Wednesday, June 24, 2009

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Wells Fargo Gave Subprime Loans To Wealthy Blacks More Often Than To Poorer Whites: Chicago Reporter Top
Wells Fargo gave high-cost, subprime loans more often to its highest-earning African-American borrowers in Baltimore and Chicago than to its lowest-earning white borrowers in 2007, according to an analysis of mortgage lending data by The Chicago Reporter.
 
Olympics Leaders Hold Closed-Door Briefings With Aldermen Following Uproar Top
On Monday, the Chicago 2016 Olympics committee leaders balked at the idea of publicly briefing the City Council about a wrinkle that could put taxpayers on the hook for cost overruns, but today they're doing exactly that privately in a series of secret meetings with aldermen at City Hall. More on Olympics
 
FEMA Misspent Millions Intended For Katrina Victims Top
WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency ignored the law and misused millions of dollars to build two warehouses after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, according to government investigators. Some of the money FEMA misused should have gone toward Katrina victims in Louisiana, according to a Homeland Security Inspector General report obtained by The Associated Press. The report is expected to be released Thursday. "FEMA had no authority to use appropriated funds to construct the two buildings," the investigators said, adding that the agency violated a prohibition against agreeing to spend money without congressional authority. In the summer of 2006, FEMA spent more than $7 million on two warehouses the agency said it needed to repair trailers and mobile homes used by disaster victims. One of the warehouses was paid for from federal disaster relief fund, which investigators say is not permitted. The other warehouse was paid for with proceeds from sales of travel trailers and mobile homes _ also not allowed. The report says senior officials at FEMA rejected the proposals for these warehouses, but they were built anyway. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said this report confirms his ongoing concerns about FEMA's lax contracting policies. "It shows, in this instance, FEMA's disregard for the law," said Thompson, who chairs the House Homeland Security committee. "This is another example of FEMA gone wild." After the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, FEMA set up 12 sites to store emergency housing units. Once hurricane victims left the disaster housing, the units were moved to these storage sites to be cleaned, repaired and refurbished. FEMA wanted to put up maintenance buildings at two of the sites _ Selma, Ala., and Cumberland, Md., the report said. FEMA officials told the inspector general that senior agency officials "disallowed" the proposals to build these sites, but "eventually the projects were approved and funded," the report said. The Cumberland building was delivered without electricity, lighting or other utilities and couldn't even be used for repairs, the report said. FEMA spokesman Clark Stevens said he could not comment on a report that hasn't been released. But, he said, "FEMA does not tolerate wasteful spending and is committed to making sure that any past mistakes are not repeated."
 
Matthew Filipowicz: Mark Sanford: The Musical - Don't Cry For Me Right Wing Media Top
As you most likely have heard, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has reappeared after being "missing" for several days. And his return did not disappoint. Not only did Sanford admit that he was secretly in Argentina, and that he has been cheating on his wife with a woman from Argentina , he did it in song! Take a look. I wonder if Sanford will sing another song about using taxpayer money to fly to see his mistress ? Especially after trying to refuse federal funds to help the unemployed? Perhaps a toe-tapper about when he demanded Bill Clinton's resignation for his affair? Also, a good deal of commentators, including Chris Matthews and Rush Limbaugh, have been commending Sanford for not forcing his wife to stand next to him at the press conference. Are we sure he didn't ask? She did kick him out two weeks ago. Isn't it just as likely that he asked and she said no? And if she did, good for her. Rush, clearly heartbroken, also said Sanford could've been the GOP's JFK . If you say so, Rush. One things for sure, Mark Sanford's song and dance routine is just getting started. More on Argentina
 
Diane Dimond: Veterans Who Commit Crimes - What Do We Owe Them? Top
In America everyone is supposed to be equal in the eyes of the law. But we've got a growing group, a particular class of defendants entering American courtrooms who I believe need special consideration. They are soldiers returning from war. Several studies conclude that between 30% to 40% of the approximately 1.6 million vets of Iraq and Afghanistan will "face serious mental-health injuries" like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and problems from traumatic brain injuries. Experts in the field report both those conditions are linked to anti-social and criminal behavior. Now, to me those numbers - up to 40% of the troops afflicted - seem high. But if it's even half that it's too many brave souls returning home needing special help. So, what do we do with a soldier, who put their life on hold to go to a foreign land to fight for our liberty, when they come home and get into trouble with the law? To be clear, I'm not referring to the highly publicized cases where a returning soldier has committed murder. Those cases have caused many to think, "Well, you train these young men to kill, they come home and kill." But there is no research, let me repeat that, there is no research, to indicate vets commit violent crimes more often than civilians. In fact, if you extrapolate government statistics for murders committed by men ages 18 to 24 it's the civilian who is more likely to kill someone, not the vet. I'm referring here to those anti-social, behavioral problems experts report that so many of our returning soldiers suffer with in silence. Problems with substance abuse, paranoia, flashbacks and bursts of unexplained temper, problems so debilitating the vet takes out their frustrations on loved ones or commits suicide. Judge Robert Russell in Buffalo, New York noticed the trend last year. Disturbed after seeing some 300 vets come through his court, he started what's believed to be the nation's very first "Veteran's Court" for those having problems re-adjusting to civilian life. The charges against these defendants range from public drunkenness and assault, driving while intoxicated, drug related offenses, disturbing the peace, theft, domestic violence and other emotion driven violations. The goal of this specialized court is to intercept troubled veterans before they spiral down and get lost in our already overwhelmed criminal justice system. The soft spoken Judge Russell figured everyone would benefit if the vets were given a place to answer for their crimes that offered treatment not just punishment and a courtroom staff that included veteran advocates and assigned mentors. No veteran who appears can fall back on the self pitying thought that, "No one here knows what I've been through," because everyone in the room completely understands. Judge Russell is firm, however, demanding atonement and adherence to a one to two year individualized treatment plan. He meets regularly with each veteran face-to-face to follow the progress. Failures get the original sentence for their crime. "Many of our vets have a warrior mentality," Judge Russell explained in a radio interview. "Some perceive that treatment may be for the weak and we're working to change that paradigm." Judge Russell instills the idea that, "the real courage and strength comes from the warrior who asks for help." He's encouraged by the progress he's seen. Criminal justice professionals all across America realize when the soldiers start streaming home they will also have to grapple with the problem of their re-adjustment to society. So, Judge Russell's special Veteran's Court idea has been studied nationwide and has now either been adopted in or is being considered by several other states including Alaska, Pennsylvania, California and Arizona. One supporter is retired Air Force Colonel and Attorney, Billy Little, who told the Arizona Republic, "One of the things that (has) offended me is seeing a veteran who is self-medicating with alcohol or marijuana or meth and going to court and standing side by side with some gangbanger or lifetime criminal and being treated the same as them." I can't think of a bigger travesty. To answer the soldier's service with a jail sentence for behavior that might very well stem from their service makes a mockery of their bravery. To toss the offending veteran in prison alongside the truly hardened criminal is akin to society saying they aren't worth the trouble. We already have about 2000 special Treatment Courts in America to help those struggling with addiction. There are another 200 Mental Health Courts and both have been successful in strategic support and treatment for Americans in need. Don't our returning soldier's deserve a special place too? It really all comes down to this: By the very virtue of these veterans sacrifice for our freedom does the country owe them something extra upon their return? Of course we do. -30- Read a collection of Diane Dimond's columns at www.DianeDimond.net She may be contacted through her site.
 
