Boeing subsidiary accused of aiding CIA torture flights

The American Civil Liberties Union announced yesterday that it will sue a Boeing subsidiary, alleging that the company helped the Central Intelligence Agency with "the forced disappearance, torture, and inhumane treatment" of three men the government suspected of terrorist involvement.

"This is the first time we are accusing a blue-chip American company of profiting from torture," said ACLU lawyer Ben Wizner, who spoke about the case, filed in federal court in San Jose, Calif., at a news conference in New York.

Since at least 2001, Jeppesen Dataplan Inc., of San Jose, "has provided direct and substantial services to the United States for its so-called 'extraordinary rendition' program, enabling the clandestine and forcible transportation of suspects to secret overseas detention facilities where they are placed beyond the reach of the law and subjected to torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment," the suit alleges.

A spokesman for Jeppesen said: "There isn't really anything I can say with the exception that I am aware of the suit. We have not been served. I can't talk specifics about any customers that we might have or the services we might provide for them."

"Publicly available records demonstrate that Jeppesen facilitated more than 70 secret rendition flights over a four-year period to countries where it knew or reasonably should have known that detainees are routinely tortured or otherwise abused in contravention of universally accepted legal standards," the suit states.

Jeppesen provided flight and logistical support services to aircraft and crew used in the rendition program "to unlawfully render plaintiffs to detention and interrogation in Morocco, Egypt, and Afghanistan," adds the suit brought on behalf of three men.....

New Hampshire Governor Signs Civil Unions Bill Into Law

Gay couples in New Hampshire can start applying for many of the rights and responsibilities of marriage as early as January under a law Gov. John Lynch signed Thursday establishing civil unions.

"We in New Hampshire have had a long and proud tradition taking the lead in opposing discrimination," Lynch said. "Today that tradition continues."

Couples who enter civil unions will have the same rights, responsibilities and obligations as married couples. Same-sex unions from other states also would be recognized if they were legal in the state where they were performed.

Legislators who gathered for the bill signing packed the governor's chambers and overflowed into an adjoining sitting room. They snapped photos and burst into applause as he signed it.
"I've listened and I've heard all the arguments," said Lynch, a Democrat. "I do not believe that this bill threatens marriage. I believe that this is a matter of conscience and fairness."

Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson was among those attending. Although his consecration in 2003 as the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church divided the worldwide Anglican Communion to which it belongs, Robinson and his longtime partner plan to take advantage of civil unions.....

Congress passes war spending bil

After Democratic leaders dropped withdrawal dates for U.S. troops in Iraq, Congress last week voted to spend almost $100 billion to continue the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill includes benchmarks the Iraqi government must meet before receiving additional reconstruction funds.

Supporters said the war funding provides vital resources for American soldiers in the field.

Opponents grumbled additional spending does little to change the course of the war.

But Democratic leaders said they simply did not have the votes to override President Bush’s veto of troop withdrawal dates.

The House passed the war spending bill 280-142.

Russia says new ICBM can beat any system

Russia tested new missiles Tuesday that a Kremlin official boasted could penetrate any defense system, and President Vladimir Putin warned that U.S. plans for an anti-missile shield in Europe would turn the region into a "powder keg."

First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia tested an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple independent warheads, and it also successfully conducted a "preliminary" test of a tactical cruise missile that he said could fly farther than existing, similar weapons.

"As of today, Russia has new tactical and strategic complexes that are capable of overcoming any existing or future missile defense systems," Ivanov said, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency. "So in terms of defense and security, Russians can look calmly to the country's future."

Ivanov is a former defense minister seen as a potential Kremlin favorite to succeed Putin next year. Both he and Putin have said repeatedly that Russia would continue to improve its nuclear arsenals and respond to U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic - NATO nations that were in Moscow's front yard during the Cold War as Warsaw Pact members.

Russia has bristled at the plans, dismissing U.S. assertions that the system would be aimed at blocking possible attacks by Iran and saying it would destroy the strategic balance of forces in Europe.

"We consider it harmful and dangerous to turn Europe into a powder keg and to fill it with new kinds of weapons," Putin said at a news conference with visiting Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates....

Bush Unveils Climate Change Proposal

President Bush will go to next week's Group of Eight Summit in Germany armed with a new proposal to combat global climate change. VOA's Paula Wolfson has details from the White House.

President Bush wants 15 major polluting countries to set a global goal by 2008 for reducing so-called greenhouse gases - emissions that warm the air and contribute to climate change.

"To help develop this goal, the United States would convene a series of meetings of nations that produce most greenhouse gas emissions, including nations with rapidly growing economies like India and China," he said.

Mr. Bush says countries will then set their own mid-term targets. He says each nation will come up with an individual plan of action based on its own unique mix of resources and energy needs.

In a speech to a coalition of groups concerned with international development, the president said the U.S. wants to work with others. He emphasized America's willingness to share its technological know how....

