Saturday, September 26, 2009

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Miles J. Zaremski: Health Care Reform: It Boils Down to Four Words Top
Next week, the Senate Finance Committee will vote on the public health insurance option. There will be two versions of it, one offered by Senator Rockefeller; the other by Senator Schumer. Regardless of the outcome, health care reform today comes down to four simple, words: accessibility , affordability , choice , and competition . For good measure, there is also perhaps a fifth word, and that is the word, right , as in Americans should have a right to health care as part of being a United States citizen. In order to be healthy, we need care from our doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers. In other words, we must be able to access (the first word of reform) that care. We should all be astute enough to know how to call a doctor, or get over to a hospital emergency room. And if we do not, surely we have a friend, colleague, or loved one who can assist us. Recently, the major drugstore chains, like Walgreen's and CVS, have established in-store "clinics", staffed by licensed and certified nurse-practitioners, to treat garden variety ailments for less than it would be to visit a private doctor. But even though we know where to go for care, if we cannot afford (the second word of reform) it, it does not matter if the doctor is next door or down the block. So, to pay to sustain our health means we need to find quality for the least expensive price. Typically, that can be obtained through health care insurance policies. After all, rarely, if ever, does anyone pay the "retail" rate for health care services; everything is always negotiated between provider and third party payor. But premiums for these policies cost lots of money, and millions of Americans cannot afford them. Those of us who have insurance are no doubt paying way too much for them as well. In order for premiums to come down, either the private market has to voluntarily drop the cost, or there must be some outside pressure to force them to do so. We know the former does not work, since insurance companies in the private market are in business to be as profitable as possible. Shareholders would not want it any other way. The other way is for a "new kid in town" to make premiums come down. This kid is the public option. After all, the American way is to compete. By those who wish to compete , we have sufficient choice (our third and fourth words for reform) among the insurance being offered to us. The more choices, the better the price and the product. Another reason a public option is critical is that insurance companies have been exempt from our antitrust laws for over 60 years. The opposite of competition is monopolization, which antitrust laws are designed to prevent. This includes monopolizing prices insurance companies charge as insurance premiums. Senator Leahy (D.-Vt.) introduced last week S. 1681 (H.R. 3596) to lift the exemption that the insurance industry has had since 1945. We should all get on that bandwagon to ensure its passage. Parenthetically, if we do get a public option, let's ensure that insurance companies do not have the ability to hike premiums or reduce coverage before it (public option) goes into being. Remember what the credit care companies did with interest rates before recent regulations limiting interest charges went into effect? We shouldn't be taken as fools once more. So, to all those on the Senate Finance Committee, before you cast your vote on the public option, think of the four words put forth in this post. That should not be a difficult thing to do, unless you really are unconcerned about caring out the will of the people you swore to follow upon becoming an elected representative.
 
Vanessa Carmichael: Oh, Now You Care Top
If you listen closely to the health care debate in this country, you might figure the debate isn't really about health care at all. The pitched signs of tea baggers that answered the call of Glen Beck and marched on Washington on September 12th, concerned mostly socialism and amnesty--spelled out in all its erroneous forms, not health care. While most Fox News programs and AM talk radio is tailored to fuel the ire of working-class white people to keep the country divided and ratings up, immigration is an issue that crosses racial and economic divides as proven by the inclusion of section 246 of H.R. 3200 that prohibits illegal immigrants from being covered by public health care. Yet, despite the fact that the House's health care bill clearly states that illegal immigrants would not be provided for, conservatives are still milking illegal immigration for all it's vote-proffering effects, insisting illegal immigrants will be covered under the president's health care agenda. South Carolina's Congressional representative slandered the president on the floor of Congress no less, calling him a liar in relation to the provision. The outburst was either the result of his own illiteracy or a desperate maneuver to appeal to a constituency that wants to make every issue we face as a country an issue of illegal immigration. This campaign of lies and distortions is much like the "it wasn't me" defense, where the cheater just keeps repeating the bold-faced lie until their spouse, in this case the country, is exhausted and gives up. This tactic works especially well these days with the president being a racial minority, and therefore in the minds of disgruntled simpletons, a natural ally of illegal immigrants. The truth of the matter is that the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, particularly Latino immigrants, that cost the country an estimated $11 billion in health care expenditures take up disproportionately more time in right wing media than the hundreds of billions needlessly wasted by insurance companies and hospitals on administrative expenses. Nevermind, the $177 Billion of taxpayer money that went to big agribusiness to make us all less healthy, that money was thieved by white people. Shame Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh didn't mobilize these outraged citizens during the eight years of the Bush administration's compulsive spending. Seeing as though it was Bush, not Obama, who promoted illegal immigration on a national level as he had done in his home state as governor of Texas, it seems an exercise in futility to cry about illegal immigrants now. These days fewer and fewer workers are willing to take the risk of crossing to the United States only to struggle to find work in our ailing economy. Where were these guys when Bush was pushing for the ole temporary guest-worker permit (semantics for amnesty) to match up immigrant workers with employers for "jobs Americans won't do." As if Americans turn their noses up at working construction or cooking in restaurants or cleaning offices. Americans do and will do these jobs and just about any other job but they'd prefer to do so at a livable wage. Bush made the statement about guest-worker program during his campaign against Kerry and Glen Beck constituency still voted for him. While today they make signs about the use of Spanish in the U.S., they voted for Bush who reversed the Republican Party's support for English-only public education. They supported Bush who believed our economy rested on the cheap labor of immigrants and not fairly compensated labor of Americans, stating: "We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy, even though this economy could not function without them. All these are forms of economic retreat, and they lead in the same direction, toward a stagnant and second-rate economy." Shame these outraged citizens weren't taking it to the streets during the previous six years when we spent an estimated trillion dollars on the Iraq War mostly for contracts to Bechtel and Halliburton, (because we sure weren't spending it on the soldiers). We could have used their righteous indignation when Rumsfeld threw millions of Saddam's money at militants so they could buy more weapons to kill American soldiers and innocent civilians. No, when the Bush Administration was spending like a bandit, ya know, when it counted, that's when these concerned citizens were the "silent majority." Now we are left with a choice of victimizing victims, rounding up impoverished immigrant families, and foregoing reforms in health care and education because the budget is so tight. Some say these demonstrations are an inspiration for American democracy. I strongly disagree. Watching these day-late-dollar-short dissidents march on Washington in an uproar over spending and illegal immigration is not inspiring in the least. Watching these tea baggers march on Washington is like watching the guy who burned down your house dub himself a hero 'cause he threw water on the ashes. More on Tax Day Tea Parties
 
