Articles of Interest 11-16-07
356 Days until Election Day
MORNING UPDATE:
Quote of the Day:
"Excessive taxation...will carry reason and reflection to every man's door, and particularly in the hour of election."
-- Thomas Jefferson (letter to John Taylor, 1798)
Reference: The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (Memorial Edition), Lipscomb and Bergh, eds., 10:64.
Democrat’s debate no surprise…Hillary still leading, Obama disappoints, Edwards tries too hard , Richardson has a good night, but he and the rest irrelevant. GOP looking good!
7.7% unemployment...if you like what Jennifer Granholm has done for Michigan you’ll love what Hillary Clinton will do to America…
Yesterday was one of those Lansing to Detroit to Novi to Grand Rapids days…GOP activity continues to grow!!!
The interview for the ”Special Report with Brit Hume” on the FOX News Channel was moved and will air from 6:00 – 7:00pm TONIGHT talking about the presidential primary.
On Detroit’s CBS Michigan Matters… I provided a guest commentary about health care and our goals for a patient based system as opposed to Cuban style Hillarycare:
http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2007/11/anuzis-gives-vi.html
Michigan Appeals Court heard oral arguments on the presidential primary, all briefs have been filed. Now we wait for the judges to review the case…we may have a ruling today.
Stryker rips off Michigan…Jon Stryker funds Democrat legislative races…the Democrats should return Stryker money that was earned by swindling taxpayers. A pattern of corruption and illegal campaign contributions by the Democrats…Stryker, Fieger, Chinese businessmen…oh my!
Repeal of the sales tax on services continues…our alternatives are to reform, replace or find a way to live within our means??? Let your legislators know what you think.
The Governor started talking about “reducing green house gases”…the easiest and most effective way to accomplish this is to build nuclear power plants…which are cleaner and more efficient.
The Michigan Climate Action Council should include a couple of scientists. Not just left wing political hacks. How many more job providers are we going to lose (chase out of MI) before we wake up?
If we are going to move from fossil fuels to hydrogen cells or something else, we’ll need more electrical power…nuclear power is the most viable alternative that makes sense. CAFE standards will do little good…other than running our domestic auto industry into turmoil. We need smart, long-term policies.
Recalls continue to dominate grassroots conversations…and opening day of deer season J
Happy hunting!
Give a Gift this Holiday Season that Will Last a Lifetime!
The Michigan Republicans moved their headquarters to the Secchia-Weiser Republican Center in 2006 and plan to install a legacy site to honor those who have served the party and the citizens of Michigan. The legacy site will create a well-deserved tribute to honor Michigan’s past, present, and future Republican leaders! Buy a brick to celebrate, to inspire, or to commemorate friends, family, or yourself this holiday season! They are a great way to honor others in memoriam, birthdays, anniversaries, or any special occasion. Your honoree will receive a certificate commemorating their personalized brick. Choose from our four different options and be a part of the Michigan Republican Party Legacy!
To order your personalized Legacy Brick please visit www.migop.org/legacy, or contact Erin Meteer, Major Donor Program Manager at emeteer@migop.org.
THE REST OF THE STORY:
- With the announcement that Kalamazoo-based medical equipment supplier Stryker Corp. will pay more than $16.6 million to settle allegations it forged Medicaid and Medicare bills to the federal government, new questions are rising about how much of the company’s ill-gotten gains have funded state Democrat coffers over the last two years.
Jon L. Stryker, heir to the Stryker family fortune and chief donor to Democrat and radical left causes in Michigan, has sold off more than $100 million worth of company stock over the last year. One cannot help but note that at the same time the Stryker Corp. was bilking the taxpayers with its fraudulent claims, its stock price was on the rise, increasing in value by nearly 60 percent since January 2006. Stryker owns more than 28 million shares in the company, worth an estimated $2 billion.
Jon Stryker is a major stockholder in Stryker Corp., a company that recently admitted bilking taxpayers and the federal government out of millions. He owns more than 10 percent of the company, which requires him to file special disclosure documents with the Federal Election Commission that monitor the trading activities of company insiders.
Jon Stryker is the man and money behind the Coalition for Progress, which pumped in more than $5 million in Michigan state legislative races in 2006 and was a critical component in Democrats capturing control of the state House of Representatives.
Jon Stryker and his family have been active in influencing political outcomes in other states. The Stryker family personally funded a Democrat takeover of the Colorado Legislature in 2004.