Justice Dept. probes its hirings

Investigating for bias toward conservatives

The Justice Department has launched an internal investigation into whether Bush administration officials violated civil service rules by favoring conservative Republicans when hiring lawyers in the Civil Rights Division, the department disclosed yesterday in a letter to Congress.

The probe will also examine whether the administration illegally used a political litmus test when vetting candidates for non-partisan positions elsewhere in the Justice Department, according to the heads of the department's offices of inspector general and professional responsibility.

The disclosure that the two watchdogs are focusing on the Civil Rights Division marks an expansion to a new arena of the Justice Department of an ongoing investigation into whether politics played a role in the firing of nine US attorneys in 2006. The probe has widened to encompass allegations that the administration has used its control of the Justice Department to gain a partisan edge.

"This is to notify you that we have expanded the scope of our investigation to include allegations regarding improper political and other considerations in hiring decisions within the Department of Justice," wrote Inspector General Glenn Fine and Office of Professional Responsibility chief Marshall Jarrett , who are conducting a joint inquiry....

Thompson set to run, in jolt to GOP field

Republican Fred D. Thompson, the former Tennessee senator and star of NBC's "Law & Order," will jump into the 2008 presidential race and start raising money next week, supporters and advisers said yesterday, delivering a jolt to a GOP field that some party activists and analysts believe lacks a viable conservative candidate.

Thompson, who served eight years in the Senate until 2002, plans to establish a presidential exploratory committee in the next several days, allowing him to begin collecting campaign contributions. He will make an initial fund-raising push Monday, when a select group of supporters called "First Day Founders" will attempt to raise at least $46,000 each on that day alone.

Given his comparatively late entrance, Thompson will have to work intensively to build a fund-raising base and political organization. The current leading candidates -- Mitt Romney, Senator John McCain of Arizona, and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuli ani -- have each raised millions of dollars; signed on scores of advisers, fund-raisers, and volunteers; and built formidable ground operations in key early primary states.

Still, Thompson, 64, is hardly starting from scratch. His acting career, as well as media speculation in the last several months over whether he would run, instantly make him one of the better-known candidates. Indeed, he already registers high -- above Romney, in some cases -- in surveys of likely Republican primary voters....

Romney's stock rises in 2008 Republican race

With his Hollywood good looks, huge personal fortune and gold-plated resume, Republican Mitt Romney fits the role of a leading presidential contender.

And for the first time, the former governor of Massachusetts is showing some concrete progress in the 2008 race for the White House.

A surprising $21 million first-quarter fundraising haul led all Republican candidates and bankrolled an early advertising blitz, and Romney has surged to a lead in polls in the crucial early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

Romney, who would be the first Mormon to win the White House, still faces doubts about his religion and questions about the sincerity of recent policy switches to oppose abortion rights and gay rights.

In national polls, he trails well behind his top rivals, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain. And he faces a fresh challenge from the race's newest entrant, conservative former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, who runs slightly ahead of him in some polls.

"Welcome Fred, come on in, the water is fine," Romney said of his new rival in an interview during a two-day campaign swing in Iowa, which kicks off the nominating contests.

Romney said he was not worried Thompson would steal his support among the religious and social conservatives he was targeting and who play an influential role in the Republican race.

"We're all going for the same constituency -- we're all going for Republicans," he said....

The Immigration Debate

Long before the immigration deal was announced on Thursday, candidates in the 2008 presidential field and indeed, the down-ballot field, had faced a lot of questions inside and outside the border states over the nation’s policies.

Particularly for some of the Republican contenders seeking the G.O.P. presidential nomination, the issue has confronted them in places like Iowa as well as in California and Texas. But Democrats, too, have been challenged on the campaign trail, especially in swing districts and states where immigration has practically become a new third-rail in politics.

President Bush has repeatedly pushed for a plan that would straddle his desire to bring immigrants into the fold legally as well as assuage the Republicans’ concerns for tough border security. In praising the new proposal, he said it included neither amnesty nor animosity. “Immigration is a tough issue for a lot of Americans,” he acknowledged.News coverage outlines the proposals here, in The Times, in the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times, to name just a few publications. (We, like others, are still waiting on links to the actual bill.)

It’s been a tough issue in Congress, where Democrats in the House asserted that they’ll need 50 to 60 Republicans to get on board and where some of the senators who worked on the compromise were noticeably absent from the public announcement. (The Senate may take it up as early as Monday, but the House may not act before mid-to-late summer.) Among some Democrats, objections already raised were the moves toward a point-based system that shifts a bit from the family-based connection to citizenship, and others, including some labor groups like the AFL-CIO, worried that the plan would drive down wages and create two classes of workers....