Lori Pottinger: The Wrong Climate for Big Dams in Africa Top
Africa is the least electrified place in the world. Some 550 million Africans have no access to electricity. Not only are they living in the dark; many Africans also have a tenuous water supply. The majority depend directly on rivers and lakes for water. Water stress is growing, creeping across the continent like a swarm of locusts. And climate change (which Africans have had almost no part in creating) is expected to make things dramatically worse.  Yet many of the continent's energy planners are pinning their hopes for African electrification on something as ephemeral as the rain, by pushing for a grid of large hydro dams across the continent. Today, the African Union called for a massive system of continental “power pooling” (linking grids across borders), ostensibly to help Africa’s poor. Elham Ibrahim, the energy chief for the African Union, told Reuters that hydropower is key to power pooling. But the hydro-pooling plan could leave Africa high and dry. Many existing dams are already suffering from drought-caused power shortages, forcing governments to turn to expensive fossil-fuel emergency plants. New dams are being built with no examination of how climate change will impact them. Past hydrological records, being used as the basis for planning dozens of new large dams, have little bearing on future river flows. The economic impacts of hydro-vulnerability will be felt both in the costs of power cuts on industrial output, and the cost of wasted investments in dry dams. Africa’s poor could become hydropower hostages. Climate scientists predict truly alarming changes to many African waterways. In his 2006 report, Sir Nicholas Stern predicted that a 3-6 degree Celsius increase in temperature in coming years will result in a 30-50% reduction in water availability in Southern Africa. Scientists recently discovered evidence that droughts in West Africa lasted centuries in the past . Their study suggests global warming could create conditions that favor extreme droughts across much of Western Africa, home to Africa’s biggest reservoir (Akosombo’s Lake Volta), among others. The Nile, Zambezi and other major rivers are also expected to see worse droughts and lower flows. Africa’s dam promoters insist that by building more dams across a wider region, and connecting them all with transmission systems, odds are it will all work out, and power can be traded to places where drought has crippled the power supply. Yet it’s hard to sell electricity from empty reservoirs. The World Bank, which is also calling for a resurgence in hydro development in Africa , states that the continent has tapped just 8% of its hydro potential. This is an incomplete message at best. The other side of the coin is that Africa is already dangerously hydro-dependent, with many countries getting most of their electricity (and sometimes all of it) from dams. Meanwhile, Africa has not developed even a tiny fraction of a percent of its available solar, wind, geothermal, or biomass power. While Africa’s large dams have failed to bring Africans out the dark, decentralized renewable energy projects are well-suited to meeting the needs of far-flung villages and urban areas alike. Diversifying the energy mix is a better bet than gambling on the rain. The palette includes: Geothermal:  The UN says that Africa has at least 4,000MW of geothermal ready to develop in the East African Rift. but has tapped less than half of a percent of this naturally produced steam-driven power. Solar: Africa’s potential is nearly limitless. A new study co-sponsored by my organization shows that Mozambique’s huge and virtually unexploited solar potential is about 1.49 million GWh -- thousands of times more than the country’s current annual energy demand. And this power is distributed evenly across the country. Exploiting this energy would benefit the more than 80% of Mozambique’s population that is now off-grid.  Wind:  Wind potential is also high in many parts of Africa, and is finally beginning to be developed (new large projects are underway in Kenya and Egypt, for example). Co-gen: The production of electricity from steam, heat, or other energy sources as a by-product of another industrial process is well-suited to many African nations. A new report on Africa's hydropower vulnerability by African researchers estimates that the continent could get 20% of its electricity from co-gen. Mauritius now gets almost half of its electricity from co-gen plants using mostly sugar cane waste. Diversifying Africa's energy sector would help its climate-adaptation efforts in key ways: it would de-emphasize reliance on erratic rainfall for electricity, reduce conflict over water resources, and protect river-based ecosystems and the many benefits they bring. And it would share the wealth with the half a billion Africans now living in the dark.       More on Climate Change
 
Spider On Pope (PICTURE, VIDEO): Spider Crawls On Pope Benedict's Face During Speech In Prague Top
PRAGUE (AP) — President Barack Obama had his fly. Now Pope Benedict XVI has his spider. A large arachnid appeared on the pope's white robes as he addressed politicians and diplomats in Prague on Saturday afternoon. The pope didn't seem to notice at first – but journalists following the speech on a large screen flinched as the spider inched toward Benedict's neck. It disappeared from view for a moment, but then could be seen crawling up the right side of the 82-year-old pontiff's face. When it reached his ear, Benedict gave it a swat. But it didn't go away – it reappeared on the pope's left shoulder and scampered down his robe. As the pope left the medieval Prague Castle's ornate Spanish Hall, the spider could be seen hanging from a piece of web. In June, Obama now famously swatted and killed a fly that intruded on an interview for CNBC at the White House. More on Photo Galleries
 
