Wednesday, October 28, 2009

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Obama Heads To Dover Air Force Base To Honor Fallen Soldiers Top
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is making an overnight dash Wednesday to Dover Air Force Base to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. On a clear fall night, Obama flew by Marine One helicopter directly to Delaware to greet the flag-draped caskets of those killed in action. The unannounced trip began around midnight and was expected to have the president back at the White House before dawn on Thursday. A wartime president of two inherited conflicts, Obama is winding down U.S. involvement in Iraq, but the troubled war in Afghanistan is only widening. His dramatic visit to witness remains of the fallen comes as he weighs whether to send more troops into the Afghan war zone. The White House kept Obama's plans off his schedule, informing a small group of traveling reporters in advance on condition of secrecy. Obama was expected to observe a somber ceremony on the tarmac of the base without public comment. The Pentagon this year lifted its 18-year ban on media covering the return of fallen U.S. service members if family permission is provided. It was unclear to what degree the media would have access to covering the president's presence at the solemn ceremony, based on the wishes of family members. The Dover base, about 100 miles from the White House, is the entry point for service personnel killed overseas. Obama's predecessor, President George W. Bush, visited the families of hundreds of fallen soldiers but did not attend any military funerals or go to Dover to receive the coffins. In a 2006 interview with the military newspaper "Stars and Stripes," Bush said he felt the appropriate way to show his respect was to meet with family members in private. Obama is in the midst of an intense, weekslong review of his war strategy in Afghanistan. He has upped the U.S. commitment there to 68,000 troops and is considering sending a large addition next year, but fewer than the 40,000 troops requested by his commander there, U.S. officials tell The Associated Press. Most Americans either oppose the war or question whether it is worth continuing to wage. Eight American troops were killed in two separate bomb attacks Tuesday in southern Afghanistan, pushing the total number of American troops killed in October to at least 55. That's the deadliest month of the war for U.S. forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban. On Monday, a U.S. military helicopter crashed returning from the scene of a firefight with suspected Taliban drug traffickers in western Afghanistan, killing 10 Americans including three Drug Enforcement Administration agents. In a separate crash, four more U.S. troops were killed when two helicopters collided over southern Afghanistan. On Tuesday, eight soldiers were killed when their personnel vehicles was struck by roadside bombs in the Afghanistan's Kandahar province. An Air Force C-17 cargo plane was due to arrive at Dover after midnight carrying the bodies of 18 fallen personnel from Afghanistan, including the 10 Americans killed Monday and the eight soldiers the next day. Their remains were to be transferred to a waiting vehicle and then to an Air Force mortuary. Attorney General Eric Holder, DEA Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and the Army Special Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Michael Repass were among those in the official party receiving the coffins. The lifting of the ban on media coverage of bodies returning to Dover was done to keep the human cost of war from being shielded from the public. Now Obama was seeing it directly. Obama meets Friday with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military leaders who would have the responsibility for carrying out his strategy decisions. White House officials said Obama keep considering his options with advisers over the next couple of weeks, and other war council meetings may still be called during that period. The White House preference is to announce the troop decision after the Afghanistan's run-off presidential election on Nov. 7, but before Obama leaves for a long and unrelated trip to Asia, four days later on Nov. 11. But no announcement plan has been settled upon by Obama and his aides, officials said. More on Barack Obama
 