Mayor Kilpatrick Cancels Hawaii Trip

Amid an investigation by WXYZ of money spent by a non-profit group on his family vacation, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has cancelled a trip he was planning to a pension board meeting in Hawaii.
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DETROIT (AP) - Concerned that he'll be further dogged by television news crews, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on Thursday canceled plans to attend a pension conference in Hawaii.

"The administration has been made aware of several local television stations who have sent reporters and camera crews to Hawaii to follow the mayor and the pension board representatives," Kilpatrick spokesman Matt Allen said in a statement. "Any distraction created by his attendance with our local media would be unfair to those present."

Allen said Kilpatrick will send a representative in his place.

Kilpatrick earlier said he would pay his own airfare, meals and other costs associated with the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems, scheduled for May 20-24 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. But that was before local media reported earlier this month that Kilpatrick and his family stayed at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., last summer. The $8,500 cost of that seven-day trip was paid by the Kilpatrick Civic Fund which, according to board members, pays for voter education and other civic activities.

Trustees of the non-tax-deductible organization said the Civic Fund picked up the bill because it asked Kilpatrick to aid with fundraising for the organization in California.

Taxpayer-backed pension funds will pick up the tabs of most officials attending the pension conference.....

Detroit mayor calls off trip to Hawaii conference

Already under fire for vacations, Kilpatrick says he didn't want reporters trailing him at conference.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, whose exotic travel repeatedly has come under scrutiny, canceled a trip to Hawaii to attend a conference on public employee retirement systems.
The reason: He's concerned he might be harassed by reporters.

"The administration has been made aware of several local television stations who have sent reporters and camera crews to Hawaii to follow the mayor and the pension board representatives," Matt Allen, the mayor's spokesman, said in a written statement released Thursday. "Any distraction created by his attendance with our local media would be unfair to those present."

The National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems is sponsoring the conference at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa....

Kilpatrick outfoxes media, cancels Hawaii trip

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, whose exotic travel repeatedly has come under scrutiny, canceled a planned trip to attend a conference in Hawaii on public employee retirement systems.
The reason: He's concerned that he might be harassed by reporters.

"The administration has been made aware of several local television stations who have sent reporters and camera crews to Hawaii to follow the mayor and the pension board representatives," Matt Allen, the mayor's spokesman, said in a written statement released Thursday. "Any distraction created by his attendance with our local media would be unfair to those present."

The National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems, a nonprofit, public-pension advocacy group in Washington, D.C., is sponsoring the conference at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa.

City councilwoman Monica Conyers, who missed Wednesday's council meeting, is scheduled to attend. So is Councilwoman Alberta Tinsley-Talabi, council's representative to the city's Police and Fireman Retirement System....

Detroit's kids deserve better school options

While many people are right that Detroit kids need better school options but charter schools are not the option as this article taken from the Detroit News tries to advocate. Below you will find tidbits from the article but I want to put out that if people care so much about the education of Detroit kids than what about they invest their time and money into Detroit Public Schools and try to help with the current problems in the Detroit Public School system. Why does education have to cost. I believe that a public education can be just as good as a private education but first more people with money need to invest their time and money in the public education system. So I do believe that Detroit kids deserve better school options but charter schools are not the solution if we don't first invest in the public education that we currently have.

This week Detroit has been buzzing about Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's announcement that he is seeking to open 25 charter schools to enhance the city's educational offerings. For all the talk, however, little conversation has focused on where it belongs: Detroit's children.

University Preparatory Academy, a Detroit school run by former Michigan Commerce Department Director Doug Ross, provides an example of what a successful charter can do. It has a low dropout rate, and most of its graduating students have been accepted for post-secondary training. It has done this with students whose families have all of the problems faced by students in the city's regular public schools.

Across Detroit, hundreds of parents anxiously sit on charter school waiting lists, hoping their child will be chosen in random lotteries. In the next three years, at least 10,000 Detroiters are projected to leave the city. Many will do so because of the lack of high quality school options....

Mayor Throws Microphone Raw Video

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick throws Ray Sayah's microphone down a hallway. It's the video that has everyone talking. Now you can see the raw footage.

The Investigators had two cameras at the event where they tried to question the mayor. One was with Ray Sayah. Steve Wilson had the other.

Mayor Kilpatrick Throws Microphone

The Action News investigation of money spent by a tax-exempt, non-profit group for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's lavish family vacation has taken an ugly turn. When confronted by Ray Sayah, the mayor threw his microphone down a hallway -- while a camera was rolling.

Clearly this is the mayor of my beloved city acting in a matter unlike a politician. He's young and his actions could affect future young people who seek public office. However you be the judge and check it out.

Senate rejects plan to halt war funds

The Senate on Wednesday soundly rejected a proposal to cut off Iraq war funding by April even as four Democratic presidential hopefuls endorsed it.
Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold offered the proposal to set an end date for combat operations in Iraq but was defeated 67-29 on a procedural vote.
"Clearly, the country is way ahead, I think, of where Washington is on these issues," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. "My hope is we'll have another opportunity here shortly to make clear where many of us stand on this issue."

