contract some form of flu and at least a thousand die, every day, usually from complications (heart, pneumonia, etc.). This terrifying swine flu is thus hardly detectable noise. I might further add that traffic fatalities number 3000/day, but we drive on. Why, then, has the world, epitomized by the World Health Organization (which can best be appreciated if you know the internal workings of the United Nations), gone bonkers over the swine flu? I would like to speculate on the reason. I think it has to do with our political way of life influenced by the world wide web (WWW), as sensitized by the terroristic act of September 11, 2001. Add the palpable need to cover your rear. First came airport security. From all reports, the vast funds allocated and the time we waste have not made us any safer . Yet, the great majority of the public likes it . Of course this is symptomatic of our world today where most believe in the afterlife but have doubts about evolution and global warming. In particular, the masses are supersensitized to any threat. So when you mix in the World Wide Media (WWM) and WWW, the reaction can be instantaneous and overwhelming. I early recognized the power of this medium, so thought that the Huffington Post would be an ideal vehicle to share my thoughts, for the instant feedback feature of these virtual portals, in my mind, would provide power to the people, replacing protest marches. Clearly, I have not learned how to galvanize action because my 52 HuffPostings have influenced few, if any. Part of this failure I ascribe to the fact that I tend to focus on Peak Oil, Global Warming and related topics. There is no threat of early death in my articles. Swine flu, though, conjures dark images of your mortality. The communications industry, like CNN, saturates air time on such issues because they know people will watch. The WWW picks it up and decision-makers are hopelessly influenced. The cascading circle of information gains a life of its own. The truth is that the truly dangerous virus is not the swine flu, but the medium itself. The pandemic is this resultant overreaction. My simple solution is to jump on the bandwagon and complete THE VENUS SYNDROME: The Novel . Click on the free preview. If sound logic and compelling arguments do not work, perhaps fear might. More on Al Franken
 
David Hochman: What I Did On My Twitter Vacation Top
What are you doing? Quitting Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Too much chatter. Too many birthdays. TMI from Bucky Blankstein from Camp Winn-ee-saw-kee. What are you doing? @Peace! Reading actual newspaper. Drinking coffee. TV! Unholy urge to tell someone all this, so am cleaning stove with toothpick. What are you doing? Tell UPS Man I'm off Twitter. Try to show him YouTube vid of skiing baby. OK, props to Bucky for that one! LOL! UPS Man is all 'gotta go.' What are you doing? Outside. Overrated, IMHO. What are you doing? Informing everyone at Costco that I am shopping at Costco. What are you doing? Frickin' huuuuge ketchup! Must remember to upload pix to FB. What are you doing? Spent last two hours trying to figure out how many friends I have in common with Costco security guy. What are you doing? Crushing sense of doom!! What are you doing? Doom over by time sandwich is ready at Quizno's. Have to blog about this place!!!! What are you doing? Feeling weird compulsion to quote Eleanor Roosevelt: "The future belongs to those who dream in the beauty of their dreams" Not sure why. What are you doing? Wondering: What is Bucky really talking about when he's talking about The Top Five 70s Sitcoms That Shaped Him? What are you doing? Informing everyone at home that I have returned home. What are you doing? Bone-shaking boredom. What are you doing? Decide to phone everyone I know on earth. 736 calls later and still nobody has picked up. What are you doing? Cleaning fridge. Chicken wings! What are you doing? Informing wife and son that I have become a "fan of chicken wings." Blank stares. What are you doing? Yawn. What are you doing? Nap in chair. Bizarre pattern on arm looks exactly like piece of Chex cereal. Will upload pix later! What are you doing? Bad dream about Bucky. So strange. He passes his blue waters swim test only to get eaten by giant sea creature in Lake Winn-ee-saw-kee. What are you doing? Find Bucky's number on Google. He is a big fancy tax attorney now in Connecticut. Try to call to see if he's okay. Bounced to voicemail. What are you doing? Twitchy What are you doing? (tummy sounds) What are you doing? Back online, but really got to know self during break. SERIOUS reboot. Plus, worried I might have missed Bucky's birthday. More on Twitter
 
Jon Chattman: Interview with Tony Host Neil Patrick Harris Top
If Doogie Howser was real and he still wrote his thoughts on that craptastic computer in his bedroom, one entry he'd have to include would be the epic comedic rise of his portrayer Neil Patrick Harris. Ever since the actor hung up his 1980s scrubs, he's gradually elevated his star status by leaps and bounds. He's gone from Broadway star ( Cabaret, Assassins ) to stoner hero (the Harold & Kumar films) to sitcom scene-stealer God ( How I Met Your Mother ) to viral music sensation ("Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"). This Sunday June 7, Harris' career reaches new heights when he hosts the 63rd Annual Tony Awards on CBS. "I'm a little nervous about the Tony Awards show but thankfully nobody watches it so I should be safe," he cracked during a June 2 interview. The Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee -- whose favorite show ever is Les Miserables , by the way -- was very candid when asked about the gig, and what the audience can expect from the artist formerly known as fake TV kid doctor. For the most part, Harris said they'll see an amazing show with stellar performances. He should know -- all week long he's been in Broadway bootcamp, checking out all the nominated shows. Rock of Ages is, in particular, "super kickass fantastic." So is the man himself. How's it going? What's crackin' dawg? Do you have a blueprint for Sunday on how you're going to handle the hosting duties? [Laughs] He just said "duties." Yeah, we're going to have a little structure. We hope that things happen that we're not expecting so that we can talk about it in the next segment. There's some amazing productions, some great performers and they're going to be presenting this year so my job's really going to be to hold your attention. Conan O'Brien just debuted and some critics called his humor too juvenile or young. Do you think your humor can appeal to fans old and new? Most definitely. I hope that's why they hired me. I pride myself in being able to straddle demographics and if that was said as Barney Stinson it would mean a little different thing. I want to be able to infuse some youthful energy and comedy while appreciating the generations before. That's the fine line but that's what they have great writers for. Have you asked Hugh Jackman any advice on hosting? I just saw him last night at a benefit for the Theatre Wing, and he couldn't have been lovelier. His only advice was that commercial breaks are long so [I should] try to keep the crowd of Radio City amused between live segments. I thought was a very smart call. Can I offer you some advice? Yes. You should sing the song from "Clara's Heart" between the commercial break. Interesting. That whole chapter's seared into my head. That's the first big thing I ever did. I think that that song's called "Brown-skinned Girls" and that might be thought of as offensive. Do you think there are still people out there who don't know you can sing? I'm sure there must be. My big thing is I always feel like singing should be in context. I'm not the best cruise ship crooner. I'm not the best karaoke guy. For me, I like when songs are sort of an offshoot of what's going on within a story. That's why I enjoy the "Dr. Horribles" and the Rent s and things like that. It seems more justified for me. So it's safe to say you won't simply break into song at the Tonys? Doubtful. They're really promoting the fact that's there's going to be more production in this show than any other year -- shows that are on Broadway. I think they deserve to be acknowledged far more than myself. I'm on CBS every week. I might try to sneak in some [songs]. Maybe I'll just make it a running gag that I don't get to sing -- could be funnier. Are there any acts you're excited to see? I just read Poison are going to be there with the Rock of Ages cast. No way! If that's not going to get the kids to watch the Tonys I don't know what will. Do you think Carol Channing would make a strong Rock of Love contestant? Carol seems pretty gung ho for everything. I think one year she rapped with someone on the Tony's. She's one hip Hepcat that Carol Channing. Do you have any surprises up your sleeve for Sunday? Yeah I do. [Pauses.] I'll say this if the show happens to run a couple minutes long, make sure you set the TiVos for the end of the show. That's my pitch. Setting up a grand finale... I don't how grand it'll be but I'm trying to change the mold a bit. You know Jackman hosted the Oscars this year after hosting the Tonys twice. Not to take anything away from this award show, but do you have any interest in hosting a bigger show one day? I really enjoy [hosting]. It's kind of exciting that I just get to be myself while I'm up there. Gosh, if I say I'd love to host the Oscars I feel like I'm stalking Hugh Jackman -- which I'm not... often , and if I say the Emmys -- it looks like I'm trying to get my next job so I'll say I'm quite content with the Tonys. Do you plan on returning to Broadway in the near future? Yes but when I'm able to commit for the full chapter and not just a couple months here or there because I'm on hiatus. The TV schedule is fantastic. It allows you to have a life. Theater actors are so disciplined -- especially if you're doing musicals, you have to be in shape physically, mentally, and have to be on your game all the time. That's exhausting. On TV, especially a sitcom, you have a lot of free time to play. One last suggestion -- I say you take your career full circle Sunday night: operate on Chita Rivera. [Laughs] I think sadly Hugh Jackman did that two years. That's how he won the Emmy.
 
Obama Should Remember James Baker When In Cairo: Roger Cohen Top
NEW YORK -- I hope President Obama has been reading James Baker in preparation for his speech Thursday to the Muslim world. It was in the time of the former secretary of state, two decades ago, that the United States last had a balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
Cornyn Lowers Expectations For Coleman Recount Appeal Top
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn seems to be softening his expectations for Norm Coleman's effort to appeal the Senate election in Minnesota. The Texas Republican told CQ on Wednesday that he would leave it up to his former Senate colleague as to whether or not he should take his case to the federal level should the Minnesota State Supreme Court dismiss his appeal. "I think it's entirely up to him," said Cornyn. "Frankly, I've been amazed that Sen. Coleman's been willing to persevere as long as he has, and I'm proud of him for doing that. I think we will support him until he decides to hang it up one way or another." Contrast that tone with the defiance Cornyn was offering just a few months ago, when he proclaimed that any attempt by Democrats to seat Al Franken before Coleman's legal challenges were through would be treated as "World War III." Or, for that matter, the note he struck when Sen. Arlen Specter switched parties, making Franken the elusive, filibuster-breaking 60th vote in the Senate. "This makes [Minnesota] pretty darn important," Cornyn said at the time . "I expect they will pursue the appeals until they are exhausted, whenever that may be... I would assume if they were unsuccessful in the Minnesota Supreme Court, there may very well be an appeal to the United States Supreme Court." Part of the change may be simple politics. The NRSC has spent $750,000 on Coleman's recount, resources that could be used, down the road, for more favorable ventures. Part of it may be a growing sense that the legal appeals have yielded little promise. That said, it would be hard to imagine the GOP not fully backing Coleman's efforts to drag out his legal process to the federal level. Preventing Democrats from getting that 60th vote in the Senate remains one of the key base-rallying components of the party. Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!
 
Patrick Duffy And A Crab Discuss Threesomes (VIDEO) Top
As some of you might know by now, Patrick Duffy is awesome and we have a huge friend crush on him. The sitcom star turned Web videographer released his first "Patrick Duffy and the Crab" masterpiece just before his 60th birthday. In it, the Crab explained social networking sites to Duffy while he nodded along in awe. The second video got more deep, with the Crab daring Patrick to eat a dime and Duffy eventually caving in. I think it was an Berkelian metaphor about the nature of immaterialism, or just a crazypants clip that made us laugh out loud. Now Patrick and the Crab have moved on to more carnal topics, discussing threesomes. The Crab claims he, Courtney Cox and the wardrobe lady got it on at the first season wrap party for "Friends" in 1994. The discussion evolves from there in odd ways and we're pretty sure that had the video continued past its end point the two characters would've started to make out. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! More on Funny Videos
 