Anuradha K. Herath: EPRLF-P Gen. Sec. Sritharan to Diaspora: This is No Joke, Battlefront Not on Toronto Streets Top
For decades, T. Sritharan, general secretary of the Eelam Peoples' Revolutionary Liberation Front-Pathmanabha wing (EPRLF-P), engaged in politics covertly. Under the watchful eye of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), he and his political party struggled to get their politically moderate message across to the people of the north and east. Despite the LTTE's claim of being the sole representative of the Tamil people, there were those who disagreed. Those dissenters were often suppressed. "Our people couldn't live anywhere," Sritharan says. "Our people were living only in a very low-profile way. They couldn't (engage) in any political activities. Anybody thinking against the LTTE, they kill. That is the problem. LTTE not only killed political leaders, they also killed intellectuals, even NGO people. They also killed [politically] left people and trade union people." The EPRLF (before it split into two groups), along with other Tamil political parties, was banned by the LTTE in 1986. But Sritharan managed to survive the LTTE's ruthless elimination of those it considered Tamil moderates. Today, Sritharan and his party are allied with the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, working to address the grievances of the Tamil minority in post-war Sri Lanka. In an interview in Colombo that lasted nearly two hours, Sritharan spoke candidly about the issues facing Sri Lanka's Tamil population. The Diaspora For decades, the Sri Lankan diaspora -- both Tamil and Sinhala -- played a crucial role in the conflict. Political scientist Christine Fair wrote about the Tamil diaspora communities in Nationalism and Ethnic Politics in 2005. "As has been noted, the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora has been a fundamental component of the Tamil insurgency," she writes. "It has been the backbone of the LTTE's global operations and has been a financial lifeline of the militancy." The last stages of Sri Lanka's 30-year conflict with the LTTE saw massive protests staged in capitals around the world against the government's military offensive. Toronto was a key flashpoint. According to some estimates, the city has a Tamil population of approximately 200,000, including many LTTE supporters. Thousands from Toronto's Tamil diaspora poured on to the streets to protest, forcing road closures and disrupting civil life. Now, with the military struggle over and the LTTE defeated, Sritharan says the diaspora will have to assume a new role. "The Tamil diaspora in the last 20 years, a section of the diaspora, supported to build up the LTTE war," he says. "They also, right or wrong, contributed a number of children. Now, their contribution [must be] to the upliftment of the people and their lives. They must contribute very positively." "[In] their countries also, different kinds of people are available. Different societies also tolerate each other. Living in another country, your experience, your education (and) your wealth must be shared locally." Speaking emotionally about the numbers of Tamil people killed, injured and widowed through the conflict, Sritharan accused the Tamil diaspora of not understanding the realities on the ground. "They think the children are poor peoples' sons and daughters," Sritharan says. "Some people in Toronto, in LTTE uniforms, rallying [demonstrating]. The ordinary soldier from the Sinhala south is also from a poor peasant family. These children are from poor families. These people are also fighting in the front. It is not some school program or sports meet." Sritharan's contention is that diaspora communities have the luxury of observing from a distance. They have the luxury of free speech in countries such as the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia (with large Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora populations) to protest and speak out without having to face dangerous consequences. But they have "no sentimental attachment with the land," Sritharan says, and the children of poor Tamil and Sinhala families end up fighting for the cause. "The battlefront is not on Toronto's streets," he says. "This is not a bloody joke. These kinds of people also exploit the ordinary peoples' life and limb." Working for Peace On Sept. 7, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), widely known as the LTTE's proxy party, met with President Rajapaksa for the first time since the defeat of the LTTE. The TNA consists of five Tamil political parties: Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi, All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Tamil United Liberation Front, EPRLF-S (Suresh wing led by Suresh Premachandran) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization. The focus of the meeting was the humanitarian crisis in the north, particularly the resettling of internally displaced persons. Sritharan did not attend this meeting but says he spoke about the issue with President Rajapaksa when he attended an all-party meeting July 2. "I mentioned to (President Rajapaksa), you also played a good role in the latter part of the 80s on human rights," Sritharan says. "You also played a historical role for 20, 25 years to eradicate the Tamil fascism. In the same way, you will try to devolve the powers to the other communities, Tamils including other communities, as well as value the peoples' respect and dignity." Sritharan believes President Rajapaksa faces pressure from the People's Liberation Front (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya parties against devolving power, but he is hopeful. "Now the government must take some risks," says Sritharan. "Peace is the main agenda. Free the people from camps. Celebrate the peace. At that time, if one or two LTTE (members) create problems, the people will punish them. Now if the (existing) situation continues, that is a fertilized ground." Sritharan calls on the government to release from IDP camps those who can easily be identified as not being a threat -- families with five or six children, widows, pregnant women and the elderly. "Now people also want to live," he says. "They want their children educated. They want jobs. They want peace." Read more of the interview with EPRLF-P General Secretary T. Sritharan here . More on Sri Lanka
 
Farahnaz Ispahani: Obama joins world leaders in backing Pakistani Democracy Top
Kerry Lugar Bill & FoDP Much to the dismay of the government's detractors and contrary to the vilification campaign going on in the country against the leadership, the US Senate voted on Thursday to triple non-military aid to Pakistan to roughly 1.5 billion dollars per year through 2014 in its effort to show the world that Pakistan is a critical and strategic ally. The bill, passed unanimously, had been agreed upon between the Senate and House sponsors of legislation passed separately by each chamber earlier this year. The sponsors are Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar. The bill has incorporated improvements over the earlier version of the Kerry-Lugar Bill passed by the Senate and the House. The vital aspect of the bill is that its language is far less prescriptive and stringent than the original version. Specific references to India as well as AQ Khan have been eliminated while the language related to nuclear proliferation is markedly toned down - from "ensure access of US investigators to individual suspected" to receiving cooperation "in efforts such as providing relevant information from or direct access to Pakistani nationals associated with such networks." Richard Holbrooke, special US representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, said the Kerry-Lugar Bill will become law next week. On Thursday, in an unprecedented show of support for Pakistan, major economic powers agreed to the formation of a multi-donor trust fund (MDTF) to help the country build its tribal areas which have been the worst victim of the fight against the militants. In an unprecedented show of solidarity President Barack Obama, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gordon Brown co-chaired the meeting of Friends Democratic of Pakistan (FoDP). President Asif Ali Zardari stressed the significance of Mr. Obama's gesture, saying it reflected the confidence the international community had in the new democratic set-up in Pakistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi termed the summit a 'diplomatic success', stating that it represented a vote of confidence in the Pakistani nation. "We have come a long way. Democracy has completed a full circle," he said. "We have a message for the extremists: There's no place for them in the civilized world." The President went on to add, "A stable, prosperous Pakistan is the world's greatest hope against the spread of extremism and terrorism." The total amount of the Bill passed by US Senate for the FY 2009 is $3021.0 m. $1147.5m would be given under the Head of Development and Reconstruction out of which $33.5m will be given under the Head of Child Survival and Health Program whereas Economic Support Fund would receive $1,114.0m while $1,102m will be made available for the country in FY2010 with $27.9m and $1,074.3m on Child Survival and Health Program and Economic Support Fund respectively. Pakistan will receive a total of $1103.1m under the Head of Security Assistance out of which Foreign Military Financing would be $300.0m this year, whereas $700.0m have been allocated for Pakistan Counter Insurgency Fund; $13.3m would be spent on Non-Profit, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Issues. The Head of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement would receive a total of $87.5m while $2.3m would be spent under the Head of IMET. It is worthy to mention here that $298.0m, $22.7m, $155.2m and $4.0m respectively would be given to the country under the same Head in FY 2010. Pakistan will receive a total of $255.4m under the Head of Humanitarian grant; further details are that Migration and Refugee Assistance will be given $69.6m while Food for Progress $31.0m, PL480 $36.3m and International Disaster Assistance will be given to the tune of $118.0m in the FY 2009. Migration and Refugee Assistance will receive $20.0m while no money has been reserved for Food for Progress, PL and International Disaster Assistance in the FY 2010.Total State Department ops will entail $2,506.0m in this fiscal year whereas it would be $1602.0m in the next fiscal year. The Department of Defense will receive a total of $515.6m in which Counter Narcotics will receive an amount of $63.3m this year and $38.4m in the next financial year while $25.0m have been reserved on the name of FATA Authority this year. Ensuring that the present government does not face any obstacle in its democratic dispensation, a condition in the Bill requires that the security forces of Pakistan do not subvert judicial processes. The aim of the legislation is to promote stability in the country. It is worthy to mention here that the Bill underlines the importance of supporting Pakistan's national security needs to fight the ongoing counterinsurgency and improve its border security and control. However, it does not specify any amount or percentage. This provides the Administration maximum flexibility and none of the conditions can set in motion automatic sanctions. Critics will come out with all sorts of accusation but the fact of the matter is that the importance of FoDP cannot be underestimated. Heads of states and governments of more than twenty countries gathered under one roof to show their confidence in the democratic set-up in Islamabad, a fact which was also acknowledged by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown who applauded Islamabad's campaign to rid the restive border areas of violent extremism and bring stability to the region. The British leader commended the leadership of President Zardari and the role of armed forces for launching an effective offensive against the militants. Brown said all member countries of the FoDP were unanimous in voicing their support for Pakistan towards addressing economic and security challenges facing the nation. Earlier, addressing the meeting, US President Barack Obama announced that the Senate Thursday unanimously passed the long-awaited Kerry-Lugar bill. The measure will authorise $1.5 billion in economic assistance for Pakistan annually over five years. Obama reaffirmed his administration's commitment to economic cooperation with Pakistan. This has been a truly remarkable week for Pakistan on the world stage. Pakistan stands perhaps in the strongest diplomatic position in its sixty two year history. And perhaps the most important message that President Zardari sends to our nation -- both its military leadership and to the people -- is that democracy does indeed deliver. More on Barack Obama
 
