May 31, 2007
News Roundup: TB Patient, Hariri Tribunal, Russia Missiles
Nation. The Georgia man with drug-resistant tuberculosis has been identified as Andrew Speaker, 31, a lawyer in Atlanta. CNN reports that medical and law enforcement sources -- not hospital officials -- released his name and photo.
World. Russian President Vladmir Putin today defended his country's missile tests and accused the United States of initiating a new arms race because of its plan to develop a defense shield in Europe.
Continue reading "News Roundup: TB Patient, Hariri Tribunal, Russia Missiles"
Posted at 5:11 PM
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Civil Unions OK'd In New Hampshire
Gov. John Lynch (D) signed legislation today legalizing civil unions in New Hampshire, making his state the first in the country to offer marriage rights to gay couples without a court order or the threat of one.
"I've listened and I've heard all the arguments. I do not believe that this bill threatens marriage. I believe that this is a matter of conscience and fairness," Lynch said.
The Granite State will become the fourth to perform legitimate civil unions, after Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey. In April, its newly elected Democratic state legislatuure -- the state's first in more than 100 years -- quickly passed civil union legislation, which Lynch had vowed to sign. A constitutional ban on the practice had been introduced just two years ago but was defeated.
New Hampshire's new law won't go as far as Massachusetts' ruling, however, which allows full marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Posted at 4:49 PM
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Gay Rights
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Bush Announces New Global Strategy On Climate Change
UPDATED.
The White House has announced a new long-term, international strategy for combating climate change ahead of next week's Group of Eight summit in Germany. The plan, which President Bush unveiled in a speech today, calls for global economic powers to band together and set shared targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
"By the end of next year, America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases," Bush declared in a speech on the U.S. international development agenda. "To help develop this goal," he added, "the United States will convene a series of meetings of nations that produce most greenhouse gas emissions, including nations with rapidly growing economies like India and China."
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Posted at 12:33 PM
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Bush Administration, Climate Change
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McKinney For President?
The 2008 White House race has been seemingly riddled with rumors about who might wade into the already crowded pool of candidates (and at least one of those has already proven true).
The latest wild and crazy speculation? Former Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney -- she of Capitol cop-punching fame -- is so disgruntled with the Democratic Party and its slate of contenders that she might seek the Green Party nomination.
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Posted at 12:23 PM
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WH 2008
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AMT Overhaul Schedule Slips
House Democratic plans to move legislation to scale back the alternative minimum tax have slipped to July at the earliest, as Democratic sources said tax writers need more time to agree on the details and Democratic leaders need time to bring the Caucus up to speed on the effort.
Ways and Means Committee Democrats have decided on a partial repeal that leaves the AMT in place for only the wealthiest taxpayers, and one key issue that has yet to be nailed down is where to set the income threshold.
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Posted at 10:04 AM
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Congress, Taxes
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May 30, 2007
News Roundup: Taliban Attack, DOJ Probe, Stock Rally
Afghanistan. NATO reports that one of its helicopters was shot down over southern Afghanistan, killing five U.S. soldiers, in an attack for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility. But the Pentagon said Western forces have made progress in the region, putting the Taliban "on their heels."
Iraq. White House press secretary Tony Snow said today that President Bush envisions a lengthy stay in Iraq similar to the troop presence the United States has had in South Korea for the past 50 years. The president also held a videoconference with Iraqi officials today, as the search for five kidnapped Britons in Iraq intensified.
Continue reading "News Roundup: Taliban Attack, DOJ Probe, Stock Rally"
Posted at 5:54 PM
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Cindy & Rosie: Exit Stage Left
It seems like old news by now, but let us stop and reflect upon the dual departures this week of vocal war critics Cindy Sheehan and Rosie O'Donnell.
Both women made dramatic exits from the national spotlight over the Memorial Day weekend after weathering what they felt were personal attacks based on their anti-war stances.
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Posted at 4:30 PM
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Media
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CDC Addresses TB Scare
The Center for Disease Control renewed its investigative efforts in earnest today, trying to track down any air passengers who may have been contaminated with tuberculosis bacteria by a Georgia man on two transatlantic flights in May. Yesterday, the CDC declared an isolation order -- the United States' first in over 40 years -- to prevent the spread of the drug-resistant strain.
CDC official Dr. Martin Cetron said today that the patient from Georgia will be moved to National Jewish Hospital in Denver, which specializes in respiratory infections. (He is still in isolation, Cetron said, but not in quarantine.) After he flew back from Montreal on May 24, the Georgia man was isolated in New York City and then hospitalized in Atlanta.