Cliff Lee, Chase Utley Get Phillies World Series Win Top
NEW YORK — Look out for Cliff Lee, Chase Utley and this New Red Machine. Lee outdueled CC Sabathia, Utley homered twice and the Philadelphia Phillies kept rolling through October, beating the New York Yankees 6-1 on a misty Wednesday night in the World Series opener. The defending champion Phillies shut down Alex Rodriguez & Co. in the first Series game at the new billion-dollar Yankee Stadium. Trying to become the first NL team to repeat since Cincinnati in 1975-76, the Phils' 17-4 postseason run is the best in league history. Big Red Machine, meet your match. "We have confidence. We know we have a good team," Utley said. Game 2 is Thursday night, with wily Pedro Martinez pitching for the Phillies against jumpy A.J. Burnett. Ryan Howard reprised his MVP performance, doubling twice and driving in the final run for the Phillies. Rodriguez, however, went hitless and struck out three times in his Series debut. Hardly looking like the 2-to-1 underdogs they are, the Phillies were in such control that many fans left before the final out. Lee bamboozled the Yankees with a spiked curveball, deceptive changeup and his usual pinpoint fastball, pitching a six-hitter while striking out 10 without a walk. Lee blanked the Yankees until a run scored on shortstop Jimmy Rollins' throwing error in the ninth inning. The lefty improved to 3-0 with an 0.54 ERA this postseason. He really seemed to enjoy himself, too. If Lee felt any anxiety in his Series debut, facing the team that led the majors in wins, homers and runs, it didn't show. And if the Phillies were supposed to be intimidated of the pictures of Babe Ruth and all the Yankees greats on the giant videoboard, it didn't happen. "To be honest I really never have been nervous in the big leagues. This is what I wanted to do my whole life. This is what I take pride in. For me there is no reason to be nervous," Lee said. "Game time is the time go out there and have fun and let your skills take over. It's kind of weird. Boils down to confidence and trusting your teammates," he said. Pitching in short sleeves on a blustery evening, Lee worked a wad of gum while he worked his spell over the Yanks. He stuck out his glove hand for a ho-hum catch on Johnny Damon's popup that left the Phillies chuckling, shrugged after a nifty, behind-the-back stop on Robinson Cano's one-hopper and casually tagged out Jorge Posada on a comebacker. Lee beat his good friend and former Cy Young teammate Carsten Charles Sabathia in the first game at this ballpark back in April, and got this chance after the Phillies traded four minor leaguers to Cleveland in July to get him. So Game 1 went to the Phils. But as Yankees manager Joe Girardi observed, "One thing, he can't pitch every day." Playing in their 40th World Series, and first in six years, the Yankees went quietly. Utley's solo home runs in the third and sixth innings gave Lee all the support he needed. Raul Ibanez hit a two-run single in the eighth and Shane Victorino added an RBI single in the ninth. The Phillies' may have been a bit overdue – in their only other October meeting, the Whiz Kids from Philadelphia got swept by the Yankees in the 1950 World Series and totaled just five runs. Even though he's an All-Star, Utley was an unlikely candidate to rock Sabathia, the MVP of the ALCS. Utley was 0 for 7 with five strikeouts against the big Yankees lefty going into the game. Utley won a nine-pitch duel with Sabathia in the third, pulling a 95 mph fastball over the right-field wall. The shot was the first by a left-hander allowed by Sabathia at home this year. Utley struck again in the sixth, sending another 95 mph heater deep into the right-center field bleachers. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had little to do except watch from the top step of the dugout. Girardi was more busy, bringing in five relievers after Sabathia left following the seventh inning. First lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden were among the crowd of 50,207, as were a few specks of fans dressed in Phillies red. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner watched from an upstairs box – he has yet to see his team win in the palace he built. After a rocky postseason, umpires faced just one tricky call and got it right. They huddled after Rollins trapped a popup and threw to first, and correctly ruled it a double play. Neither team got a lot of good swings in the early innings. Lee and Sabathia had a lot to do with that, and maybe a light drizzle hurt the hitters. So did the fact that each club had played only 10 games in 3 1/2 weeks because of the scattered postseason scheduling. There was plenty of postseason bunting for the opener. Red, white and blue decorations adorned the upper decks, and both Rollins and Damon bunted into outs in the first inning. The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the first inning on two walks sandwiched around Howard's double. Ibanez got ahead in the count 3-1 and swung away, hitting a routine grounder. NOTES: Utley set a postseason record by safely reaching in his 26th straight game, breaking a tie with Baltimore's Boog Powell. ... Rodriguez fanned three times in a game for the first time since July 30. ... The Yankees went 64-36 in Series games at their old park.... The only previous time Cy Young winners met in the Series opener was 1995 when Cleveland's Orel Hershiser faced Atlanta's Greg Maddux. ... The Yankees grounds crew wore T-shirts that said "Win it for the Boss." More on Baseball
 