Robert Weissman: GM Nationalization: The Path Not Taken, Choices Still Ahead Top
Whatever the woes of General Motors -- and they are substantial -- it does not follow that the government needed to drive the company into bankruptcy. With at least $50 billion in government supports undergirding the new GM, the Obama administration auto task force deciding GM's fate could have steered the company away from bankruptcy court. If it had so chosen, it could have acquired the company outright -- a much better course to advance the legitimate public interest in rescuing GM. The purported rationale for bankruptcy was to deal with the problem of recalcitrant bondholders, owed $27 billion by GM and rejecting the GM/government offer of exchanging that debt for a 10 percent share in the New GM. It has been apparent for weeks that the bondholder problem could be addressed with some creative negotiations. By the end of last week, the government had found a way to be creative; having sweetened the pot, an accommodation with the bondholders was at hand. But GM, under the aegis of the auto task force, filed for bankruptcy anyway, setting in motion a series of likely excessive factory shutdowns, needless dealership closings and anticipated cancellation of the rights of victims of defective GM cars. Given the deal with the bondholders, the bankruptcy declaration was wholly discretionary and avoidable. But the government had available a much better alternative to avoid bankruptcy than just cutting a deal with the bondholders. It could have simply taken complete control of the company. Instead of declaring bankruptcy on Monday, the government could have announced the taking of GM through eminent domain. The government could have paid shareholders the market price for their shares -- worth less than $1 billion. It could have paid bondholders the market price for their bonds; trading at about 8 cents on the dollar, that would have totaled a little more than $2 billion. The UAW, which needs cash not equity to fund its healthcare benefit pool, could have been given preferred stock paying a substantial interest rate. (Assuming it could reach agreement on a shared vision for the restructured GM, the U.S. government could have decided to work in concert with the Canadian and Ontario governments -- which will control 12 percent of the New GM.) This would have been an aggressive approach -- but less so than the administration's maneuvers in bankruptcy. With complete control of the company, the government could have explicitly set out to manage General Motors in the public interest. As Ralph Nader has said, this would not require micromanaging the company, but it would require managing it. There are many different public management options. Consider the U.S. Postal Service as one example. It operates independently but under government supervision, and with some affirmative mandates and obligations. USPS is required to deliver on Saturdays, for example, even though it may be more profitable to cut Saturday service. It must deliver to the entire country, with a flat-rate first class stamp, even though it would likely make more money with limited service or differential rates. A GM under public management would aim for a return to profitability -- or at least breaking even. But it would take into account other public priorities. And it would focus on medium- and long-term objectives rather than short-term profitability. A publicly managed GM would take pains to avoid excessive layoffs and would not needlessly close dealerships. A publicly managed GM would abandon GM management's desire to move production for the U.S. market to low-wage countries. It would maintain decent wages, benefits and working conditions. It would not maneuver to deny victims of defective GM cars their day in court. It would prioritize safety in its new vehicle design. Above all, a publicly owned and managed GM would invest heavily in new ecologically friendly technology. As part of a government plan to remake the nation's transportation infrastructure, it would retool plants to meet growing demand for buses and trains. Having decided not to pursue the full public ownership route, the Obama administration still finds itself about to own 60 percent of the New GM. This majority stake comes with some important limitations; with a significant portion of the company still trading publicly (10 percent immediately after bankruptcy, and more over time), the government will have legal duties to the minority shareholders. Still, the government as majority shareholder will have ultimate control, and the long-term and socially appropriate investment practices can all be justified as in GM's long-term interest. The biggest problem is that the Obama administration explicitly disdains a desire to manage the company to advance the public interest. Even worse, the administration has stated its desire to begin selling off the government-held shares in GM in six to 18 months after the company emerges from bankruptcy; that posture puts a premium on measures to achieve short-term profitability ... exactly the orientation that landed GM in its present predicament. More on Climate Change
 
Michelle Obama Joins Push For Sotomayor Top
WASHINGTON — The White House dispatched first lady Michelle Obama to defend Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Wednesday, part of a broad offensive to humanize the judge that came as former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich backed off his harsh criticism of her as a racist. Mrs. Obama told students at a high school graduation that Sotomayor is "more than ready" to be a justice and compared the judge's life story of humble beginnings and high achievement to the paths taken by her husband and herself. Sotomayor, who grew up in a New York City housing project and went on to Princeton and Yale universities, "says she still looks over her shoulder and wonders if she measures up," Mrs. Obama said at Howard University, chiming in on Sotomayor's behalf as her husband began a Mideast trip. It was a subtle but pointed counter to Republicans who have cited Sotomayor's speeches and writings about how her background affects her work as a judge to question whether she would let her personal biases interfere with her judicial decisions. Hours earlier, Gingrich told supporters in a letter that he shouldn't have called Sotomayor a racist, adding that the word had been "perhaps too strong and direct." But he said the 2001 speech that prompted his remark, in which Sotomayor said she hoped the rulings of a "wise Latina" would be better than those of a white male without similar experiences, was still unacceptable. Gingrich conceded that Sotomayor's rulings have "shown more caution and moderation" than her speeches and writings, but he said the 2001 comments "reveal a betrayal of a fundamental principle of the American system _ that everyone is equal before the law." Sotomayor, 54, would be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the high court. Gingrich's comments and similar ones by radio host Rush Limbaugh _ who on Wednesday said Sotomayor would bring "racism" and "bigotry" to the court _ have enraged Sotomayor's backers and caused problems for GOP figures who have been pushing to bring more diversity to the party. Hispanic groups began a political push to force Republicans to denounce harshly worded criticism of Sotomayor, warning that their votes could depend on it. "These gross mischaracterizations of Judge Sotomayor coupled with the deafening silence of the Republican leadership are leaving many within our community with a disturbing picture of the Republican Party. Much hangs in the balance, including our votes," said Janet Murguia, the president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza. The White House, working with Democratic senators, hit back at GOP charges that Sotomayor would be an activist who legislates from the bench or a justice who allows her personal bias to interfere in legal decisions. Officials circulated talking points calling Sotomayor "a nonideological and restrained judge," citing conservatives who have praised her approach. Wendy Long of the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network, a group leading the opposition to Sotomayor's confirmation, called the document "the biggest piece of fiction writing I have ever seen." At the same time, Democratic senators circulated a 1994 speech in which Sotomayor spoke about how personal characteristics could affect judging, which Republicans never criticized during the 1997 debate on her confirmation to a federal appeals court _ proof, the Democrats said, that conservatives are trying to politicize Sotomayor's nomination. In 1994, Sotomayor said, "I would hope that a wise woman with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion" than a wise man. "What is better?" she said. "I ... hope that better will mean a more compassionate, caring conclusion." "No one made an issue out of Judge Sotomayor's comments the last time the Senate confirmed her for the federal bench, because everyone understood what she meant and knew her respect for the rule of law was unquestionable," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sotomayor's home-state senator and her sponsor during the confirmation process. Sotomayor returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a second day of meetings with senators, staying mostly mum in public. She has used the visits to reassure Republicans and Democrats alike in private that while her background has shaped her worldview, she believes in following the law and wouldn't let her life experiences inappropriately influence her judgments. But many Republicans sounded unconvinced. "When I look at her ideology, record and philosophy, I'm deeply troubled," said Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Judiciary Committee, after meeting with Sotomayor on Wednesday. Graham said the judge doesn't deserve to be called a racist but that she should be challenged by senators. "She needs to prove to me and others ... that, if they found themselves in litigation with a Latina woman, you fill in the blanks, that she would give you a fair shake," he said. Sotomayor visited 10 Republicans and Democrats as the leaders of the Judiciary Committee met separately but reached no deal on when her confirmation hearings should begin. Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., the Judiciary Committee chairman, wants the process to begin next month, with the goal of holding a confirmation vote before Congress leaves in early August for a monthlong summer vacation. He's negotiating with the top Republican on the committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who says he'd rather go slower in delving into Sotomayor's voluminous record of rulings during her 17 years as a federal judge, with hearings set for September. Obama is pushing for a quicker timetable, hoping to spare Sotomayor the potential pitfalls of a drawn-out public debate on her confirmation during the customary August news lull. He also wants her seated in time to participate in discussions at the high court in September on which cases to hear when the session begins in October. More on Sonia Sotomayor
 
Kamran Pasha: Why Obama's Speech In Cairo Matters - And Why It Doesn't Top
President Barack Obama will give a highly anticipated speech to the Islamic world on June 4th in Cairo. There is a great deal of excitement in the Muslim community to hear what a President who shares a middle name with the grandson of Prophet Muhammad has to say. There are many reasons why Obama's speech is important. But there are also many reasons why it really isn't. Let me explain. My friends at Patheos.com asked me to write a Muslim perspective on Obama's speech, and I found myself surprisingly ambivalent about the whole affair. On a positive note, since his historic election, Obama has made substantial efforts to reach out to the Islamic community and rebuild bridges after the disastrous legacy of his predecessor George W. Bush. He has signaled a willingness to re-establish diplomatic ties with Iran, has made some comments in sympathy with the Palestinians, and has called for an end to Israel's expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Most importantly, in a speech he gave to the Turkish Parliament in April, Obama repeatedly used a word that Muslims have craved to hear from American leaders: "respect." After decades of open contempt for Islam in the corridors of Washington and the news media, the word signals an acceptance that mutual respect is the cornerstone of building a new relationship between the West and the Islamic world. All of this is important and indicates a dramatic shift away from a foreign policy based on imperial hubris that has marked the past eight years. And it is not surprising that Obama, who has Muslim relatives and spent his youth among Muslims in Indonesia, has natural empathy for the Islamic world and knows how to communicate with its people. I have no doubt that his epic rhetorical skills will be in evidence in Cairo this week, and his speech may very well be historic and have a profound impact on Muslim hearts and minds. Most analysts expect that Obama will continue his current efforts to treat Muslims with respect and encourage real discourse between America and Islamic nations. And many believe he will emphasize his support for an independent and prosperous Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. Obama will probably also encourage Muslim countries to move toward democracy, and will likely have some critical things to say about the current political and human rights equation in the Islamic world. And he will in all likelihood pledge America's support for Muslims in helping their countries to improve and evolve into freer and more economically successful societies. All of this is important and needs to be said. The fact that such words will come from the mouth of America's first black president, one who has Muslim relatives, will no doubt give them real weight for his Muslim audience. Obama's natural talent is the ability to inspire and effect change with the power of words, an ability that Muslims greatly respect, as our first and greatest orator was Prophet Muhammad himself. As I detail in my novel, Mother of the Believers , the power of the spoken and written word in shaping a community's destiny is central to Islam. The first commandment received by the Prophet from the angel Gabriel was simple and unequivocal: "Read!" President Obama is perhaps the most well-read and eloquent American leader in quite some time. But even the power of his words is limited. After the applause dies down, after the giddy cheers dissipate and are replaced by only echoes that linger like dying embers in a hearth, the Muslim world will still face very stark realities and challenges. And ultimately Barack Obama will not be the solution to the problems facing Islam today. It will be the Muslims that will have to bear the burden of making the painful reforms to revitalize our civilization, which has reached a pivotal moment in history. It has been several decades since the Muslim world emerged from the greatest shock in its history since the Mongol destruction of Baghdad - the legacy of European colonialism. Most of our nations are new, less than a century old, and were carved out of the ruins of dead Islamic empires - the Ottomans in Turkey and the Middle East, the Qajars of Iran, and the Mughals of the Indian subcontinent. I was born in Pakistan, a Muslim country that didn't come into being until 1947, when my parents were toddlers. The extreme shock and humiliation of occupation by European powers has left the Islamic world in deep disarray and confusion. Muslims have lost their sense of themselves as a confident, progressive community meant to serve as models and leaders for the world. In a wonderful new book Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes , Tamim Ansary looks at how the recent experience of Western domination has shaken the sense of Islam's "manifest destiny" among Muslims. Only a few hundred years ago, Muslim armies ruled Eastern Europe and stood poised to conquer Vienna. Prior to that we had created rich civilizations that were the envy of the world - the Abbasids of Baghdad and the Umayyads of Spain led humanity in art and science. Muslims had mastered the use of gunpowder in the 13th century, when Europeans were living in stone huts. And the idea that one day the primitive Europeans would not only dominate Muslims but quantum leap past us in science, art and technology was laughable. But it happened. And we are now here. Unelected dictators, clinging to outdated political and economic philosophies, rule most of the Muslim world. Muslims who used to take pride in treating women better than Christians (Islam gave women property and inheritance rights 1,300 years before Europe and America followed suit) now find ourselves having to defend the honor of our faith against claims of misogyny. Our education systems are still catching up to the West, and our commitment to the arts is shaky. Freedom of speech is curtailed in much of the Muslim world, even though the right to speak out against the ruler has long been enshrined in Islamic law. And our greatest sorrow, the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Palestine, remains something that Muslims feel they can do nothing to alleviate. With Israel's nuclear weapons and economic and military support from the United States, Muslims feel powerless to help the Palestinians defend their lives, their homes, their human dignity. Seeing Israeli soldiers standing guard over the Al-Aqsa Mosque as Muslims pray is heart wrenching and shameful for a community that has considered Jerusalem its home since the days of Prophet Muhammad. These are things that President Obama can do little to change. Indeed, when it comes to American foreign policy in the Middle East, Muslims are likely to be deeply disappointed in Obama. The reality is that unconditional support for Israel in general, and its right-wing politicians in particular, is deeply embedded into the Washington political culture. That bias will not change for decades, if ever. And despite his rhetoric in support of democracy in the Muslim world, Obama is unlikely to pressure our dictators to liberalize their societies. After the disaster of attempting to impose American power in Iraq, the United States has lost its taste for transforming other societies. While the end of American imperial fantasies may be a good thing, it means that Muslims can no longer expect America to be on the forefront of their struggles for freedom and justice. America's economy is, frankly, bankrupt and cannot afford an aggressive foreign policy of any kind. So Muslims must accept that Obama's words will likely be just that - words. We must take up the responsibility for transforming our own societies ourselves. America will not solve the Palestine problem. America will not bring us democracy or human rights. America will not advance our economic, educational and political stature. That is something only Muslims can and must do. The Holy Qur'an tells us that every human being is a "khalifa" - God's viceroy on Earth. The responsibility is on our shoulders to struggle for change, which is the true meaning of the word "jihad." No one else is going to carry our burdens. So we can take inspiration from President Barack Hussein Obama. We can take admonition from him. But ultimately Muslims must take responsibility for ourselves in bringing Islam back to its true destiny - to be a beacon of hope, progress and leadership for the world. Kamran Pasha is a Hollywood filmmaker and the author of Mother of the Believers , a novel on the birth of Islam as told by Prophet Muhammad's wife Aisha (Atria Books; April 2009). For more information please visit: http://www.kamranpasha.com More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
Sheriff Indicted For Selling Marijuana On Duty Won't Lose Job Unless Convicted Top
ST. LOUIS — A southern Illinois sheriff charged with trafficking marijuana, including while on duty, will not lose his job unless he's convicted or resigns, county officials said Wednesday. Federal agents arrested Gallatin County Sheriff Raymond Martin, 46, last month at his office on three counts of marijuana distribution and two counts of carrying a firearm _ his service weapon _ while trafficking drugs. A grand jury in Benton, Ill., indicted Martin on the charges Tuesday. County Board Chairman Randy Drone said that, as an elected official, Martin was legally entitled to keep his job and collect his $40,440-a-year salary "until he resigns or is convicted." Martin, whose seat is up for election next year, also got his $6,500 annual stipend from the state last month. "Obviously, it's an embarrassment to the county," Drone said of Martin's legal troubles. But "we're just going on and dealing with it." A message left Wednesday with Martin's public defender was not immediately returned. Shortly after Martin's arrest, one of his three deputies, Shannon Bradley, was named interim sheriff. Martin had been the law for nearly 20 years in the county by the time investigators hauled him last month from his small office in Shawneetown, a burg with little more than a courthouse, a couple of convenience stores and a barbecue restaurant. The Democrat won re-election four times since he took office in 1990. But federal prosecutors claim he supplied a drug dealer and then threatened to kill him when the man said he wanted out, and allegedly pledged to use his authority to shut down rival drug traffickers. An affidavit by a Drug Enforcement Administration investigator alleges Martin and the dealer hatched the marijuana-dealing scheme last November. When the unidentified dealer grew unsettled and wanted out, Martin at least twice pulled his service revolver and insisted that making him "disappear" would be "that easy," according to the affidavit. After the dealer went to investigators, authorities recorded Martin's conversations with the dealer and tracked the sheriff's county-issued Ford Expedition. Investigators later found more than $100,000 in a safe in Martin's home, as well as cash and drugs missing from evidence bags in Martin's office.
 