Recent national polls have found that about two-thirds of American voters oppose the Iraq war. Dodd, who is running for president, is a co-sponsor of the bill.

"The idea that there's a military solution in Iraq has been rejected from the very beginning of this conflict by the military leaders of our country. And the idea somehow that this is a win-or-lose proposition in the middle of a civil war makes no sense to me whatsoever," Dodd said. "And so I believe a true change in direction is necessary, and I believe (this proposal) offers the best opportunity for that."

On Tuesday, Dodd began airing a television advertisement that chided three other Senate Democrats who are seeking the presidency to back the Feingold bill.

Although the three Democrats did not co-sponsor the bill, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden voted in favor Wednesday.

Clinton, who previously opposed setting a deadline on the war, said she agreed to back the measure "because we, as a united party, must work together with clarity of purpose and mission to begin bringing our troops home and end this war."

Obama said he would prefer a plan that offers more flexibility but wanted "to send a strong statement to the Iraqi government, the president and my Republican colleagues that it's long past time to change course."

Sen. Joe Lieberman voted against the proposal.

In an address Wednesday to a leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Lieberman reiterated his belief in the Iraq war.

"If we stand united through the months ahead, if we stand firm against the terrorists who want to drive us to retreat, the war in Iraq can be won and the lives of millions of people can be saved," he said. Lieberman said that those who believe the threat of Islamist extremism is overstated, or that the war in Iraq is lost or not worth fighting to win are "disastrously wrong."

"The withdrawal they demand would be a moral and security catastrophe for the United States, for Iraq, and for the entire Middle East, including Israel and our moderate Arab allies," Lieberman said.....

Divide emerges among GOP hopefuls

The issues arose in response to a hypothetical question about how each candidate would respond to the capture of terror suspects who may have knowledge of a coming attack on U.S. soil.

A major divide has emerged among the leading Republican candidates for president over a central question of the 2008 campaign: Whether to follow the Bush administration's lead in pushing for aggressive treatment of detainees in fighting terrorism.

Tuesday's GOP debate showcased those differences, with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., calling for limits on interrogation techniques, while former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney aligned themselves more closely with Bush's aggressive approach.

Giuliani said interrogators should use "any method they can think of" and did not reject a moderator's suggestion that his answer encompassed the controversial practice of "water-boarding," while Romney proposed doubling the size of the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where terror suspects are held.

The issues arose in response to a hypothetical question about how each candidate would respond to the capture of terror suspects who may have knowledge of a coming attack on U.S. soil. But the exchange took place against a real-life backdrop --with al-Qaida currently suspected of holding three U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

The fissures introduced a new twist to a GOP contest that has so far focused largely on minor differences over waging the war in Iraq and questions about whether an abortion rights supporter such as Giuliani could win the party's nomination.

"It's tough for these candidates, because you don't want to be rhetorically in favor of torture, which will turn a lot of people away in this country, Democrats and Republicans," said Robert Ellsworth, a deputy Defense secretary under President Ford and a foreign policy adviser to 1996 GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole. "But you've got to be rhetorically in favor of wanting to do everything possible to thwart the coming disaster.

"The stakes seemed to be highest for McCain, once the clear front-runner, who has struggled ever since he positioned himself as the staunchest defender of President Bush's unpopular decision to ramp up troop levels in Iraq.

Clinton, Obama to Back Vote to Cut Off Funding for Troops in Iraq

Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) announced yesterday that they will support a symbolic vote to cut off funding for combat troops in Iraq within a year, an important shift for both Democratic presidential candidates as the war debate on Capitol Hill intensifies.

The funding vote is expected in the Senate today, as one of four test votes on Iraq that Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) had scheduled in advance of final talks with the House and the Bush administration over a $124 billion war-spending bill.

In the House last week, 169 Democrats and two Republicans voted to withdraw troops from Iraq within nine months -- a surprisingly large number that underscores the growing determination among Democrats to legislate an end to the war.

For Clinton, the shift reflects the particular pressure on Democratic presidential candidates. She voted to authorize the war in 2002, and has resisted calls to specify a U.S. withdrawal date. But she has grown increasingly critical of the war and, two weeks ago, called for revoking President Bush's authority to continue the conflict past October without a new vote from Congress.

None of today's four Senate votes is officially part of the war-spending debate. Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) agreed to attach the measures to an unrelated water-resources bill, in an effort to allow lawmakers to express their views on Iraq while clearing a path for final spending negotiations to begin later this week.

The first Democratic amendment would set March 31, 2008, as a deadline to end funding. The second would establish that date as a withdrawal goal, with a waiver provision that Bush could invoke under certain circumstances......