Larry Langford, Birmingham, Ala., Mayor, Convicted Of Taking Bribes Top
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A federal jury convicted Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford on Wednesday on all charges of accepting bribes in exchange for funneling $7.1 million in bond business to a prominent investment banker. As a convicted felon, Langford was automatically removed from the office he won in a landslide in 2007. Jurors deliberated less than two hours before returning their sweeping verdict on all 60 counts. It came after six days of testimony in which they heard Langford accepted cash and luxury items worth some $236,000 while serving as president of the Jefferson County Commission. In exchange, prosecutors said, Langford sent lucrative bond business to investment banker Bill Blount. Langford, 63, showed no emotion when the verdict was read. He was allowed to remain free on $50,000 bond until his sentencing, which the judge said would be in about three months, and he agreed to forfeit $241,843. He was charged with bribery, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. He could face years of prison and large fines when he is sentenced. Outside the courtroom, Langford and his wife, Melva, blamed the conviction on race. "They struck as many blacks off that jury as they could," he said. Three of the 12 jurors were black. "In Alabama, black people will never get a fair trial," Melva Langford said. "There should be a total investigation of the Justice Department." Prosecutor George Martin said calling for such an investigation was "ridiculous" and he denied that race played a role in Langford's prosecution or the trial's outcome. "It was a diverse jury. It was because of the evidence, not the jury," he said. One of Langford's attorneys, Glennon Threatt, who is black, said he has done previous corruption cases with white defendants and race was not a factor in Langford's case. The interim mayor is now Carole Smitherman, the president of the city council. It's not clear when or how a permanent replacement will be picked. The verdict marked a long fall for Langford, who was mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate in the 1990s. Known for his flashy clothes and idea-a-minute style of governing, the former TV newscaster drew both fans and critics with a series of plans for the state's largest city, including a bid to bring the Olympics to Birmingham in 2020. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamarra Matthews Johnson told jurors in closing arguments that Langford was heavily in debt and accepted the gifts from Blount, along with checks or loan payoffs through a middleman, lobbyist Al LaPierre. Both Blount and LaPierre pleaded guilty in the scheme and testified against Langford. The defense claimed the payments were loans, but prosecutors called them bribes. "This is the kind of loan people dream about. It's a fairy-tale loan," Johnson said. The defense portrayed Langford as a chronic shopaholic who never considered Blount's largesse to be bribery, partly because of his own tendency to give away items large and small. "This was not just one payment to the defendant. This was not just one shopping trip," Johnson said. "This was a deliberate course of action for almost five years." Some of the bond deals made during Langford's term went sour in the credit crunch last year, and Jefferson County is now trying to avoid filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history over $3.9 billion in sewer bond debt. Langford is a Democrat and longtime friend of Blount, a former chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party. LaPierre worked for years as the party's executive director. Defense attorney Mike Rasmussen portrayed Blount as the real villain – "the $7 million man" – and wore a sports jacket made with cash-patterned fabric and golden lapels as a prop to make the point. Government witnesses depicted Langford as buried in debt – with few assets and liabilities of about $650,000, including nearly $240,000 in credit card debt and more than $90,000 in car loans. An IRS agent said Langford owed $77,506 in taxes on unreported income. The defense case consisted primarily of character witnesses. Langford did not testify. Trying to explain Langford's massive debts and the repeated gifts from Blount – including more than $21,000 worth of items that Blount purchased for Langford during business trips to New York – Rasmussen said the mayor had a shopping "problem" and can't help it. "He's a great politician, but he can't control his spending," Rasmussen said.
 