Jon Stryker purchased the Democrat takeover of the state House of Representatives, which led to the passage of the largest tax increase in Michigan history. He used his personal wealth, derived by his major ownership in the Stryker Corporation, to buy elections in Michigan and now we learn that the company’s record profits came at a time when it was bilking taxpayers out of millions dollars. Jon Stryker’s money for Democrat causes comes from the same poisonous tree that ran up earnings at the company responsible for his personal wealth. This is tainted money and Democrats who accepted should give it back.
- Nuclear power is the world's largest source of emission-free energy. Nuclear power plants produce no controlled air pollutants, such as sulfur and particulates, or greenhouse gases. The use of nuclear power in place of other energy sources helps to keep the air clean, preserve the Earth's climate, avoid ground-level ozone formation and prevent acid rain.
Nuclear power has important implications for our national security. Inexpensive nuclear power, in combination with fuel cell technology, could significantly reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
Nuclear power plants have experienced an admirable safety record. About 20% of electricity generated in the U.S. comes from nuclear power, and in the last forty years of this production, not one single fatality has occurred as a result of the operation of a civilian nuclear power plant in the United States. In comparison, many people die in coal mining accidents every year and approximately ten thousand Americans die every year from pollution related to coal burning.
For more information go to: http://www.nuclearnow.org/ and http://www.nei.org/
- Recall efforts start & grow….see UPDATE “Tax Hiker Portraits” by RightMichigan:
Robert Dean: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/2/105439/416
Steve Bieda: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/3/10332/0059
Mike Simpson: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/4/92924/1118
Marc Corriveau: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/8/93248/2721
Terry Brown: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/10/101539/45
Mary Valentine: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/9/6253/0133
Kate Ebli: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/11/55455/873
Marty Griffin: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/15/94238/961
Kathy Angerer: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/16/14040/296
Aldo Vagnozzi: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/17/103640/75
John Espinoza: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/30/93255/658
Joel Sheltrown: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/10/31/103434/30
Mike Lahti: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/11/6/10250/0225
Kathleen Law: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/11/7/104242/595
Fred Miller: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/11/13/101018/55
How does a recall work: http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2007/11/how-to-run-a-re.html
Saul Anuzis
STATE STORIES
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS06/711160413/1008
Court hears appeal over Michigan primary election
November 16, 2007
BY DAWSON BELL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
A three-judge panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals expressed skepticism about the legal standing of Michigan's imperiled Jan. 15 presidential primary at a hearing Thursday afternoon. But the judges also indicated they need more time to decide whether to overturn a lower court decision to block it.
The judges closely questioned lawyers representing Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, the state's chief elections officer, about the justification for restricting access to voter lists generated by the election to the Democratic and Republican parties, a practice the Ingham County Circuit Court found to be unconstitutional.
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7355687&nav=0Rcd
Appeals court could rule by end of week on presidential primary
LANSING, Mich. -- The state Court of Appeals could decide by the end of the week if Michigan's law setting up its Jan. 15 presidential primary is unconstitutional.
Attorney General Mike Cox and several other top state officials on Tuesday asked the appeals court to reverse or vacate by Friday the lower court ruling blocking the primary. If the court doesn't issue a decision by then, they asked that it at least stay the lower court's ruling until the matter can be decided.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/POLITICS/711160378/1022/POLITICS
Friday, November 16, 2007
Primary ruling likely to be delayed
Court suggests it needs extra time to decide whether Michigan can go ahead with Jan. 15 vote.
Gordon Trowbridge / Detroit News Washington Bureau
LANSING -- Michigan's presidential primary is likely to remain in legal limbo for several more days after an appeals court on Thursday suggested it needs more time to rule on whether plans for the Jan. 15 contest violate the state constitution.
State officials had asked the three-judge panel to rule by today, but during oral arguments Thursday, the Michigan Court of Appeals judges got the state's lawyer to admit that they could delay their ruling without imperiling the election.
"Do we face a drop-dead date? I think it's hard to say," Assistant Attorney General Heather Meingast told the judges. "The more we delay, the harder it is to follow the process that needs to be followed" to hold the election, she said.
http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS01/711160309/1002
GOP primary may go ahead
Locally, clerks anxious about tight deadline
By BOBBY AMPEZZAN
Times Herald
The state's presidential primary could be less than two months away, and some area clerks are concerned about the new, early election.