Jim Selman: Capitalism: Never Enough? Top
New York is a consumer paradise. That's one of the reasons it is a shopping mecca for so many people from around the world. Folks who can afford it want to have an apartment here, the 'Big Brands' want to have a store on 5th Avenue, and the rest of us want to look in the store windows and buy stuff. New York, of course, doesn't have an exclusive on being a magnet for shoppers -- most big cities have their own version of a street lined with designer stores overflowing with opulent offerings. As I travel from city to city, I find myself wondering how all of these stores stay in business. How many Rolex watches, Chanel handbags and Mont Blanc pens can one use? And now these 'pushers' for shopaholics and the rich are invading airports like ants at a picnic. I understand capitalism. And I understand business. But in the wake of last year's financial meltdown (attributed mostly to greed), the impact of the recession on ordinary lives, and trillions in consumer debt, it seems like a good time to ask, "How much is enough?" If we as a society are really committed to the notion that "more is always better" and if we believe we can sustain economic growth indefinitely, then we are 'hooked' going to make that next purchase just as surely as an alcoholic derelict on Skid Row is 'hooked' as they reach for another drink. I think the epidemic of designer stores is just symptomatic of the buying binge we've been on for the last half-century. To be sure, it has created unprecedented prosperity and a higher standard of living for many. In Annie Leonard's "The Story of Stuff" she quotes retail analyst Victor Lebow, one of the architects of our current economic system, as saying, " Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life ... that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction in consumption... .We need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever accelerating rate." But as an engine for humanity, it is not sufficient to simply buy and sell. Many economists today are suggesting we must not rely on growth as our sole criteria for judging a 'healthy' economy -- that we must find ways to measure the quality of people's lives and the impacts we are having that are not based on just dollars and cents. We have all heard that money can't buy happiness. Now we're having to acknowledge that happiness is not a commodity to be bought and sold, and we can no longer afford to be addicted to consumption . If we look at our current economic woes through the lens of addiction, then conventional wisdom and all the 12-Step programs would agree that there are at least two 'facts' that seem to apply: 1. An addict cannot get 'out of the box' of their addiction by themselves, and 2. Addicts live in denial until they 'hit bottom'. I don't know how all of this will play out at the national or international levels, but I believe we're beginning to see a lot of people waking up and challenging their faith in capitalism. I have not yet seen Michael Moore's newest documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story , but from what I have read, I suspect he is once again showing the price we pay when we give our power and hand over our future to technocrats and mechanistic institutions. I am not against the theory of Capitalism as a means for distributing goods and services, just as I am not against alcohol. I am, however, against Capitalism or any economic theory when it becomes an ideology, just as I am against a pervasive culture of drinking and drugs in which individuals lose their capacity to choose (or even question their choices). When our practices become so pervasive that they 'take over' people's thinking to the extent they self-destruct (for example, through excessive drinking or excessive debt), then we need to stop and ask what is really going on. We need to challenge our most basic beliefs and assumptions about what we want, how we are living and the choices we are making. Creating any new habit is difficult. And getting beyond an addiction can be extremely challenging. But having the courage to take stock and get clear about what we want is the essence of what makes us who we are. This is exactly what we need to do to create the foundations for whatever possible future we want. © 2009 Jim Selman. All rights reserved. More on Capitalism: A Love Story
 
Peter Dreier: First They Came For ACORN Top
First Big Business, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Lou Dobbs, the Religious Right, the Wall Street Journal , Mitch McConnell, and Karl Rove came for ACORN, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not ACORN. Then they came for SEIU, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not SEIU. Then they came for the Apollo Alliance, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the Apollo Alliance. Then they came for the Center for American Progress, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the Center for American Program. Then they came for the Sierra Club, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the Sierra Club. Then they came for the National Organization for Women, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the National Organization for Women. Then they came for AFSCME, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not AFSCME. Then they came for the National Council of La Raza, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the National Council of La Raza. Then they came for the NAACP, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the NAACP. Then they came for the ACLU, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the ACLU. Then they came for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Then they came for the National Council of Churches, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the National Council of Churches. Then they came for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Then they came for US Action, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not US Action. Then they came for the AARP, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the AARP. Then they came for the Teamsters, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not Teamsters. Then they came for the Catholic Worker, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the Catholic Worker. Then they came for the Industrial Areas Foundation, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the Industrial Areas Foundation. Then they came for UNITE HERE, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not UNITE HERE. Then they came for the Immigrant Solidarity Network, and, the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the Immigrant Solidarity Network. Then they came for the National Education Association, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the National Education Association. Then they came for the U.S. Student Association, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the U.S. Student Association. Then they came for Green Jobs for All, and the Democrats did not speak out--because they were not Green Jobs for All Then they came for PICO , and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not PICO. Then they came for the American Association of University Professors, and the Democrats did not speak out -- because they were not the American Association of University Professors Then Big Business, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Lou Dobbs, the Religious Right, the Wall Street Journal , Mitch McConnell, and Karl Rove came for the Democrats -- and there was no one left to speak out for the Democrats. Peter Dreier teaches Politics and directs the Urban & Environmental Policy program at Occidental College. This is based on a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892-1984), written about the Nazi regime in Germany. More on Glenn Beck
 
Bruce Springsteen Symposium: Hundreds Of Academics Meet In New Jersey For Lectures On The Boss Top
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — About 300 professors from as far away as Australia have come to Bruce Springsteen's native New Jersey to fill their brains with the Boss. The no-holds-barred intellectual romp "Glory Days: A Bruce Springsteen Symposium" began Thursday with a walking tour the rocker's old stomping grounds, including his boyhood home in Freehold. The academic symposium organized by Virginia Tech and Penn State-Altoona continues through Sunday. It includes several pilgrimages to the Stone Pony bar in Asbury Park, where Springsteen launched his career. The scholarly exploration covers topics such as Springsteen and psychology, movies, culture, gender and the criminal justice system. Springsteen turned 60 on Wednesday.
 