Chris Matthews And "Hardball" Panel Examine If There's A '2012 Republican Curse' (VIDEO) Top
Republicans just can't seem to catch a break as another one of their leading candidates to challenge President Obama in 2012, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, falls by the wayside - he revealed today that his seemingly random and secret trip to Argentina (which sparked a frenzy in the political world) was about ending an affair he'd been having with an Argentine woman. Sanford is almost certain not to run for the Republican nomination in 2012. Indeed it's questionable if he'll be able to serve out the last year of his term as governor. But Sanford is just the latest in a string of high-profile setbacks among Republicans who were considered viable contenders against Obama in 2012. Just a week ago, Senator John Ensign of Nevada admitted to an extramarital affair. Texas Governor Rick Perry suggested that his state could secede from the union during raucous Tea Party protests. And Bobby Jindal crashed in his prime-time debut with a widely-panned State of the Union rebuttal earlier this year. Chris Matthews and his "Hardball" panel of NBC's Chuck Todd and the Washington Post 's Chris Cillizza debate whether or not there's a Republican curse of 2012. Todd made the good point that the ones who seem to be floating to the top, like Miss. Governor Haley Barbour and Mitt Romney, have been in the spotlight before and "have made all their mistakes, have been around the block before." Matthews grinned widely and said, in one of his classic lines, "So veterans do well in the playoffs, right, is the old argument." "Exactly," Todd replied. Watch the debate below. Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy More on Bobby Jindal
 
Gary Sheffield Injured: Gets Cortisone Shot, Won't Play Against St. Louis Top
NEW YORK (AP) -- Gary Sheffield has been given a cortisone shot behind his right knee and is out of the depleted New York Mets' lineup for the third straight game. Sheffield was given the shot Wednesday before the game against St. Louis, and the Mets said the slugging outfielder will likely be out until Friday. Manager Jerry Manuel said that Sheffield was available to pinch hit in an emergency. To add a position player to a bench that has shrunk considerably with Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and Carlos Degaldo sidelined, New York purchased the contract of infielder Argenis Reyes from Triple-A Buffalo and designated left-hander Jon Switzer for assignment. More on Sports
 
Naked Cowboy Considered Indecent In Ohio Top
GREENHILLS, Ohio (AP) -- The entertainer known as the Naked Cowboy says he will continue with plans to perform in his hometown, despite objections from a mayoral candidate who considers the act indecent. Robert Burck says he has nothing to be ashamed of and is proud to have grown up in Greenhills, Ohio, near Cincinnati. Burck has become a tourist attraction in New York City's Times Square, strumming a guitar while wearing just boots, underwear and a hat. Mayoral candidate Pat Andwan sent an e-mail to city council members urging them to protest Burck's upcoming appearance at the Greenhills Summer Festival. He says it's an inappropriate venue for a man who wears only underwear. Mayor Oscar Hoffman says he's known Burck a long time and there's nothing immoral about the act.
 
Progressive Ideas Network: Pathway from Prison Top
Pathway from Prison by Stephanie Robinson, The Jamestown Project Prison reentry is a seemingly intractable issue in need of a comprehensive response. And given the substantial number of lesser offenders scheduled for release over the next five years, our collective approach to their transition back into society will determine whether the impact on our communities is progressive or destructive. The Obama administration has taken a forward thinking step by committing more than $100 million to prison reentry programs, related programs and Second Chance legislation. However, despite this amount, the President has pointed out that inmates cannot successfully return to society without the creation of an integrated network or 'pathway' of support and relevant services. Such a network should align its resources to promote a fundamental process of change for ex-offenders in habit, mentality, pathology and association. If we think of prison reentry in any other way than comprehensively, we miss the mark. Out of the approximately 650,000 state and federal prisoners reentering society each year, the Bureau of Justice reports that about half of all former prisoners are returned to prison for a new crime or parole violation within 3 years. Simultaneously, numerous states across the country --including traditionally less tolerant ones like Kansas and Texas-- are currently grappling with the costs of sending too many inmates back to prison. Many of these offenders suffer from drug addiction and mental illness and would be best served by a coordinated network of community-based programs and resources designated for particular problems. Without such a network offering a range of services including drug and mental health treatment, mentoring and life-style management, professional development and other relevant components, most prison reentry programs are destined to fail. Dr. Keith Reeves, a reentry expert and author of the upcoming, The Declining Significance of Black Males?, says that "mental health issues are seldom managed adequately for those who are incarcerated. So we release them back into communities without treating what in many cases are serious psychological issues that have often been exacerbated while incarcerated." Additonally, inmates should have a prison reentry plan implemented and coordinated by relevant service providers long before their scheduled release date to ensure a forward-thinking process and effective transition. The plan should identify and involve applicable agencies, support groups, family input, affordable housing options and other key components in preparation for reentry within the incarceration process. President Obama has also promoted a reevaluation of the laws against hiring people with a criminal record as a way of deterring recidivism, reconnecting families and fighting poverty. Without an opportunity for viable employment, former inmates are put in the unfortunate position of repeating crime as a means of generating income. Ultimately, throwing money at prison reentry is a shortsighted way of addressing a layered issue. Now that we finally have the will at the top to make significant strides in the area of prison reentry, let us not squander this opportunity with a piecemeal response that closes the pathway from prison. Stephanie Robinson is President and CEO of The Jamestown Project, an action-oriented think tank focused on democracy. Jamestown supports the PEER program (Project for Economic Empowerment & Rehabilitation), an emerging initiative designed to provide males of color a holistic framework for economic sustainability and rehabilitation.
 
Arthur Rosenfeld: The Slow Life Top
Imagine your last few moments on this mortal coil. Say, for the sake of discussion, that you step off the curb and are hit by a bus. As you lie on the street with your life seeping out, you hear people screaming and you see them pointing and you watch someone dial 911. A few moments later you hear the wail of an approaching ambulance, but you realize in a place beyond pain and beyond terror that it will arrive too late. Even though I don't know you, I can pretty much guarantee that you don't want your last thought to be "That was fast, but at least I got a lot done." Instead, of course, you hope that when your time comes you have a feeling of satisfaction, a sense that you fully engaged the people in your life, that you tried the things you wanted to try, that you felt the things you wanted to feel, that you pursued your dreams in an open, relaxed way, that you lived each and every moment fully and with presence. It's true that life can end any moment -- a meteor can land on your house, a fire can take you while you sleep, a heart attack can get you, or a stroke or that pesky bus -- and so it's important to live fully without wasting time or effort. Living fully, however, is not the same as living quickly. In fact, I would like to argue that the best way to both live longer and get more out of life is to live at a reduced pace. It's official. My motto has become "anything worth doing is worth doing slowly". Apparently, I'm not the only one taken with this idea. There is a veritable explosion in mind/body activities that serve to slow down that mad rush to the end. Tai chi classes are popping up all over the country, yoga studies are doing a strong business despite a shriveling economy, and everywhere you turn you hear someone talking about the benefits of meditation -- all arts that teach us to slow down and savor the unique, spectacular experience of being alive. The moment you make that effort to gear down you become aware of just how addicted you are to the pace of the speed-and-greed culture. You experience your own little internal yin/yang, a war that goes on inside your head between those neurons that want the constant stimulation our technology and overcrowding bring and those that crave tranquility and peace. At any given moment on any given day, one or the other side of you will win. The more often the quiet side is the victor, the more likely you are to achieve what the sages of the East call "mindfulness". Living mindfully, the quality of life increases. Mindful, you can begin to sort through whatever health issues you have. Slow and mindful, you are more likely to discover that your hypertension, your irritable bowel, your painful joints, your migraines, your stiff back, your inability to focus, your shortness of temper, your impatience, frustration, even your road rage, are all the consequences of your body screaming at you to slow down. Pushed and pulled along too quickly and in too many directions, you feel stressed and respond with illness; slow and mindful you are able to prioritize what needs to be done, discard what doesn't, and even enjoy the doing. A slow, considered, mindful life does not mean one devoid of contribution or accomplishment; rather the opposite. It is said that if you want something done you give it to a busy person. That truism applies to stapling some papers, to mopping the floor, to expediting the shipping of a package, to fixing a broken fence. On the other hand, people who accomplish truly meaningful things are not often rushed. Deliberate, slow, mindful and focused, they are free of frivolous demands, compulsions and projects. Not addicted to a pace of life set by outside forces whose motivations are almost always their own profit or interests, this kind of person, the sage we all can be if we choose, concentrates his or her energy effectively on those things that really matter. Imagine if we all lived this way. Imagine if we were willing to stop grasping at things we don't need, spending money we don't have, rushing around chasing things that don't matter, obeying impatient masters who manipulate us to their own advantage by keeping the pace so frenetic we never figure things out. Taking time to notice the marvels of everyday life sounds so simple, so utopian, so hopelessly out of touch with "real" life... and yet, what is real? The world is as we make it, and we can make it different. Imagine the global shift we would see if everyone slowed down enough to notice what's really going on. Mind/body practices are, at their core, all about balance. That fast "yang" urge and that slow, "yin" yearning need to be balanced. Sometimes, after all, we need to move quickly, as in evading the front bumper of that awful bus. What has happened to us, however, is that technology and overcrowding have put us way out of balance and much to far in the fast direction. We don't take naps, we don't contemplate the clouds, we don't eat our food without talking or watching TV, we don't even drive our car without using our cell phones or, worse, checking our e-mail on PDAs. The most obvious solution is to take up a mind/body practice, but that isn't the only answer. Just making the decision to slow down and be mindful can work wonders. Try it today. Just take a deep breath, stop what you're doing, look around, think about those people and things that really matter, and let go of those that don't. Then go to your next experience slowly, whether it is writing an expense report or making love. Remember, anything worth doing is worth doing slowly! More on Yoga
 
