616 Days until election day.
For those of you who missed the Oscars, we had a run down of some of the prizes Michigan’s Democrats won. Well our friends at registeredmedia.com sent over a photo they captured of the Governor with her Oscar:
http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2007/02/granholms_oscar.html
This coming Friday, March 2nd, Americans for Prosperity will be hosting an event in Lansing and Hillsdale on Michigan’s economic situation and a discussion about tax increases and their effect on a state trying to come out of a recession. Anyone who would like to attend should RSVP by sending an email to AHagerstrom@afphq.org or by leaving a message at 517-853-9073.
The first session is at the Capitol Building, Friday morning from 7:45 – 9:00am in room 426…and the second session is in Hillsdale at the Lewis Emery Park Community Center from noon – 1:15pm. Participants will include Dr. Gary Wolfram, Todd Anderson, Dan Quisenberry and others.
A reminder…Newt and former New York Governor Mario Cuomo are appearing together at Cooper Union to prove a point and set an example. By participating in an unrestricted, Lincoln Douglas style dialogue, Newt and Governor Cuomo will demonstrate that it is possible for people from different political parties to have an impassioned, informative discussion about the future of America without degenerating into the cheap, spiteful, and ultimately trivial politics that so dominates our current political culture. They will then hold up their exchange as a positive model in contrast with the current, political consultant-driven system of Presidential debates that overwhelms substance and spontaneity with pages and pages of rules, negativity, and highly rehearsed sound bites.
Please mark your calendars: February 28 , 2007 - As former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will take the stage at the histroic Cooper Union Hall to have a dialogue about some of the biggest issues facing our nation.
This should be broadcast on C-SPAN nationwide at 7:30 pm.
American Solutions will broadcast the “Lincoln Douglas Style Debate” live and on-demand via web cast on www.AmericanSolutions.com.
The Michigan Republican Party has created a 2007 Calendar in memoriam of President Gerald R. Ford. Calendars are $12 a piece with proceeds supporting the creation of a permanent display to honor Michigan’s Republican President. The memorial will be located at the new Michigan Republican Headquarters and will include an honorary plaque on the Wall of Honor in addition to a prominent flagpole outside the building. To purchase a calendar, please click here. Thank you for your support!
Saul Anuzis
STATE STORIES
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/OPINION03/702270314/1008/OPINION01
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Fr. Robert Sirico: Faith and policy
Political faith comes from within, not from pollsters and consultants
R epublicans have a huge advantage among voters who base their selections on religious identity rather than public policy. Its grass roots and leadership are at home with open expressions of faith.
By comparison, the topic tends to make the Democratic leadership squirm. When asked about his religion during the 2004 presidential race, John Kerry could never seem to speak from the heart.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/NEWS05/702270313/1007
Democrats teach Oakland GOP a campaign lesson
February 27, 2007
The Republicans who control Oakland County's Board of Commissioners had $26,000 in a political slush fund last fall.
Democrats, who wanted to control the county board, had $20,000 in their slush fund.
The Republicans gave money to a commissioner who had died a few days before the money was disbursed in October, to three who weren't on the ballot because they'd either retired or lost their primaries, and to a commissioner who was unopposed.
The Democrats sent much of their money to the state party headquarters in Lansing, which targeted the funds to re-elect three potentially vulnerable incumbents and help three people challenging Republicans. All six won, narrowing the GOP advantage on the board from 15-10 to 13-12.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/NEWS05/702270337/1007
Election Day for metro Detroiters
February 27, 2007
Metro Detroit voters will head to the polls today to decide a variety of issues. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
In Wayne County:
Dearborn is electing a mayor.
• Ecorse residents will decide whether to change terms for city officers to 4 years from 2 years. • Plymouth-Canton Community Schools wants $62.1 million for school improvements.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/AUTO01/702270372
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Health tab to soar at GM
UAW deal cuts Ford's cost, but not for long
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
Health care costs at General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. will continue to rise at an alarming rate and are likely to spark a showdown with the United Auto Workers during upcoming contract talks, according to a new report released Monday by the respected credit-rating firm Fitch Inc.
Fitch looked at cash costs for health care at both GM and Ford and concluded that concessions made by the UAW in 2005 have not been enough to offset inflation-driven increases in health care spending, production cuts and the flow-back of workers from both automakers' former parts subsidiaries. Ford will see some modest gains as a result of its blue-collar buyout program, but both companies will continue to trend upward.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/COL07/702270403/1081/COL
The takeover hunters appear to like Michigan's big game
February 27, 2007
Who would've imagined that buyout sharks could end up circling some of Michigan's corporate icons, such as the Chrysler Group and Dow Chemical Co.?
Yet Monday, we were shocked by speculation that private-equity firms could launch a $54-billion takeover bid for Midland-based Dow, which would be the largest leveraged buyout ever.
Last week, we heard reports that DaimlerChrysler AG has contacted private-equity firms about the possible sale of the Chrysler Group.