This week, the state Republican and Democratic parties confirmed in separate letters their intentions to participate in the primary, but the Democrats did so under two conditions - that the Republican party participates, and that a Nov. 7 court ruling that called the primary unconstitutional is reversed.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/COL04/711160330/1007/NEWS05
What does Mark Brewer really want?
November 16, 2007
BY BRIAN DICKERSON
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
Time's running short, but there's still an outside chance Michigan voters will get to help choose which two major party candidates face off in next year's presidential election.
The state's Jan. 15 primary has been in limbo since a circuit court judge ruled last week that the law authorizing it is unconstitutional.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS06/711160442/1008
Vote to repeal services tax could come next week
November 16, 2007
LANSING -- House and Senate leaders said Thursday they hope to vote on a compromise next week to repeal the new state tax on services scheduled to take effect Dec. 1. Some major business groups that include the Detroit Three automakers are backing a House bill to replace the service tax with a 33% surcharge on the new Michigan Business Tax.
Lawmakers could meet this weekend to resolve differences between the House and Senate, said Rep. Steve Bieda, D-Warren, chairman of the House Tax Policy Committee.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/AUTO01/711160383/1022/POLITICS
Friday, November 16, 2007
Big 3 take hit over fuel rules
Court strikes down hikes to SUV, truck standards, says they don't go far enough.
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court Thursday threw out the Bush administration's standards to improve the fuel efficiency of pickups, vans and SUVs, saying the rules didn't take into account the impact of auto emissions on the environment.
The court also said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration didn't justify the lower mileage standards for the light-truck category compared with passenger cars, and failed to set standards for heavier commercial trucks and vans.
NHTSA was ordered to rewrite the rules as soon as possible for light trucks built through 2011. If upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, the rewrite will almost assuredly boost the planned increase in light-truck fuel economy. And it means automakers -- who have already planned their fleets through the next three years -- may have to incorporate stricter standards.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/OPINION03/711160329/1007/OPINION
Friday, November 16, 2007
Mark Gaffney: Labor Voices
Bush labor board guts workers' rights
Labor panel needs to be shut until anti-union decisions fixed
As federal agencies go, the National Labor Relations Board is about as under the radar as it gets. That obscurity might be just what a majority of the President Bush-appointed board was counting on when it ignored its statutory mandate and issued a sweeping set of decisions that aggressively and, in some cases, nonsensically stripped workers of long-held rights on the job.
The National Labor Relations Board exists to protect workers' rights to form unions and encourage collective bargaining. But among the flood of decisions issued at the end of September were many that were so blatantly anti-worker as to be shocking -- even by the standards of this administration.
The Bush board has overturned decades worth of labor law, changed longstanding rules and, in the process, hurt millions of America's workers.
http://battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/OPINION02/711160301/1014/OPINION
Helping children in a state left behind
You know my high school. Or you did, anyway, back in 2003 when grainy video traversed the globe of Glenbrook North girls covered in feces clobbering each other in a "powder-puff" football game.
It's the scatological stuff YouTube dreams are made of.
What you couldn't tell from the spectacle, of course, is that GBN is one of the top public schools in the nation, sporting a palatial campus that rivals many colleges. In fact, the state-of-the-art computer labs in our swanky suburban Chicago school put those of Big Ten universities to shame.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/OPINION02/711160313/1085/opinion
Published November 16, 2007
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
Skubick: Term limits reform fades
Our politicians missed a chance for key change
So much for that.
Any attempt to alter the state's onerous term limits law is on life support and near death.
There were not the legislative votes to put it to a statewide referendum, even though the political climate was nearly perfect for a change.
For years, whenever anyone debated term limits, there was never a smoking gun to prove it had damaged our democracy.
But in the wake of the budget debacle of last month, which included the partial shutdown of state government, there was smoke all over the joint.
http://michiganmessenger.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=A98B4B3FF6C62190855430062418CB68?diaryId=427
Granholm: Wind power can bring jobs
by: Eartha Jane Melzer
Thursday (11/15) at 12:23 PM
With reliable wind on the state's west coast, manufacturing capacity, and lower-cost access to markets via the Great Lakes, Michigan could lead the nation -- or at least the Midwest -- in the development of wind power, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said after touring a renewable-energy training facility at Northwestern Michigan College Wednesday. She called on the legislature to pass a bill to require power companies to use more renewable energy.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, 25 states and the District of Columbia have adopted Renewable Portfolio Standards -- policies that require energy companies to generate a portion of their power from renewable resources.
http://macombdaily.com/stories/111607/loc_n3001.shtml
PUBLISHED: Friday, November 16, 2007
State eyes electric alternatives
Coalition promotes greater use of renewable energy sources
By Chad Selweski
Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Momentum grew Thursday for a mandate that would require 10 percent of Michigan's electric power to come from renewal energy sources by 2015.