GOP Hopefuls Debate Abortion, Tax Cuts

GOP Contenders Defend Conservative Views on Abortion, Gun Control and Tax Cuts in Debate

Under pressure from their rivals, the leading Republican presidential contenders defended their conservative credentials on abortion, gun control and tax cuts in a feisty debate Tuesday night.

"Republicans should be uniting" to defeat the Democrats, implored former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, rather than stressing their differences with one another.

Giuliani, pressed repeatedly on his support for abortion rights, wasn't the only contender to field pointed questions.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney conceded he had signed legislation banning assault weapons but said, "Let's get the record straight." He said he is a supporter of the rights of gun owners under the Second Amendment.

Arizona Sen. John McCain of Arizona said he would make sure that President Bush's tax cuts are made permanent, even though he said he had voted against because they were not accompanied by spending cuts.....

He was a uniter and a divider

He was the founding father of the religious right.

When Jerry Falwell created the Moral Majority a quarter-century ago, many Christian fundamentalists eschewed the world of politics. But the Southern Baptist minister from Lynchburg, Va., launched a political movement that would help elect two presidents and sharpen America's cultural divide.

Falwell, who had a history of heart trouble, was found without a pulse in his office at Liberty University at midday Tuesday and pronounced dead at Lynchburg General Hospital an hour later. His doctor, Carl Moore, said he presumably died of a heart rhythm abnormality. He was 73.....

America needs a fresh dose of optimism to get herself going

By HAROLD FORD JR.and AL FROM

Tennessee Voices

After six years of stagnant incomes, increasing inequality, rising debt and declining confidence, many Americans are rightly anxious about their economic futures.

But the last thing they need is an old populism that plays to their fear, anger and pessimism, and, in the end, will only make matters worse. Yet, there are unmistakable signs of a growing "populist" revolt against globalization, especially immigration and trade.

Right-wing populists claim immigrants are stealing Americans' jobs. Left-wing populists say trade is shipping our jobs overseas. Both look backwards toward an allegedly better past and argue that, by sealing our borders and retreating from global markets, government can recover it.

Our country's problem isn't immigration or trade, It's uneven prosperity. Searching for scapegoats and stoking feelings of victimization is the wrong answer.

What's needed is a new approach based on new economic realities that appeals to the inherent optimism, not the worst fears, of hardworking Americans and prepares them to compete in an economy that will only become more global.

We will discuss that new approach, which we call a new optimism, at the Democratic Leadership Council's National Conversation July 28-30 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

Here are four ideas for beginning that discussion.

First, we need a renewed commitment to fiscal discipline, reforming the federal tax code to reward work, innovators and long-term investing and expanding international trade while vigorously enforcing trade laws to punish rule breakers.

Second, we need to rectify long-standing social injustices and ensure that no U.S. worker is left behind in today's competition for the world's best jobs.

For example, we've got to close America's education achievement gap. It's not only an economic imperative; it's the paramount civil rights issue of our times. Only half of black and Latino youths even finish high school. They routinely score well below whites on standardized math and reading tests. We need to make sure that urban kids have public schools every bit as good as those in the suburbs.

That will require attracting better teachers and paying them well, according to how well they perform, not how long they've been on the job. It will also require replacing dysfunctional urban education systems with new public schools that are smaller, more autonomous and flexible and better customized to the diverse needs of students.

If we want every American child to have the tools to succeed in the global economy, every public school system must meet high standards, lengthen both the school day and school year and ensure effective teachers are in every classroom.

Third, college must be more accessible and affordable for all Americans. The United States used to rank first in the world in the percentage of population with a post-secondary degree. Now we have fallen to seventh.

To reverse this troubling trend, we need to raise college admission standards, tie national service to college tuition and expand student aid, making tuition nearly free at a typical four-year public college, while holding colleges responsible for improving graduation rates for all students, including low-income and minority kids.

Fourth, we must guarantee all Americans affordable health insurance and reduce the cost of health care to individuals and businesses. The United States spends more than $2 trillion annually on health care -- twice as much as any other nation in the world. The problem isn't money. We need to root out inefficiencies and stamp out the greed in our health system. That means, among other things, marrying new and proven cost-saving technologies into the health-care delivery system, encouraging the discovery of cures to old diseases and extending coverage to the millions with no insurance.

There are plenty of other things we should do as well -- including offering portable pensions for all workers.

The key, though, is not just enacting a new array of government programs. It is rewriting the social contract to address the anxieties of hardworking Americans. And, it is rejecting calls from both sides of the political aisle for an old populism that plays to Americans' fears and adopting, instead, a new optimism that speaks to their aspirations, hopes and innate belief that the future can be better than the past. After all, that is the American experience.

A seat at Romney's table

AFTER THE Democrats won back Congress and the socially liberal Rudy Giuliani and the Jerry Falwell-bashing John McCain emerged as the Republican presidential front-runners, many political observers theorized that the Christian Right's power was on the wane. Last week's Republican presidential debate suggested otherwise.