Lissa Coffey: Ancient Secrets of Seduction Top
"Tantra" means "instrument of the body." It sounds exotic, but it is actually very simple. Tantra teaches us to use all five of our senses consciously, because our senses are how we are connected with the physical world. And of course, it is with our five senses that we connect with each other, too. If you're looking to up the romance quotient in your relationship, here are a few tips from ancient India. And for good measure, let's use the romantic rose in each example. Red roses were said to be the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red signifies desire! Touch ("Sparsa" in Sanskrit) The skin marks the visible limits of the body; it is where we make contact with the world. Our skin is our largest organ, and 16% of our body weight. With touch we experience much of our environment: temperature, clothes, sheets, shower, etc. Wake up the sense of touch with massage. Use different materials and textures, such as a feather, a velvet hat, baby powder, a silk scarf, or rose petals. Infuse sesame oil, or unscented body lotion with rose petals, or rose essential oil for a wonderful massage oil. Smell ("Gandha" in Sanskrit) Women are particularly sensitive to smells. Our pheromones are the scents that we give off without even realizing it. These pheromones train us to recognize and desire our partners. When people stop smoking, they are amazed by how much they rediscover their sense of smell. Studies have shown that the loss of the olfactory sense is often accompanied by a loss in sexual interest, so it is a good idea to keep our noses functioning optimally! Fragrances have quite an allure to them. Roses just smell like romance. Use rose-scented candles, and sprinkle rose petals in the bathtub. Shower together with rose-scented shower gel. Taste ("Rasa" in Sanskrit) Is it any wonder that we say we have a certain "taste" in partners? The tongue is super-sensitive. By blocking out the other senses, by closing your eyes for example, you can focus on the taste more fully. Love is sweet -- there's a reason why we call each other honey and sweetie and cupcake! Savor and delight in the tastes and textures of various foods and drinks: whipped cream, chocolate, a strawberry -- and, yes, rose! Sweet rose tea is made for romance! It smells wonderful and tastes divine -- and it is the perfect way to end a romantic meal. Tulsi Rose Tea has the added benefit of helping you to relax, and de-stress...to get you in the mood for romance! It is easy to make your own blend of rose tea with dried rose petals, or dried rosebuds, steeped in hot water. Sound ("Sabda" in Sanskrit) Sounds have a profound effect on the body. Studies have shown that sounds can open up our inner pharmacy and balance our physiology. They can help us to be healthier, and to generally feel better. What sound do roses make? They're silent. Sweet and soft. Whisper sweet nothings to your loved one. Play soft, sweet music. Dance with the rose between your teeth, let your body move to the rhythm, breathe gently into your partner's ear. Sight ("Rupa" in Sanskrit) For romance, it's all about lighting. Think pink -- use rose-colored light bulbs, so you naturally see things more rosy! Dine by candlelight. Spread rose petals on the table. Make a trail of rose petals that leads to a surprise. Do a few Bollywood shimmies, put on a show. Look into each other's eyes until you get lost. Feel the intense connection that you create. More on Sex
 
Slow US Climate Legislation May Affect Global Treaty Top
BONN, Germany — The United States may miss a December deadline for committing to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, but that should not block an international agreement on global warming, the chief U.S. negotiator said Wednesday. Specific pledges by industrial countries to cut carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for climate change is a key element of a U.N. treaty being negotiated by 190 nations. The talks are due to be completed at a major conference in Copenhagen before the end of the year. But Jonathan Pershing, the deputy special envoy for climate change, said U.S. climate change legislation may not be completed by then, making it impossible for U.S. negotiators to present a final number for the Copenhagen agreement. "We will work like crazy to get it together, and we will push enormously to have legislation," Pershing told The Associated Press. "But it does not block a deal. You can have a deal without having the legislation." The first stage in the lengthy legislative process was completed last month when a congressional committee passed a climate bill, which must go to the full House of Representatives for approval. A parallel bill must go through several Senate committees, be passed on the Senate floor and then be reconciled with the House bill. The process could easily spill into next year _ well after Copenhagen. That means only a partial agreement might be crafted in the Danish capital, Pershing said. "It might mean that you have a framework in place as opposed to absolute numbers. Those numbers may come a bit later," he said. "It may mean that you set all the parameters and come back six months later when there is legislation," he said in an interview during another round of U.N. talks in this German city. Other countries have said they will make no firm commitments until they know what the U.S. will do. The European Union has pledged to cut its emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, but said it could increase that figure to 30 percent depending on U.S. plans. Developing countries also are reluctant to spell out specific programs for fighting climate change without a clear understanding of the package coming from the industrial states, including financial aid. The Copenhagen deal will succeed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which required 37 countries to cut carbon emissions by a total 5 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. The U.S. rejected Kyoto, saying it was imbalanced because it made no demands on rapidly expanding developing countries. China has since overtaken the U.S. as the world's largest polluter. In the new accord, developing countries demand that the industrial countries reduce emissions by at least 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. Some countries say that figure should be as high as 45 percent to avoid regular catastrophic climate events like severe drought and storms, disastrous changes in rainfall and water availability, and sea level rises threatening coastal areas. Pershing said other crucial elements of the Copenhagen accord can be sealed that do not depend on emission reduction targets, such as financing to help poor countries adapt to climate change. The U.S. delegation has been lobbying to shift the focus to long-term targets rather than emphasizing a 2020 goal _ it is lagging behind other countries because it did little during the eight years of the Bush administration to cut emissions. But the EU rejects that line of reasoning, saying actions geared toward 2020 are within the life span of current leaders and governments. By 2050 "we'll all be dead," said Artur Runge-Metzger of the European Commission. The Obama administration has pledged to cut emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and by 83 percent by mid-century. Starting now, it says, U.S. actions to limit pollution will match the EU. Pershing indicated he thought some countries were using the issue of targets as a means to squeeze the U.S. on other issues, which he did not specify. "I'm not clear at all the debate is about the numbers. I think the debate is around perception, and around optics," he said. More on Climate Change
 
Clinton To China: Tiananmen Should Be Acknowledged Top
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to publicly account for those killed in the suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests 20 years ago. More on China
 
Arabic Newspaper Headlines Divided On Obama (SLIDESHOW) Top
President Obama is in Cairo, Egypt, to give his first speech in the Middle East on Thursday. One question has driven pre-speech debate: how will Obama be received by the Muslim world? Arabic newspapers, which offer some indication of people's expectations, are largely divided on the issue. HuffPost Eyes and Ears reporter Mohamed Elshahed photographed and translated the day's top Arabic headlines from Cairo, which include: "America makes up with Muslim world from Cairo," "End American Bias Towards Israel," "Obama to Muslims of The World: I Speak to You From Cairo," "Don't Ignore Human Rights, But Don't Interfere With Internal Politics." Are you in Egypt? Grab your camera and document how the public is reacting to Obama's visit. Also, send us your photos of security preparations, Obama paraphernalia and rallies. Capture the images of how people are celebrating or protesting Obama's trip. Send your photos to ee@huffingtonpost.com with OBAMA CAIRO in the subject line. Include your name and where you are from. Be sure to crop all photos to 550 x 400,150 resolution--if you can-- and include captions explaining the photographic content. Sign up here to participate in other HuffPost World projects. More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
Ellie Drake: Introducing BraveHeartView.com: Change the Channel to Find Inspiration in Only 10 Minutes! Top
Raise your hand if you spend too much time in front of the TV -- yes, many of us are guilty of wasting a half hour here and there on a mindless sitcom, or maybe you were sucked into a made-for-TV drama last weekend. I'm not here to critique anyone's idea of entertainment. But get ready -- we're about to change the way you think about television.   I'm so proud to announce the launch of 'A BraveHeart View'. We're bringing together some of the best television personalities and influential TV hosts for a free online professional television show. Think of it as conscious television on the Internet: empowered programming designed to energize, entertain, educate, and inspire you. Topics range from recession-proof business strategies to empowerment, change, women, and much more! You'll be able to watch some of the best experts in their particular fields as special guests. Most importantly, you'll get a more conscious view of many personal, professional, and global topics we all face and share in our world today.    So who's participating in 'A BraveHeart View'?   Our hosts consist of celebrities and influential women... Women such as:       * Oscar Nominated Actress and Author: Mariel Hemingway     * World Champion Ballroom Dancer: Karina Smirnoff     * Star of Celebrity Apprentice: Claudia Jordan     * Host of syndicated talk show Rolanda: Rolanda Watts     * Broadway actress and author: Ellia English     * And myself... Ellie Drake   So far, some guests have been:       * Business Strategies and Marketing Legend: Jay Abraham     * Top female copywriter: Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero     * The Pied Piper of social media: Marie Smith     * World renowned voice coach: Arthur Joseph    Shows will air 4 times a week. Not only can you watch this great programming for free, but you can access it from anywhere, at anytime -- you just need a broadband connection. Forget about the TiVO or DVR. The full scope of BraveHeart View programming is right at your fingertips, to watch and re-watch at your convenience.   So, how does it work? Simply sign in for free to start watching. You'll not only get instant access to a wide range of inspired programming, but you'll be able to join 'after the show' online discussions and access special resources and information from our guests. Far from passive entertainment, 'A BraveHeart View' is looking for each of you to participate, share your own unique BraveHeart View, and connect with others who care just as deeply about a topic as you do.   Because after all, the BraveHeart network is about conversation, community, collaboration, and compassion. And we all want to inspire and become inspired.   Stay tuned, and we look forward to connecting with each and every one of you. www.BraveHeartView.com  
 