Sophia A. Nelson: Sex, Lies, and Argentina: Gov. Sanford Should Not Resign from Public Service and Here's Why Top
Okay so who among us was really surprised today to hear Gov. Sanford finally admit that he had been engaged in an adulterous liaison with a woman that by his account "he had real feelings for" and who is a "dear, dear friend"? I for one, was not. I worked on the House GROC Committee when then Rep. Sandford was a Member of Congress in the Republican Majority. I got to know him fairly well and I liked him. I think he had and still has a bright future in politics. The irony, however, is that while I do not approve of how he handled himself as an elected public official or as a husband, I am empathetic to him and understanding of his frailty as fellow human being. I think we all should be and here is why: I have been there. And so have many of you. Particularly some of those of you in the media, who I personally know are some of the worst drinkers, adulterers, and worse. I find the hypocrisy of public life now to be simply ridiculous. When will we all wise up, particularly those who have deemed themselves to be the sanctimonious moral police--only to see this happen time and time again. Speaker Gingrich, President Clinton, Senator Ensign, Senator Vitter, Congressman Livingston, Congressman Burton, Congressman Foley, Senator "foot tap" Craig, Gov. Spitzer, and now Gov. Sanford. Folks, if we are all honest many of us have been at the same moral crossroads--maybe it wasn't adultery--maybe it was something else. Maybe you were going through a rough patch, coming out of a bad relationship, maybe you had an addiction, or found yourself in the midst of a life storm that you could not quite weather. Maybe you lost your faith, and in that period found someone who was an "island" to your soul--someone who for a moment became your sanctuary. Right or wrong folks it happens because we are but dust. I know because as I mentioned; I have been there. The greatest personal failing of my life, became my greatest strength and in the abyss I found myself. It's all about choices and how we choose to respond to sin or failings that determines who we will ultimately be in life. Maybe you didn't cross the line as did Sanford or maybe you did, but as I listened to Sanford make his remarks and look visibly shaken at the damage he had done to his wife and children my heart broke for him, as well as for his family. I also felt for the "other woman" involved because at the end of the day folks if the governor is being truthful, he and this woman started out as friends and that friendship turned into a "spark" and from there they did what many before them and many after them do--they threw good sense and morality out the door. For a moment it was just those two people, lost in each other, "caught up" as the old folk say and they forgot about the consequences that always come when we sin. Trust me the consequences always come. But it is here that we all need to buckle up because it is here that we can find our character and our deepest calling in life. Affairs just don't happen folks. They start with deep self dissatisfaction, and deep longing. My guess is that the Sanford marriage was in trouble for sometime. It was just unspoken, I suspect. The good news is that now it is all on the table, and there is no place to hide. My hope is that this man and this woman can forgive, heal, and rediscover one another. My prayer is that four boys will see their dad as a man who made a serious mistake, but who had the character to admit it, and move forward a better man. I will end by saying that I think Gov. Sanford should not resign as Governor of South Carolina and he should not allow himself to be removed as a candidate for President in 2012. Who among us is without sin? It is time we started acting like a nation of grown up adults--Christians who understand what the Bible truly teaches us about failure and sin. My favorite biblical hero is David. And I admire David because he triumphed over great personal weakness and failures. We all know the great sin David committed with Bathsheba and we all know that God dealt with him and her severely at first--and we know that the "sword" never departed from David's house as a result of the sin. But, we never talk about what happened after that sin. One of the greatest Psalms; Psalm 51 was written after this failing--David became a better husband, father, servant and King because of his ability to move forward after inflicting great wounds on himself and his family. My point: Gov. Sanford, don't be a quitter. Don't let the modern day pharisees run you out of politics. You are a human being. You made a terrible mistake--haven't we all. You have confessed your wrong to your wife and it appears that she is willing to give you a "chance to reconcile" the marriage. She is the only person who matters in this other than your boys. I for one wish you well and I hope that you will use this failing to teach others how not to fail. And I hope that you will teach your sons and the rest of us what it is to be a man of humility, character and honor in the midst of great adversity & personal failing. More on Argentina
 