"The private-equity investors aren't simply hunting deer. They're also hunting elephant," said David Sowerby, a Bloomfield Hills-based portfolio manager for Loomis Sayles & Co.
http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-21/117250452036450.xml&coll=2
Staying means lower-paying job
Monday, February 26, 2007
BY JO COLLINS MATHIS
News Staff Reporter
Eight-year-old Stuart Brabbs has been quoting Gov. Jennifer Granholm lately.
"It's a punch in the guts,'' he said, his lips still green from a treat at school that day. "That's what Granholm said. ... I keep that in my head and I never forget it.''
Stuart is referring to the governor's initial reaction in January to Pfizer's decision to close its Ann Arbor research labs before the end of next year, displacing 2,100 employees.
http://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1172535009233320.xml&coll=1
Not good enough, Granholm tells Bush trade rep
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
By Sarah Kellogg
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Michigan companies and communities are paying the price for the Bush administration's weak-kneed enforcement of international trade rules, Gov. Jennifer Granholm told the president's top trade negotiator.
"We need to be more aggressive on trade -- Michigan is exhibit A that enforcement is not happening at the levels it should be," Michigan's Democratic governor said after a presentation by U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
Schwab, who was meeting with Granholm and other governors during the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association, said that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative had all the tools it needs to enforce international rules against scofflaws such as South Korea, Japan and China.
Feb 26, 6:16 PM EST
Granholm: More active approach needed on trade enforcement
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm pressed the Bush administration Monday to take a more active approach on trade enforcement and pending trade deals, arguing that the current terms hamstring automakers trying to compete in the global marketplace.
The Michigan Democrat and other governors met with U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab during a session at the National Governors Association meeting. Michigan has been "slammed" by high unemployment rates and the affects of globalization, Granholm told Schwab, and needed more equitable trade deals.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/POLITICS/702270342/1022
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Critics call trade deal unfair
Granholm joins with Ohio governor in pressing issue in a meeting with the top U.S. trade representative.
Gordon Trowbridge / Detroit News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Monday she remains unconvinced that the Bush administration is doing all it can to protect Michigan workers from unfair foreign trade practices, despite repeated assurances from the top U.S. trade negotiator during a 90-minute meeting with Granholm and other governors.
"I am not satisfied as the governor of Michigan that (the United States) is being aggressive on trade. I am not satisfied that the playing field is really fair," Granholm said after the meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
Schwab, who as the nation's top official on negotiating and enforcing trade deals holds cabinet rank, defended the administration's record on challenging trade barriers in other nations. And she pledged that an agreement now being negotiated with South Korea will lower that nation's barriers to U.S.-made autos -- a major concern of the Detroit automakers.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-34/1172527503285780.xml&coll=6
GR officials reject lone bid for riverfront development
Monday, February 26, 2007
By Chris Knape and Jim Harger
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- The city of Grand Rapids today officially rejected the proposal submitted by Grand Rapids Development Corp.'s Duane Faust to redevelop its riverfront public works yard.
Deputy City Manager Eric DeLong said the 43-page proposal submitted Friday did not comply with the requirements the city laid out with the help of a development consultant last year. Faust's was the only proposal.
"It was essentially devoid of any specifics," DeLong said.
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-42/1172503991252020.xml&coll=5
Developer seeks HUD help for languishing Burton Estates
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Monday, February 26, 2007
By Joe Lawlor
jlawlor@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6312
BURTON - It would be a first in Genesee County: federally subsidized houses in a new subdivision.
Burton Estates is less than three years old, and homes typically sell for $150,000 or $160,000.
But homes are selling slowly, said developer Sam Arabbo, as are homes throughout the county and state. Fewer than 30 of the mostly tan-colored houses dot the landscape, on S. Belsay Road north of E. Atherton Road. The site is approved for more than 300 houses.
http://www.mlive.com/columns/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-1/117250463236450.xml&coll=2
Big spenders need to see big picture
Details about what things cost would be helpful
Monday, February 26, 2007
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce's push for more revenue to fix roads deserves the same consideration as other government services Lansing must adequately fund.
We wish the chamber had equal sympathy for those needs for which it seems loathe to raise taxes, but that failing doesn't negate its point that the state's economy depends on a modern transportation network in good repair.
Alarmingly, budget projections show that goal will be unattainable without a boost in gasoline and diesel fuel levies, as well as other new money. By 2011, say Michigan Department of Transportation forecasts, only 77 percent of highways will be in good condition, down from 92 percent this year because revenues won't keep pace with construction and other costs.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/NEWS06/702270426/1008
Rise in lobbyists' spending part of trend in politics
February 27, 2007
LANSING -- Lobbyists reported spending $29.9 million in Michigan last year, according to records posted online by the state.
The amount spent has increased every year since 2002.
Spending increased less than 1% last year from reported 2005 levels. But the spending was about 28% higher in 2006 than in 2002, the two most recent gubernatorial election years.