Mohammed Sohail On Robbery Turned Act Of Charity (VIDEO) Top
Media Monitor Chad Capellman flags the clip, below, of Shepard Smith, conducting a very touching interview with Mohammed Sohail, the Long Island shopkeeper who, locked in confrontation with a bat-wielding robber, steered the situation to a remarkable conclusion : Sohail, who moved to the United States from Pakistan about 20 years ago, said he was getting ready to close his store shortly after midnight on May 21 when the man in his 40s entered with a bat in his hand. Sohail said he tried to stall for a moment and then grabbed a rifle he keeps behind the counter and ordered the assailant to drop the bat. The would-be thief dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness, Sohail said. "He started crying that he was out of work and was trying to feed his hungry family," he said. "I felt bad for him. I mean, this wasn't some kid." He said he tossed $40 to the man, who then stood up and told Sohail he was inspired by the act of mercy and wanted to become a fellow Muslim. Sohail said he led the man in a profession of Muslim faith and the two ended up shaking hands. I have a distinct memory, during inauguration weekend, of hearing President Barack Obama speak of the need for a "new age of responsibility," and thinking to myself how fortunate it was to have on hand a man who had really, truly served as a model for the whole concept of responsibility. And, no disrespect, but I'm not talking about the President. Rather, I am referring to Captain Chesley Sullenberger, the almost improbably ethical pilot who demonstrated not just heroism in the way he landed his malfunctioning plane on the Hudson River, but a soup-to-nuts sense of responsibility that extended all the way to informing his library that a book he had borrowed had been lost . You know...in the plane, on the Hudson River. And since then, at a time when we needed to be reminded of the value of self-sacrifice, we got Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama . And today, at a time when we are engaged in an attempt to forge a new and hopeful conversation with the Muslim world -- and once again locked in a P.R. war with Osama bin Laden -- we have Sohail, demonstrating that his values are constructive, quintessentially American, and, when lived to the fullest, capable of inspiration. At times of need, our tendency is always to look to our leaders for guidance. But for my money, I'm more thankful for the examples set by those among us who didn't seek our approval or campaign for election before choosing to act. I think this is probably the way America is supposed to be. [WATCH.] PREVIOUSLY, on the HUFFINGTON POST: Kamran Pasha: A Muslim Shopkeeper, A Robber, and the Power of Faith [Would you like to follow me on Twitter ? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here .] Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter! More on Video
 
Good Places To Lunch In Midtown Manhattan? Here's An Answer Top
 
Don McNay: What Have Happens if Your Car Blows Up? Top
I know I'll never forget that horrible sight, I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right. Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve. - Jan and Dean Dead Man's Curve was a song about hot rod drivers. Not all accidents are caused by driver error. Some cars are not designed or manufactured properly. Ford Pinto's had exploding gas tanks. Over the years there have been a several cars with serious defects. People have died or been severely injured. If you are driving a defective Chrysler, the bankruptcy courts have two words for you: Drop Dead. It looks like the courts is going to tell General Motors drivers the same thing. I have a friend who is paralyzed for life because of a defective seat belt. Her medical bills are well over $100,000 a year. Another friend had three family members die because of a faulty gas tank. The accidents happened several years ago. They went to court and won. If it happened today, they wouldn't receive a penny. We don't know how many defective cars are on the road. You don't know if you seat belt is defective unless you have been in an accident. Many times, like in the Ford Pinto case, it takes years to figure out the problem. I've also wondered if companies do what Ed Norton's character in Fight Club did: quietly pay claims instead of fixing car defects. If Chrysler had been using Norton's business style, they just won the lottery. They can get out of billions of dollars in damages. If your seat belt doesn't work on your Chrysler, you are out of luck. If your Jeep rolls over and your are paralyzed, you are out of luck too. It looks like those driving GM cars are going to suffer a similar fate. There are a lot of potential claims on the road. According to a Securities and Exchange Commission Filing, General Motors paid $1.1 billion in products liability claims in 2007 and $921 million in 2008. Chrysler didn't go out of business. It will be owned by Fiat. Somehow Fiat wiggled out responsibility for Chrysler's actions. The United States government gave its blessing to the deal. General Motors is owned by the taxpayers of the United States of America. As part owner of the new General Motors, I'm unhappy about putting the screws to injured people. Chrysler and General Motors have deluded us into bailing them out with the pretense that they will be making cars that we want to buy. How many people are going to buy a Chrysler or GM car that doesn't own up to its errors? They can buy a Ford, Toyota or Honda whose company will pay when they make a mistake. Hyundai has been helped by a marketing campaign which allows someone to return the car if they lose their job. Hyundai has another edge now. If the car blows up, they will compensate the victims. You can't say that about a Chrysler or a Buick. We've spent billions paying for the mistakes that GM and Chrysler executives have made. If a GM or Chrysler automobile maims or kills someone, we need to pay for those mistakes too. Don McNay, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, CSSC is the founder of McNay Settlement Group, a structured settlement consulting firm, in Richmond, Kentucky. He is the author of Son of a Son of a Gambler: Winners, Losers and What to Do When You When The Lottery. You can write to Don at don@donmcnay.com or read his award winning, syndicated column at www.donmcnay.com. He is a frequent guest on television and radio talk shows. McNay is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table. More on Bankruptcy
 
Study: Companies Need To Disclose More Climate Risks Top
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Federal regulators have not done enough to ensure that shareholders are aware of material risks to companies from greenhouse gas emissions, according to a pair of studies released Wednesday by environmental and investor groups. Congress is now debating legislation that would require a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020 and 83 percent reduction by mid-century. Investors need more information about which companies may face greater costs not only because of those laws, but because of potential climate change, according to Ceres and the Investor Network on Climate Risk, a group of 80 institutional investors with $7 trillion in assets. "What an investor is looking for is adequate information to make smart decisions," said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres. In a study of 100 global companies in the electric business, coal, oil and gas, transportation and insurance, found 59 made no mention of greenhouse gas emissions in 2008; 28 had no discussion of climate-related risks; and 52 did not disclose actions for addressing climate-related business challenges, according to Ceres and the Environmental Defense Fund. Companies say such disclosure is not required and there is no way that they can warn of such risks if they do not know what they are. Columbus-based American Electric Power, one of the nation's largest power generators that relies on coal to make two-thirds of its electricity, received a rating of "poor" in two of three categories of the study and "limited" in the third. "There are so many hypotheticals that you have to throw into the assumptions that I'm not sure how valid detailed cost reporting would be," said company spokesman Pat Hemlepp. AEP, in one of its filings, devotes three pages to the potential regulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases. The company discloses its emissions of greenhouses gas, what it is doing to control them and its stance on legislation. "We expect that GHG emissions, including those associated with the operation of our fossil-fueled generating plants, will be limited by law or regulation in the future. The manner or timing of any such limitations cannot be predicted," the filing said. The issue of material risk from climate change is pending before the SEC. The groups that released the studies argue more disclosure should not be limited to utilities or other companies that would be affected by the legislation. The second study, which also involved the Center for Energy and Environmental Security, looked at more than 6,000 SEC filings by companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index from 1995 to 2008, and found modest improvements in climate risk disclosure since 1995. Lubber said it is up to the SEC to ensure that companies provide more related information to investors. "It is hit and miss in terms of disclosure, and that's the problem," she said. More on Climate Change
 
U.S. To Unveil Regulatory Reform Plan June 17: Reuters Top
The Obama administration plans to unveil on June 17 its sweeping plan to overhaul financial regulation, according to a source familiar with thinking at the U.S. Treasury Department.
 
Remembering Tiananmen Square (SLIDESHOW) Top
Twenty years ago, a lone young man blocked the path of Chinese military tanks attempting to interrupt protests in China's Tiananmen Square. Today, China has largely erased the scene from its national memory, but around the world, people remember the courage of the anonymous protester, often called the Tank Man . For a time line of the events leading up to the killings that shocked the world, check out this slideshow: More on China
 
Ted Johnson, Maegan Carberry, Teresa Valdez Klein: Does The Sotomayor Nomination Spell "No Mas" for GOP Latino Outreach? Top
As the SCOTUS nomination of Sonia Sotomayor continues to dominate the news cycle, CNN's Leslie Sanchez joins us to get right to the heart of the matter: what's up with Newt Gingrich withdrawing his "she's racist" comments? Can't the guy just stand up for what he believes? But seriously, how many controversies does Sotomayor need to go through just to get on the Supreme Court? Any errors on her tax returns? Let's just check to make sure, okay? Sanchez, a Republican strategist and former advisor to President George W. Bush, gives us some serious thoughts about the historic nature of Sotomayor's nomination to the Latino community, how the GOP can talk about identity politics without turning people off, and how it's actually President Obama who made this nomination all about race and ethnicity when he spoke so glowingly of her empathy and background. She also addresses the relevancy of those comments about a "wise Latina" - it is justice for all, without favoring one group over another. The second big story of the last week is Doctor George Tiller, the Kansas-based abortion doctor who was killed in his own church by an anti-abortion activist. A devastating story all around, Sanchez speaks to the controversy over how certain media pipelines push angry vitriol against figures like Tiller and how that can lead to violence. Finally, Sanchez weighs in on former VP Dick Cheney's thoughts on gay marriage. Does this mark a point of moderation for the GOP on the issue or is this fight just going to get worse? And how do Latino voters enter into the equation? Listen to the show here , subscribe to the iTunes podcast , or use the Blog Talk Radio player: Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein ( www.teresacentric.com ), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry ( www.maegancarberry.com ). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com. More on Sonia Sotomayor
 
Mirette F. Mabrouk: Obama Faces Almost Impossible Task: How to Please Everyone, All the Time Top
I can't help feeling sorry for Barack Obama. It must awful, being the Boy Wonder. Everyone wants something and human nature being what it is, it's likely that people will want different things. It's a recipe for sure disappointment. Take his upcoming speech in Cairo, Egypt. This is being billed as the summer's big attraction -- Obama addressing the Arab and Muslim world. His opportunity to roll back, with one clever, rousing speech, all the damage that had been laid down with such care and dedication by the Bush Administration over the past eight years. The problem is, it's an almost impossible task. When he takes the podium at Cairo University, there are going to be so many elephants in the room he might have difficulty getting to the mike. For a start, not all Muslims are happy to be addressed from Egypt -- too many people feel that the words "Arab" and "Muslim" are synonymous. As a matter of fact, Arabs represent only about 300 million of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims. That said, Egypt represents the seat of (overwhelmingly) Muslim-majority Sunni Islam and despite several bumps along the road, is still the cultural and political leader of the Arab world. And of course, despite that fact that Muslims are spread across every part of the globe except for the poles, there are some major concerns in common. The issue of Palestine has been a traditional common unifier. Regardless of how a Muslim-majority country feels about Israel -- certainly not all of them are antagonistic towards the state -- there is agreement on the fact that the suffering of the Palestinians must come to an end. There has always been a suspicion that the U.S was more prone to take Israel's side in the discussion, but the previous administration couldn't have hammered the point home more if they'd used a pneumatic drill. The term "honest broker" is an open joke in the Arab world. Obama is going to have to try and convince his listeners that the U.S. truly is interested in the "fair and just peace" that is being bandied about in speeches. He will be addressing an audience that is suffering from economic hardship, unemployment, and a bone-weary conviction that much of the world -- and the U.S. in particular -- has it in for them because of the religion they adhere to. He's also going to have to convince some of his listeners that the U.S. is not oblivious to their need for democratic and political reform and demands for basic human rights. In fact, he's going to have to go one further and not only indicate that the U.S. will support those demands, he'll also have to mention how it intends to do it. The largest problem for Obama is that he will be addressing two distinct audiences, whose needs are sometimes mutually exclusive; the people of the region and the governments of the region. The people feel strongly that America has propped up undemocratic regimes in the region for its own ends and there is widespread concern that previous demands for regional regimes to institute democratic reform will dropped. I can't speak for the governments, but one can only assume that after generations of having fulfilled their end of the propping-up bargain, suddenly being asked to step aside for a democratic process seems, at best, rather rude. There is one thing that both governments and people have in common, however, and particularly in Egypt. Neither of them likes being told what to do by a foreigner, so the former administration's ham-fisted version of all-stick, no-carrot foreign diplomacy isn't going to work. It will be difficult for Obama to give a speech in Cairo mentioning the imperative need for human rights and democratic reform without appearing to insult the host government. He simply will not be able to without recalling his less-than-diplomatic (and less-than-successful) predecessor. However, his not doing so will strip him of credibility with the people. It's a minefield he will have to pick his way through very, very carefully. Perhaps the best thing, the smartest thing, to do is say a few things. The first would be to reassure his listeners that the U.S. is well aware of how difficult it has become to be an Arab or a Muslim in today's political arena. The second would be that America is finally through with merely paying lip-service to the idea that a just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian impasse is in everyone's interests and that it will strive to help attain this resolution. Regardless of how unpopular this will make it with the Israel lobby back home. Thirdly, he needs to say that he is well aware of regional needs for democratic reform and human rights and the U.S. stands ready and willing to help develop them, as its people see fit. Whether such help is in form of financial aid or technical aid is open to discussion -- with the region's people. And finally, he's going to have to convince his listeners that America is not merely the biggest bully in the school yard. It's important that he does, because ultimately, it's very much in the American's interests. The world has become too small a place for such a thing as regional disagreements. The smallest ripple will be felt halfway across the world in the time that it takes to spread discontent and a feeling of injustice. It does the U.S. no good to have the world's Muslim-majority countries mired in economic, political and democratic quagmires and be able -- however irrationally -- to point a finger at the U.S. as a reason for it. Obama has much going for him -- in a recent poll in six Arab countries, 73 percent felt positive or neutral towards him. People want to him to do well. He shouldn't waste the opportunity. When he takes the podium at Cairo University, he's going to need to convince his listeners that he knows what they want -- they just need to give him a little time to deliver. Mirette F. Mabrouk is a Visiting Fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. More on Barack Obama
 