Lita Smith-Mines: Roiling On The Rivers Of Real Estate Top
To every analyst, forecaster, and economist predicting they see the bottom of the real estate market, I respond as Vinnie Barbarino might: "Where? Where?" I know the bottom is there--we all do-- but much like in a polluted riverbed, it is hard to spot and treacherous to reach. More than three years ago, I saw the banks of the NY metro housing market erode from my vantage point as an attorney wading in its waters. I saw serial refinancers, living on their equity, and watched repayment-challenged buyers receive mortgages as easily as frogs catch flies. Appraisers inflated values in far from desirable areas, encouraging investors to leave multiple homes vacant while they slapped on a coat of paint and re-faced the kitchen cabinets before cashing out from the next no money down speculators. Then the more-more-more river turned stagnant; occasionally, like a skipping stone, a transaction did skitter along, only to sink with an inglorious "thud." In early spring, multiple pebbles started being flung furiously at the water, causing expert analysts to calibrate and celebrate the quantity of rocks, while ignoring the clunks that frequently still follow. The bottom must be close, they espouse: look at the volume of activity in the real estate market! I'm still deep in the real estate waters, loudly hearing the sounds of sinking stones while those in the lifeguard towers think they hear surging surf. As the summer of 2009 begins, the latest wave of "can you help me?" calls I answer are no longer primarily from "sub-prime" borrowers. I've either helped them, or been unable to, and they've moved on. Nowadays the borrowers in a boatload of trouble and months behind in their mortgages formerly had better-than-decent credit, good jobs, and 20% or more money to put down (or a great deal of equity in their homes). Some buyers, sensing blood in the waters, want houses upgraded and improved before they close. Sellers without the funds to accommodate these demands are deemed "unrealistic" as the buyers move on. Yesterday's market was significantly overpriced, but today's has very little negotiation, with a significant number of buyers regressing to their toddler years to get what they want. There's something about a population of homeowners who came into title via temper tantrums that cannot bode well for smooth sailing back to a stable real estate market. I also come across sellers who remind me of cartoon character grandfathers, preferring to live in "the good old days" when their homes were worth 15-20-25% more. Those days are gone, grandpa--it's time to sell the ranch for whatever you can realistically get if you want to move on. Should the parties reach an agreement, mortgage commitments take a long time to come through. Buyers' attorneys frequently ask for contingency extensions under the contract, and sellers are told to be patient for 90 days while they wait, unsure if the deals are solid. More than a few mortgage applications eventually are denied, and the reasons say as much about the lenders as they do about the borrowers. Appraisals don't measure up; buyers' job prospects are shaky or their hours/commissions reduced; and lenders' programs are eliminated, scaled back, or have their guidelines toughened. Underwater sellers are often unable be saved via mortgage "short sales", despite pressure on lenders to offer such partial life preservers. Hardship files get referred to reviewers, or examiners, or janitors for all I know, who take so long to make decisions that buyers may exercise their contractual "out" clauses or see their coveted mortgage commitments expire. I am watching speculation, the scourge of stability in quite a few residential neighborhoods, take on a different permutation. There's anecdotal evidence that attorneys and real estate agents seemingly deliberately screw up transactions so they, or their investor friends, can get the best deals. Homeowners who make the mistake of seeking guidance from these sharks find themselves up the real estate creek without a paddle to fend off the predators. There's definitely a bottom to the real estate market. But to finish with my water metaphors, the bottom is not clearly visible through yesterday's floating wreckage and today's murky transactions. We need to save the drowners, repel the sharks, and raise the level of the bottom feeders. Only then will we be able to plot a safe course home. More on Real Estate
 
John R. Bohrer: Another Leading Republican's Values Go Missing Top
Guilt by association is a dangerous game to play -- especially in New Jersey politics. Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie has been lumping Governor Jon Corzine and the disgraced Jim McGreevey into the same sentence as often as possible. So you can bet Christie is kicking himself today for so closely aligning his campaign with disgraced South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Oddly, just as Sanford made his "disappearance," Christie had one of his own. Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Christie had removed the "Shared Values" section from his campaign website. It was on this page (via BlueJersey.com ) that Christie declared: "I am pro-life. Hearing the strong heartbeat of my unborn daughter 14 years ago at 13 weeks gestation had a profound effect on me and my beliefs...." "I also believe marriage should be exclusively between one man and one woman.... If a bill legalizing same sex marriage came to my desk as Governor, I would veto it...." And now... it's gone. Cornered by the AP , Christie's campaign said the page came down for "technical reasons," part of a larger site relaunch ( odd that no other "profound" beliefs are missing ). So for about six days now, this has been Chris Christie's definition of "Shared Values." Please, keep an eye out. If you happen to see Chris Christie's "Shared Values" -- whether it's hiking the Appalachian Trail, in Argentina, or at an airport -- please contact his campaign .... They can't find them anywhere.
 
Gail Lynne Goodwin: Everything Happens For a Reason Top
The Universe talks to me even when I'm too busy to listen. Fortunately, even when my life is hectic the message still gets through; it just tends to get a little louder and sometimes requires the use of a figurative sledgehammer to get my attention. A few years ago I was at a point where I needed to make a major life decision, when I was literally broadsided by another vehicle while I was waiting at a stop sign. My life was already too busy and this was the last thing I needed. Or was it? It was almost as if the Universe was forcing me to take a time out- because I was too busy to schedule it for myself. I had a litany of reasons why this experience shouldn't have happened, but it did anyway. After the experience when I looked for meaning behind the experience, it all started to make sense. It was clear that the path I'd been on was unfulfilling but yet, I was reluctant to make a change. The accident literally shook my reality. Did this accident happen for a reason? As crazy as it sounds, I believe it did and that life is not a haphazard roll of the dice, but rather, an intricately woven tapestry of experiences of great significance. Each event in our lives is important, from the most inspired and enlightened to the seemingly unexplainable, inequitable or incomprehensible. However, sometimes when we're in the heat of the situation, this is difficult to understand. I was too stuck in the "accident" experience to even consider that there could be a bigger plan at work. When we look for the meaning, we can find the gift in what could be perceived as a negative experience. By seeing these experiences as lessons and opportunities we find greater purpose in our lives. When we believe that there's a reason for what happens, we can also avoid blaming others or ourselves. Blame is often our first instinct to try to make sense of a tragic event, but it only exacerbates the situation by creating a feeling of impotence to do anything about it. Imagine for a moment that you believe everything does happens for a reason. No matter where you are, what you're doing, or how big your problems may appear to be, everything is unfolding exactly as it should. Everything. This means that any uncomfortable experience in life is happening for a reason. How does that change your perception, if you believe that everything happens for a reason? For me, suddenly life becomes lighter and much less judgmental. Criticism of others and ourselves is diminished. There is a comfort in knowing that we are part of a bigger plan. Life comes at us quickly and isn't always how we thought it would be. But therein also lies the beauty. Sometimes the curveballs of life can end up being not only our greatest teacher, but also our most wonderful blessings. In retrospect, if I hadn't been in that accident, I wouldn't have taken the time to rethink my life. That situation was the catalyst from which blessing came from adversity. When we look back, we can all find examples in our own lives, where positive results only came from uncomfortable change. Getting fired from a job, the break up of a relationship, losing money in the market- all may appear to be tragic in the moment, from the limited perspective that we have. But in hindsight, all may bring incredible opportunity and gifts to us. Steve Jobs said it best at the 2005 Stanford Commencement address, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." My friend, Shannon Foley is a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. From seemingly random experiences leading expeditions in Kenya, running a boutique hotel, working with a Big 5 accounting firm, doing graphic art and even dealing with her brother's cancer, she can now look back and connect the dots. These tools were all needed to enable her to combing her love of music and service to create concerts on the world's highest mountain peaks to benefit cancer patients. She found blessing in her life by finding meaning in her experiences. If you look for and discover the meaning in the random events that happen in your life, everything will change. You will be empowered in a new way, feel a greater connection to the Universe and will step forward with confidence and clarity to live the life of your dreams, knowing that everything does indeed happen for a reason. We invite you to listen to today's FREE Inspired Interview with host, Gail Lynne Goodwin, Ambassador of Inspiration from InspireMeToday.com and today's guest, Shannon Foley of LoveHopeStrength.org
 