The multiclient lobbying firm of Governmental Consultant Services Inc. spent about $1.3 million in 2006, topping the list. Fifteen other organizations each spent more than $250,000, according to a news release Monday from the nonprofit Michigan Campaign Finance Network.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/OPINION01/702270342/1069
Michigan should get with times and ban smoking in public places
February 27, 2007
Want to reduce health care costs in Michigan? Discourage smoking.
Where to start? With a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and other public places.
Right now, the state won't even let local governments do this. The public health code makes it a state issue. And, while half the American population is now covered by either state or local restrictions on smoking in public places -- even the French now have a law -- the Michigan Legislature has never even held a hearing on the issue.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/COL06/702270411/1081/COL
Don't fault medical industry
February 27, 2007
Elliot Joseph, president and CEO of St. John Health, is frustrated. And it's easy to see why.
His Warren-based group of nine hospitals and more than 125 medical facilities in southeast Michigan employs 18,000 people. It has unfilled openings for 400 nurses. It is dutifully caring for tens of thousands of patients who can't pay because the ranks of the uninsured are exploding in Michigan.
Yet somehow, Joseph said, hospitals and the health care industry in general get blamed as "the cause of ruination" for Detroit's struggling automotive companies.
Other cities and regions in the United States tout their strong health care facilities and research as powerful economic engines for growing their local economies. Think Mayo Clinic in Minnesota or the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/OPINION01/702270336/1069
JEFF GERRITT
Let no others die from inept prison health care
February 27, 2007
Lloyd Byron Martell of Detroit died last week at 41. Prison doctors who failed to treat his colon cancer killed him, slowly and painfully. Martell's 1-to-4-year bit for fleeing a police officer turned into a death sentence, and more such cruelty will follow unless the Legislature and governor oversee Michigan's sick prison health care system.
Paroled in August, Martell knew he deserved prison. But no court condemned him to die for a stupid but minor crime. That sentence was executed by a lame, mismanaged system causing serious health problems, virtual torture and even death. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered a review of prison health care, and federal courts might also extend their authority over it.
http://www.mlive.com/columns/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1172390374187640.xml&coll=2
Americans fixated on gender and race
Sunday, February 25, 2007
.S. Rep. John Dingell, speaking Thursday morning at a breakfast meeting at Washtenaw Community College, covered an ambitious range of topics - global warming, alternative energy funding, Iraq, currency valuation, campaign finance, Michigan's economy and more.
But the comment that drew the most buzz from the audience was almost an aside.
Dingell was discussing the importance of health care reform, and said the topic would be a priority for the next president, "regardless of who he is.''
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/COL03/702270320/1003/NEWS01
Homophobia? Call it hatred
February 27, 2007
Gayle Colbeck, a Free Press reader, called me last week, incensed. She'd been following the coverage of retired Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway's antigay comments -- a tirade so vile, the NBA shunned him.
"Why do they call it homopho-bia?" asked Colbeck, a Detroit gay woman who has been the target of hate. "It's not like it's a mental disorder. We need another term."
She was right.
The term "Negrophobia" has been bandied about since the 1900s. It's an almost comedic description of the irrational fear some people have of blacks. But it has never taken hold because the word "racist" is so much more precise: a deep-seated belief in the inherent superiority of a particular race -- a belief that often results in acts of hate. That's not a phobia; it's a choice.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/NEWS06/702270303/1008
Report on effects of Michigan's affirmative action ban is delayed
February 27, 2007
A report that was due out Monday on the potential effects of a statewide ban on affirmative action has been put off for up to 10 days.
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission was supposed to meet at 2 p.m. Monday to accept the report, which then would have been released publicly. However, commission spokesman Harold Core said a last-minute scheduling change led the commission to postpone its meeting and delay the release of the report.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm asked the commission to prepare the report after voters approved Proposal 2 in November. The statewide constitutional amendment restricts the use of race and gender preferences in government hiring, university admissions and financial aid decisions, among other things.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/METRO/702270404/1022/POLITICS
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Mulhern tells college-age women to 'get in the game'
Deb Price / The Detroit News
WASHINGTON -- Drawing on his groundbreaking role as Michigan's first gentleman, Daniel Mulhern Monday night urged an audience of largely college-age women to be tough in their careers, take on traditionally male roles such as a criminal prosecutor, and ensure that men still feel valued in a world that increasingly will be shaped and dominated by them.
"Get yourself in the game and pull other women into the game," Mulhern said in a speech hosted by American University's Women and Politics Institute and attended by his wife, Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Feb 26, 11:14 PM EST
Governor's husband finds opportunity, risk in more visible roles
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- For the past four years, Daniel Granholm Mulhern has been the confidante, coach and soul mate to Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Although he has led volunteer efforts, he largely has stayed behind the scenes, serving as the governor's sounding board and helping raise the couple's three children.
But with a new 200-page book on leadership just out and a daily radio show starting next Monday evening, Mulhern is moving onto a far more public stage. As he found out last week, it can be a tricky spot for someone married to the governor.
http://www.mlive.com/columns/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1172504114252020.xml&coll=5
Tuesday's vote
Beecher should OK repair tax, but Flint issues unworthy
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Monday, February 26, 2007
Michigan's election consolidation law adopted in 2004 generally limits voting to no more than four times a year. But that still may be too many with some February ballot items we've seen.