Orangutan And Hound Dog Become Best Friends (VIDEO) Top
Okay, This might just be the cutest video HuffPost Green has ever seen. Surya the orangutan falls in love with Rosco the hound dog, and then they roll around in the grass together and share cookies. Too cute. WATCH: Get HuffPost Green On Facebook and Twitter! More on Animals
 
Anne Morell Petrillo: Daughter Of Anne Scripps Douglas, Murdered Newspaper Heiress, Believed Dead After Jumping Off Tappan Zee Bridge Top
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — New York state police believe the daughter of slain newspaper heiress Anne Scripps Douglas jumped to her death from the same bridge her stepfather did after he killed her mother. Police on Friday were searching the Hudson River near the Tappan Zee Bridge, around 25 miles north of Manhattan, for the body of Anne Morell Petrillo. Authorities say they found a note and believe she got out of her car on and jumped off the bridge Thursday evening. Petrillo's mother, the great-great-granddaughter of Detroit News founder James Scripps, was beaten to death with a hammer in Anne's bedroom by her stepfather, Scott Douglas, on New Year's Eve in 1993. Douglas fled and jumped to his death from the same bridge. His body was found three months after the slaying. ___ Information from: The Journal News, http://www.thejournalnews.com
 
Celebrity Activists: Passion or Publicity? You Decide! Top
We've all seen celebrities using their influence to promote a cause. Which of these celebs are truly passionate and active and who's just doing it for the publicity? You decide!
 
AKMuckraker: Senator Mark Begich's Town Hall on Health Care: Tales from a Survivor Top
Alaska Senator and self-described "Moderate Democrat" Mark Begich had a town hall meeting on health care reform while he was back in Anchorage this weekend. He had already conducted two such meetings, but had been getting pressure to have another one. The last two happened earlier in the summer before it was fashionable to show up at such events and yell rude things, and the teabag crew wanted a shot now that they were paying attention. It would have been easy for the Senator to say no, that he'd already done it. But Begich has never shied away from talking to the opposition. A regular guest on hostile right wing talk radio programs since his days as Anchorage mayor, no one can ever accuse him of cutting himself off from the people. Nor can they accuse him of only talking to "friendly" media, as our notorious ex-governor did, and continues to do via her Facebook account. Palin can just "unfriend" people. Begich pulls them up a chair. I found an empty seat near the back, and I noted that the turnout for this health care town hall was probably almost quadruple the number of attendees that came to the one in June, and numbered in the hundreds. The previous crowd was more than 90% in support of a public option by a show of hands, which raised the eyebrow of the Senator at the time. He started off with a Ross Perot-like display of charts and graphs and said that inaction was not an option. Here is what the Senator feels that any bill must include to have his support: No Discrimination for pre-existing conditions No Exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays No cost-sharing for preventive care No dropping of coverage for the seriously ill No gender discrimination No annual or lifetime caps on coverage Extended coverage for young adults Guaranteed insurance reform -- companies must renew of patient pays in full, and cannot refuse renewal because someone becomes sick That's what it said on the hand-out. It also included some alarming statistics like the fact that every day 20 Alaskans lose their health insurance. That may sound small, but in a state like Alaska with a population of around 600,000, it isn't. Then he went on to say that he would like it if every American got the same health care coverage that he enjoyed as a member of the Senate. And finally, it was time to take questions. The first guy right out of the box said, "Well you're a politician so right away we know you're a liar and a thief, and you're a lapdog for the DNC." The first thing we have to deal with is tort reform, he said. So "man up." And then the punchline ... "I'm being courteous ... with all due respect." This was not a good way to start. It was then that I first noticed that the woman sitting in front of me did not share my sensibilities. The "we know you're a liar" line was met with gleeful laughter, loud applause, and a knowing glance at the man sitting to her left. Teabagger at 12:00. Teabag lady appeared to be in her 50s. She was practically bristling with negativity. Whenever somebody said something critical, she clapped furiously. Whenever someone said something nice, she folded her arms and shook her head back and forth. I took a seminar in college called "Non-Verbal Communication," but you certainly didn't need any background to recognize that Teabag lady had already made up her mind exactly how she felt about things. The next guy talked about how he didn't learn much in college, but he knew that there were "lies, damn lies, and statistics." So all the Ross Perot stuff at the beginning was smoke and mirrors, according to him. The Senator pointed out that the fact that the cost of family health insurance purchased through an employer had doubled in the state of Alaska from 1997, when it cost $6026, to 2006, when it cost $12,198 was just that: a fact. "Do you promise to read the bill?" a woman asked in an accusatory tone, followed by enthusiastic applause. The Senator said that in fact, he had read the bill. "You lie!" came from the back of the room. This was going to be a long two hours. And so the microphone went around the room. The applause seemed split about 50/50 politically. The jeering and rudeness was from one side only. A libertarian piped up telling us that he didn't want or need health insurance. And if he did need health care, he'd earn the money himself, and save up and pay for his own damn medical bills. But he didn't want any government interference at all. The only time he was ever in a hospital, he said, was when he was born, and that was his mother's fault. I wonder if he'll ever need an ambulance, and if he does, will he have a little sack of gold coins with which to pay the paramedics? He'll have to make sure to remain conscious so he can do that. Otherwise he might have to bleed to death on principle. Another angry guy said that he wanted the "same health care that you get!" He said it in a finger-in-the-chest kind of way. This was met with wild clapping from the Teabag lady, who, for the first time was actually bouncing up and down in her seat. This was odd, I thought, considering how the Senator had just said that this was exactly the kind of thing that he wanted. Then, it hit me. She wasn't even listening. The Senator immediately piped up and said that this was exactly what he had just said, and that he agreed 100 percent. He wanted everyone to have the same kind of health care coverage he had. Absolutely. Applause rose from the audience, but not from Teabag lady. Nope. She was right back to folded arms, shaking head and muttering under her breath to the guy next to her. She had gone from gleeful bouncing to angry muttering for the same message . She didn't care at all what the Senator had to say. She was there to be mad. She was not there to listen, or learn, or engage in dialogue. She had no idea what she wanted or why. She was told by Fox News or local wingnut talk show host Eddie Burke or Glenn Beck that the American thing to do was get off the couch and show up mad. She had no interest in using all this passionate energy to actually read the bill, or get educated about the issue, or do any research, or know a good idea when she heard it. All she knew is if it came out of the mouth of an angry guy then she was all for it, and if it came out of the mouth of Senator Begich, then she was totally against it. And it didn't even bother her that it could be the exact same thing. I realized at this point that I was clenching my jaw so hard it felt like my teeth would crack. I grabbed my Blackberry and tweeted "fantasizing about thwacking teabag lady in the back of the head with my Blackberry." And then the responses came: shannynmoore - Easy, Mud....easy. GottaLaff - Me too, and I'm not even there! GreatGrey - Ask that lady in front of you if she's boiled any frogs lately. MediaMavenMyrna - Go ahead. We won't tell! rtbarnes - Has a line formed yet for next up? Tymlee - What a resounding, cavernous echo it would make. Waste of a Blackberry to boot. The demonic scowl on my face had been beaten into submission by Twitter. I was actually smiling. And Teabag lady was saved by the miracle of social media. Intellectually, we all know this. We know that the people that go to these events really aren't interested in what anyone has to say. But to see it so clearly and so close was quite something. A couple people spoke up in favor of a public option, which was met with healthy applause, including mine. I even "woooo"ed once, just to watch Teabag lady's shoulders rise about three inches until she looked like she had no neck. One of the public option people was a member of the military, which once again had Teabag lady confused. Lots of applause for the military part, and lots of head shaking and arm folding for the public option part. The Senator said some good things and some not so good things, depending where you stand. He wants reform, and conversation. He wants a good bill, and he wants to help people and small businesses. He wants people to be informed, and provided links and information to non-partisan sources of information. He is opposed to the idea of single-payer. He thinks we should be able to buy insurance across state lines. He doesn't think that a bill will be ready by October 5. A lot of people gave him grief. A couple people said that they want him to be a "maverick." Then a high school girl stood up at the mic and read from a piece of paper in a lilting, sing-songy "I'm a cute high school girl" sort of way. She was there with several other family members, all with papers and index cards with notes on the same topic. She wanted to talk about "socialized medicine," she said. An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich. The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. No, I did not take notes that fast. I just got home and Googled "socialism email" and found a copy of the insipid bulk email that's been flying around the internet for the past few years talking about why socialism doesn't work. At the end of the story, everyone gets an F because nobody has any incentive to work. I wanted to ask Socialism girl if she'd ever heard of a Montessori School. There are no grades, but somehow they manage to produce lots of kids who work hard, have good study habits, are intellectually curious and who love learning. I suspect most of them will be doing their own research on topics of a political nature, rather than doing a "rip & read" of some fictitious anecdotal bulk email at a town hall meeting. She got to the end of the paper, which one of her parents had undoubtedly given her, and this little future Palin/Bachmann Death Panelist got cheers and hollers of appreciation from the crowd. By the time I left, the vitriol and anger toward the Senator seemed to be dissipating. One thing you can say about the Senator is that he has an Obama-esque calm. It's very hard not to like him. As I walked out, I had the distinct feeling that the people that went there to hate him walked out hating him a little less. This is a good thing. By not shrinking from the hardest of the hard-core adversaries, he made them sit in a room with him for two hours and see that he's actually not a bad guy, and he's really interested in helping people. As I walked down the hall, I could still hear what was happening inside blaring from speakers on the wall outside the doors. One angry guy was saying something like, "You know, when you come here and talk, you sound like one of us ." And then something about shooting moose, and wondering how can we trust him to be this way in Washington ... I wasn't thrilled about hearing a teabagger say that the guy I voted for sounded like one of them. But do they even know what they sound like, or even what they believe? And it occurred to me what a strange situation this Democratic Senator is in. The Democrats in Alaska are frustrated because someone that they don't think is left enough gets shredded for being too left. And the people who are politically engaged and passionate are often those on the far right. There's no pleasing everyone. One of the people at the meeting had said, "I never felt like I had a Senator who spoke for me until now." And I thought of Ted Stevens, who was a convicted felon at the time of the 2008 election. Begich, Alaska's first Democratic senator in decades, defeated him by only a few thousand votes. As I stepped out into the cool rainy Alaskan evening, I wondered what Ted Stevens' town hall meeting might have been like.
 