CFTC, Toothless Regulator, Looks To Take A Bite Out Of Derivatives Top
When President Obama unveiled his regulatory overhaul plan last week, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, dodged a bullet. Lacking power, the agency has only gently regulated the derivatives markets, which have been blamed for wreaking havoc on the global economy. Rather than abolish the agency, however, Obama proposed strengthening it. A week later, not all reformers are convinced that the plan is comprehensive enough and, more so, doubt the CFTC is capable of recovering from its long legacy of deregulation. A look back at that legacy explains the skepticism. "The CFTC was left with the responsibility for policing fraud and abuse and had no tools to do that," said Barbara Roper, the director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America. The agency's reputation has been so damaged that shortly before Obama's announcement, the administration signaled that the CFTC and SEC would join forces. (The two agencies currently split oversight of derivatives). But the merger never made it into the final plan. It met opposition in Congress, where the CFTC still maintains strong allies on the agricultural committees. So Obama instead asked the two agencies to reconcile their differences and cover holes in their oversight. This week, in a move that pleased many advocates of financial reform, they released a blueprint for greater regulation of derivatives. The CFTC's job was not always so complicated. The agency was created in 1974, primarily to oversee commodity futures contracts. This type of derivative allows investors to buy a commodity, often an agricultural product like wheat, at a fixed price and date. Soon the futures industry expanded beyond commodities, making it more complex and harder to control. But the CFTC lacked the teeth and size to take on new responsibilities. And some in the agency who had close ties to industry wanted it that way. In the 1990s, the CFTC began allowing many privately negotiated derivatives, or so-called over-the-counter contracts, to escape regulation. Wendy Gramm, CFTC chair from 1988 to 1993 and wife of former Texas Senator Phil Gramm, supported a rule change in 1992 that loosened the energy trading industry for companies like Enron. Sheila Bair, then a commissioner at the CFTC and now director of the FDIC, cast the lone dissenting vote at the commission, saying the plan "sets a dangerous precedent." Five weeks later, after resigning from the CFTC, Wendy Gramm joined Enron's board of directors. The gig was lucrative. According to the watchdog group Public Citizen, over the course of the following eight years, Enron paid her between $915,000 and $1.85 million. Enron also contributed more than a hundred thousand dollars to Phil Gramm's campaign fund over the years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And they had plenty of that kind of money to spread around. Companies like Enron were now able to trade energy futures outside regulated exchanges. While lucrative, in the short term, for firms like Enron, the lack of oversight was calamitous for others. Orange County, Calif., declared bankruptcy in 1994 after it lost $1.6 billion in derivatives trading. Shortly after that, the U.S. General Accounting Office urged Congress to increase oversight over derivatives. (PDF) But the Hill went the other way, preventing the CFTC from regulating over-the-counter derivatives altogether. Then something unexpected happened: The CFTC got a leader who believed in greater regulation. In 1998, the new chairwoman, Brooksley Born proposed a crack down on derivatives. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Born described how she woke repeatedly "in a cold sweat," forecasting our current financial meltdown. "I was really terribly worried," she told the Post. But her concerns met fierce opposition from Fed Chair Alan Greenspan, the Treasury Department and others. According to news accounts, Sen. Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican and former chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, wrote a letter urging Born to "avoid any unnecessary interference in these productive and healthy markets." And, so, the problem got even worse. Led by Phil Gramm and Lugar, Congress passed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, which allowed the trading of even more exotic derivatives outside the purview of the CFTC. "Born was treated pretty disgracefully," said Roper, of the Consumer Federation of America. "If I were in her position today, I'd be screaming 'I told you so.'" One person who might have deserved Born's scrutiny is Gary Gensler, a former partner at Goldman Sachs, assistant Treasury secretary under President Clinton and the current chairman of the CFTC. Gensler, who once opposed derivatives regulation, beat back CFTC oversight when he helped shape the Clinton administration's response to Born's proposal. But now, in the wake of the financial meltdown, Gensler has changed his tune on derivatives regulation. The SEC and CFTC "should have clear, unimpeded oversight and enforcement authority to prevent and punish fraud, manipulation and other market abuses," Gensler told the Senate Banking securities subcommittee this week. At his February confirmation hearing, Gensler said he and other officials "should have done more to protect the American public through aggressive regulation, comprehensive regulation." Still, Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) had put holds on Gensler's nomination, because of concerns over his former deregulatory positions. They eventually released the hold, though Cantwell said she will, "continue to have concerns about Mr. Gensler's appointment." A CFTC spokesman didn't return our call requesting comment. Michael Greenberger, a former high-ranking CFTC official who once fought Gensler to approve Born's proposal, now is "quite hopeful" that Gensler will be an effective regulator. "For whatever reason, he's been very aggressive at laying out a strong legislative and enforcement program," said Greenberger, now a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. Greenberger, who still believes that "in an ideal world" the CFTC and SEC should merge, said Gensler is working "to understand what needs to be done." Of course, looking back on years of "passive" leadership, Greenberger said, there's a lot to be done. For me on CFTC regulation, read Julie Satow's "A Perfect Storm Could Shed Light On Secretive Energy Markets"
 
Alex Castellanos: George's and Hillary's Revenge: The Cost of Reelecting Barack Obama Top
With every passing day, Barack Obama is ensuring his own reelection -- but at a bloodcurdling cost for Democrats on the ballot without him in 2010. President Obama is gifted with that alchemical political material, Teflon. He speaks with power and grace. He exudes even-handed comfort, assuring all sides that this president understands their argument. His smile is an embrace that disarms, displaying the confidence of a young leader certain his intellect will prevail. In policy, the Democrats may have regressed to old, industrial-age collectivism, prescribing the same federal pill for every ill. In personnel, with this charismatic president, they are enjoying a generational leap forward. Bill Clinton's old-school charm made his every performance the topic of late night talk shows. This president's self-awareness, his post-modern reflexivity, breaks down the barriers between audience and narrator. He steps down easily from the leader's pedestal to shoot hoops, enjoy a date night with his wife, and walk comfortably among everyday Americans. America loves this guy. America is this guy. President Obama, ever-present on TV, has become the host of our national group-therapy sessions. So who needs Letterman or Leno? More importantly, Obama is protected by our aspirations. He represents the America we all want to be, a better country, beyond racial divisions and tension. For this reason alone, we will likely hold him high in our esteem after our respect for his accomplishment dims. Already, however, we are seeing a large discrepancy between who he is and what he does, a gulf that will mark his presidency. Other presidents have been as popular at similar points in their service, but this president's buoyant ratings defy the cumbersome policies he carries. Barack Obama replenishes the soul but empties the wallet. Cheering for this president is expensive. When President Obama saw a credit crisis, Americans saw him spending. When Obama saw an economy in need of stimulus, Americans saw him spending. When Obama saw a housing bust, bankrupt auto companies, Wall-Street failures, Americans saw him spending, spending and spending. Now, when the Democrats and our president see the need to spend less on health care, Americans, with some bewilderment, see them spending more on health care. Obama has taken on so many unrelated challenges that America can only see their common denominator: Obama is always spending. The Obama spending spree has begun to ring political alarms. Confidence in President Obama's ability to deal with the country's most important issue, the economy, is eroding. This is not good news for budget director Peter Orszag and his team of aptly nicknamed "propeller-heads" who keep telling the president that he has to spend more money to save it. Surveys released last week by Pew, NBC News/ Wall Street Journal and the New York Times /CBS News, show a net 15 point swing in the president's handling of the economy. Nearly 60 percent in the NBC poll see controlling the president's growing deficit as a higher priority than speeding up economic recovery. Now more bad news: A June 22 Resurgent Republic survey reveals that 62% of Independent voters, critical to Obama's success, believe "reforming health care is important, but it should be done without raising taxes or increasing the deficit." Americans see Washington on fire with Democratic spending and their President pouring kerosene, not water, on the flames. Obama won't be on the ballot in 2010, but his spending will be. What are voters to do when they see a Democratic House, Senate, and president spending recklessly, without check or balance, pressing the accelerator to ever-increasing speed, without anyone or anything to stop them? It is likely they will send our President a message: For god's sake, Mr. President, slow down. Have a cigarette. Democrats running for their lives in swing districts will soon find it in their interest to join a growing populist revolt against what Kevin Philips once termed the big-spending "mandarins of Establishment liberalism." Centrist Democrats who reflect their middle-of-the-road districts will find themselves the most vulnerable. They'll see they must either slow their drive to splurge or they will be replaced by cars which actually have brake pedals. Even so, 2010 could bring Democrats a bloodbath. Bill Clinton, with an approval rating below 50%, saw his party lose 52 seats and both houses of Congress two years after he was elected. Barack Obama, with approval of his handling of the economy now dipping near the same 50% mark, could see a comparable loss. Republican gains in the House could nearly double the usual 23-seat gain by the party out of favor. Moderate Democrats, fearing this precipice, won't wait for election day 2010 to climb to higher ground though first, their lemming-like instincts will induce them to spend another trillion dollars on health care. Shortly after they burn through this cash, we can expect the White House and imperiled Democrats to sharply reverse field and start bill-boarding the President's old promise to halve the deficit before his first term ends. When the liquor cabinet is empty, the party in power will pledge sobriety. It will be too late. After having tagged on at least $4.85 trillion in deficits in four years, the Democrats will have de-branded themselves as the party of economic responsibility and rebranded themselves as the party that cannot be trusted with the nation's checkbook, the party for whom electoral success was an aberration named Jimmy Carter. Democratic candidates will become cannon fodder, their expensive, utopian frustrations unleashed by their uninhibited Congressional majorities. In the aftermath, the tenuous alliance between left-leaning Obama Democrats and centrist New Democrats will rupture, leaving Hillary Clinton to emerge as leader of the fiscally responsible. Out on the campaign trail and in the media, Democrats will have the enthusiastic support of the last Democratic President to balance the budget and produce a surplus. Yahoo, Bill Clinton rides to the rescue. Can politics get more entertaining than that? This will be Hillary's revenge. And it will be George W. Bush's revenge, as well. President Obama, who has continually lectured Republicans about the economic irresponsibility he has inherited, will be humbled by his own fiscal indulgence. If only President Obama faced a little more Republican opposition to shield him from his excesses. In that sense, it turns out Tuesday, November 2, 2010 will be Barack Obama's lucky day. As President Obama watches the carnage of 2010, he will realize the repudiation of his spending, before he is on the ballot himself, is a disguised blessing. Post-November, the president will contritely acknowledge he has received the message. He'll say, "I promise you -- I get it," eliminating the need for voters to take him to the woodshed. In his January 2011 State of the Union, President Barack Obama will stand before Congress, wait for the audience to quiet -- and he will declare that the Era of Big Government is over. Again. Fewer middle-of-the-road Democrats will be there to applaud him. Barack Obama will smile anyway and cruise confidently to reelection in 2012. More on Barack Obama
 