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Posted at 3:20 PM
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Health
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Reviving The Right-To-Die Debate
It's been two years since Congress' involvement in the Terri Schiavo case thrust the right-to-die debate into the national spotlight. Now that former euthanasia doctor Jack Kevorkian is set to be released from prison on parole, the issue is once again poised to stir controversy.
Kevorkian's release Friday after about eight years in a Michigan state prison comes just as the California legislature is mulling whether to become the second state to legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. Oregon became the first and only state to do so in 1994, when it narrowly passed the Death With Dignity Act.
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Posted at 2:38 PM
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Bush Seeks Doubled AIDS Funding
Speaking from the White House Rose Garden this afternoon, President Bush asked Congress to approve an additional $30 million for AIDS prevention, treatment and support care for millions of people around the world. If met, his request would double the current level of U.S. funding through the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, which is set to expire in 2008. Bush asked Congress to renew that program for another five years after his departure from office.
Bush also announced that first lady Laura Bush will visit Zambia, Senegal, Mali and Mozambique next month to visit areas funded by the U.S. program.
In anticipation of Bush's speech, the Washington Post reported this morning that the announcement "comes in a week when he is highlighting his administration's commitment to international development and human rights protections -- both of which will be major items for discussion next week when he joins other world leaders at a Group of Eight summit meeting in Germany."
Posted at 1:13 PM
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Africa, Bush Administration, Health
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Gauging Gas Prices: A Summer Tradition
Memorial Day weekend kicked off the unofficial start of summer, and you know what that means: backyard barbecues, lemonade stands, trips to the beach... and soaring gas prices.
Pollsters, known for obsessive number-crunching and trend-watching, are paying about as much attention to the national average price of gasoline these days (it's currently about $3.21, by the way) as they are to the president's job approval rating. NationalJournal.com's Poll Track has covered several national surveys (subscription) in the past week showing concern over personal finances rising along with fuel costs.
Now those figures are taking a toll on the ABC News/Washington Post weekly consumer comfort index, which has just fallen to a new low for the year.
Despite the pain at the pump, most polls have suggested that Americans won't do much to change their driving habits to accommodate higher prices. But the declining buying climate may be prompting consumers to rein in their spending in other areas.
See today's Poll Track (subscription) for more numbers on gas prices and the economy.
Posted at 1:09 PM
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Iran: Diplomatic Deadlock
The international dispute over Iran's nuclear program appears to have hit another impasse, as AP reports that Iran's nuclear negotiator has dismissed any suspension of the country's uranium enrichment ahead of a meeting with European Union envoy Javier Solana.
According to Iranian state television, nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said earlier today that "suspension is not the right solution for solving Iran's nuclear issue," and "past experiences have shown that suspension is not acceptable, at all." Larijani's comments reportedly came as he was about to leave for a meeting with Solana in Spain to discuss whether there is any room for negotiation on the enrichment program.
The standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions is high on the agenda for today's meeting of Group of Eight foreign ministers in Germany. In anticipation of the meeting, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday urged the United Nations not to back down from its demand that Iran halt its enrichment program.
The G-8 ministers released a statement today following Larijani's comments: "If Iran continues to ignore demands of the Security Council we will support further appropriate measures as agreed in Resolution 1747."
Continue reading "Iran: Diplomatic Deadlock"
Posted at 12:35 PM
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Iran
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The Boo Heard 'Round The World
So, the people in the Mexico City audience who gave Miss USA a hard time were really angry about... immigration reform?
News reports are claiming that when Rachel Smith was soundly booed during the interview round of this weekend's Miss Universe pageant, the crowd meant to express its anger toward the United States -- not Smith herself, who was already having a bad night after tripping in the evening gown part of the competition.
Pageant co-owner Donald Trump offered this analysis: "I don't think they are booing because of Rachel. They are booing because of the immigration policy."
Posted at 12:20 PM
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Immigration
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Fred Thompson, Making Conservatives Happy?
He's been teasing the Republican base for a while now with speeches here and appearances there, but actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is about to make it official: He's running for president.
According to the Politico, the Law & Order star's announcement will come near the Fourth of July. The New York Times "Caucus Blog" suggests that date might not be accurate, but that an announcement would likely come "sooner rather than later."
A number of Republicans haven't been shy about their distaste for the current field of candidates, and in the past several months, a couple of "draft Fred" sites have popped up on the Internet: www.fred08.com, draftfredthompson.com, etc. Some Tennessee powerhouse politicians have been high on the idea, too, including former Senate Majority Leader and one-time prospective candidate Bill Frist.
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Posted at 12:09 PM
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Campaigns, Fred Thompson, Republicans, WH 2008
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What The Zoellick Pick Means
A Washington Post story this morning sums up the conundrum facing Robert Zoellick, whom President Bush nominated today to succeed Paul Wolfowitz as head of the World Bank:
"[T]he insider credentials that make Zoellick favored in the Bush White House, where loyalty carries enormous weight, could work against him at the bank as they did with his predecessor. Many European governments were dismayed by the appointment of Wolfowitz, who was a primary architect of the Iraq war while at the Pentagon."