Baby Freaks Out Over Adam Lambert (VIDEO) Top
15-month-old Paisley is a huge Adam Lambert fan. So much so that she screams "AAAAA-DUM, AAAAA-DUM" when she can't figure out how to make videos of him play on her mom's cell phone. I feel old. WATCH: More on Funny Videos
 
Koko Taylor, Legendary Blues Singer, Dies At 80 Top
Blues legend Koko Taylor died Wednesday afternoon in Chicago from complications related to a May 19 surgery to correct a gastrointestinal bleed, according to her longtime record label, Alligator Records . She was 80. The label has a lengthy obituary of the Chicago-based "Queen of the Blues," whose four-decade career began with the seminal Chess Records and included eight Grammy nominations, a NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, induction into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and numerous other music, heritage and city accolades. Taylor's final performance was on May 7 at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis. She performed what had become her signature song, "Wang Dang Doodle." Listen to Taylor perform "Wang Dang Doodle" in 2008:
 
Obama Wears Same Tie To Meet Netanyahu And King Abdullah: Coincidence Or Sartorial Diplomacy? (PHOTOS, POLL) Top
All eyes were on President Obama today as he met with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah , but it took an eagle-eyed tipster on Capitol Hill to point out the real news story: Apparently Obama was wearing the same tie he wore while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 18th. Is his neck wear choice a mere coincidence or an act of sartorial diplomacy? See the pictures then vote in our poll. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 18th: With Saudi King Abdullah on June 3rd: More on Saudi Arabia
 
Obama's Mideast Trip: Follow It Live On Twitter Top
Check out the Twitter module below to see the latest tweets from reporters traveling with President Obama on his Mideast trip. He is going to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France and Germany. Get HuffPost World On Facebook and Twitter! More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
Obama Finishes 'Very Candid' Speech To Middle East Top
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- In his latest push for an open dialogue with the Muslim world, President Barack Obama on Wednesday sought the counsel of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and put the finishing touches on a highly anticipated speech about United States' relationship with followers of Islam. The president travels to Egypt on Thursday to deliver the address that aides say will encourage a stronger partnership between Americans and Muslims while touching on a broad range of hot-button issues, including violent extremism, the threat of a nuclear Iran, and efforts to root out suspected terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Aides say Obama also will acknowledge that the Isreali-Palestinan conflict has been an important source of tension and passion while voicing his views on what all sides need to do to end the standoff. In a briefing for reporters, Obama speechwriter Ben Rhodes offered a preview of the address: The President really sees this as an opportunity to continue a dialogue he's had since his inauguration -- you saw that in his Al Arabiya interview, in his Nowruz message, in his speech in Turkey, among other things -- to really start a new chapter of engagement between the United States and Muslim world. Now, the foundation of that engagement as he sees it is the ability to engage each other on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interests. And in that light, he feels it's important to speak very openly and candidly about the very full range of issues that have caused some tensions between the United States and the Muslim world, and then also present a great deal of opportunity for partnership in the future. To begin with, I think he'll take on directly some of the misperceptions that may have emerged as well as some of the differences that have emerged. I think he'll acknowledge the need for us to get to know each other better. As he has said, he'll, for instance, discuss the relationship between Islam and America within America, particularly in light of the contributions of American Muslims. But then what he will do is really go through in a very thorough way a broad range of issues that have been at the forefront of the agenda: violent extremism and the threat that it poses, and what America has done in response; the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan and what we're doing there, and what we hope to do in the future in partnership with Afghans and Pakistanis. He'll discuss Iraq, both what we have done there and what we are doing in the future, again, to transition to Iraqi responsibility for Iraq. He'll discuss of course the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the broader Arab-Israeli issue, and acknowledging the fact that this has been a very important source of tension and passion for people of all faiths within this region and around the world, and he will discuss in some detail his view of the conflict and what needs to be done to resolve it. He will discuss both what that means in terms of Israelis and Palestinians and the United States and the Arab states, as well. Then there's a broader set of issues that have also been -- or presented both causes for tension in the past but partnership in the future that have to do with areas such as democracy, human rights, and related issues to that. And so I think you'll see a forthright discussion in those areas. And finally, though, the President is very committed to the positive partnerships that can be developed not just on the issues that I just discussed, where he thinks there's actually a very broader convergence of interests than has often been acknowledged or is often reflected in the debate, but also on issues that really matter in people's lives, in terms of economic development, in terms of education, in terms of health, in terms of science and technology; and the fact that as he said in Turkey, this can't just be what we're against; it has to be what we're for and what we can do together. And I think you'll see some concrete steps towards developing partnerships in these areas so that we can deepen engagement between the United States and Muslim communities, and point towards opportunity for all of our people. Before heading to Cairo, Obama opened his Mideast trip with a visit to Abdullah, the monarch of a country that's home to Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina. "The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship," Obama said as he visited the monarch's desert horse farm. The U.S. president called Abdullah wise and gracious, adding: "I am confident that working together that the United States and Saudi Arabia can make progress on a whole host of issues of mutual interest." In turn, Abdullah expressed his "best wishes to the friendly American people who are represented by a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position." Earlier, the king greeted Obama at Riyadh's main airport with a ceremony when the new U.S. president arrived after an overnight flight from Washington. Each country's national anthem was played, the Saudi national guard was on hand and there was a 21-gun salute. Obama and Abdullah then sat together in gilded chairs, sipped cardamom-flavored Arabic coffee and chatted briefly in public before retreating to hold private talks. Around the same time Air Force One touched down in the country, pan-Arab Al-Jazeera Television broadcast a new audio tape from Osama bin Laden in which he threatened Americans and said Obama inflamed hatred toward the U.S. by ordering Pakistan to crack down on militants in Swat Valley and block Islamic law there. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed the recording, saying: "I don't think it's surprising that al Qaida would want to shift attention away from the president's historic efforts and continued efforts to reach out and have an open dialogue with the Muslim world." With Abdullah alongside him, Obama told reporters: "I thought it was very important to come to the place where Islam began and to seek his majesty's counsel and to discuss with him many of the issues that we confront here in the Middle East." In Riyadh, the president was talking to Abdullah about a host of thorny problems, from Arab-Israeli peace efforts to Iran's nuclear program. The surge in oil prices also was on the agenda. And, Obama also was looking for help from Saudi Arabia on what to do with some 100 Yemeni detainees locked up in the Guantanamo Bay prison. The Obama administration has been negotiating with Saudi Arabia and Yemen for months to send them to Saudi terrorist rehabilitation centers. During a pre-trip interview with the BBC, Obama set the tone for his swing through the Middle East, saying: "What we want to do is open a dialogue." In Cairo, Obama is set to deliver the speech that he's been promising since last year's election campaign _ aiming to set a new tone in America's often-strained dealings with the world's 1.5 billion Muslims. Many of those Muslims still smolder over Iraq, Guantanamo and unflinching U.S. support of Israel, but they are hoping the son of a Kenyan Muslim who lived part of his childhood in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, can help chart a new course. Aides cautioned that Obama was not out to break new policy ground in his Cairo speech, which follows visits to Turkey and Iraq in April and a series of outreach efforts including a Persian New Year video and a student town hall in Istanbul. And they said the president is not expecting quick results, even though the speech will be distributed as widely as possible. Officials said Obama also wouldn't flinch from difficult topics, whether it's the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, the goal of a Palestinian state or democracy and human rights. Obama has been criticized for setting the address in Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak has jailed dissidents and clung to power for nearly three decades. The White House is going to extraordinary lengths to make sure the speech is heard throughout the Muslim world. Gibbs said the speech will be posted on the White House Web site, along with links to fully translated transcripts in 13 languages. He said it also will be posted on social networking Web sites like Facebook, My Space and Twitter. In addition, Gibbs said the State Department is registering callers from around the world who want to receive text messages about speech while it's being delivered and provide feedback, which will be posted on the department's Web site. More on Saudi Arabia
 
Dan Dorfman: Calling All Stock Market Gluttons Top
Here's one for Ripley. Given all the flashing economic red lights and the dangerous financial and geopolitical uncertainties that abound, the last thing any of us might expect, including me, is for bloodied and worried investors to suddenly rush headlong into the stock market. Wrong, says veteran San Francisco money manager Gary Wollin, who expects a "buying panic" -- a veritable flood of new stock purchases -- to kick off any day now and push the equity market appreciably higher. The 69-year-old Wollin, who manages a tad over $100 million of assets under the banner Gary Wollin & Co., believes the tide has turned, what with the economy bottoming and the market even going up now on bad news, such as the General Motors bankruptcy, rising unemployment and the missile firings by North Korea. Call it, he says, referring to his projected buying panic, "pre-July 4th fireworks in the stock market that most investors will love," a good part of which, he believes, will be set off by lots of money on the sidelines -- notably nearly $3.8 trillion currently housed in retail and institutional money-market funds. Such a buying binge would represent a major turnabout from four months ago, around March 9 to be precise, when the stock market was plummeting and the Dow Industrials were trading at a recent low of 6,547, down more than 7,500 points from their record high of 14,164 in October 2007. Understandably, Wall Street was rife with fear at the time, so much so that there was talk of an impending selling panic that could send the Dow skidding even further to the 5,000 level. However, with the market having since gone on a romp, rocketing to nearly 8,800 on the growing belief that the worst of the recession is behind us, Street speculation of a selling panic has just about disappeared. Wollin's projected buying panic calls for the Dow to jump to the 9,500-10,000 range before July 4. "You can't just wish for it; it has to be fueled," he says. To trigger this panic, he says, we're going to need at least some mildly significant good news and see the market spiking (via several days of triple-digit gains in the Dow) on heavy volume. As potential news catalysts, he points to: A clear-cut, no-hedged statement by a highly credible figure -- not Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner -- that the economy is clearly bottoming. A comment from some big name in Corporate America, such as an IBM or Intel, that orders are picking up, which, in turn, would enable companies to raise prices and beef up shrinking profit margins. A disclosure from a large bank that it has plenty of capital and is actually lending again in a meaningful fashion. A sign that the rising level of job losses -- which everyone knows is headed even higher over the next several months -- could be peaking. Indications that home prices could be stabilizing and foreclosures slowing. An easing of tensions with Iran or North Korea. Though not a household name, Wollin should not be written off as a dreamer who is out of touch with reality. He's made some excellent market calls. Among them, he turned bearish on November 30, 2007, with the Dow at 13,371. That was a little early, what with the Dow subsequently rising another 793 points. But then, the Dow fell 7,617 points to its March low of 6,547. Before plunging to its low, though, Wollin, on March 11 of this year, turned bullish at 6,930 and he reiterated that bullish stance on April 7 with the Dow at 7,789. Since his March call, the Dow has risen more than 1,500 points. Clearly, our man seems to have a darn good crystal ball. Our bull, by the way, makes it clear that he's not oblivious to the land mines. In particular, he points to the gigantic government deficit; the risk of hyper inflation from enormous money printing; the threat of major financial failures related to commercial real estate and defaults on credit card debt, and possible geopolitical risk related to North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Venezuela. As with most money managers the past two years, Wollin's performance is nothing to write home about. Still, he's done better than the market with respective losses of 22% last year and 0.39% so far this year. Given his market exuberance, Wollin has stepped up his buying, with the emphasis on beneficiaries of a rebounding economy. In this respect, he's been focusing on transportation companies, among them Burlington Northern Industries, CSX Corp., Fedex, UPS and Genco Shipping &Trading, Ltd. Some other favorites are Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Freeport McMoRan. He's also gung-ho on Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, which, he says, belong in every quality portfolio. A word of caution when it comes to Wollin's expectations of a buying panic. There are loads of skeptics. One, a successful San Francisco hedge fund manager, who is never quoted publicly and insisted on anonymity, ridicules such a view, adding "it's a bad time to interview someone who obviously resides in Kookooland." This manager, a market bear who in recent days became net short (a bet equity prices will fall), argues stocks are absolutely no bargains as measured by per-share earnings forecasts and a bevy of inflated price-earnings multiples. He also thinks much of the market's buying power was dissipated during the recent rally. He further questions all the talk of renewed economic vigor, describing much of it as hope and sheer hype. He also expects the recent jump in the price of oil (and gas) to take a heavy toll on the consumer. "I don't live in kookooland," he says, "and everything I see, including President Obama's developing love affair with the Arab world, tells me it's only a matter of time before we retest the March lows."
 