Perry Garfinkel: Releasing my Inner Ramis: Buddhist Subtext of Year One Top
Did you hear the one about the schizophrenic Buddhist filmmaker who thought he was at two with himself? Buddha-bing, Buddha-bang. But seriously. OK, director/screenwriter Harold Ramis's new film, Year One , may pander to a lower common denominator, with bathroom humor, physical comedy and sight jokes targeted at young male teens. OK, lowest. We expect nothing less from a movie produced by Judd Apatow ( Superbad , Knocked Up ) and starring Jack Black ( Nacho Libre , Shallow Hal ) and Michael Cera ( Superbad , Juno ). But Ramis himself drew inspiration from a much higher source. And I am not alluding here to his recent references in the press to The Two-Thousand-Year-Old Man and Life of Brian . After interviewing him for a profile that appears in the current issue of the Buddhist journal Shambhala Sun , I can say with questionable authority that Ramis is a bit of a theological schizo himself, paying obeisance to two gods (if not more). Though raised in a Jewish household, "Comedy will always be my God," he told me. Yet, he also is well versed in Buddhist literature and personally ascribes to an ideology that draws directly from the Buddha, namely compassion for others. As you will notice, Ramis's humor is never at the expense of another sentient being, but rather makes fun of our futile attachment to thinking we can avoid suffering (we all eventually suffer the indignities of aging and death). In the Sun profile, Wes Niske r, who I dubbed "the world's first Buddhist stand-up" in The New York Times , says: "Harold Ramis should be considered a revered lineage holder in the crazy wisdom tradition of the Tibetans. Ramis is always trying to shatter our ordinary take on reality, to reveal hidden dimensions. He is trying to create what Buddhists would call 'beginner's mind.'" Indeed, who would have thunk it, but a look back at Ramis' earliest work shows distinct Buddhistic tendencies. In Caddyshack , his directorial debut and a film roundly panned by high-brow critics but later named to the American Film Institute's 100 Funniest American Movies list, Ramis slips in several Buddhist references. (Luckily, the young filmmaker followed the Buddha's advice -- "Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts.") Remember Bill Murray as the demented groundskeeper who riffs about once caddying for His Holiness the Dalai Lama? Ramis claims it's the first American film that mentions His Hisness. Or Chevy Chase's golf whiz who lectures Zen-like to his protege: "Be the ball." He even finds a way to namedrop the Zen haiku poet, Basho - to zero laughter. And then, of course, there was Groundhog Day , which developed a near cult following among some Buddhists who repeat a line from Bill Murray's weatherman Phil Connors as though it came right out of Sanskrit scriptures: "What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same and nothing really mattered?" To which his drinking buddy responds: "That about sums it up for me." And me. Now comes Year One , and a whole new opportunity for Harold Ramis to do what he does so well: under the guise of slapstick guffaws, subversively preach goodness over badness, self reliance over lemming-like obedience to any authority figure, and LOL at both the absurdity and the wonderment of Life. What I'd love to see is his irreverent but reverent filmatic take on Buddhism, completing the holy trilogy that began with Groundhog Day and continues with Year One . Picture, if you really can, Jack Black with shaved head, saffron robe and an omniscient shit-eating grin on his face. Well, those who have seen "Year One" will not have to imagine the last. Hold that image, without laughing or going into a state of nirvana, while I finish adapting my book into a Harold Ramis film: Ghostbusters meets Bruce Almighty meets Seven Years in Tibet . More on The Inner Life
 
Jamie Court: CIGNA Exec Whistleblower Puts Wind In Health Care Reform Sails Top
Nebraska's Democratic United States Senator Ben Nelson is one of the holdouts on national health care reform, after accepting big bucks from the health insurers -- ranking #10 in the Senate for taking health insurance cash. He met his match in the Senate Commerce Committee today when a former CIGNA executive came to Congress with a simple message:"My name is Wendell Potter and for 20 years, I worked as a senior executive at health insurance companies, and I saw how they confuse their customers and dump the sick - all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors." Potter testified that I know from personal experience that members of Congress and the public have good reason to question the honesty and trustworthiness of the insurance industry. Insurers make promises they have no intention of keeping, they flout regulations designed to protect consumers, and they make it nearly impossible to understand -- or even to obtain -- information we need. As you hold hearings and discuss legislative proposals over the coming weeks, I encourage you to look very closely at the role for-profit insurance companies play in making our health care system both the most expensive and one of the most dysfunctional in the world. Woof! Wendall Potter may be the secret weapon that wins passage of health care reform in America. Read his full testimony here . The health insurance Potter described today is hardly the one Congress would want to extend to 47 million more Americans. Potter makes as good a case for the need for a public option to the for-profit market and for health insurer accountability as I have heard yet in Congress, just as the president goes on ABC tonight to make his case. Senator Jay Rockefeller, who chaired today's hearing made an eloquent and passionate plea for change too. He also released a report s howing how patients are being screwed by insurance fine print. Reformers are finding their stride. The more the focus on insurers, the stronger this reform horse will run.
 
Mark Sanford's Affair: Read The Emails Top
Below are excerpts of e-mails, obtained by The State newspaper in December, between Gov. Mark Sanford and Maria, a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The State has removed the woman's full name and other personal details, including her address, e-mail address and children's names.
 