A new business-environmental coalition known as MI Energy Future announced an online petition drive and held news conferences across the state to urge quick legislative action.
A Macomb County lawmaker who will play a key role in the energy debate responded by promising movement in December, once the Lansing debate over tax issues is over.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/POLITICS/711160371/1022/POLITICS
Friday, November 16, 2007
Group pushes renewable electricity
Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
LANSING -- A new coalition is pushing for a requirement that 10 percent of Michigan's electricity come from renewable sources -- such as the wind, sunlight, flowing water, corn, chunks of wood or landfill gases -- by the year 2015.
Expanding the state's energy technology industry to create jobs and reduce dependence on coal and uranium from other states is the goal of the organization, said Andrew Such, its president. The organization, called MI Energy Future, was unveiled Thursday at a state Capitol gathering.
"Michigan cannot sit on the sidelines while everyone invests in renewable energy and creates jobs," said Anna Giovinetto, vice president of public affairs for Noble Environmental Power.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS06/711160360/1008
Bill targets immigrant hiring
Employer abuse would be felony
November 16, 2007
BY CHRIS CHRISTOFF
FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU CHIEF
LANSING -- House Democrats want to make it a felony for employers to knowingly hire illegal or undocumented immigrants in Michigan.
A four-bill package would require employers to verify documents that prove legal status of employees, such as driver's licenses, Social Security cards or green cards.
Business owners who knowingly hire illegal immigrants could be jailed and fined -- up to 5 years and $250,000 for repeat offenders.
The proposal could ignite in Michigan the heated debate that has roiled other states and the federal government.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/POLITICS/711160315/1022/POLITICS
Friday, November 16, 2007
Bill would ban public pier jumping on Great Lakes
State Senate approves measure that backers say would help prevent accidents and drownings.
Associated Press
PORT SANILAC -- It's a tradition spanning more than five decades to dive into Lake Huron off Port Sanilac's harbor wall.
"Back before my time they used to do it," said harbormaster David Marschall.
But a recently passed state Senate bill could prohibit making such jumps from public piers and structures along the Great Lakes and connecting waters.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/OPINION02/711160312/1085/opinion
Published November 16, 2007
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
Opsommer: Sports fans' TV woes worthy of state's attention
Budget is big issue, but Legislature has other work
As the college football season winds down my office still receives calls from people who are upset that they can't receive some local games on television anymore. This is a money issue for some, who are particularly aggravated that they already pay $50 a month for second-tier programming but can't watch a home game in East Lansing because Hawaii vs. Boise State has been selected to air on regular channels.
Others are local alumni and contributors who feel a deep connection to their school but who can't afford to purchase season tickets.
Still other folks just want to be able to watch the game from the comfort of their home at a fair and reasonable price.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/OPINION01/711160332/1007/OPINION
Friday, November 16, 2007
Editorial
Macomb deserves better choice than jail closing
The Detroit News
Government is about making choices. Both Macomb County's commissioners and Sheriff Mark Hackel owe the county's residents better options than closing two floors of the county jail and releasing prisoners.
Operating a county jail is a core county government function. It is certainly true that rising population and tougher sentencing practices, in Macomb County as elsewhere, are putting pressure on the county's jail. If it runs out of room in the jail, the county will have to release prisoners.
But running out of jail space and closing down existing jail space are two different things. Releasing prisoners from space that could have been maintained with different spending choices is a classic example of skewed spending priorities.
http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS01/711160311/1002
City's casino hopes fade in Congress
Despite support, bill is removed in House committee
By MIKE CONNELL
Times Herald
Detroit and Nevada interests teamed up Thursday to block the latest effort to win congressional approval for a Port Huron casino.
"You have a number of different factions that are all lined up against the casino," said U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, whose district includes Port Huron.
The House Natural Resources Committee had been scheduled to "mark up" - or endorse - two bills that would have paved the way for casinos in Port Huron and Romulus. At the last moment, both bills were removed from the agenda.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/NEWS06/711150458
Knol grilled, then named Farmington's mayor
By Sue Buck
STAFF WRITER
The election of Valerie Knol as the new mayor in Farmington for the next two years became somewhat tense at a 7:30 a.m. special city council meeting Wednesday.