Johanna Smith: Staycations Are Here To Stay Top
The staycation, which the New York Times ' Michael Wilson described last summer as "the absolute cutting edge of the cultural buzz saw" seems like it's, well, here to stay. Despite the significant drop in gas prices, the generally abysmal nature of the economy will likely preclude most of us from jetting off to wherever to soak up the summer sun and snap up souvenirs. Luckily, though, as long as you firmly resist the urge to curl up in front of your television and bask in the air conditioning, you're sure to have a memorable time taking a few days off while staying put. The most common mistake that people make while staying home during vacation is treating the time as though it were an elongated weekend -- doing laundry, going to the park, dashing off to bbqs... all of which can be highly pleasurable activities (well, minus the laundry), but which together result in something of a slurry of routine. I would highly recommend stepping outside of your weekend routine -- if only for a few days -- in order to feel as though you have truly taken time off. For Anna Dubenko, 23, a web editor who lives in the Bronx, exploring an unknown area of your city or town is key. "Go someplace where you need a map," she said. "And ask a local where their favorite 'secret spot' is." When pressed for her favorite hide-away in her borough, Dubenko suggested Wave Hill , a 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades. "It's pretty sweet," she said. If traipsing out to the nether-corners of your city to explore an ethnic enclave or beautiful park doesn't really appeal, you might instead consider revisiting local iconic cultural landmarks. Your perspective on places like Ellis Island or the Griffith Observatory might well have changed since your last visit however many years go. Or it could be that you never in fact made it to the top of the Empire State Building because it wasn't high on your list of priorities when you first moved to New York. Plus, tourist-laden locales often provide quality people-watching opportunities. Take advantage of the best parts of staying at home -- being able to sleep in your own bed and not having to pack your clothes and cosmetics into hermetically sealed plastic bags -- while pushing yourself beyond your typical habits or comfort zone. Instead of ordering in from your favorite Chinese place, why not venture to a more authentic Malaysian place across town? Some of the most enjoyable parts of vacation are also the simplest. So if you stop by a museum to take in an exhibition you've been meaning to see for ages, stock up on postcards to send off to your friends. And if you wind up at a local tourist's venue, by all means, take pictures. The current vogue for service-related holidays might inspire you to volunteer at a local soup kitchen or even a community garden for all or part of your time off. Don't scrimp on the souvenirs, either. Jump over to Kiosk , a brilliant website (and store in SoHo) which curates a wide range of mostly inexpensive products sourced from all over the world that are notable for their straightforward beauty and arranged in country-themed exhibits. Currently, they are showcasing unusual American goods, from elixir-like Floridian sugar cane syrup to fairly all-purpose polka- dotted vinyl tape . More on Happiness
 
Easy Green Changes You Can Make With Your Roommates Top
If your household is already one that has weekly or monthly meetings, than putting a discussion of water and energy use on the docket won't be so difficult. But if this is a new thing for your roomies, you'll probably have to finagle your roommates and/or family members into showing up. Tell them it's a meeting about saving money. And don't forget to provide eco-friendly snacks for all. More on Green Living
 
Reyne Haines: Garage Sale Enthusiast Finds Hidden Treasure Top
Even in a recession, we still hear about high prices achieved at auction for desirable antiques and collectibles. This held true recently at an auction in Asheville, NC. Brunk Auctions http://www.brunkauctions.com had a wonderful array of antiques and fine art up for bid in their May 9-10th sale. One of the items in the sale was a pretty porcelain vase, thought to be a reproduction of a Quianlong Dynasty (circa 1736-1795) Famille Rose vase. It was expected to bring about $800. It's owner would have certainly been thrilled with that price, as she acquired it at a garage sale in Florida several years back. For those of you that are not garage sale savvy, this means she paid probably less than $10.00 for it. The bidding opened at a surprising $2,000 and soared from there. Once the bidding reached the $1,000,000 mark, the auctioneer, Robert Brunk asked "What's the next number?" The bidders that day determined the value of said vase to be....$1,075,000 People, it's garage sale season. Pull out the classifieds, and get shopping!
 
Bouncer Guilty of Raping, Murdering 24-Year-Old Grad Student Top
A jury took less than seven hours Wednesday to convict ex-con bar bouncer Darryl Littlejohn of the 2006 rape and first-degree murder of grad student Imette St. Guillen.
 
Judge Cracks Down On Drew Peterson's Jailhouse Calls, Interviews Top
JOLIET, Ill. — A judge is making it tougher for Drew Peterson to talk to the media from jail. Will County Judge Stephen White ordered Peterson's lawyers on Wednesday to give him phone numbers of family, friends and attorneys that Peterson calls. Peterson has to notify the jail if he wants to call anyone else. The judge's order comes after Peterson called a radio show from jail. White also wants to be notified on all interviews and press releases, and he ordered the names of witnesses and potential witnesses be sealed. Peterson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his third wife Kathleen Savio. He's also a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy. White set the trial date for August.
 
ProPublica: The Future of Natural Gas Drilling Top
by Abrahm Lustgarten , ProPublica Tomorrow a House Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee will hold its first hearing of 2009 on controversial issues related to the burgeoning natural gas drilling industry, which ProPublica has been covering for the last year. The committee is expected to grill a handful of state regulators and industry representatives about the environmental risks of drilling for shale gas and about the use of hydraulic fracturing , a process where water and chemicals are pumped underground at high pressure. That fracturing process was exempted from federal environmental oversight in 2005 and now – amidst emerging evidence that it is damaging water resources across the country – Congress is preparing legislation that would reverse the exemptions and require the industry to identify the toxic chemicals it pumps underground. Last week ProPublica wrote in detail about that political effort . Before the subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources could convene its quorum, the American Petroleum Institute gathered reporters for a conference call to explain why it is prepared to fight such legislation to the grave. Natural gas is the key to the country’s energy independence, representatives of the trade and lobbying group said, adding unequivocally that hydraulic fracturing is the critical process required to get those resources. The Institute says state regulations are sufficient to keep water supplies safe, and that returning authority to the Environmental Protection Agency – which the bill being written by Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette would do – amounts to a cumbersome additional layer of regulation. The API repeatedly referenced a recent study claiming that federal oversight of the drilling process would cost the industry more than $100,000 per new well and threatened that thousands of jobs will be lost if tougher regulation is passed. It maintains that fracturing has been used reliably for over 50 years, and that is a safe technology proven not to harm water. Asked what recent scientific studies support that notion, however, the Institute’s senior policy analyst, Richard Ranger, answered: "That’s a good question. I’m not aware of any." Abrahm Lustgarten is a reporter for ProPublica, America's largest investigative newsroom.
 
Gay Marriage: New Hampshire Legislature Approves Same-Sex Marriage Top
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire legislators approved a measure Wednesday that would make the state the sixth to allow gay marriage, and Gov. John Lynch said he would sign it later in the afternoon. He had promised a veto if the law didn't clearly spell out that churches and religious groups would not be forced to officiate at gay marriages or provide other services. The Senate passed the measure Wednesday, and the House _ where the outcome was more in doubt _ followed later in the day. The House gallery erupted in cheers after the 198-176 vote. "If you have no choice as to your sex, male or female; if you have no choice as to your color; if you have no choice as to your sexual orientation; then you have to be protected and given the same opportunity for life, liberty and happiness," Rep. Anthony DiFruscia, R-Windham, said during the hourlong debate. New Hampshire's law takes effect Jan. 1. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and Iowa already allow gay marriage, though Maine opponents hope to overturn that state's law with a public vote. California briefly allowed gay marriage before a public vote banned it; a court ruling grandfathered in couples who were already married. New Hampshire opponents, mainly Republicans, objected on grounds including the fragmented process that required three bills. "It is no surprise that the Legislature finally passed the last piece to the gay marriage bill today. After all, when you take 12 votes on five iterations of the same issue, you're bound to get it passed sooner or later," said Kevin Smith, executive director of gay marriage opponent Cornerstone Policy Research. Lynch, a Democrat, personally opposes gay marriage but decided to view the issue "through a broader lens." Lynch said he would veto gay marriage if the law didn't address churches and religious groups. The revised bill added a sentence specifying that all religious organizations, associations or societies have exclusive control over their religious doctrines, policies, teachings and beliefs on marriage. It also clarified that church-related organizations that serve charitable or educational purposes are exempt from having to provide insurance and other benefits to same sex spouses of employees. The earlier version said "charitable and educational" instead of "charitable or educational." The House rejected the language Lynch suggested two weeks ago by two votes. Wednesday's vote was on a revised bill negotiated with the Senate. The vote was supporters' last chance this year in New Hampshire. More on Gay Marriage
 
Indiana Governor: Empathy Can Revive Republican Party Top
WASHINGTON — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a potential 2012 presidential candidate, said Wednesday that his fellow Republicans need to work harder to show "empathy" if they want to emerge from the political doldrums. Daniels also called those on the left of the political spectrum "the meanest people in politics." Conservatives have lampooned President Barack Obama for using "empathy" to describe one of the qualities he seeks in a potential Supreme Court justice. But Daniels said "empathy" is spot on _ Obama's just misappropriated the word. "Empathy is going to get a bad name for a little while because it's been transported into the world of the rule of law," Daniels told a forum for conservatives. "It's what distinguishes us from other species." Republicans, he said, "must not only assert but assert with credibility that we understand what's going on in the lives of everyday people." Daniels spoke at "Making Conservatism Credible Again," a forum hosted by the Hudson Institute and the Bradley Foundation. Daniels used to work at the Hudson Institute. The second-term governor said conservatives would have to bide their time but that push-back on Obama and Democratic leadership is coming. In the meantime, the governor said, conservatives needed to practice humility. "We don't have to believe we have all the answers," he said. Still, Daniels said he saw reason to be optimistic. Many voters motivated by the historic nature of Obama's campaign cast their ballots as a sort of "fashion statement," he said, and will come to regret their decision when Obama's policies are enacted. Conservatives can use their time out of power to distinguish themselves from their opponents' time in the wilderness, Daniels said. "We need to accept the role of the loyal opposition much more gracefully than our opponents did," he said. "If you haven't noticed, the meanest people in politics are on the American left. We must be a friendly movement."
 
ProPublica: Budget Cuts Trim Mortgage Complaint Resources Top
by Karen Weise , ProPublica With one in eight mortgages either delinquent or in some stage of foreclosure, Georgia is at the center of the housing crisis. But as the problem grows, the state resources for consumers looking for help are shrinking. Most of the state workers handling mortgage-related complaints have been laid off. Now, just one staffer — working "more than full time" — handles all of the complaints. The rest were laid off in the fall as casualties of the state’s $2 billion budget shortfall. Previously, four staffers at the Department of Banking and Finance acted like case managers for consumers. They would guide consumers through complaint processes, reviewing documents, forwarding information to different regulatory entities and working to resolve disputes, according to Judy Newberry, deputy commissioner for legal and consumer affairs. The remaining staffer no longer has the time to help consumers throughout the complaint. Instead, he serves more as triage, providing a list of outside resources and escalating overt cases of fraud, Newberry said. In 2007, the department fielded 500 mortgage-related complaints, according to department reports. It does not know how many customers it helps now, since it no longer tracks complaints. The timing couldn’t be worse — with foreclosures rising, more and more homeowners are fighting with lenders to stay in their homes. Plus, fraud is on the rise as scam artists prey on struggling homeowners and look to exploit the new $75 billion federal program to reduce foreclosures through mortgage modifications and refinancing. In April, Attorney General Eric Holder said the FBI’s caseload of foreclosure rescue scams was up 400 percent over five years before. As the crisis grows, other states have been beefing up aid to homeowners. Arizona launched a Foreclosure Help Line last year; Nevada, Colorado and Michigan all have hotlines for consumers to get help and report fraud. Florida’s fraud hotline has fielded thousands of mortgage-related complaints in the past year.  Consumers call about both overt scams and the challenges of navigating the mortgage servicers’ bureaucracy. "Caller is very upset and crying," an operator at Florida’s Fraud Hotline noted in her log. That morning, the caller said, she paid $1,000 to someone claiming to be a debt collector and threatening her with arrest. An hour later, she dialed the hotline again. "Caller says that Wells Fargo did not turn her over to a collection agency. Wells Fargo told her that this is theft and to make sure we know about it." ProPublica is America's largest investigative newsroom.
 