Indeed, with the candidates more or less agreeing on such major foreign policy issues as the Iraq war and preventing a nuclear Iran, each distinguished himself mostly by how close or how far he stood from the Christian Right.

But history shows that Republican presidential candidates who fall on either end of the continuum, who either embody the Christian Right (Pat Robertson in 1988) or who reject it (Texas Senator Phil Gramm in 1996) lose the nomination. The two most electorally successful Republican presidential candidates of the last 30 years -- Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush -- took a different path, embracing the movement even though they were outsiders to it. If the next Republican to occupy the White House must follow that same strategy, Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, may be in much better shape than polls suggest.

Like Romney, neither Reagan nor Bush could claim to be a true Christian Right candidate. On paper, Reagan was anathema to the movement; he was a Hollywood divorcé who seldom attended church and who, as California governor, had signed relatively liberal abortion laws.
Bush's family-man credentials and evangelical faith made him a more natural fit for the Christian Right. Still, the movement was skeptical of the moderate reputation Bush honed as governor of Texas....

Why '08 Will Belong To The Democrats

National Review Online: Lackluster Candidates And Party Disunity Spell Doom For GOP

I hadn't planned on writing another column about Hillary Clinton, but the one I wrote last week has been so widely misunderstood that I feel compelled to do so. To recap, I said that no Republican can win the presidency next year. If one accepts this premise, then if follows that it is in the interest of conservatives to support the most conservative Democrat running for that party's nomination.

I went on to say why I think Hillary Clinton may be the most conservative Democrat. To begin with, it is obviously not impossible for a Republican to win next year. But clearly 2008 is shaping up as a Democratic year. It will take a monumental Democratic screw-up to lose. I can think of only one instance in American history where a party had the kind of advantage the Democrats have and still lost. That was 1948, when Republican Thomas E. Dewey blew an election that should have been in the bag and lost to Democrat Harry Truman.

While conceding the possibility that I am wrong, I think it is foolish to ignore the strong Democratic trend that is indisputable. Republicans should remember that they just barely won the White House in 2000 and 2004 against very poor Democratic candidates and with the party strongly united behind George W. Bush. I just don't see that happening again next year. The Republicans are not going to be as united, and it is almost a certainty that the Democrats will run a better campaign in 2008.

I think all three of the Democrats within striking distance of the nomination will be better candidates than Al Gore or John Kerry. And because of the close losses in 2000 and 2004, the Democrats will really pull together this time......

Clinton stronger, Giuliani still strong

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is "solidifying'' her lead over Sen. Barack Obama and others in the Democratic contest for the 2008 presidential nomination, a new Gallup Poll conducted for USA Today shows, and Rudy Giuliani holds a lead in the GOP.

In the first survey conducted since candidates in both parties – eight declared Democrats and ten declared Republicans – staged their first televised debate, pollsters have found little change in the standings – except for a "slightly better showing for Clinton.''
Read more about the poll here, and see the Gallup report:

The May 4-6 poll found 38 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents saying they are most likely to support Clinton for the party's nomination. Barack Obama is a "clear second'' at 23 percent, followed by Al Gore (with 14 percent) and John Edwards (with 12 percent.)

Clinton has regained a double-digit advantage after an earlier survey found a smaller – 31 to 26 percent – edge over Obama.

And if the name of Gore – the former vice president who ran for president in 2000 but says he isn't running this time around – is removed from the equation, Clinton gains more support: With a 45 – 27 percent margin over Obama.

The newest survey found little change in Republican preferences. Giuliani has held a significant lead over Sen. John McCain in each poll since February. In the May survey, 34 percent of Republicans and independent-leaning Republicans name Giuliani as their top choice for the party's nomination, while 20 percent say McCain.

Fred Thompson -- the actor and former Tennessee senator who is considering a candidacy – drew the support of 13 percent of those Republicans surveyed. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, also eyeing a candidacy, drew 8 percent, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney 7 percent.

The survey of 1,010 adults conducted May 4-6 carries a possible overall margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. Among the 491 Democrats and Democratic leaners surveyed, the possible error is 5 percentage points. Among the 427 Republicans and Republican leaners surveyed, it's also 5 percentage points.

A "Pro-American" French President?

Headlines and official statements from the U.S. hailed Sunday's election of the "pro-American" Nicolas Sarkozy as France's new President, painting him as healer-elect of the trans-Atlantic friendship damaged by the Iraq war. Even the French themselves have begun to see him as a harbinger of a closer relationship with the U.S. But while the new President's foreign policy will feature some differences from that of his predecessor — even some surprises — analysts have poured cold water on the idea that in foreign policy, Sarkozy will be the "anti-Chirac."