The vote turned out to be unanimous for Knol, but not before extensive questioning from Councilman Tom Buck.
Buck pressed Knol, who was most recently mayor pro tem, to indicate her views on potential consolidation with the City of Farmington Hills.
A third party study is underway by the firm of Plante & Moran about potential shared services up to and including consolidation. The first report is due by the end of December.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/METRO/711160386/1022/POLITICS
Friday, November 16, 2007
Loosing tiebreaker candidates file for recounts
Christine Ferretti and Steve Pardo / The Detroit News
Two candidates who lost tiebreakers after they drew lots filed for recounts.
In Mount Clemens, Jack Johns filed the recount paperwork for a city commissioner job. In Grosse Pointe, Donald D. Campbell surprised his former challenger by filing for a recount Monday -- just one day after winner Donald J. Parthum Jr. was officially sworn in as the city's newest councilman.
Campbell filed the request with the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, citing a power outage at the facility that houses the city's two precincts and a history of errors with computerized tabulators.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/OPINION02/711160314/1085/opinion
Published November 16, 2007
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
Stabenow: Michigan votes to sustain CHIP veto disappoint
Opponents guilty of distorting facts about aid to kids
Since its creation in 1997, the Children's Health Insurance Program has provided quality health insurance to thousands of children of working families in Michigan. Michigan's CHIP program, called MI-Child, has given a lifeline to parents who work low wage jobs without insurance or whose employers have dropped their health coverage.
Given the downturn in our state's economy and almost daily reports of companies cutting back on health insurance, I am deeply disappointed that several members of the Michigan House delegation opposed the expansion of the CHIP program during the recent veto showdown with the President.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/UPDATE/711150498/1022/POLITICS
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Mich. presidential poll: Clinton romps; Giuliani, Romney in tight race
Mark Hornbeck and Charlie Cain / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has taken a slight lead in his horserace against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination among Michigan voters while New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has widened her already substantial lead here for the Democratic nomination.
According to a new Detroit News/WXYZ-TV statewide survey, Giuliani is favored by 28 percent of likely GOP primary voters -- slightly better than the 25 percent support for Romney, a Michigan native whose father was the state's governor in the 1960s. Both former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and Arizona Sen. John McCain continue to stagnate. Thompson is still third, now at 13 percent, followed by McCain, at 12 percent. That's not good news for either, but it's particularly troublesome for McCain, who won Michigan's 2000 presidential primary, and had hoped to establish a beach head here.
Gary DeMuellenare, a retired city appraiser from Detroit who took part in the survey, is among the Giuliani faithful.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/POLITICS/711160347/1022
Friday, November 16, 2007
DECISION 2008: POLL
Giuliani gaining in Michigan
GOP candidate jumps ahead of Romney; Clinton widens gap among Democrats.
Mark Hornbeck and Charlie Cain / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has taken a slight lead in Michigan in his horserace against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination among likely GOP voters.
Meanwhile, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has widened her already substantial lead here for the Democratic nomination.
According to a new Detroit News/WXYZ-TV statewide survey, Giuliani is favored by 28 percent of Republicans -- slightly better than the 25 percent support for Romney, a Michigan native whose father was the state's governor in the 1960s. Both former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and Arizona Sen. John McCain continue to lag behind. Thompson is still third, now at 13 percent, followed by McCain, at 12 percent.
NATIONAL STORIES
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071116/ap_po/romney_push_polling_2
NH, Iowa voters get anti-Romney calls
By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer
Thu Nov 15, 7:45 PM ET
CONCORD, N.H. - Residents in New Hampshire and Iowa have received phone calls raising questions about Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, his Mormon faith and the Vietnam War-era military deferments he received while serving as a missionary in France.
Western Wats, a Utah-based company, placed the calls that initially sound like a poll but then pose questions that cast Romney in a harsh light, according to those who received the calls. In politics, this type of phone surveying is called "push polling" — contacting potential voters and asking questions intended to plant a message in voters' minds, usually negative, rather than gauging peoples' attitudes.
A spokesman for Western Wats said he couldn't comment on the company's work. He said they do not do push polling.
November 15, 2007
Read More: Iowa
Anti-Romney, anti-Mormon calls being made in Iowa
In an apparent push poll, a research firm has called Iowa Republicans this week praising John McCain and critcizing Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith.