GM, Chrysler Chiefs: Slashing Dealerships Was Necessary Top
WASHINGTON — The chiefs of General Motors and Chrysler told skeptical lawmakers on Wednesday they have too many dealers to support their slimmed down operations and sacrifices must be shared as they fight to overcome bankruptcy and survive. They acknowledged that slashing dealerships is causing pain in communities around the country. "This is our last chance to get it right," GM President Fritz Henderson told the Senate Commerce Committee. He said these were "tough times for everyone in the GM family." Chrysler President James Press told the panel his company was "working hard to achieve a soft landing" for dealers. But if underperforming dealers aren't selling cars, the company can't return to profitability, he said. Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., suggested both companies were abandoning customers and dealers, some of whose families have been in the business for decades. "I don't believe that companies should be allowed to take taxpayer funds for a bailout and then leave local dealers and their customers to fend for themselves with no real plan, no real notice and no real help," Rockefeller told the automakers. "That is just plain wrong." Those dealers "are looking into a black hole right now," while companies seem to be implying "that the dealers themselves are responsible for the companies' problems," Rockefeller said. More than 2,700 dealerships are in line to lose their franchise. Two small-town dealers invited to appear before the committee spoke of the anguish ahead. Russell Whatley, a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer in Mineral Wells, Texas, said his grandfather opened the business in 1919. "A 90-year investment is just gone," he said. He called Chrysler's actions "wasteful and devastating." Peter Lopez, a GM and Chrysler dealer in Spencer, W.Va., said he had met every financial obligation put forth by Chrysler and GM but still "they want to shut me down." "I am the face of GM and Chrysler in my town," he said."It's unbelievable how we have been treated." The executives of the struggling companies said there are too many dealers, with many representing the same company often competing with each other for sales. Auto officials claim many of the dealerships date to the 1940s and 1950s, when motorists lived farther apart and Detroit automakers led the world in sales. After hemorrhaging customers for decades and losing market share to foreign competitors, the two automakers said their companies need to scale back all their operations to become leaner and to hopefully return to profitability. Chrysler is expected to emerge from bankruptcy protection within the next few days. General Motors filed for Chapter 11 protection on Monday and its officials said they hope to be able to emerge as a new company in 60-90 days. Lawmakers argued that the dealership closings will put thousands of people out of work and offer few savings to GM or Chrysler, which have received billions in federal aid as they attempt to restructure and return to profitability. The industry, in response, says taxpayers' investment is best protected by shedding unprofitable operations and strengthening the bottom line as fast as possible. "It's not our place to change your decision," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told the auto executives. "But it is our place...to make sure that everyone is treated as well as can be in these circumstances." Rockefeller, the chairman, asked Lopez, the West Virginia Chrysler and GM dealer, it he could shut down the Chrysler part of his dealership on such short notice. He could not, Lopez replied. Then Rockefeller asked Press whether he could shut down a dealership in such a short time frame _ if the tables were reversed. The Chrysler executive began, "We're in the process of working through tough bankruptcy ..." Rockefeller told him to answer the question. "I would have to find a way to do it," Press said. Chrysler LLC has identified 789 dealerships it plans to close next week, about a quarter of the company's dealership network. Its plan has drawn fire from lawmakers because dealers received only three weeks' notice. General Motors told 1,100 dealerships it does not plan to renew their franchise agreements in late 2010 and expects to shed an additional 900 dealerships through attrition and by selling or discontinuing its Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn brands. Chrysler dealers have only until June 9 to close down. "That termination date is needed to ensure that our new dealership structure will be firmly in place at or about the time the new company is formed with Fiat, something understandably important to Fiat," Press said. Chrysler says its departing dealerships have resold or redistributed about 90 percent of their inventory and parts through a company program. But dealers being let go want the Obama administration to give them more time. "We have an eight-month supply of vehicles and only three weeks to clear them out," Whatley told the committee. GM said the dealers it's not renewing are being given until October 2010 to close. Meanwhile, a group of Republicans distressed by the Obama administration's temporary nationalization of GM is proposing that congressional approval be required before money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program is used to buy a stake in a company. The lawmakers complained that Congress had no opportunity to review the Obama administration's decision to take a 60 percent ownership of GM. "General Motors needed a real bankruptcy, not a political bankruptcy," said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. "We end up owning 60 percent of the stock and not a single vote was cast on that plan," said Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. Johanns said the amendment, which they hope to consider Thursday, would apply to any money provided after May 29. The third Detroit automaker, Ford Motor Corp., has not filed for bankruptcy protection and has not taken any federal bailout money. It has also not announced widespread dealership closings. Car dealers are a potent political force, contributing more than $9 million to federal candidates for the 2008 elections. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.
 
Alexander Kronemer: Obama's Cairo Speech: It's a Rorschach Test, But It Doesn't Have to Be Top
Tomorrow a global Rorschach inkblot test will take place. Obama will speak in Cairo. All around the world there will be cries of alarm and sighs of relief, predictions full of hope and condemnations dripping with outrage, disappointment and celebration, denunciations that the speech was too soft and accusations that it was just more of the same. The diverse reactions will have little to do with what he actually says though. It will be due to the fact that what the "Muslim World" wants and thinks remains a mystery to most people, including many Muslims who live in it. And because it remains a mystery, when people express policy prescriptions and opinions concerning it, they reveal more about themselves than shed any light on that world or their relationship with it. As long as this is the case, regardless of what Obama says, there will be continued instability, miscalculation, and danger from all sides. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. Though it will get only a fraction of the attention of tomorrow's speech, tonight at Georgetown University, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright keynotes at the World Premiere of a documentary based on a recent Gallup Poll of the Muslim World called Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think . The documentary, and the poll it is based on, draws the first comprehensive, scientifically based picture of the Muslim world and presents the actual views of Muslims on religion, democracy, the U.S., and other key issues. How did the Muslim World become the great Rorschach inkblot test of our time? Much of it has to do with end of the Cold War when people began thinking about what the world would - or rather should - look like now. To those who want the U.S. to become the hyper military power of our time, they see the Muslim world as an existential threat to Western values, similar to what Communism once was. Expect them to consider the speech as defeatist and too soft. But as the documentary points out--and the poll reveals--Muslims share and admire most of these same Western values, and want many of the same things that Americans do. To those, such as Bin Laden, who regarded the fall of the Soviet Union as the harbinger for a new, united Islamic Caliphate, the Muslim world is a moribund place needing an event like 9/11 to awaken its people and rally them around the strict Wahhabist doctrine that they believe Muslims need. Of course, the popular uprising that Bin Laden predicted and called for didn't happen (which Al-Qaeda in Iraq takes out on the Shi'ites), and the actual opinions of Muslims show why this is no surprise. Only 7% of Muslims worldwide feel that the 9/11 attacks were fully justified. Moreover, among that 7%, most support it based on secular, anti-colonial sentiments, rather than on religious grounds. In fact, among those who completely reject 9/11, religion is one of the leading reasons, prompting one of the scholars in the film to point out that Islam may be the force that ultimately defeats Bin Ladenism. To those in the U.S. who yearn for a more isolationist path, the Muslim world is too irrational to deal with, and Obama's engagement will seem dangerous. To those who feel the U.S. is to blame for all the problems, the Muslim world is simply misunderstood, and Obama's speech will leave them wanting more and feeling disappointed. But as the documentary shows, both of these are also caricatures of a complicated reality that we can now understand using the polling data. To be clear, it isn't just one big misunderstanding. There are important differences between the West and the Muslim Worlds, but they aren't based on irrationalities or religion. They are primarily due to divergent national interests as represented by our policies. This is not to say that we should change our policies to suit the national interests of others, but by understanding them we can better craft our policies in ways that can at least lead to stability. Skillful oratory and pragmatism have been Obama's leading strengths. You can bet that the former will be in evidence on Thursday. But what ultimately matters will be whether the latter also comes into play. We will only arrive at stability and peace when an actual portrait of the Muslim world replaces our various projections upon it, when we use the evidence the film sets before us to look at the Muslim world as more than just blots on a page. More on Obama's Mideast Trip
 
Jennifer Donahue: It's Law: Gay Marriage Is Now a Reality in New Hampshire Top
After months of contentious debate over gay marriage, the NH has approved same sex marriage, making it the sixth state to do so. The House-passed legislation legalizes gay marriage with the conditions added by Governor Lynch that protected religious entities from having to perform same sex marriages if they do not want to. Lynch had said he believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and conservative opponents to the bill played ads of his statement throughout the debate. Cornerstone Policy Research launched a strong offense against Lynch and House and Senate Democrats against the legislation but failed. The other states having passed gay marriage are Iowa, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine. This presents an interesting issue for Democrats on the local and national level. With Obama having stated he supports civil unions over gay marriage, the grassroots seems to be pretty far ahead of elected officials on this issue. More on Gay Marriage
 
Robert Guttman: Obama's Trip: Middle East 1: Europe 0 Top
President Barack Obama has made it perfectly clear that the centerpiece of his current trip to the Middle East and Europe is his speech tomorrow in Cairo. Europe has definitely taken a second place in the minds of the White House on this trip--more of a quick pass by on his way home from the Middle East. To be fair Obama will be back in Europe in July for the G8 economic summit in Italy. However, on this trip he has downplayed the events in Europe and stressed the speech at Cairo University. Some in Europe are asking why the President doesn't give his speech in France which has one of the largest Arab/Muslim populations in the European Union. The President could just as easily have given this upcoming address in Paris as in Cairo and it would have been as relevant. While the President is in Saudi Arabia today speaking with the King about oil prices and other weighty issues, very little is being discussed in the world media about Obama's D-Day speech or his visits in Dresden or Buchenwald or to American soldiers in Germany. Most of the European media seems to be talking about whether or not the Queen of England will show up on the beaches of Normandy or whether the Queen of England was properly invited. People are also wondering whether Prince Charles is the correct royal to come in her place. Other European commentators are trying to say there is division between President Obama and German Chancellor Merkel. Some analysts are talking about the Germans being snubbed in favor of the French because the president will be spending more time in France than in Germany. Some transatlantic scholars are saying that France is more popular these days because of the more outgoing personality of French President Sarkozy over the more reserved German Chancellor. There are reports in the German media that Obama feels more comfortable with Sarkozy than with Merkel. Other commentators are discussing whether or not the president will apologize for the American bombing of Dresden during World War II. Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and other analysts are talking about the president's "apology tour". On the 65th anniversary of D-Day some veterans groups are commenting that the whole celebration at Normandy has become too political and is not focused enough on the soldiers who are still alive who will be attending. In the Middle East and we see commentaries about how the president shouldn't be speaking at the Cairo University because it is not an open environment and shouldn't be speaking in Egypt because it is not all that democratic. Other articles in the world media are asking why the president didn't go to Israel and others are speculating that the commander-in-chief will make a brief stop-over in Baghdad. As my title indicates in the soccer-obsessed part of the world of Europe and the Middle East the Europeans are losing this match -at least in the public relations aspect of the trip. Does any of this criticism matter? Of course it does now but if the president pulls off a brilliant speech tomorrow in Cairo and then wows his European audiences in Normandy and in Dresden his trip will soon be forgotten and we will be looking ahead to his next European visit in July. After this trip in the spotlight of the world media, the President and First Lady will deserve a day or evening of sightseeing in Paris. More on Barack Obama
 
Christina Bellantoni: White House Slogan for Cairo Speech: New Beginning Top
First published at WashingtonTimes.com RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - President Obama tomorrow will deliver one of the most anticipated -- and lengthy -- speeches of his political career. Aides told us reporters traveling abroad with POTUS that the speech tomorrow in Cairo will last between 40 and 45 minutes. They also announced an unprecedented social networking blitz to get the speech out to Islam but also to, in their words, "engage" about what Obama is saying. The first step came this afternoon (evening in this part of the world) with a Tweet from the White House pointing to a Facebook group where people can sign up to talk about the speech and get more info. That nifty new logo in White House signature blue (the budget book had same color and font) appears on the Facebook page . It also notes the event will be livestreamed at about 6 a.m. from  whitehouse.gov/live . It's been a whirlwind day we've spent mostly at the filing center in Saudi Arabia, where the high temperature was 110 degrees. We leave tonight at about 2 a.m. local on the press charter. That's the few from my room here at the Marriott, where we've stayed while the president has met privately with King Abdullah at King's Farm, a royal family version of the Camp David presidential retreat. After brief remarks to reporters, Obama closed his remarks with "Shoukran," the Arabic word for "thank you." But the White House also had to deal with a new problem today, Osama bin Laden's latest. Here's my story: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA -- As President Obama arrived here Wednesday for meetings with the Saudi royal family, a tape of Osama bin Laden surfaced to offer a reminder of the high-stakes agenda Mr. Obama is pursuing on his trip abroad -- Middle East peace and regional cooperation with a goal of renewed international goodwill for the United States. Shortly after the new president was greeted by King Abdullah upon his landing, the Sept. 11 mastermind and al Qaeda leader issued a tape criticizing Mr. Obama, who aims to reach out to the Muslim world during his trip. As the Associated Press reported existence of the tape, which published reports say accuses Mr. Obama of continuing former President George W. Bush's policy, Mr. Obama was at King's Farm for a series of meetings with the king and royal leadership. Read the full story here .   I've been Tweeting all about the adventure (and the food) using hashtag #preztrip, so follow me there! —  Christina Bellantoni , White House correspondent,  The Washington Times Please track  my blog's  RSS feed  here . Find my latest stories  here , follow me on  Twitter  and visit my  YouTube page . More on Twitter
 