Michelle Pilecki: G-20 Diary: Hyperbole All Around Top
Google "Pittsburgh," "G-20" and "riots" and up pop 2,880 results. Maybe the world media were expecting riots. Maybe a lot in the "news" biz actually wanted riots. One particularly clueless legal observer said the police response was "akin to Kent State ." Um, yeah, a lot of passersby and local residents got caught up in the police response, but nobody was seriously hurt, let alone killed . The protesters getting most of the attention from the press and the police crowed that their efforts were a success. What we've seen today is people's willingness to resist global capitalism despite the combined forces of state repression. The police have rampantly abused their so-called less lethal weapons. What less lethal means is that they are willing to kill to silence those voices, which are already excluded from these summits. We've seen it in Argentina, we've seen it in South Korea and now we're living it ourselves. Uh-huh. The reference is to the "games of cat and mouse" that protesters played with police who broke up an unpermitted march down city streets. What the G-20 Resistance Project actually succeeded in doing was antagonizing the locals that the former claimed to represent. Among the comments These low-lifes have no business in our neighborhood. Why are they protesting? They're all young kids who don't want to go out and work for a living. One of the out-of-town ACLU volunteers I chatted with was surprised at that sentiment (echoed by comments in my previous post ), that regular Pittsburghers were far more likely to support the police than the protesters. It was my turn to be surprised that the young Floridian hadn't heard about the ambush of three local officers by right-wing blogger obsessed that President Obama was going to take his guns away. In Pittsburgh, members of the police are likely to be neighbors, friends and/or relatives. Another "success" that the more histrionic demonstrators notched up was in grabbing the spotlight away from quieter but more pointed messages from the array of anti-war, environmental and pro-jobs groups. Personally, I have a lot more respect for the people in the bright yellow "Free Tibet" shirts than the masked marauders in black. And the overall award for cojones in peaceful demonstration goes to Greenpeace's rappelling onto a major bridge to hang a banner [video]: On the opposite end, the stupidest "protester" is likely David Japenga , charged with doing most of the vandalism during the various demonstrations. Among the many storefronts with smashed windows (tied for stupidest target) are the Oakland location of Pamela's Restaurant , which was the local hangout of the late August Wilson when he was writing here, and the Irish Design Center . Both of them are locally owned businesses with excellent reputations and valuable contributors to the community in general, the arts in particular. All in all, things were a lot less awful than everyone feared, and I agree whole-heartedly with Patrick Young of the anarchist Pittsburgh Organizing Group, who told the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette : As soon as everyone gets out of jail, I am going to take a long, long, long nap. And probably have a couple beers. More on G-20 Summit
 