With the notable exception of the presidential primary every four years, most of those issues could be decided on other available voting dates to save money. This surely is the case with two issues on Tuesday's ballot in Flint, which are unnecessary election exercises anyway.
A no vote is urged on a symbolic bid for legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. The city ordinance change it seeks would have no effect in law enforcement if it passes, as state and federal statutes prohibiting pot use take precedence. Backers are pushing the measure to build political momentum for a change in state law, claiming the drug is useful in controlling pain and other discomfort suffered by victims of cancer and other ailments. However, the science on this isn't clear, and the Genesee County Medical Society hasn't seen fit to endorse legalizing marijuana for this purpose. We don't either.
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1172506585138370.xml&coll=4
District hopes success will follow new leader
Monday, February 26, 2007
By HELEN LOUNSBURY
TIMES WRITER
STANDISH - The thing about having the same school boss at the helm for 21 years is that if they are any good, they're a hard act to follow.
Such is the case at Standish-Sterling Community Schools where Superintendent Claude Inch's business acumen has helped make his Arenac County district enviable statewide for its top-flight facilities and unusual financial health.
The ''act'' slated to follow Inch, who retires March 31, is Detroit area high school principal, Michael Dodge.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/NEWS01/702270397/1003/NEWS01
Schools may restart search
More choices for a boss in Detroit sought
February 27, 2007
Nearly half the members of the Detroit school board said Monday they want to restart the search for a new superintendent, a move that could drag the process beyond summer.
The contract for Superintendent William F. Coleman III expires June 30, but five board members said they would vote in favor of a new or expanded search.
Three board members said they did not want to start over, while three could not be reached Monday night.
A search committee is expected to recommend either Coleman, Connie Calloway, superintendent of the 5,700-student district in Normandy, Mo., or Doris Hope-Jackson, school board vice president of the 1,300-student district in Harvey, Ill., to lead Detroit Public Schools. The full board could vote next week on the recommendation.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/OPINION01/702270312/1008
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Let sheriff's deputies guard Detroit's buses
Council should stop obstructing deal to protect drivers, passengers
The Detroit News
U ltimately, turf wars and union politics have to give way to considerations of the public good -- even in Detroit. City Council is slated to vote on a plan to put sheriff's deputies on city buses Wednesday. Council members ought to cut through the nonsense and approve the plan.
The Detroit Police Department used to have officers on Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) buses, but withdrew them toward the end of 2005. Detroit Police officials, The Detroit News reports, have said they don't have the officers to spare for the buses and would rather place them in the city's neighborhoods.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2905.html
In Michigan, Democrats' Environmental Agenda Hits the Skids
Newly empowered Democrats in Congress are highlighting environmental issues and the threats posed by global warming as a significant part of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's legislative agenda.
But there's one state where such talk, and potential action, could be harmful for the party's political prospects: Michigan, particularly in the Detroit area. Proposals to raise fuel economy standards worry the American auto industry, which produces a large share of gas-guzzling SUVs and employs a sizable workforce.
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/columns-2/1172507070153140.xml&coll=7
U.S. attorney victim of politics?
Monday, February 26, 2007
U.S. Attorney Margaret Chiara has been described by a federal judge in Grand Rapids as one of the best U.S. attorneys he has seen in his two decades on the bench.
That wasn't enough to protect the former Cass County prosecutor. She was the latest in a string of U.S. attorneys abruptly fired by the U.S. Justice Department.
The Justice Department says that six of the seven U.S. attorneys fired before Chiara, 63, announced her resignation were dismissed for ``performance-related'' issues. All of the attorneys are Republicans. But some Democrats are questioning whether the dismissals were politically motivated.
NATIONAL STORIES
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022601182.html
Giuliani's Mouth Is Running, but His Meter Isn't
By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; Page A02
Looking for a bargain outing for the family? Consider a Rudy Giuliani speech.
The Republican presidential candidate and former New York mayor was charging $100,000 per speech before he announced two weeks ago that he was quitting the motivational lecture circuit. Now he can look forward to a year or more of talks like he gave yesterday to the Hoover Institution in the Willard ballroom -- earning nothing but applause.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022601237.html
A Bundle of Good Moves
Ms. Clinton's change of heart on fundraising transparency
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; Page A14
SEN. HILLARY Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has decided that her presidential campaign will reveal the identities of its major fundraisers, after all. This is welcome news for the conduct of the 2008 race, during which big bundlers -- the well-connected fundraisers who can help collect $100,000, $200,000 or even $1 million in donations -- will be more important than ever.