An individual in Manchester, Iowa, contacted me on Wednesday night saying he received a call with information about McCain's military service and anti-spending record.
Then there were "lots of negatives on Romney," said the recepient of the call in an e-mail, including mentions of his "flip-flops," hiring illegal immigrants as landscapers and extensive discussion of Mormonism.
"Statements were on baptizing the dead, the Book of Mormon being on the level of the Bible, and one about equating it to a cult," said the Iowan, deeming them "common criticisms of Mormonism."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/POLITICS/711160422/1022
Friday, November 16, 2007
Decision 2008
Clinton lashes back at Democratic rivals
She accuses opponents of distorting her record, attacking her because she is the leading candidate.
Mark Z. Barabak and Scott Martelle / Los Angeles Times
LAS VEGAS -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton stepped down from her front-runner's pedestal and swiped back at her Democratic rivals Thursday night in a feisty presidential debate that drew out differences over immigration, foreign policy and the proper tone of an increasingly harsh campaign.
The skirmishing started when Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois faintly praised Clinton as "a capable politician" who has run a "terrific campaign."
"But what the American people are looking for right now is straight answers to tough questions," Obama went on. "And that is not what we've seen out of Sen. Clinton on a host of issues."
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/NEWS/71115045/-1/caucus
Yepsen's analysis: That's why the lady is a champ
BY DAVID YEPSEN • POLITICAL COLUMNIST, THE REGISTER • November 15, 2007
Give Thursday's debate to Hillary Clinton.
After two bad weeks in the 2008 Democratic presidential campaign, she recovered her footing and pushed back sharply at her opponents in a debate Thursday night.
The event, televised by CNN, was held in Las Vegas and was seen as an important milestone in the campaign. Clinton's flawed performance in the previous debate and a series of campaign miscues in the weeks that followed indicated the national front-runner was stumbling. The evening gave her rivals a chance to trip her up some more.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SU8NRG0&show_article=1
Bill Sweats It Out for Hil in New Web Ad
Nov 15 02:09 PM US/Eastern
By JIM KUHNHENN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Get that man an Actors' Equity card. Bill Clinton is developing a side line as top performer on his wife's comic Web videos.
First was the Sopranos send up with the former president lamenting the lack of onion rings at the hometown diner. Now comes a video for young Iowa voters reassuring them that participating in the state's caucuses on behalf of Hillary Rodham Clinton on Jan. 3 is simple.
It opens with Clinton huffing on a treadmill envisioning a double cheeseburger. Can you say typecasting?
The point? "Exercising is hard," an announcer intones.
Cut to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and his wife Christy, both Clinton backers, doing the twist. Again the announcer: "Dancing is hard."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NATION/111160098/1001
Hollywood stars mum on donations to GOP
By Joseph Curl
November 16, 2007
Republican presidential candidates have been drawing support — and cash — from Hollywood celebrities, but few of the stars in super-liberal Tinseltown want to be publicly linked with the Grand Old Party.
One high-profile celebrity, when asked about her political views, even had her lawyers declare "our client's rights of privacy and other legally protectable intangible rights" and warn that she should not be labeled a Republican.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/POLITICS/711160334/1022/POLITICS
Friday, November 16, 2007
Decision 2008
Evangelicals turning from politics to faith
Religious right shifting as unease of mixing politics with faith grows in Christian community.
Stephanie Simon and Mark Z. Barabak / Los Angeles Times
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A fundamental shift is taking place within the religious right, long a force in presidential politics, as aging evangelical leaders split on the 2008 race and a new generation of pastors turns away from politics altogether.
The result, in the short term, could be a boost for the centrist candidacy of former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, whose messy personal life and support for gay and abortion rights have not produced the unified opposition from Christian conservatives that many expected.
Over the longer term, the distancing of religious leaders from politics could prove even more consequential, denying the GOP one of the essential building blocks the party has used to capture the White House in five of the past seven presidential races.
http://opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110010863
On Setting an Example
Being a "beacon to the world" is more challenging than it sounds.
Friday, November 16, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST
I thought I'd say a word for the Beaconists.
This election year we will, sooner or later, be asked to think about, and concentrate on, what American foreign policy should be in the future. We will have to consider, or reconsider, what challenges we face, what the world really is now after the Cold War and after 9/11, what is needed from America, and for her.
In some rough and perhaps tentative way we will have to decide what philosophical understanding of our national purpose rightly guides us.