AT&T Complains Google Voice Violates FCC's Net Neutrality Top
SEATTLE — AT&T Inc. said Friday that Google Inc.'s Internet phone program gets an unfair advantage from blocking calls to rural communities where local carriers charge high connection fees. In a letter to federal regulators, AT&T said Google Voice keeps costs low by refusing to connect calls to places where some local carriers give phone numbers to adult chat lines and conference-calling services to draw long distance calls. They share hefty connection fees AT&T must pay. Dallas, Texas-based AT&T, however, has been barred by the Federal Communications Commission from blocking such calls. The high fees force AT&T to raise prices for all of its customers, while Google can offer calls through the Google Voice software at very low rates. Google Voice gives people an additional phone number that's not tied to any one phone line. People can program the service to direct incoming calls to their cell phone, home or work numbers. Users can get e-mail transcripts of voice mails through the service. It can also be used to send text messages and place calls – even international ones – at low rates paid to Google, not the carriers, though those calls do use cell phone plan minutes. AT&T said that Google should not be exempt from the ban because Google Voice "appears to be nothing more than a creatively packaged assortment of services that are already quite familiar to the commission." AT&T's letter also hammered on what it saw as a contradiction between call blocking and Google's support for "net neutrality," the idea that all types of data are treated equally by both wired and wireless Internet service providers. In a blog post, Mountain View, Calif.-based Google said it isn't a traditional phone carrier, so it's not subject to the call-blocking ban. It also made the case that it's not a direct competitor to AT&T because Google Voice users still must have a land line or a mobile phone to use the service. Google also objected to the net neutrality argument because the Web search leader is not a service provider. AT&T asked the FCC to stop rural carriers from boosting incoming calls and charging high fees, or in the absence of such a decision, to hold Google accountable to the same rules. FCC spokeswoman Jen Howard said the commission had received AT&T's letter and is reviewing it. More on Google
 
Apple Gets Green: Steve Jobs Launches Efforts To Help Environment Top
In one of his first post-leave interviews, Apple CEO Jobs says the impact of products, not the emissions of factories, is what counts, and that it's time to focus on a company's results, not its lofty goals More on Steve Jobs
 
Clifton Maloney Dead: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's Husband Dies While Climbing In Tibet Top
Clifton Maloney, husband of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, has died while climbing in Tibet, it's been reported . According to Politico : Maloney's office was informed yesterday by the State Department. The congresswoman's husband, who was 71 and in good health, was an avid climber who embarked on similar expeditions every year. Earlier this year Rep. Maloney flirted with the idea of challenging Kirsten Gillibrand for her senate seat before ultimately bowing out in August . Maloney is also survived by two daughters. More on Tibet
 
Cameron Todd Willingham: Texas Panel Reviews Ruling That Led To Execution Top
CORSICANA, Texas -- More than five years after Cameron Todd Willingham was executed by the state of Texas for the deaths of his three young daughters in a fire at the family's home, a state panel will review a report concluding that the original determination of arson was faulty. Willingham was executed in February 2004 -- proclaiming his innocence in the deaths of his three young daughters in a fire at their Corsicana home on Dec. 23, 1991. An arson finding by investigators was key to his conviction in the circumstantial case. The Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal organization that investigates possible wrongful convictions, questioned Willingham's guilt. Now the Texas Forensic Science Commission will review a report Friday from an expert it hired who concluded the original arson determination was faulty. The prosecutor in the case still believes Willingham is guilty, but acknowledges it would have been hard to win a death sentence without the arson finding. Yet Barry Scheck, co-director of the New York-based Innocence Project , sees it differently: "There can no longer be any doubt that an innocent person has been executed." Sheck, a Huffington Post blogger, weighed in on Williinham's execution in late August. The New Yorker 's David Grann recently wrote a detailed piece that cast doubt on Willingham's conviction and subsequent execution. In 2007, Scheck's group gave its review of the case to the state commission, which then hired Baltimore-based arson expert Craig Beyler to study. Beyler concluded the arson finding was scientifically unsupported and investigators at the scene had "poor understandings of fire science." Story continues below John Jackson, the prosecutor in Navarro County, about 50 miles south of Dallas, says the original fire investigation was "undeniably flawed," based on subsequent reviews, but remains confident Willingham was guilty of killing Amber, 2, and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron. "What people missed is that even though the arson report may be flawed, it certainly doesn't mean it arrived at a faulty conclusion," Jackson said. "I'm an easy target," he added, shaking his head over media reports on the case "about how we're all a bunch of bozos." The nine-member commission, created by the Texas Legislature in 2005, also will hear from others including the State Fire Marshal's Office. The panel will release its own report, probably next year and what happens then is uncertain. This is the commission's first review case; the panel is not empowered to rule on Willingham's guilt or innocence. The commission's mandate is strictly to determine forensic negligence, panel coordinator Leigh Tomlin said. Willingham, in an Associated Press interview about two weeks before his execution, said Amber's cries woke him around 10:30 a.m. His wife, Stacy, had left earlier to run errands. He said he told Amber to get out of the house and approached the twins' room but couldn't get past the flames and smoke. The house had no phone, so he said he ran to a neighbor's home and "screamed to call the fire department." He did not go back inside. "The only way for me to get back into the house was to jump back into the flames," he said. "I would not do that." Amber's body was found in Willingham's room. The twins were in their room. Willingham listed other possible causes of the fire, including an electrical malfunction, an intruder who wanted them dead, or an oil lantern on a collapsing shelf. A state fire marshal -- who has since died -- and a local fire investigator ruled it was arson, that a liquid accelerant was ignited and the blaze was set in a way to keep anyone from reaching the children. Prosecutors arrested Willingham two weeks later. "It's all a farce," Willingham told the AP from death row. Years later, Innocence Project investigators and now Beyler, based on notes and photos from the scene, agree with him. Douglas Fogg stands by his conclusions as the former assistant fire chief who helped investigate the deadly blaze. "The bleeding hearts that are against the death penalty are trying to stir everything up again," he told The Dallas Morning News last month. "They finally got someone who would say what they wanted to hear." Other prosecution evidence was largely circumstantial: A county jail inmate said Willingham discussed his involvement in the fire and neighbors reported Willingham worried more about his car than the children as the house burned. Jackson, the Navarro County prosecutor, said the multiple deaths -- not the arson -- made it a capital murder case. But he acknowledged that without an arson determination the capital conviction would have been difficult. "I'm not sure the evidence would have sustained a conviction from a legal standpoint if we hadn't been able to prove a fire of incendiary arson," he said. At trial, Willingham's wife, Stacy, testified for him during the punishment phase, denying he ever hurt her. Acquaintances, however, said she told them he'd beaten her several times, even while she was pregnant. On appeal, courts rejected Willingham's arguments that it was improper to allow hearsay bolstering prosecutors' contentions that the children impeded Willingham's lifestyle. He denied that. "They were great kids," he said from prison. "They were fantastic kids." Willingham acknowledged a rocky relationship with his wife, whom he married about two months before the fire and after they'd been living together for almost three years. "I cheated on her," he told the AP. "I was so full of myself and so dumb." His venom from the death chamber was aimed at her as she watched his execution. In the years following his conviction, she became convinced of his guilt, refused his request to testify for him at a clemency hearing, but did agree to his long-standing invitation to see him in prison about 2 1/2 weeks before he was scheduled to die. "It was hard for me to sit in front of him," she said, describing their meeting to the Corsicana Daily Sun a few days later in 2004 in her most recent public comments. "He basically took my life away from me. He took my kids away from me." Jackson said jurors who heard the prosecution's case got a more complete picture of Willingham and that the arson questions now raised are "wild speculation." "I'm pretty ambivalent when it comes to the death penalty," Jackson said. "I guess if it raises the question of the propriety of capital punishment, I think that's a good argument for people to have. "I'm not losing a whole lot of sleep." Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090926/us-texas-execution-arson/ More on Crime
 