Chase Utley Hits 2 Home Runs In World Series Game 1 Top
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Chase Utley homered off CC Sabathia in the third and sixth innings, and the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies took a 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees in Wednesday night's World Series opener. Cliff Lee, matched up against his former Cleveland Indians teammate, struck out seven and walked none in the first six innings. He gave up four hits and allowed just one leadoff batter to reach as the World Series returned to New York for the first time since 2003. Utley drove a 95 mph fastball about two rows into the seats in right field with two outs in the third. The home run, on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, was the first Sabathia allowed at home to a left-handed hitter this year. Sabathia retired eight in a row before Utley sent another 95 mph fastball, on an 0-2 pitch, deep into the right-field bleachers with one out in the sixth. Utley has four World Series homers and three in this postseason. Sabathia, New York's ace, entered 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in the postseason but struggled with his control early. He started eight of his first 12 batters with balls and needed 58 pitches to get through three innings. His pitch count was up to 104 by the end of the sixth. Lee, 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA in the playoffs, worked fast and got ahead of batters. He struck out the side in the fourth -- and sent Alex Rodriguez to his first two-strikeout game since Sept. 22. Philadelphia loaded the bases in a 25-pitch first inning as Sabathia walked two -- one shy of his total during his first three postseason starts. Utley started the threat with a two-out walk -- reaching via a hit or walk in his 26th straight postseason game, breaking a tie with Baltimore's Boog Powell for the record. Ryan Howard, just 2 for 11 against lefties during the first two rounds, pulled a double into the right-field corner. After a walk to Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez grounded to second when he tried to pull a high pitch that cut a little toward the outside of the plate. After a rough first two rounds in which they blew an inordinate amount of calls, umpires appeared to get their first tough one right. After Hideki Matsui's leadoff single in the fifth, Robinson Cano hit a soft pop to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who leaned forward and caught the ball in the webbing of his glove. Second base ump Brian Gorman signaled out, but Rollins stepped on second anyway and threw to first, where Jeff Nelson initially signaled Howard was off the base as Cano crossed. But after the umpires met as a group, they ruled it was a catch and Matsui was doubled up because Howard tagged him. Game 2 is Thursday night. Pedro Martinez, in his first appearance at new Yankee Stadium, starts for the Phillies against A.J. Burnett. This was the latest World Series opener -- one day behind Game 1 of the 2001 Series, which was delayed a week by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Major League Baseball was hoping to end a record streak of five straight series that ended either in sweeps or five games. The last six teams to win Game 1 -- and 10 of the last 11 -- all went on to win the Series. Philadelphia was trying to become the first team to win consecutive titles since the 1998-00 Yankees. The only NL team to accomplish the feat since 1922 was the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds. Old Yankee Stadium, surrounded by dark mesh across 161st Street and awaiting demolition, hosted a record 100 Series games. This was the first at the amenity-laden $1.5 billion ballpark. It was just the second time two former Cy Young Award winners started a World Series opener, the other in 1995 between Atlanta's Greg Maddux and Cleveland's Orel Hershiser. Lee and Sabathia also started the new Yankee Stadium opener, won 10-2 by Cleveland on April 16. Yogi Berra, first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, accompanied retired Capt. Tony Odierno, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Odierno, who works for the Yankees, was a Bronze Star recipient who lost his left arm during the Iraq war. Obama high-fived a fan on her way off the field. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, wearing a team jacket, watched a game at his new ballpark for the first time since its opener. The 79-year-old, who has been in diminished health, settled into a seat in the last row of his box on the suite level, just to the left of home plate. He received guests during the game, including Berra. New York's grounds crew wore new shirts that read: "WIN IT FOR THE BOSS" on the front and 27 on the back. Rain, which had stopped just before batting practice, resumed for the second inning and stopped before the third. More on Baseball
 
Jay-Z's World Series' Version Of "Empire State Of Mind" Will Be Clean Top
NEW YORK — The lyrics to Jay'z "Empire State of Mind" are sometimes as raw as New York, but it looks like the rapper will clean up that language when he performs his city anthem at the World Series. A source close to the rapper who requested anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak on the matter says Jay-Z won't utter curses or other raw language included in his hit, which has been blasted by the New York Yankees during their playoff run. Jay-Z and fellow New Yorker Alicia Keys were due to perform "Empire" before Game 1 between the Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. But because of rainy weather, their performance will now be on Thursday. It's not clear if Game 1 will be postponed.
 
John Legend At World Series: Singer Will Perform National Anthem At Game 2 Top
LOS ANGELES — John Legend is going to the World Series. Major League Baseball says the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter will perform the national anthem before Game Two at Yankee Stadium Thursday. New York natives Jay-Z and Alicia Keys will warm up the audience with their single "Empire State of Mind" before Legend sings. The league says Thursday's World Series matchup between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies will be dedicated to "the legacy of Roberto Clemente and the spirit of community service." ___ On the Net: http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp
 
Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford And Joe DiMaggio Swept Phillies In 1950 Top
NEW YORK — The way Bobby Brown tells it, his New York Yankees were stacked with stars going into the 1950 World Series – Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford and the great Joe DiMaggio. The underdog Philadelphia Phillies? Well, they had an undertaker. "I remember the pitching guru for them was a mortician. He wasn't on their staff. He was an undertaker," Brown said by phone this week from his home in Texas. "Really, it's true." That's right, Maje McDonnell confirmed a day before the teams met in this year's Series opener. Now 89, McDonnell was a coach on those Whiz Kids when they got swept by the vaunted pinstripers. While future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts was the Phils' ace, their ace-in-the-hole was a lean, bespectacled pitcher named Jim Konstanty. He looked like a high school teacher and he was, when he wasn't on the mound. Konstanty went 16-7 with 22 saves while making a record 74 relief appearances. The secret of his success? An assortment of slow balls, plus a friend back home who knew how they should be thrown. Every once in a while, Konstanty would call his pal, Andy Skinner, in upstate New York, near Cooperstown. And Skinner, who had never played baseball, would take a break from his job as the town mortician, pack his catcher's mitt and come tinker with Konstanty's delivery. "Jim wouldn't listen to anybody but him. Us coaches, we stayed away," McDonnell said. "It was kind of crazy. I mean, an undertaker? He would sit behind the visitor's dugout, and Jim would go over and ask him things. But it worked. So we were all like, 'Let it go.'" On the final day of the season, the youthful Phillies won their first NL pennant since 1915. Waiting for them were the Yankees, in the midst of winning a record five straight World Series championships. Phillies manager Eddie Sawyer made a daring decision: He picked Konstanty for his first start of the year, in Game 1 at Shibe Park. Played against the backdrop of the Korean War, the opener began with a silent prayer for peace. Box seats cost $8.75, general admission went for $1, and President Harry S. Truman listened to the early innings on radio. Konstanty was great, but Vic Raschi was better, pitching a two-hitter that gave the Yankees a 1-0 win. Brown doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jerry Coleman. That's basically how the whole Series went. All the games were close and the Yankees wrapped up the crown in four straight days. New York outscored the Phils 11-5 overall. "It was pretty quick," Berra recalled this week. "The Phillies were a good club on a surge, the Whiz Kids. We had a pretty good club, too. Our starters were (Allie) Reynolds, (Ed) Lopat and Raschi and Whitey was a rookie. That's not bad. "The first two games were in Shibe Park, which we knew from playing the A's," Berra said. "It was an old park, and it once cost me two home runs because I hit the light tower in right field, which was in play." DiMaggio won Game 2 with a 10th-inning homer into the upper deck off Roberts, giving the Yankees a 2-1 victory. "I should've left after nine. DiMaggio hit a wind-blown flyball," Roberts said Monday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Phillies kept coming close, yet never broke through against the Yankees. "I'll tell you, there were four things I didn't like," Roberts said. "I didn't like Notre Dame. I didn't like Michigan, because I went to Michigan State. I didn't like the Yankees because they won even then. And the fourth was Russia. I didn't like them. "We were happy and tired and it showed. It showed up offensively. Of course, they didn't throw chopped liver at us," he said. "It had been a struggle to get there. When Konstanty did what he did, it should have perked us up, but it didn't." Up two games to none, the Yankees boarded a train back to Manhattan. Manager Casey Stengel, in a line straight from the Yogi handbook, observed, "When you win, you can't lose." At Yankee Stadium, the Phillies were wide eyed. "When they first came out of the dugout and saw the stadium, you could see them looking around and pointing," Brown said. "Triple-decked stands, 461 feet out to the wall in left-center. They'd never seen that." A late error hurt the Phillies in Game 3, and Coleman hit an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win. "Nowadays, when you get the game-winning hit, they kiss you and give you cocktails," Coleman, still announcing San Diego Padres games, said with a laugh this week. "Then, it was a pat on the back and get inside the clubhouse." The Yankees clinched the Series on Oct. 7, with Berra homering and Brown hitting an RBI triple off Konstanty for a 5-2 victory. "We were off the field in 10 seconds. I mean it, 10 seconds," Brown said. "Back then, that's how you did it. No celebrating on the field. We saved it for inside." More on Baseball
 