With Ms. Clinton's change of heart, the top-tier contenders of both parties -- Democrats Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, and Republicans John McCain, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mitt Romney -- have agreed to identify their chief campaign underwriters. The Clinton campaign said she would release the names of her big bundlers at amounts such as $100,000 or $200,000. We trust that as those bundles swell in size -- the Clinton campaign has tasked its top fundraisers with bringing in $1 million or more -- the levels of disclosure will rise accordingly, for the Clinton campaign and its rivals. With more private money than ever being raised and spent, this information is critical to campaign finance disclosure.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022601542.html
Clintons' Charity Not Listed On Senate Disclosure Forms
By John Solomon and Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; Page A01
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former president Bill Clinton have operated a family charity since 2001, but she failed to list it on annual Senate financial disclosure reports on five occasions.
The Ethics in Government Act requires members of Congress to disclose positions they hold with any outside entity, including nonprofit foundations. Hillary Clinton has served her family foundation as treasurer and secretary since it was established in December 2001, but none of her ethics reports since then have disclosed that fact.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110009717
God Save the Queen?
Mrs. Clinton's biggest problem may be voters' unease with dynastic politics.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST
Hollywood mogul David Geffen, a supporter of Barack Obama, knew he was setting the Democratic nomination contest ablaze when, in an interview with Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, he characterized his once-close friends Bill and Hillary Clinton as liars. For good measure he added that the former president was "reckless" and can't be expected to change his behavior while the New York senator has been overprogrammed by advisers "who are covering every base."
Mrs. Clinton's surrogates went into full attack mode to discredit Mr. Geffen, who during the 1990s helped raise some $18 million for various Clinton causes. They demanded--and didn't get--an apology from Mr. Obama, who pointed out that Mr. Geffen holds no formal position with his campaign.
http://www.cato.org/view_ddispatch.php?viewdate=20070226#1
February 26, 2007
Al Gore Wins Oscar
"'An Inconvenient Truth,' the big-screen adaptation of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's slide-show lecture about the perils of global warming, won Academy Awards on Sunday for documentary feature and best song," Reuters reports. "Gore is the star and narrator of the documentary, which is widely credited with helping shift U.S. public opinion on the need for urgent action to curb man-made emissions of greenhouse gases linked to global warming."
In "Inconvenient Truths," Patrick Michaels, Cato senior fellow in environmental studies, questions the science behind Gore's film: "The main point of the movie is that, unless we do something very serious, very soon about carbon dioxide emissions, much of Greenland's 630,000 cubic miles of ice is going to fall into the ocean, raising sea levels over twenty feet by the year 2100.Where's the scientific support for this claim? Certainly not in the recent Policymaker's Summary from the United Nations' much anticipated compendium on climate change. Under the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's medium-range emission scenario for greenhouse gases, a rise in sea level of between 8 and 17 inches is predicted by 2100. Gore's film exaggerates the rise by about 2,000 percent."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022700283.html
Race, Gender Less Relevant in '08
Candidate's Being Over Age 72 or a Smoker Are Bigger Detriments Than Gender or Race to Voters
By Jon Cohen and Jennifer Agiesta
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; 6:04 AM
Campaign 2008 has raised the question of whether voters will hesitate to back a major female or black presidential contender, but at this early stage voters seem to weigh other criteria more heavily in determining which candidate they might favor, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
According to voters, a candidate's being over age 72, a Mormon, twice divorced or a smoker all are bigger drags on support than is gender or race. In this poll, nearly six in 10 Americans said they would be less likely to vote for an older candidate, three in 10 less likely to vote for a Mormon, a quarter less likely to support a candidate with two divorces and 21 percent less likely to back someone who smokes cigarettes. And for each of these, those turned off by the attribute greatly outnumbered those who said they would be more likely to support such a candidate. For example, while 58 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate older than 72, a scant three percent said they would be more likely to prefer such a candidate.
Feb 27, 3:31 AM EST
Governors face realties of Globalization
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Governors are facing up to some harsh realities: Their states' school children aren't ready for the 21st century, their workers aren't trained for the new jobs created every day, and their businesses aren't competing as strongly as they must to keep ahead.
The only way to thrive amid globalization is to change, and states are past due for a sweeping transformation of education, worker training and economic development, governors agreed Monday after days of discussions at the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
"The plain fact of the matter is the world has changed," said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who sought to convince her fellow state leaders that globalization is their problem. "We must have a sense of urgency as governors. ... What we're doing now does not suffice."
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009719
Semi-Truths
Mexican trucks are about to roll into the U.S. It's about time.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST
It's nice the U.S. government is finally getting around to meeting its obligations under a trade pact with Mexico ratified a mere 14 years ago. But even that is too fast for some protectionists.
Under the North American Free Trade Agreement, the U.S. was required to lift a ban on Mexican trucks traveling more than 25 miles inside the border. The deadline for doing so was 2000, yet seven years later the ban remains in place. Hence, when Mexican trucks reach the mileage limit, they must off-load and transfer the goods to American trucks, which carry them to their ultimate destination. You can understand why the Teamsters who represent American drivers favor this arrangement, however inefficient, but U.S. consumers pick up the tab.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/opinion/27tue2.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Game With No Winner
Published: February 27, 2007
It’s almost enough to make us nostalgic for streaking and sitting on flagpoles. College students from Michigan to Florida have found a new way to get attention, offend others and make a right-wing statement all at once. It’s a game with a name that says it all: “Catch the Illegal Immigrant.”