Will the aspects of Wolfowitz that many at the World Bank had trouble swallowing when he was appointed -- and ultimately contributed to his downfall -- apply to Zoellick as well? And is the problem limited to the individuals chosen, or it really about the United States being the one to choose in the first place?
Continue reading "What The Zoellick Pick Means"
Posted at 11:25 AM
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Paul Wolfowitz, Robert Zoellick, World Bank
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May 29, 2007
News Roundup: Zoellick To Get World Bank Nod; Chavez Threatens Second Station
World Bank. President Bush plans to nominate former U.S. trade representative Robert Zoellick as the new head of the World Bank, less than a week after former president Paul Wolfowitz resigned his post.
World. One day after thousands of Venezuelans protested when Hugo Chavez shut down a popular opposition-run TV station, the Venezuelan president is threatening to close a second station for allegedly inciting attempts on his life.
Continue reading "News Roundup: Zoellick To Get World Bank Nod; Chavez Threatens Second Station"
Posted at 6:00 PM
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May Becomes 2007's Deadliest Month For U.S. Troops
UPDATED.
The deaths of eight more soldiers in Iraq on Monday -- six in roadside bombings and two in a helicopter crash -- brings this month's death toll for U.S. troops to over 110. That's the highest recorded number for any month this year.
Reuters cites November 2004 as the conflict's deadliest month for U.S. troops, with 137 killed. The military's count [PDF] showed 3,450 casualties since the war began in March 2003.
In other Iraq news, five British citizens were kidnapped in Baghdad this morning when armed gunmen stormed a ministry building. News reports originally claimed that three Germans were abducted, but diplomatic sources now say that citizens of other nationalities weren't involved.
Continue reading "May Becomes 2007's Deadliest Month For U.S. Troops"
Posted at 5:52 PM
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Iraq, Middle East, Military
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Traveler Quarantined After TB Scare
A man afflicted with tuberculosis may have exposed fellow passengers on flights to and from the United States, and he has been quarantined by U.S. health officials in an effort to control the spread of the disease.
Reuters reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are notifying passengers from two flights -- Air France 385 from Atlanta to Paris on May 13 and Czech Air Flight 0104 from Prague to Montreal on May 24 -- about possible infections. Tuberculosis bacteria can be spread through coughing and sneezing.
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Posted at 4:51 PM
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Europe, Health
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Senate Panel Agrees To Disclose Earmarks In Defense Bill
The Senate Armed Services Committee has taken a hard line on earmarks, agreeing to fully disclose add-ons for pet projects tucked into annual defense authorization measures. Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., sponsored disclosure language during a closed-door markup of the FY08 defense authorization bill last week.
Committee and conference reports on the bill must list the name of the sponsor and the intended location of the program for any projects not requested by the Bush administration in either annual or supplemental spending requests and not listed on the military services' unfunded requirements lists, according to a copy of the language posted on the Project on Government Oversight Web site and verified by Senate aides.
NationalJournal.com has the full story for free; see CongressDaily (subscription) for more news.
Posted at 3:40 PM
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Congress, Senate
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Immigration: On The Road Again
In the dog days of the summer of 2006, Republican leaders in Congress hit the road to hold a number of field hearings on immigration reform close to the U.S.-Mexican border. Nearly a year later, lawmakers still haven't reached a "comprehensive" agreement on the issue and are once again moving the debate from Capitol Hill to the main streets of America.
The latest immigration deal is likely to be the focus of federal lawmakers' visits to their districts during this week's Memorial Day recess. And while the proposed bill has the support of President Bush and the so-called Gang of 12 Senate negotiators, it seems to have angered more than it has encouraged.
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Posted at 3:24 PM
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Immigration
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Bush Turns Up The Heat On Sudan
In an early morning address, President Bush announced three new steps his administration is taking, including economic sanctions and diplomatic efforts, to ratchet up the pressure on Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to end the violence in the Darfur region.
"For too long, the people of Darfur have suffered at the hands of a government that is complicit in the bombing, murder, and rape of innocent civilians," Bush began. "My administration has called these actions by their rightful name: genocide. The world has a responsibility to help put an end to it."
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Posted at 2:15 PM
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Sudan
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Founding CBC Member Dies At 85
Former Rep. Parren Mitchell (D), Maryland's first black congressman and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, died in Baltimore yesterday. He was 85.
Mitchell received a purple heart for his military service in World War II and was elected to Congress in 1971. He ran for lieutenant governor in the 1980s, after his eighth term as a representative ended, but he and running mate Stephen Sachs were defeated in the Democratic primary by incumbent Gov. William Donald Schaefer.