"Sarkozy is a committed European and an admirer of America, but in the end he's going to do what's best for France's national interests — and his own political fortunes," notes Dominique Reynié, a commentator and political science professor at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques in Paris. "Sarkozy has yet to articulate a unified foreign policy view, and for a while will probably be making decisions pragmatically, based on the issues and interests at hand. That's going to involve some surprises — including some that may not entirely please the U.S."

For now, however, Sarkozy is keen to start diplomatic relations with Washington on a clean slate, as his Sunday night victory speech noted. In it, Sarkozy surprised observers who had expected a focus on domestic matters by dedicating nearly half his discourse to international topics — beginning with Franco-American ties. "I want to make an appeal to our American friends to tell them that they can count on our friendship, which has been reinforced by the tragedies of history that we've faced together," Sarkozy said to cheers of approval from his supporters. "I want to tell them that France will always be at their side when they need her." In doing so, Sarkozy's message was obvious: France wants to restore positive, mutually beneficial relationships with an America it respects and admires — and it would like those feelings reciprocated.

But Sarkozy then emphasized that repairing the relationship also depends on Washington. As Reynié notes, it was largely the Bush Administration that injected fury into the debate over Iraq, and tried to paint the general European and global opposition to the U.S. push for war as a betrayal inspired by Chirac and France. With that in mind, Sarkozy reminded America that "friendship also means accepting friends can think differently." He then offered an example of that by mildly scolding that "a great nation like the United States must not be an obstacle to the fight against global warming, but rather should take the lead in this fight." "France will make that struggle its first battle," Sarkozy pledged.....

U.S. Senate rejects looser drug importing

The U.S. Senate has voted narrowly to maintain current restrictions on imported, cheaper prescription drugs.

By a 49-40 vote, the chamber Monday shot down a bipartisan bill sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, that would have allowed the importation of drugs from Europe and countries such as Canada, Japan, Australia a found to have regulatory requirements comparable to those in the United States, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
However, President George Bush had warned he would veto any measure that loosened drug importation rules that "result in unsafe, unapproved and counterfeit drugs being imported into the United States."

There was division among Democrats, Republicans and even the two independents, the Times said, noting 15 Democrats voted for the measure and 28 opposed it. Among Republicans, 33 supported it, while 11 voted against it.

McCain and Obama Lead in E-Race

If the 2008 presidential election were judged by activity in the blogosphere, the race would currently be a dead heat between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, according to Blogpulse.com, one of several sites that measure online buzz.

McCain easily walks off with the Republican E-nomination in a buzz battle with rival GOP candidates Rudy Giuliani and Gov. Mitt Romney, who are generally considered to be the top three declared candidates in the field. (See chart)

The race on the Democratic side is closer, with Obama generally polling just a little higher than either Sen. Hillary Clinton or former Sen. John Edwards. (See chart)

But when it comes down to the general election, it's anyone's take. McCain and Obama trade off in prominence, depending on who's making more headlines that day. (Matchup)

But Republicans beware: Former Sen. Fred Thompson is catching up.

--Chris Wilson

I'm Back

It's been a while since I last wrote on here but there has been a lot going on in the political arena. I hope everyone has been keeping up but I especially want to take the time out and say that I believe Fred Thompson, former Tennessee Senator should get in the Republican Presidential race. Clearly he has a backing and it would be nice to see a third legitimate candidate. Also I must admit that I surely thought that Congress would have enough backing to overturn any President Bush veto. However this is not an election year, therefore, I must say that the closet thing to a defeat for President Bush would be his appointed Attorney General not making until August.

Now, honestly I must say that Attorney Gonzalez looks better than he looked a month ago and as time passes, I believe he will remain in the same position, doing absolutely nothing. So I hope everyone has been staying tuned because I'm back and this summer should be filled with fireworks as Presidential Hopefuls continue to maneuver and jockey for position atop the leader board to be the next President of the United States of America or at least their next party candidate for the position.

A Closer Look at McCain's VMI Speech

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) yesterday lambasted congressional Democrats for letting political calculations guide their views on the Iraq war, remarks that came in the first of three major policy addresses aimed at reinvigorating McCain's campaign for president. (Watch a video here.)

The Fix was watching closely. And after an initial viewing and several trips through the transcript of McCain's remarks at the Virginia Military Institute, here's our recap of McCain's overt policy and political messages, and a look at the subtler signals he is trying to send to both conservative Republican primary voters and general election voters looking for a strong leader willing to rise above politics.....

Senate approves stem cell bill

Congress still short of votes needed to override a veto

The Democrat-led Senate's passage Wednesday of legislation seeking to allow federal funding for cutting-edge embryonic stem cell research sets up another fight with President Bush, who has vowed to veto the bill just as he did in July.

Proponents of the legislation say it is necessary even though a growing number of states led by California are undertaking state-funded research to make up for the federal government's Bush-ordered absence from almost all embryonic stem cell research. They said another presidential veto won't end their effort, although they remain shy of the votes in the Senate and House needed to override the veto.