The game is a variation on hide and seek: one player poses as the immigrant, and everyone else tries to find that person. There’s a prize, usually $200 or less, which is not much, but enough to celebrate the cheap exploitation of a fellow human.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/OPINION03/702270310/1008/OPINION01
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
George Will
Opinion: Bush should veto labor restrictions on employer speech
G ood for Adrienne Eaton of Rutgers University's Labor Studies & Employment Relations Department. Her forthright description of a central issue in the debate about the Employee Free Choice Act, which she supports, clarifies why that legislation is symptomatic of a disagreeable tendency in today's politics.
Labor unions hope this exquisitely mistitled act, which the House of Representatives probably will pass this week, will compensate for their dwindling persuasiveness as they try to convince workers to join. It would allow unions to organize workplaces without workers voting for unionization in elections with secret ballots. Instead, unions could use the "card check" system: Once a majority of a company's employees signs a card expressing consent, the union is automatically certified as the bargaining agent for all the workers.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/OPINION01/702270307/1008
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Opinion: Unions must invest in organizing to stop decline
Gary Chaison
U nions are losing members at a rapid rate. U.S. Department of Labor reveal that unions lost 326,000 members last year, and the percent of the work force in unions dropped from 12.5 percent to 12.0 percent.
Although the figures for 2006 were disheartening and surprising, they were not unlike any other year. Since 1980, the unions lost nearly 5 million members. This is equivalent to having six big unions, each roughly the size of the United Automobile Workers, disappear.
In private industry, where low-cost nonunion firms grow most quickly and unionized firms often transfer work overseas, the portion of the work force in unions is now 7.4 percent. This means that unionization has returned to the level of the 1920s, before the huge organizing drives in the mass production industries (for example, autos and steel).
http://www.cato.org/view_ddispatch.php?viewdate=20070226#1
February 26, 2007
Governors Oppose Bush Health Care Initiative
"Governors from both parties are opposing President Bush's budget for a health care program that insures millions of children of the working poor, warning that failure to meet its spending needs will inflate the already high number of uninsured," the Associated Press reports. "The budget dispute dominated discussions among governors Sunday, who promised to bring the matter to Bush and his Cabinet officials at private meetings Monday."
In "A New Prescription for Health Care," Michael Cannon, Cato's director of health policy studies, lauds President Bush's health care reform proposal: "In his State of the Union speech ... President Bush proposed steps to make health insurance more affordable by reducing taxes on health benefits for some workers and encouraging others to be more prudent health care consumers. The changes would dramatically reduce the number of uninsured, allowing tens of millions of Americans to save thousands of dollars a year on insurance."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/opinion/27tue4.html
You Want Some Truth With That?
Published: February 27, 2007
New York’s effort to compel fast-food restaurants to list calories alongside menu prices is being challenged. Representatives for a host of restaurant chains have persuaded the chairman of the City Council’s Health Committee to introduce a bill that would gut the new regulations before they took effect. The complaint is that compliance would be too onerous and very expensive. It’s more likely that compliance might be really embarrassing or, worse, thought-provoking.
The regulations pushed through by the city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Frieden, are essential to helping people make healthful decisions. Chain restaurants list calories now, but usually online or on paper place mats in small print. They incorrectly claim that Dr. Frieden would require that calories be listed for every item, like Starbucks’ more than 84,000 drink combinations. The actual rule, though, is reasonable: supply calorie values for basic items, with ranges to account for sizes and additions, like whipped cream or syrup.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SENATE_TOBACCO?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Feb 27, 3:38 AM EST
Senate to take up regulation of tobacco
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Health groups are trying to generate momentum for legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco products.
The FDA couldn't ban nicotine outright, but the legislation would give it the power to reduce nicotine levels, as well as require larger and more informative health warnings.
The legislation would also prohibit terms such as "light," "mild" and "low-tar," which officials say can mislead consumers into believing that certain cigarettes are safer than others.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/OPINION01/702270341/1069
Light up a pack of common sense
February 27, 2007
After years of lollygagging by Congress, and a failed attempt by the Food and Drug Administration, momentum finally seems to be building to give the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco -- with an eye on reducing the leading cause of preventable deaths in this country.
The U.S. Senate today begins hearings on the bill that could, among its provisions
Let the FDA make sure cigarettes and smokeless tobacco are not marketed to children through cartoon characters or fruit- and candy-flavored products.
• Prohibit terms such as "light" and "low tar" that suggest cigarettes aren't that bad.
http://www.mlive.com/columns/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-1/117250475536450.xml&coll=2
Expand Head Start, expand opportunity
Monday, February 26, 2007
Much of the national debate on improving schools is focused on the No Child Left Behind Act. Absent from the limelight is an equally significant federal program with a proven track record of results. Head Start, America's early childhood development program, not only should be reauthorized but also strengthened and expanded.