Obama Considers Smaller Afghanistan Troop Option Top
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is considering sending large numbers of additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan next year but fewer than his war commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, prefers, U.S. officials said. Such a narrowed military mission would escalate American forces to accomplish the commander's broadest goals, protecting Afghan cities and key infrastructure. But the option's scaled-down troop numbers likely would cut back on McChrystal's ambitious objectives, amounting to what one official described as "McChrystal Light." Under the pared-down option, McChrystal would be given fewer forces than the 40,000 additional troops he has asked for atop the current U.S. force of 68,000, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Senior White House officials stressed, however, that the president has not settled on any new troop numbers and continues to debate other strategic approaches to the 8-year-old Afghanistan war. The officials say Obama has not yet firmly settled on the narrowed option or any other as his final choice for how to overhaul the war effort. Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because Obama has not announced his decision, said the troop numbers under the narrowed scenario probably would be lower than McChrystal's preference, at least at the outset. The officials did not divulge exact numbers. The stripped-down version of McChrystal's plan still would adopt the commander's overall goals for a counterinsurgency strategy aimed at turning the corner against the Taliban next spring. But that pared-down approach would reflect a shift in thinking about what parts of the war mission are most important and the intense political domestic debate over Afghan policy. A majority of Americans either oppose the war or question whether it is worth continuing to wage, according to public opinion polls dating to when Obama shook up the war's management and began a lengthy reconsideration of U.S. objectives earlier this year. Any expansion of the war will displease some congressional Democrats. If Obama does not meet McChrystal's request, Republicans are likely to accuse Obama of failing to give McChrystal all of what he needs. A stripped-down approach would signal caution in widening a war that is going worse this year than last despite intense U.S. attention and an additional 21,000 U.S. forces on Obama's watch. Fourteen Americans were killed Monday in Afghanistan in two helicopter crashes, and roadside bombings Tuesday left eight U.S. troops dead. October has been the worst month for U.S. fatalities since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan began in October 2001. Even if McChrystal gets less than he wants from Obama, the U.S. may still end up adding more troops later in 2010. The most likely reason would be to fill voids left by some NATO allies who have been considering troop cutbacks. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has pushed back hard against a faction of administration officials, led by Vice President Joe Biden, who contend that much of the U.S. national security objective in Afghanistan could be accomplished by concentrating on strikes at al-Qaida along the Pakistan border. That approach would hunt terrorists with techniques such as missile-loaded pilotless drones, and could require little or no additional U.S. manpower. Gates has bridged both sides, officials said. Long wary of a large U.S. presence that could too easily look like an occupation army, he has suggested recently that he could support a carefully designed expansion. Obama meets Friday with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military leaders who would have the responsibility for carrying out his strategy decisions. White House officials said the president will continue to consider his options with advisers over the next couple of weeks, adding that other broad war council meetings may still be called during that period. The White House preference is to announce the troop decision after Afghanistan's run-off presidential election on Nov. 7, but before Obama leaves for an unrelated foreign trip on Nov. 11. That timing is not assured, however, and no announcement plan has been settled upon by Obama and his aides, officials said. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is on record supporting a troop increase. He has not quantified his preference, but he signed off on McChrystal's assessment of the worsening conditions in Afghanistan and the need for a change in approach and boost in manpower. Gates has not given a public opinion on McChrystal's request but has pushed for the commander's overarching strategy during recent weeks of review by the White House, officials said. "I think that the analytical phase is ... coming to an end," Gates said last week in Europe. "Probably over the next two or three weeks we're going to be considering specific options and teeing them up for a decision by the president." As for McChrystal, he already begun carrying out elements of his targeted counterinsurgency plan, which focuses on the volatile south and east of the country and emphasizes protecting civilians even if it means allowing individual militants to escape. McChrystal's recommendations got broad endorsement from NATO defense chiefs last week, with the suggestion that some nations will increase troops or other resources. The Friday meeting is the last formal session the president has scheduled to review the situation in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, a decision-making process that Republican critics say has taken too long. ___ AP White House Correspondent Jennifer Loven contributed to this report. More on Afghanistan
 
Campbell Brown Hits White House For Criticism Of Fox News (VIDEO) Top
CNN host Campbell Brown criticized the White House tonight for their accusations of bias at Fox News. During her "No Bias, No Bull" segment, Brown aired a clip of an interview with senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett in which Jarrett was quick to label Fox News as biased but refused to do the same for MSNBC. For Brown, this means that the White House has lost credibility in this argument because Fox News has been "upfront and pretty unapologetic" about their conservative bent in their prime time lineup, and MSNBC has a liberal slant to its prime time hosts. Brown then states what she sees as the "obvious": Jarrett seems loath to admit that MSNBC has a bias. And that is where I think the White House loses all credibility on this issue. Just as Fox News leans to the right with their opinionated hosts in prime time, MSNBC leans left. I don't think anyone at Fox or MSNBC would disagree. In fact both Fox News and MSNBC are doing quite well in the prime time ratings by doing partisan opinion. That last part is perhaps a tender spot for CNN, as they have recently sunk to third place in the prime-time demographic. As for bias at Fox News and MSNBC, the White House, along with many others, would argue that the conservative leanings of their prime-time anchors have bled into their mainstream news coverage. Campbell concludes that if the White House wants to enter the conversation of bias in the media, they need to discuss on both the right and the left. WATCH: More on Fox News
 