Part of the debate will be shaped by the tugging back and forth of two schools of thought. There are those whose impulses are essentially interventionist--we live in the world and must take part in the world, sometimes, perhaps even often, militarily. We are the great activist nation, the spreader of political liberty, the superpower whose meaning is made clear in action.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071115/D8SUDGRO0.html
Bush Outlines Plan to Ease Travel Delays
Nov 15, 6:36 PM (ET)
By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a year of record delays, President Bush stepped forward Thursday to try to speed American air travelers to their Thanksgiving gatherings and back home on time.
Declaring that "business as usual is not good enough for American travelers," Bush announced at the White House a series of detailed technical steps to reduce air traffic congestion and long delays that have left passengers stranded and turned holiday travel into "a season of dread for too many Americans."
In the most innovative move, the Pentagon will allow commercial airliners to use two air corridors off the eastern seaboard that are normally restricted to military flights. Supplementing the dozen air routes regularly used from Florida to New England, they will create "a Thanksgiving express lane" for commercial airliners from 4 p.m. EST Wednesday through Sunday - the busiest days of Thanksgiving travel.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NATION/711160352/1022/POLITICS
Friday, November 16, 2007
Travelers doubt Bush can ease delays in flights
Opening military airspace for holidays won't help, skeptics say
Detroit News wire reports
WASHINGTON -- Despite President Bush's personal intervention, American travelers stuck in one of the air traffic system's chokepoints remained skeptical the government would be able to avert serious flight delays over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Bush announced a series of technical measures Thursday to reduce air traffic congestion and long delays that have left passengers stranded and turned holiday travel into what he called "a season of dread for too many Americans." Among the ideas: Opening two lanes of restricted military airspace off the East Coast to airlines from Wednesday through the following Sunday.
"It's probably a good idea, but are the airlines going to be able to handle it?" asked Dawn East, 52, as she waited at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport for her flight to Miami, which had been delayed for two hours. "It's not a problem of the lanes up there. It's an industry problem. There's no efficiency."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_IRAQ?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Nov 16, 6:19 AM EST
Congress to hold off on Iraq war money
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress likely will hold off on sending President Bush money for Iraq until early next year, pushing the Pentagon to the brink of an accounting nightmare and deepening Democrats' conflict with the White House on the war.
Democrats say the tough approach is needed.
"Everybody knows that the president is stuck in his place, a place where he wants a 10-year war," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
This week, the House passed, 218-203, a $50 billion bill that would pay for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan - about one-fourth of the amount Bush wants - but require that troops start coming home. The measure sets a goal of ending combat by Dec. 15, 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2212071,00.html
Decision time for US over Iran threat
UN nuclear report heightens tension
Julian Borger, diplomatic editor
Friday November 16, 2007
The Guardian
Iran has installed 3,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium - enough to begin industrial-scale production of nuclear fuel and build a warhead within a year, the UN's nuclear watchdog reported last night.
The report by Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will intensify US and European pressure for tighter sanctions and increase speculation of a potential military conflict.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071116/wl_nm/iran_nuclear_cleric_dc_3
Iran wants Western "apology" after IAEA report
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran called on its Western foes on Friday to apologize to the Islamic Republic after the release of a U.N. nuclear agency report which Tehran said showed it had been telling the truth about its atomic plans, according to state media.
The United States, which accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear bombs, said Thursday's report showed Tehran still defying the international community and that Washington would proceed with allies to draft broader United Nations sanctions against it.
But Iranian officials said the country had been vindicated in the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and that further discussion at the U.N. Security Council about the nuclear dispute would have no legal basis.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_JAPAN?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Nov 16, 3:20 AM EST
Japan's Fukuda faces tough job with Bush
By FOSTER KLUG
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Japan's new prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, and President Bush are looking for mutual assurances. While Bush has a chance of getting what he wants, Fukuda's hopes could be harder to realize.
Bush wants commitments from Fukuda that he will push for renewal of a law allowing the Japanese navy to provide fuel for warships supporting U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan. Fukuda is expected to tell Bush during their meeting Friday that he will work to restart the effort, despite strong resistance from opposition lawmakers.
Fukuda wants Bush to back away from a pledge to remove North Korea from a terrorism blacklist until the North accounts for kidnapped Japanese citizens. Removal from the list is a key North Korean demand in nuclear disarmament talks, and the Bush administration agreed in February to begin that process.