Legislation to do that won unanimous and bipartisan approval last week from the Senate education committee. The bill would open the program to more low-income children by expanding eligibility and increasing funding. It also seeks to bring about important educational improvements by putting a renewed focus on academics and encouraging more and better training of Head Start teachers. In doing so, the bill strikes a good compromise between two warring camps. On one side are those who would gut the program of all its social aspects to concentrate on teaching reading and math. On the other side are those who think a focus solely on academics robs the program of its heart and children of their childhood.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/opinion/27tue3.html
A Bad Report Card
Published: February 27, 2007
The news from American high schools is not good. The most recent test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly known as the national report card, finds that American 12th graders are actually performing worse in reading than 12th graders did in 1992, when a comparable exam was given. In addition, 12th-grade performance in reading has been distressingly flat since 2002, even though the states were supposed to be improving the quality of teaching to comply with the No Child Left Behind education act.
The new scores, based on tests given in 2005, show that only about 35 percent of 12th graders are proficient in reading. Simply put, this means that a majority of the country’s 12th graders have trouble understanding what they read fully enough to make inferences, draw conclusions and see connections between what they read and their own experiences. The math scores were even worse, with only 23 percent of 12th graders performing at or above the proficient level.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CIA_LEAK_TRIAL?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Feb 27, 3:44 AM EST
No verdict yet from remaining Libby jury
WASHINGTON (AP) -- After the judge dismissed one of its members, the jury finished a fourth day of deliberations Monday without a verdict in the perjury trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
Most of the morning was consumed by deciding what to do about an art historian on the jury who saw or read something over the weekend about the trial. After interviewing her in private along with lawyers in the case, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ruled that "what she had exposure to obviously disqualifies her."
The judge let the jurors continue deliberating with just 11 members after the defense endorsed that option. He overruled prosecutors who asked him to seat one of two alternate jurors who heard the trial and remain on standby.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022600405.html
Juror Is Dismissed From Libby Trial
She Got Information Outside Court; Panel of 11 to Continue
By Carol D. Leonnig and Amy Goldstein
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; Page A03
The jury considering whether I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is guilty of perjury lost one of its members after nearly three days of deliberation yesterday, but the presiding judge ordered the panel to continue working to reach a decision.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton dismissed the juror, an art curator in her 70s, after she disclosed to her peers that she had come in contact over the weekend with information about the case of Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022601631.html
Former Aide to Ex-Congressman Ney Pleads Guilty in Abramoff Case
By James V. Grimaldi and Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; Page A06
A former chief of staff to then-Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) pleaded guilty yesterday to corruption charges stemming from accepting gifts, gambling chips and trips -- including an expense-paid junket to Scotland with his boss -- from former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and a foreign businessman.
The plea agreement by William Heaton revealed for the first time that Ney kept some of his ill-gotten gains -- $5,000 in British pounds -- in a safe in his congressional office. Heaton, who worked for Ney from 2001 until last year, admitted that he helped the congressman stash the money and periodically opened the safe at Ney's request so he could get to the cash, prosecutors said.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/NATION/702270304/1022/POLITICS
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Postal Commission backs 'forever' stamp, 2-cent hike in letter rate
Randolph E. Schmid / Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Say goodbye to those pesky 1- and 2-cent stamps that used to clutter up desks and purses every time the price of mailing a letter went up.
A new "forever" stamp -- good for mailing a letter no matter how much rates rise -- was recommended Monday by the independent Postal Regulatory Commission. The panel also called for a 2-cent increase in first-class rates to 41 cents, a penny less than the post office had sought.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GLOBAL_THREATS?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Feb 27, 3:16 AM EST
Spy chief to appear before Senate panel
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's newly installed spy chief, Mike McConnell, told CIA personnel at a town-hall style meeting last week that he intends to establish personal relationships with Congress.
He has his first chance Tuesday as he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee to lay out threats facing the United States around the globe. Among them are Iraq, Iran, North Korea and Muslim extremists operating along the Afghan-Pakistani border.
Both Republicans and Democrats alike have grown uneasy about the situation in Iraq and the growing tension with Iran over its nuclear program and U.S. claims that the government in Tehran is meddling in Iraq.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MILITARY_STRAINS?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Feb 27, 4:37 AM EST
Gen. Pace: Military capability eroding
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Strained by the demands of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a significant risk that the U.S. military won't be able to quickly and fully respond to yet another crisis, according to a new report to Congress.
The assessment, done by the nation's top military officer, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, represents a worsening from a year ago, when that risk was rated as moderate.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RUSHING_TO_IRAQ?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Feb 27, 3:08 AM EST
2 Army units will forgo desert training
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rushed by President Bush's decision to reinforce Baghdad with thousands more U.S. troops, two Army combat brigades are skipping their usual session at the Army's premier training range in California and instead are making final preparations at their home bases.