Kevin Downey: America's Got Talent, The Season Premiere Top
I suppose the big question going into last night's season premiere of NBC's America's Got Talent was: Will Susan Boyle, the famously frumpy runner-up on Britain's Got Talent , make an appearance? The bubbly, fun and incessantly lively America's Got Talent answered that question right away. "Not yet," although Boyle is now prominently featured in the show's opening credits (NBC's no dummy). But, no matter, she'll probably make an appearance at some point this season. And, besides, the show, now in its fourth season, holds up on its own pretty darn well. The format of the show is familiar to just about anyone who's had a pulse the past few years. And it's produced by the team behind American Idol , including that show's Simon Cowell, so it more or less follows the Idol format. The first few episodes, like last night's, center on auditions. Those began this season in New York, which at first were disastrous. Talent zipped over to Chicago lickety-split. And, later, Seattle. But, back to New York, the show wrapped up with the premiere's most touching sob story. The people auditioning last night fell on the usual spectrum of bad to good, like a dance team from Chicago and The Voices of Glory, three siblings who sang "God Bless America." Most of the fun came from the, well, less-than-spectacular, clueless talent. Debbie Victor, a middle-aged woman from California, boasted of her talent, only to scare off the audience with her animal impressions. And a dance duo from New York, who dance with fire, quite literally went up in flames. Much of the fun on America's Got Talent comes from the juiced-up audience - both the live audience and the pumped-up soundtrack version of one. They scream and shout and boo and hiss. It's all a bit insane, but in a fun way. And judges David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan are all good sports and a lot of fun to watch. Where American Idol judges can be cruel, Talent's judging trio is usually kind. And they don't suppress their emotions - they cry, they shout and they jump in their air. In these times of economic woes, job losses and chaos breaking out around the world, America's Got Talent last night proved once again that it's a pretty good antidote to the country's woes. More on Susan Boyle
 
Hal Turner, Internet Radio Host, Arrested For Inciting Violence Against Public Officials...Again Top
Hal Turner, New Jersey's top white-supremacist internet-radio show hosting lunatic is back in the news today, for pretty much the same reason he was in the news earlier this month : threatening public officials with bodily harm, and subsequently getting arrested for it! This time out, Turner's calls to vigilantism ranged beyond the Tri-State area, all the way to Chicago. WGN has the news : Hal Turner, an occasional talk show host on internet radio and blogger, was arrested today by the FBI in his New Jersey home on charges he threatened to murder three federal appeals court judges in Chicago following their recent ruling upholding handgun bans. According to the U.S. attorney's office, postings on Turner's web site included photos of the judges and addresses for them, with statements such as: "Let me be the first to say this plainly; These judges deserve to be killed." Actually, Turner went even further. A day after Turner posted the original threat, urging readers that "it appears another lesson is needed," he posted an update with the names of the judges, along with photographs, phone numbers, and work addresses, right down to office numbers. In the update, Turner wrote: "Judges official public work addresses and a map of the area are below. Their home addresses and maps will follow soon. Behold these devils." Well this is about to get REAL for Turner, because now he's run afoul of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. From the official complaint ( which can be seen in its entirety, via PDF, here ): Hal Turner, an intermittent internet radio talk show host and blogger, was arrested today by FBI agents at his home in North Bergen, N.J., on a federal complaint filed in Chicago alleging that he made internet postings threatening to assault and murder three federal appeals court judges in Chicago in retaliation for their recent ruling upholding handgun bans in Chicago and a suburb. Internet postings on June 2 and 3 proclaimed "outrage" over the June 2, 2009, handgun decision by Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook and Judges Richard Posner and William Bauer, of the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, further stating, among other things: "Let me be the first to say this plainly: These Judges deserve to be killed." The postings included photographs, phone numbers, work address and room numbers of these judges, along with a photo of the building in which they work and a map of its location. Turner, 47, of North Bergen, N.J., was arrested this morning after FBI agents went to his residence to execute a search warrant. He was charged with threatening to assault and murder three federal judges with intent to retaliate against them for performing official duties in a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. He is scheduled to have an initial court appearance at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Shipp in U.S. District Court in Newark. "We take threats to federal judges very seriously. Period," said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, who announced the charges with Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and the FBI Office in Newark are providing local assistance. PREVIOUSLY, on the HUFFINGTON POST: Hal Turner, Talk Radio Host, Facing Charges For Inciting Violence Against Officials [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 .] More on Terrorism
 
Nathan Gonzalez: Learning from Iran's Past Revolutions Top
The last one and a half centuries of modern Iranian history have been marked by recurring popular revolts in the streets of Tehran and throughout the rest of the country. Among the countless uprisings, three stand out as dramatic examples of a people imposing their collective will on a despotic regime: The Tobacco Protest (1891-92), the Constitutional Revolution (1906-11), and the Islamic Revolution (1978-79). Today, we are witnessing a fourth such movement. There have been enough mass uprisings in Iran to identify the important trends they all share. One such trend has been the involvement of various segments of society with a common purpose. Grand coalitions of secular intellectuals, merchants from the bazaar, and the clergy, have always been the driving force behind any revolution. Clerics and bazaaris are especially critical, since they project traditional Islamic values and piety to the Iranian masses. Without their active participation it is hard to imagine any uprising succeeding. Among the first, large-scale revolutionary coalitions was formed during the Tobacco Protest, which was organized by the clergy and the bazaar in a response to the shah's decision to hand over Iran's entire tobacco market to a single British citizen. After over a year of merchant strikes and demonstrations, it was Ayatollah Mirza Hasan Shirazi's fatwa calling for a boycott of the product that forced the shah to finally cancel the deal. (It is said that Shirazi's word was so powerful that even the shah's harem refused to smoke.) A second common trend in Iran's mass demonstrations has been the length of time it has taken them to mature--over a year of demonstrations in each of the cases mentioned here. The Constitutional Revolution, which began as a grassroots movement of citizen councils demanding a parliament and a written constitution in early 1906, was not fully quelled until pitched street battles between constitutionalists and Russian-commanded forces came to an end in 1911. By then, the parliament and constitution had become staples of Iranian political life, even if those in power chose to systematically ignored them. The third and arguably most important common denominator of revolutionary activity in Iran has been the ideals that protesters have embraced across the centuries. Repeatedly, Iranian movements have centered around two key premises: First, that Iran should be free of foreign meddling (whether it be British, Russian, or American); and second, that the country's politics should be reflective of popular will. In other words, modern Iranian revolutions have always sought a degree of democracy and national independence. The Iranian Revolution of 1978-79 was in many ways a culmination of the previous century's upheaval. It ended with the toppling of Mohammad Reza Shah, a foreign-backed dictator who inspired a unique kind of hatred among his subjects. But while post-revolutionary Iran became the poster-child of political independence and self-reliance, the second goal of Iranian social movements, that of democracy at home, quickly fell by the wayside. As Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini consolidated power over the emerging Islamic Republic and the country fought an eight-year war with neighboring Iraq, political development in Iran took a back seat to national security and survival. The millions who had taken to the streets in 1979 to demand political representation soon found themselves on the receiving end of an increasingly brutal regime, one that, like the shah's government before it, had few qualms about enforcing obedience through murder, rape, and torture. It was not until the blatant theft of the June 12 election by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that masses of Iranians from all walks of life have taken to the streets once again. Today, a revolution is underway in Iran, and democracy is once again on the table. As with past revolutions, it is difficult to tell just how and when it will end. Should the regime beat and kill the revolutionaries to a standstill, it will only be kicking the ball forward, setting the stage for a future confrontation. If, on the other hand, the uprising can grow to include the massive bazaars of Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan and Shiraz, and more active participation from clerics in the Shia holy cities of Qom and even Southern Iraq (yes, Iraq), it is hard to imagine how Ayatollah Khamenei would not change his tune, or even be forced to step aside. Whatever happens, the world will look back on the 2009 Revolution as one in a long line of movements to reconcile the harsh reality of Iranian politics with the unresolved grievances and unmet aspirations of a population willing to fight for its principles. While coalitions from across all sectors of society finally succeeded in ridding Iran of its status as a Western puppet back in 1979, the Iranian masses have yet to achieve individual rights and self-determination; values that do not necessarily resonate with the rest of the world, but most certainly carry potent meaning in Iran. One thing is certain: The current revolts are no longer about who won the June 12 election. They are the manifestation of a national ideal that not only pre-dates the Islamic Republic, but will most certainly outlive it. Nathan Gonzalez, a Fellow with the Truman National Security Project, is author of Engaging Iran: The Rise of a Middle East Powerhouse and America's Strategic Choice . More on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
 