Paul Rieckhoff: Our Stop-Lossed Troops Deserve Their Overtime Top
In March 2004, Sgt. Mike Krause returned home from two back-to-back tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. With his Army contract set to expire in less than a year, Krause could begin to plan his future, starting with earning his college degree. But after just three months at home with their families, Krause and almost 40 members of his unit were stop-lossed. By October 2004, Krause was back in Iraq for a second year-long deployment. In just three years, he spent a total of 30 months in combat. Since 2001, more than 170,000 troops like Sgt. Krause have been held past their enlistment contracts under the military’s “stop-loss” policy.  But it’s not just our servicemembers who have suffered. Their families have also had their reunions delayed, their lives disrupted, and their futures stalled. In March, the Pentagon announced it would begin compensating these servicemembers for their overtime. But unless Congress acts today, thousands of veterans who were stop-lossed before October 2008, like Sgt. Krause, won’t see a dime in back-pay. In no other profession would an employee work overtime and not be compensated, and the same must be true of our military. Given all of the sacrifices that our troops and their families have made, these payments are long past due. In the next 48 hours, Congress is deliberating the fate of a critical provision that would close this gap and provide an average of $5,000 in retroactive payments to troops who have been stop-lossed.   Our veterans are counting on Congress to bring it to the President’s desk -- you can help  make sure that happens. The House and Senate are meeting to work out their differences on the 2009 war supplemental spending bill; currently only the House version includes the retroactive stop-loss payments. The vote on the bill will be happening in the next few days. If the Senate feels the pressure, the provision will be protected. And that will mean a huge impact on the lives of our troops.   Now, more than ever, our servicemembers are relying on our lawmakers to do the right thing.   Call your Senators today , and let them know that you support retroactive payments for our stop-lossed troops. Our nation’s heroes deserve their overtime.   Crossposted at www.IAVA.org . More on Afghanistan
 
Rex Farrance Murder Details: PC World Editor's Killing Marijuana-Related Top
The men who fatally shot former PC World senior technical editor Rex Farrance [pictured] broke into his Pittsburg, California home in January 2007 in search of money and marijuana, according to the testimony of one of the defendants. More on Magazines
 
Maine Topless Coffee Shop Destroyed By Fire Top
VASSALBORO, Maine — A deliberately set fire destroyed a topless coffee shop early Wednesday, just hours after the owner talked with local officials about making the business more like a strip club, investigators said. The fire at the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop was reported just before 1 a.m. by an ambulance that happened to be driving past. The state fire marshal's office concluded it was arson after investigators, aided by a specially trained dog, sifted through the shop's ruins. Officials would not say how or where the fire started, but said evidence was taken to the state police crime lab for analysis. The coffee shop featured waiters and waitresses without shirts serving coffee and doughnuts. Owner Donald Crabtree had met Tuesday night with planning officials to discuss adding a disc jockey, expanding parking and extending the hours of operation. Crabtree said he spent $277,000 buying and renovating the former motel in Vassalboro, just north of Augusta. It wasn't insured, he said. He and six others who live in the old motel escaped the fire unharmed. Crabtree said he's determined to reopen his business. "I'll keep going. ... I've got some girls out of work and I'm going to do all I can to get in there," Crabtree said. The shop's opening in February raised the ire of dozens of residents. Someone recently called police to complain that a waitress was outside the business without a shirt. An ordinance was proposed to regulate nudity at local businesses. While many people dropped by Wednesday to show support, it was clear that others were pleased about the fire, said Paul Crabtree, the owner's brother who came to the scene Wednesday morning. "It's sad to see people driving by and acting happy about it," he said. Steve Cooper, of Vassalboro, stopped to peruse the damage while passing by on his motorcycle. He had never been in the shop, but said it was a shame the fire had put people out of work. "I don't think the business was doing any harm," he said. A waitress at the shop, Krista MacIntyre, said the job was the best she's ever had. She hopes the fire doesn't put the shop out of business. "We should keep on going, get back up and make it an even bigger place," she said. Richard Flick estimated that 97 percent of Vassalboro's 4,200 residents opposed the topless cafe. He hopes Crabtree doesn't rebuild. Sherry Perry, also of Vassalboro, said: "I'm a believer and I'm a Christian and I don't want this trash in my backyard. No good can come from it."
 
Nelson Clarifies Position On Public Health Care Option Top
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) called the Huffington Post on Wednesday, following our latest story about his stance on a public health care option, to clarify where he stands. "I was reading your blog again," Nelson said. "It says, 'Nelson Again Open To Public Health Care Option.' I've always been open to any idea that floated out there, all except one." Which one? Universal, single-payer health care. "I just want to get it cleared up." he said. To that end, here's the extent of Nelson's thoughts about how a public option fits into an overhaul of the American health care system. The debate, as it is unfolding in Washington, is between two competing plans: One would include a public option that would compete with private plans in an attempt to lower costs and expand coverage. The second would not include a public plan at the start, but would establish certain criteria for private insurers to meet. If they failed to meet the criteria within a specific time period, a public option would be "triggered." The latter is backed by the insurance industry and seen by advocates of a public option as a way to kill reform before it even gets started. The trigger will be designed, they say, so that nothing is ever triggered. That is what has happened with Medicare Part D's prescription drug plan, they say; it included a trigger that has yet to be pulled. Nelson supports the trigger, he said, but is not has entirely against considering a public option if it could be done in a way that would not erode the current system. "A trigger kills the public option. It should be up to people in Nebraska and America to choose their health insurance plan, private or public, and Sen. Nelson shouldn't deny them that choice," said Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager for the reform coalition Health Care for America Now. Nelson said that when he initially said he opposed a public option, he was referring to universal, single-payer health care. "First of all, I did say that I'd drawn a line in the sand and that I would oppose a public option. At that point in time, the kind of public option that was really being discussed was single payer, and single payer in competition with current insurance programs that 200 million Americans have. And that's unacceptable," Nelson said. "It was then and it is now and it will be if it comes out [of the committee process]. And based on the fact that that was sort of the discussion of the moment, [I said] that I would be organizing a group of Democratic senators to develop a coalition to oppose that kind of public plan...I do not believe I've been inconsistent here. I believe the language has changed a bit as discussions have gone on." Adam Green, whose group, Change Congress, has been pounding Nelson in Nebraska for not embracing the public option, and for taking too much money from the insurance industry, dismissed Nelson's explanation as unsatisfactory. "When Ben Nelson first opposed the public option in May, 'public option' solely meant competition in the marketplace and giving consumers a choice. Anything else is an outright lie. Change Congress's petition clearly says the public option 'would force private health insurers to compete -- driving health care costs down for families across Nebraska' and calls on him to side with those families over his special-interest contributors. Nelson saying anything else is yet another lie. To quote Change.org, 'Uh... Ben Nelson Knows We Can See Him, Right?' Senator Nelson, stop digging," said Green. Nelson responded that they were attacking him because they support a single-payer system. "They're for a single-payer plan and they don't like the fact that I'm not," he said. "I represent an obstacle to their success and I plan to be an obstacle to their success." However, Nelson says that he is now persuaded that 'public option' doesn't currently mean 'single-payer,' saying that "...it appears that the public-plan option is not the single-payer plan, but it could be used as a backup, as in the case of prescription drug Part D of Medicare." "I haven't changed my mind. I'll look at anything that anybody gives me. That doesn't mean that I'll sign on to it or accept it. But I've said what I can't accept for sure," he said. "I think it's important to say that anything that would destabilize the insurance that people already have -- that 200 million Americans have -- is objectionable. We're trying to find a way to insure people that don't have insurance, not change the whole idea of insurance here. And the 200 million Americans that have insurance, I think the satisfactory ratio is something like 87 percent." He added, "To the extent that there's a public option out there that doesn't [erode the private system], I will look at it and I might look at it favorably as in the case of prescription drug benefit." The Huffington Post asked, to clarify, if he supported a public option that wasn't subsidized and had to compete fairly. "Well, it's not about that. It's about a backup," he said. "There are a lot of people trying to find a way to describe a public option in less ominous terms and I see it for what it is, if it's in a position to compete with and take away people's -- 200 million Americans -- current insurance plans. I'll take a look at what somebody offers in the way of a public option, but I think now we're probably moving away even from discussion of public plan/private competition. I think we're looking at it as a backup in case somehow the current market structure doesn't work." So you mean a trigger? "Right, exactly, the trigger," he said. "There's a substantial difference between a public option, a public plan, that is triggered in the event of the failure of the private market to succeed, and one where the public option is put in place, and the intent and/or the result is that you have an erosion of the current private plans that people currently have." "So," we asked, "what I'm understanding is that you would support a public option as a backup/trigger, but not as something that is put in immediately?" Well, almost. "Let me put it this way," he said. "I will automatically look at that and see what it is, but if it's something like -- because I'm talking about plans that don't exist yet. Ryan, this is part of the problem. I was attacked for opposing the president's plan but the president doesn't have a plan. There's not a plan out there. These are just ideas that are being floated around to see what constituency might develop for them. It's the same thing for the trigger and the same thing for the public option that might be behind [the trigger]. I have to see the actual plan before I can say what I will or won't support. But what I have said, an idea that I cannot support is a plan that comes in place -- a public option that would erode current insurance that 200 million Americans happen to enjoy right now." For Green, Kirsch and other advocates of the public option, backing only a trigger doesn't go far enough. "The public option is about one simple concept -- competition -- giving people a choice between privately-run insurance and a publicly run health insurance option. If Ben Nelson says he's 'open' to all proposals, but continues to side with his special-interest backers who fear competition and giving consumers a choice, that's the exception that swallows the openness rule. It would mean he's not open -- instead deceiving his constituents and choosing to be in the pocket of the health and insurance interests who gave him over $2 million in campaign contributions," said Green. It's premature, Nelson said, to know where the Democratic caucus stands. "I think it's probably just too early to do a head count. But I've said it, and I mean it: if the plan that comes out is single payer, I'll do everything I can to organize a group to be against it," he said, defining single-payer as "a government-run, one-size-fits-all, CMS -driven plan like Medicare, Medicaid, in effect. Nelson also dealt with a few counter options, one of which is that the public plan won't be government-subsidized, but will be forced to compete fairly. "They'll come along and say, 'Well, it won't be subsidized.' Well, then it wont be sustainable because things won't be based on sound actuarial science and it will engulf the market. And the plan here is to insure 45 million Americans, not take away the private plans that 200 million Americans currently enjoy. Now, some want to do that and those are the ones that are attacking me," said Nelson. Those who focus on the uninsured see the glass half-full, he said. "They're pointing to the lesser and saying that that's the problem. The greater is the 200 million who do have it and the 50 million that currently do have public plans currently," he said, referring to patients with access to Medicare, Medicaid and veterans benefits. But more importantly, he said, proponents of a public option should first give the industry time to reform. "They're objecting to the system the way that it was. They're not responding to the way that it will be," he said. "Now they can [object] all they want, but as the industry will be taking away the prohibitions on preexisting conditions, and the rating based on health conditions, you level out the field of underwriting and you solve the problem that has in effect occurred because of people who have diabetes or who have some health conditions. When those obstacles are removed from the present environment then the system will succeed." Nelson, a former insurance executive, is often looked to for his knowledge of the industry in the Senate, where many members are less than expert when it comes to health care. How much less? "I had one of my colleagues ask me on the [Senate] floor what a private plan was," said Nelson. "I said, 'Well you have it. It's Blue Cross/Blue shield.'"
 
Chasey Carey, News Corp "Deal Is Done": Report Top
Just now, I was informed, "The deal is done," by my insiders. Indications are the job Carey negotiated will be structured differently than the one Peter Chernin occupies in that it will be almost exclusively operational. I can tell you that Carey will not be as integrally involved in Hollywood as Chernin has been; he by all accounts is not moving to Los Angeles, and so won't closely oversee the film and television business like Chernin did. At one time co-chief operating officer with Chernin of News Corp, Carey has remained incredibly close to Rupert Murdoch. So Rupe is gaining an even more trusted and loyal executive to smooth all those constant Wall Street worries about successorship to the 78-year-old chairman.
 
New York Times No Longer Calls Readers "Readers" Top
Speaking at the CaT: Creativity and Technology conference today, Derek Gottfrid, senior software architect and product technologist at the New York Times, said the company has quit calling online readers "readers," instead referring to them as users. The conference is hosted by Advertising Age and Creativity.
 
Cairo: Police Crack Down On Anti-Obama Demonstrators Top
Police have cracked down on the protest planned by Kefaya activists this evening in Tahrir Sq, detaining a number of activists... More on Obama Mideast Trip
 

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