Obama Plants Tree On White House Lawn In Spot Where Bush's Tree "Did Not Take" (PHOTOS) Top
Of all the matters Barack Obama inherited from his predecessor, this one was relatively small. There was a historically-significant hole on the White House North Lawn that needed to be filled, as it had been a year before him by George W. Bush and by another president more than a century before. W.'s tree, a Scarlet Oak, "did not take," and so, following White House tradition, Obama was called on to replace it. From the pool report: "This is a nice looking tree, don't you think?" Obama said as he approached the scene, accompanied by Retired Rear Admiral Stephen W. Rochon, chief usher of the White House, about 5:30 p.m. "We've got to get a couple, do a little work here," Obama said, reaching for a ceremonial shovel. Nine times he plunged it into the topsoil. In a minute, he was done, leaving a mostly empty hole but fulfilling an obligation of planting his first tree on the White House grounds. "This a little easier than it should be," Obama joked. More on Barack Obama
 
Walmart Caskets For Sale Online, Starting At $999 (PHOTOS) Top
Never mind its typical merchandise, the world's largest retailer has a new item on the shelf. You can now purchase Walmart caskets , a development that could threaten funeral homes. Beginning at $999 for lower-end models, all 27 caskets in the Walmart online inventory cost less than $2,000, except the "Sienna Bronze Casket," which sells for $3,199. The caskets come from Star Legacy Funeral Network, Inc., of McHenry, Ill., and ship within 48 hours. Blogs are having fun with this one. Several noted it's just in time for Halloween . One pointed out that this gives people a chance to live eternally with low prices . The topic is popping up on forums too. Would you rest the soul of a loved one with a product purchased from Walmart? PHOTOS: 27 Walmart Caskets Are Up For Sale The Most Expensive Walmart Casket Is The Sienna Bronze Casket Walmart Caskets Can Be Purchased For As Low As $999 Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/28/wal-mart-caskets-urns-off_n_337366.html
 
Keni Thomas Of Black Hawk Down Fame To Sing National Anthem At World Series (VIDEO) Top
Country star Keni Thomas will sing the National Anthem at tonight's World Series game. You can preview some of his songs here , or watch a video of him performing the National Anthem below. Keni is also a motivational speaker and took part in the ill-fated "Blackhawk Down" mission in Somalia when he served in the Army. More on Video
 