US Beats Spain To Reach Confederations Cup Final Top
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa — The United States stunned top-ranked Spain 2-0 Wednesday night on goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, advancing to the Confederations Cup final with one of the Americans' biggest soccer victories. Altidore scored in the 27th minute and Dempsey added a goal in the 74th as the Americans became the first team to defeat Spain since Romania in November 2006. The chances of such a U.S. victory seemed slim just a few days ago. The 14th-ranked Americans lost their first two games in the Confederations Cup, an eight-nation World Cup warmup, and were on the verge of elimination. "I can't explain it any more than you can," U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "Sports is funny sometimes, but when you put your mind to something, you can achieve it." Now they will play defending champion Brazil or host South Africa on Sunday in their first-ever men's final at a FIFA competition. "It's exciting, a great team effort. To beat an amazing team like Spain and make the final, it's big," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "We played as hard as we could and that's what it took. Every guy contributed, so it's a very good feeling." The U.S. has three full days to prepare for the final. It was thoroughly outplayed by Brazil in a 3-0 first-round meeting. "We take a few hours to regroup, but we'll be ready," Bradley said. "We're so excited about this." Spain, the European champion, had set an international record with 15 straight victories and had tied Brazil's record unbeaten streak of 35 games from December 1993 to January 1996. "We're not used to losing," Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. "We lacked a little of our usual touch. We played a very difficult rival who took us head on." Spain outshot the U.S. 29-9 but Howard came up with several big saves. "We knew we had to pick and choose our moments to go forward," Dempsey said. "We're happy with the result and we know we're going to have our work cut out to get anything out of the final." Altidore got the first goal when he outmuscled Joan Capdevila, his teammate on Spain's Villarreal, to beat goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Dempsey scored when he pounced on Landon Donovan's cross, which had bounced off Gerard Pique and the foot of Sergio Ramos. Midfielder Michael Bradley, son of the coach, will miss the final. He received a red card for a late sliding tackle in the 87th minute, the third U.S. ejection of the tournament. The United States had been 1-7-1 against top-ranked teams, beating Brazil in the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup and tying Argentina last summer in an exhibition at Giants Stadium. When the U.S. upset Brazil, goalkeeper Kasey Keller had an outstanding game, just as Howard did. For the Americans, a longtime soccer outsider, this ranked alongside the upset of Brazil as one of their top wins, below victories over England in the 1950 World Cup, Portugal and Mexico in the 2002 World Cup and Colombia in the 1994 World Cup. The Americans were boosted by the return of captain Carlos Bocanegra, who had been sidelined since injuring a hamstring during a World Cup qualifier on June 6. He played left back instead of central defense. The United States had lost its three previous matches against Spain, including a 1-0 in an exhibition on June 4 last year at Santander. Altidore scored after Dempsey lifted the ball over Pique as Xabi Alonso tried to come in. The ball deflected to the 19-year-old forward, who shot from 18 yards as Carles Puyol attempted to close in vain. The shot went off Casillas' right arm and into the net. Altidore was so excited he took off his jersey as he ran toward the stands in celebration, drawing a yellow card. It was the first goal against Spain in 451 minutes, since Turkey's Semih Senturk scored on April 1, and just the third goal the Spaniards allowed in 17 games dating to last summer's European Championship. Scoring against Spain had special meaning for Altidore, acquired by Villarreal of Spain's La Liga from Major League Soccer and the New York Red Bulls for $10 million last summer. He made only two starts and four substitute appearances during the first half of the season for Villarreal, scoring one goal. Loaned to second division leader Xerez on Jan. 30, he didn't get into a single match. On Sunday, Altidore had sent a warning to Capdevila. "He sent me a message and told me that we had to be careful," Capdevila said. "But his Spanish is not so great, so I think he made a mistake." More on Sports
 
Bill Scher: Wanna Strengthen The Climate Bill? Get This One Passed. Top
As Mother Jones recently chronicled, the environment community is fractured on the House clean energy and climate protection bill, though the bigger pieces -- Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, League of Conservation Voters -- are squarely for it. Al Gore last night in a open invitation conference call sought to rally activists to call Congress before Friday's House vote and demand passage. But with a fair amount of internal debate persisting about the merits of the bill , along with much of the progressive media infrastructure failing over the last several weeks to highlight the twists and turns of the legislative drama, many progressive citizen-activists have not been especially motivated to engage Congress on climate, if they were even aware that the time was ripe for engagement. The latest flare-up within the progressive movement is unconfirmed speculation that environmental groups supporting the bill are resisting attempts to try to strengthen the bill on the House floor , for fear that such attempts would threaten the fragile coalition of green-state, coal-state, oil-state, and farm-state Dems needed to attain a majority. Is this a helpful debate to have right now? To answer that, first answer this question: do we need a stronger bill with fewer concessions to carbon-polluting industries? Look at this way. Duke University professor Prasad Kasibhatla concluded that if the rest of world follows our lead after the House bill approach is implemented, we would keep carbon pollution below 450 parts per million. Some scientists say that's enough to avert a climate crisis , while some say we need to reach 350 . In other words, we don't know for sure, but a stronger bill would be the safer route. So, how best to do that? Anyone who has closely followed the legislative sausage being made knows the following: 1. Reps. Henry Waxman and Ed Markey had to do Herculean wheelin'-and-dealin' with fossil-fuel lovin' Dems to painstakingly piece together this compromise. 2. They did it without having any grassroots intensity in support of a strong carbon cap to hold skittish congresspeople's feet to the fire. In fact, Waxman and Markey had to do these deals precisely because they had no grassroots political leverage. Which means pursuing last-minute amendments is futile. There is zero reason to believe that the coalition could hold if any changes were made to the bill at this point. (Or to be more direct, there is zero reason to believe any amendment that would strengthen the bill would pass in the first place.) Berating the Big Green groups for being strategic realists is not a useful internal debate to have. Their political calculations are not why the bill required multiple compromises. The missing ingredient throughout this process has always been grassroots intensity, which has been depressed thanks to the fractured environmental community and lack of attention from both traditional media and progressive media. You want to set the stage to strengthen the bill? Add that ingredient. Call Congress. Call 877-9-REPOWER. Pass the bill with a burst of grassroots momentum. Don't sit on your hands and let Waxman and Speaker Pelosi drag the bill over the finish line with a whimper. Send a message to the Senate, where the current bill will face an even rougher road. Let Congress know that voters are watching this vote, and will reward congresspeople who had the vision to combat global warming. From a political perspective, the details of the compromise don't matter right now. It's simply a global warming bill. And congresspeople are listening to find out if their constituents want a global warming bill, don't want a global warming bill, or don't care one way or another. The best thing to do right now, is to give Congress the right answer. Cross-posted at OurFuture.org More on Global Financial Crisis
 

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