Some in Congress and others outside the Army are beginning to question the switch, which is not widely known. They wonder whether it means the Army is cutting corners in preparing soldiers for combat, since they are forgoing training in a desert setting that was designed specially to prepare them for the challenges of Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/opinion/27taylor.html
Billions Over Baghdad
By JOHN B. TAYLOR
Published: February 27, 2007
EARLIER this month, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing that criticized the decision to ship American currency into Iraq just after Saddam Hussein’s government fell. As the committee’s chairman, Henry Waxman of California, put it in his opening statement, “Who in their right mind would send 360 tons of cash into a war zone?” His criticism attracted wide attention, feeding antiwar sentiment and even providing material for comedians. But a careful investigation of the facts behind the currency shipment paints a far different picture.
The currency that was shipped into Iraq in the days after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government was part of a successful financial operation that had been carefully planned months before the invasion. Its aims were to prevent a financial collapse in Iraq, put the financial system on a firm footing and pave the way for a new Iraqi currency. Contrary to the criticism that such currency shipments were ill advised or poorly monitored, this financial plan was carried out with precision and was a complete success.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022600313.html
Majority in Poll Favor Deadline For Iraq Pullout
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; Page A01
With Congress preparing for renewed debate over President Bush's Iraq policies, a majority of Americans now support setting a deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces from the war-torn nation and support putting new conditions on the military that could limit the number of personnel available for duty there, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Opposition to Bush's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq remained strong. Two in three Americans registered their disapproval, with 56 percent saying they strongly object. The House recently passed a nonbinding resolution opposing the new deployments, but Republicans have blocked consideration of such a measure in the Senate.
http://www.mlive.com/columns/sanews/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1172501432167250.xml&coll=9
A rotten way to treat veterans
Monday, February 26, 2007
OPINION OF THE WASHINGTON POST
IF YOU LISTEN TO THE PR
operation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the U.S. military's gleaming flagship hospital offers veterans the best treatment available. What doesn't get mentioned is the bureaucratic contempt and physical squalor that too often await badly injured outpatient soldiers on the Walter Reed campus, the subject of a four-month Post investigation detailed in articles published last week.
http://www.cato.org/view_ddispatch.php?viewdate=20070226#1
February 26, 2007
Iran Vows to Continue Nuclear Program
"Iran dug in its heels over its nuclear program on Monday ahead of a meeting of Western powers to discuss tightening U.N. sanctions on Tehran amid Western fears it aims to produce nuclear weapons," Reuters reports. "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Iran had 'no brake and no reverse gear,' prompting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to say Tehran needed a 'stop button' for its program."
In the Cato policy analysis "The Bottom Line on Iran: The Costs and Benefits of Preventive War versus Deterrence," Justin Logan, foreign policy analyst, argues that deterrence, and not war, is the best policy for dealing with Iran: "[G]iven the costs of the military option, the only compelling rationale for starting a war with Iran would be if there were good reason to believe that the Iranian leadership is fundamentally undeterrable. But available evidence indicates that Iran is deterrable and would be particularly so if faced with the devastating repercussions that would result from the use of a nuclear weapon. Therefore, the United States should begin taking steps immediately to prepare for a policy of deterrence should an Iranian bomb come online in the future. As undesirable as such a situation would be, it appears less costly than striking Iran."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022600873.html
Insurgent Activity Spurs Cheney Trip to Pakistan
By Michael Abramowitz and Griff Witte
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; Page A01
The White House signaled its growing impatience with Pakistan's failure to crack down on Islamic extremists, dispatching Vice President Cheney for an unannounced visit yesterday to pressure President Pervez Musharraf to do more against a resurgent Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.
After visits to Japan and Australia last week, Cheney stopped off in Islamabad for consultations with Musharraf before flying on to Bagram air base in Afghanistan. His four-hour presence in Pakistan, kept secret until he left the country, was perhaps the strongest indication of administration concern over the presence of radical Islamic fighters in the unruly border area between the two South Asian countries.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022700132.html
Cheney OK After Afghan Blast; 14 Killed
By ALISA TANG
The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; 6:49 AM
BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- A suicide bomber attacked the entrance to the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan Tuesday during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, killing at least 14 people and wounding a dozen more. The Taliban claimed responsibility and said Cheney was the target.
Cheney's spokeswoman said he was fine, and the vice president later met with President Hamid Karzai in the capital, Kabul, before leaving the country.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHINA?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Feb 27, 3:21 AM EST
Negroponte expected to make mark in China
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department has been lacking a diplomatic heavyweight to handle China issues since last summer, and President Bush's choice to fill that role plans to travel to Beijing this week as part of a three-nation East Asia tour.
John Negroponte, newly installed as the State Department's No. 2 official, is scheduled to visit South Korea and Japan, in addition to China.
Negroponte, 67, began his career as an Asia hand more than 40 years ago and has worked on regional issues periodically since then, including a stint as ambassador to the Philippines. He was director of national intelligence for the past two years, and issues relating to China crossed his desk frequently, including the country's military buildup.