Michelle Obama Walks Bo: Guess What Music She's Listening To! (PHOTOS) Top
On Saturday afternoon, Barack, Michelle and Bo Obama went to see daughter Malia play soccer. After the game, the First Parents returned to the White House with Bo, and Michelle took him for a walk on the White House lawn, music player in hand. So here's the question... What is she listening to? We need your input. Here's how it works: think of a song or album Michelle might be listening to, or music you think she should be listening to. Next find an image to go with it -- could be an album cover, a picture of the artist, or a picture of you relaxing with your favorite animal. Hit the participate button below, give your submission a title, upload the image and hit submit! Feel free to add a caption! More on Photo Galleries
 
Greg Hanlon: Giants - Buccaneers Preview: Trap Game? Nah... Top
Warnings about trap games have become so commonplace as to render the concept meaningless. It's hard to get "trapped" by something that everyone's been talking about all week. This makes you wonder if trap games ever existed, or if they're just the product of a good team playing poorly and a bad team playing well. This happens sometimes, after all, and not because the good team takes the bad team lightly. Bucs Offense vs. Giants Defense This section boils down to this: The Giants defense is good, but depleted. The Bucs offense is mediocre, and depleted. For all the worrying about the injuries, the Giants still have the advantage in this battle. First, a word on Kenny Phillips. Everyone's looking for a "SuperSafety" these days -- a guy like Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, or Bob Sanders who makes all kinds of plays all over the field. After last Sunday's game, Giants fans thought they had a budding SuperSafety in Kenny Phillips, who could have teamed with Corey Webster to give the Giants two dynamic defensive backs to compliment their fearsome pass rush. It was an exciting thought, but it's not going to happen, not this year or maybe ever. The reaction in Giants-land might seem out of proportion, considering Phillips, while showing flashes, has basically just been a pretty decent player so far in his short career. It's not as if the Giants are losing that much production or that his loss jeopardizes their chances that much. But the possibility that his star potential has been cut short disturbs Giants fans, who were dreaming big after last week's game. Phillips' injury is the latest blow to the Giants' depleted secondary and a defense that has already incurred its fair share this year. The situation in the secondary is a bit alarming: Kevin Dockery is listed as questionable and Aaron Ross is out, so there exists the possibility that three of the six active defensive backs -- CC Brown, Bruce Johnson, and newly acquired safety Aaron Rouse -- will only have had a handful of Giants snaps between them. The probable loss of Justin Tuck -- who hasn't practiced this week -- and the continuing absence of Chris Canty with a lingering calf injury means the Giants will also be depleted on the defensive line on what is supposed to be a muggy, 90-degree day. So that's the bad news. The good news? Tampa Bay's offense is decidedly below-average, their high-yardage total this year a mirage created by playing from behind. Last year, Tampa Bay ranked 20th in offense, according to FootballOutsiders.com 's DVOA metric. Yes, they have made some improvements on offense: Derrick Ward is good, as we know; Byron Leftwich is probably an upgrade over last year's ineffective Jeff Garcia/Brien Griese combo; and Kellen Winslow is effective when healthy. But they come into this game banged up in key spots. Playmaking receiver Antonio Bryant, one of the best receivers in the league last year and by far the most dangerous Buccaneer, is questionable with a knee injury; Maurice Stovall, who started for Bryant last week, is out. Running backs Cadillac Williams and Earnest Graham are questionable with knee injuries, leaving the running game in the hands of Ward, who is trying to turn around a ground attack that ranked 21st in DVOA last year. So the skill players, who are nothing to write home about at full-strength, are depleted. The offensive line is healthy, but not especially good. According to FootballOutsiders stats, they ranked 18th in Adjusted Sack Rate, which adjusts sacks to pass attempts and situation. That's good news for the Giants this week because Leftwich is notoriously stationary. Even without Tuck, it's realistic that one of the Giants outstanding pass rushers -- Osi Umenyiora, Matthias Kiwanuka, or maybe even Clint Sintim? -- can keep the streak of big plays on defense alive for another game. Giants Offense vs. Bucs Defense The Bucs defense started out strong last year but then collapsed late in the year. First, they incurred a nationally televised beat-down at the hands of Carolina, and then they blew a playoff birth by allowing 17 fourth quarter points against the Raiders, thereby allowing the Eagles to get in. (Thanks, assholes.) This year, they've allowed 67 points in two games, second most in the NFL. It's hard to pinpoint how the Bucs defense got so bad, so fast, but they can't stop the run or the pass right now. It will be interesting to see how the recent performance of Eli Manning and the Giants receivers -- notably Mario Manningham and Steve Smith -- alters the conventional wisdom of stacking the box against the Giants. As Plaxico sits in Rikers Island -- an absurdly excessive punishment -- and Amani Toomer sits at home, the young guys have blossomed. And even though Eli will never be the most accurate quarterback, he has completed 67 percent of his passes this year. That's obviously an unsustainable figure, but remember that he completed more than 60 percent last year for the first time in his career. If he can raise that by another couple of points, keep the interceptions low, and maintain his gains in pocket presence, we're talking about a bona fide excellent quarterback, and not just an above-average one who happens to be incredibly clutch. Prediction: The one thing the Bucs have going for them is the desperation of being 0-2 -- obviously not the best thing to have going for you. This current Giants team -- we'll call them the post-2007-Week-16 Giants -- have been great at showing up for games like this. As happy as the Giants were after the Dallas game, they know they left unanswered questions about their running game and run defense. Giants 31 - Bucs 17.
 

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