Evelyn Leopold: Cuban Vote at UN: "Here We Go Again" Top
UNITED NATIONS - For the 18th consecutive year, the UN General Assembly condemned the US economic embargo against Cuba. The 187 countries voting in favor were friends and foes, democracies and dictatorships. But this was the first vote since President Obama took office, and everyone listened for hints of change. While the administration has taken steps to improve relations with Cuba, it renewed the embargo just last month. The speech by Susan Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations, was more conciliatory than in previous years. But there was no hint the embargo would be lifted unless Cuba allowed "political and economic freedoms." When the embargo first came to the floor of the General Assembly, many European nations abstained. But then came the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, which imposed fines and other sanctions on foreign firms dealing with Cuba. In the ensuing years, the UN vote turned heavily against Washington, not only in Europe but in all of Latin America. This year it was 187 to 3 votes with two abstentions. The United States, Israel and the Pacific island of Palau voted "no" while the Marshall Islands and Micronesia (also Pacific isles) abstained. The resolution is not binding but expresses the will of the international community. Cuba has been under a US trade and travel embargo since 1962, three years after Fidel Castro took power. New York Philharmonic banned? Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said the embargo had prevented his country from obtaining needed drugs for adults and children, including those combating HIV/AIDS as well as equipment to detect cancer. The US government, he said, recently stopped the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from performing in Cuba. "The blockade is an uncultured act of arrogance," Rodriguez said. "How can artistic creation be considered a crime?" "President Obama has a historical opportunity to lead a change of policy towards Cuba," the minister said, and at minimum could grant waivers to ease the embargo. While Cuba purchases agricultural products from the United States, he said it has to pay cash in advance and could not transport the cargo in its own vessels. In response, Ambassador Rice said, "Here we go again. I suppose old habits die hard." "The hostile language we have just heard from the Foreign Minister of Cuba seems straight out of the Cold War era and is not conducive to constructive progress. We will not respond in kind to painfully familiar rhetoric that we have heard in years past -- rather, I am prepared to acknowledge that there is a new chapter to this old story," Rice said. She noted that the Obama administration had promoted family visits and remittances and had expanded the amounts of humanitarian items Americans could donate. It also resumed talks on migration, moved to establish direct mail service and enhanced the ability of US telecommunications and agricultural firms to pursue agreements. "These are important steps and can be the starting point for further changes in the relationship," Rice said. The isolation of the United States on Cuba follows a series of US initiatives in the United Nations, with engagement on disarmament issues, such as a proposed arms trade treaty, and human rights bodies. Gone is the embarrassing US stand on women's issues whenever family planning in poor nations arises. But on Cuba, the lobby remains strong, even though polls show a split in the Cuban-American community. Elena Freyre, executive director of the moderate Cuban American Defense League in Miami, told CNN after the vote: "The definition of insanity is to do something over and over again and expect a different result. We are not going to get a different result. It's not working." More on Cuba
 
Yoani Sanchez: The U.S. Embargo: A Convenient Excuse for Cuba's Own Failures Top
I wore a red and white uniform, I was ten years old, and the subject of the "blockade" was barely mentioned in the ideological books they gave me at school. Those were optimistic times and we believed that the F1 cows* would give enough milk to flood the streets of the whole country. The future had those golden hues that never showed themselves in our faded reality but we were a too colorblind to notice. We thought we had discovered the formula to be among the most prosperous people on the planet, so that our children would live in a country with opportunities for all. From the podium a bearded leader defiantly pointed to the North, because he counted on the pole of the Kremlin subsidy to vault over any obstacle to the construction of communism. "Despite the blockade..." we said, with the same conviction that in years past we'd talked about the ten million tons of sugar*, coffee growing all around the cities*, and a supposed industrialization of the country that never came. We had to cut short our dreams when the flow of oil and rubles abruptly stopped. The years came of beginning to explain the setbacks and comparing ourselves to the poorest nations in the region to make us feel, if not happy, at least satisfied. As I began my adolescence, the issue of trade restrictions was on nearly every billboard in the country. At the political rallies we no longer shouted, "Cuba yes, Yankees no" but a new hard-to-rhyme slogan: "Down with the blockade." I looked at my nearly empty plate and couldn't imagine how they had managed to blockade our malangas, orange juice, bananas and lemons. I grew up repudiating the blockade, not because I swallowed the line about the country we could be if the blockade weren't preventing it, but simply because they tried to explain that everything that wasn't working was a result of it. If my friends were leaving the country en masse, it was because of the United States policy of harassment; if the cockroaches were crawling all over the walls at the maternity hospital, it was the fault of the North Americans; even if a meeting at the university expelled a critical colleague, they explained to us that he had fallen under the ideological influence of the enemy. Today, everything begins and ends with the blockade. No one seems to remember the days when they promised us paradise, when they told us that nothing - not even the economic sanctions - would prevent us from leaving behind our underdevelopment. Translator's notes F1 cows : A breed that is a cross of Holstein and Zebu (Cebu) cattle. Fidel Castro believed these cattle would allow Cuba to export beef and dairy products. It didn't work out; both meat and milk are severely rationed in Cuba. Ten million tons of sugar : In 1970 Fidel Castro turned the resources of the entire country to a achieving a record ten-million ton sugar harvest, even "rescheduling" Christmas for July so as not to interfere with the work. The target was missed and Cuba's sugar crop has declined ever since; in 2009 the total was barely over one million tons. Coffee growing in the cities : Fidel Castro had a plan to grow coffee in Havana despite expert advice that the climate was unfavorable; it didn't work out. Yoani's blog, Generation Y , can be read here in English translation. More on Cuba
 

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