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D), who now holds Mitchell's 7th District seat, told AP that Mitchell "was a true servant leader, never concerning himself about fame or fortune but, rather, devoting himself entirely to uplifting the people he represented."
Posted at 11:41 AM
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Congress
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May 25, 2007
News Roundup: Iran, Lebanon, Ukraine, Nigeria
Iran. U.N. inspectors visited an Iranian nuclear facility today and were scheduled to visit another later in the day.
Terrorism. In a new video, a group calling itself al-Qaida's wing in the Levant threatened to attack buildings in Lebanon unless the army withdrew from an embattled Palestinian refugee camp.
Continue reading "News Roundup: Iran, Lebanon, Ukraine, Nigeria"
Posted at 12:53 PM
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May 24, 2007
House Passes War Funding Bill
The controversial $100 billion war funding bill made it through the House late this afternoon by a vote of 280 to 142. The Senate will vote on the bill tonight, and it is expected to pass; President Bush supports the measure and is expected to sign it when it arrives on his desk.
The bill does contain political benchmarks for the Iraqis, but it lacks the timeline that Democrats insisted on in earlier versions of the legislation.
A minimum-wage increase -- one of Democrats' long-standing legislative priorities -- was passed along with the bill, raising it to $7.25 an hour from its current rate of $5.15 over a period of two years. To offset the increased costs, tax breaks for small businesses were included in the bill.
Posted at 7:04 PM
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Congress, House, Iraq, Middle East
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Gonzales' No-Confidence Vote Set For June
The Senate will wait until the middle of next month to hold a no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York announced this afternoon.
Flanked by fellow Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Dianne Feinstein of California, Schumer said a vote on the non-binding measure would take place after the end of debate over the immigration bill -- which, barring any major hang-ups, should be in the middle of June.
"We would have liked the attorney general to have stepped down on his own, but the rule of law has been trampled, confidence in the Department of Justice has been shattered and leadership is virtually non-existent," Schumer said.
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Posted at 5:32 PM
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Alberto Gonzales, Bush Administration, Congress
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Corzine: Do As I Say, Not As I Do
TV viewers during election season are used to hearing, "I'm [fill in a politician's name], and I approved this message." They're not quite as used to...
"I'm Jon Corzine, and I should be dead."
That tagline is at the beginning of a new public service announcement from the governor of New Jersey, who was seriously injured in an April 12 car crash on the Garden State Parkway. Corzine wasn't wearing a seat belt at the time, which he publicly apologized for when he left the hospital after an 18-day stay to treat his broken sternum, leg, ribs and collarbone.
"It took a remarkable team of doctors and a series of miracles to save my life when all I needed was a seat belt," Corzine says in the ad.
AP has the script and video of the spot.
Posted at 4:32 PM
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Governors, Jon Corzine
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Ron vs. Rudy: The Battle Rages On
Is Ron Paul running in the wrong primary?
That was the question FOX News Channel's Chris Wallace asked the five-term Republican congressman from Texas in the May 15 GOP presidential debate in South Carolina, and the question still haunts Paul as his feud with front-runner Rudy Giuliani over foreign policy continues.
The latest chapter came this morning, when Paul teamed up with Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA's Bin Laden Unit, to "educate" Giuliani about terrorism and foreign policy. Reuters covered the event at the National Press Club, where Paul unveiled a reading list for the former mayor that included the 9/11 commission report and Scheuer's own book, "Imperial Hubris." In a press release, campaign chairman Kent Snyder added, "We have also included some Cliffs Notes in case Mr. Giuliani is too busy giving $100,000 speeches on national security."
Continue reading "Ron vs. Rudy: The Battle Rages On"
Posted at 3:43 PM
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Al-Qaida, Campaigns, Iraq, Middle East, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Terrorism, WH 2008
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It's A Boy Cheney!
The littlest member of the vice president's clan was born yesterday in Washington, D.C. At eight pounds, six ounces, Samuel David Cheney enters the world as a somewhat controversial figure -- the son of a high-profile lesbian who worked as her father's aide in 2004, advocating his re-election as the leader of a party that opposes same-sex marriage and other gay rights.
Some gay advocates have criticized Mary Cheney and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, for not stepping into the fray and trying to change the GOP from within.
Cheney's response? At a forum in New York City this January, she demurred -- "This is a baby. This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate by people on either side of an issue. It is my child" -- but then backpedaled a bit, saying research has demonstrated "no difference between children who are raised by same-sex parents and children raised by opposite-sex parents."
Continue reading "It's A Boy Cheney!"
Posted at 3:08 PM
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Bush Administration, Dick Cheney
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