"If we can't override the veto, we'll be back and back and back until we do,'' said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a longtime backer of embryonic stem cell research who was a sponsor of the Senate bill approved 63-34 on Wednesday.

Embryonic stem cell research has emerged as a potent political issue, and it could be again in the presidential and congressional elections of 2008, given Bush's opposition to almost all federal funding. Proponents say the research holds promise for producing cures or treatments for spinal cord injuries and such diseases as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.....

US troops stretched to new 15-month limit

US TROOPS will serve longer tours of duty

15 months - in Iraq and Afghanistan as America struggles to cope with a military stretched to breaking point.

US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates yesterday announced the tour extension - up from a year - to bolster troop numbers on the battlefield, describing it as "a difficult but necessary interim step".

He conceded the US military was stretched fighting two conflicts simultaneously.

Mr Gates said troops would continue to have 12 months at home between deployments.

The move affects all active duty US Army units under the US Central Command - which is responsible for operations stretching from East Africa across the Middle East and into Central Asia.

Mr Gates said the extended deployments would enable the Pentagon to maintain the current level of troops in Iraq for another year and support President George W. Bush's troops "surge" strategy.....

Gonzales carries on as attorney general

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales vowed Friday to remain on the job, digging in even as lawmakers questioned whether he could effectively run the Justice Department with no letup in the controversy over the firings of prosecutors.

"I believe in truth and accountability, and every step that I‘ve taken is consistent with that principle," Gonzales said when questioned at a Boston event about preventing child sex abuse. "At the end of the day, I know what I did. And I know that the motivations for the decisions that I made were not based upon improper reasons."

Gonzales‘ credibility took a fresh hit this week with the Senate testimony of his former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, who said the attorney general was regularly briefed about plans to fire the prosecutors and was involved with discussions about "this process of asking certain U.S. attorneys to resign."

"The quicker th, , ), R-Ga., adding that he would wait until hearing from Gonzales to decide whether the attorney general should resign. Gonzales is to testify on Capitol Hill on April 17, more than two weeks from now.

One senior Justice aide who helped plan the firings, Michael Elston, spent almost seven hours in a closed-door session Friday explaining his role to House and Senate investigators.

President Bush "has confidence that the attorney general can overcome these challenges," spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "And I think that you can have full confidence in somebody and believe that they still have work to do, and believe that they‘re going to get that work done."....

Republican New Hamsphire Poll

As of right now, it seems that it is almost nearly a dead heat in New Hamsphire for the Republican primary. Check out the poll and look for yourself. However Romney is close behind the two front runners.

New Hamsphire Poll

A recent New Hamsphire poll shows that Clinton and Obama have some ground to climb as Edwards gets favorable phrase.

Obama, On Letterman, Says No To No. 2

Sen. Barack Obama told David Letterman he isn't interested in running for vice president.
The Democratic presidential hopeful made his comments on Letterman's show on CBS.

Letterman asked Obama if there had been any discussion of the Illinois senator sharing the Democratic ticket with New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"No, you don't run for second," Obama said. "I don't believe in that."

Obama also told Letterman that his family is holding up well on the campaign trail.

"I take my kids occasionally," the candidate said. "Malia, who's 8, Sasha, who's 5 -- we take them on the campaign trail and they see these big crowds. I ask them sometimes, 'How's it going?' and the last time I did that, my 8-year old turned to me and said, 'This is terrific, Daddy, but what are we doing here again?'....

Obama not in 2008 race for second place

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday dismissed the notion he might consider accepting the No. 2 spot on the 2008 ballot -- with Hillary Rodham Clinton at the top.

"You don't run for second. I don't believe in that," the Illinois Senator said on the talk show "Late Night with David Letterman."

"That would be a powerful ticket," Letterman prodded.

"Which order are we talking?" Obama replied, drawing laughter and applause from the studio audience.

"Let's say you're the presidential candidate and Hillary is the vice presidential candidate. Now if she were sitting here, it would be different from that," Letterman joked.

Obama, a fresh face on the national stage who has served just two years in the U.S. Senate, said last week he had raised $25 million this year, almost matching Clinton and solidifying his bid for the Democratic nomination to seek the presidency in November 2008.

Obama fell only $1 million short of the higher-profile New York senator, despite the huge fund-raising network she developed through her Senate campaigns and the White House races of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.....

It's Obama Time!

TMZ cameras caught Senator Barack Obama heading into the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan to tape his appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman." He's on the show tonight with Halle Berry and Masters golf champ Zach Johnson. Not too many people can bump Halle to second billing!.....

Poll: Race, Gender Not a Factor in Presidential Election

The 2008 presidential race represents one of the most wide-open and culturally diverse list of candidates in history. A new poll from the University of Iowa asked likely democratic caucus-goers if that diversity will affect their vote.

Ninety-percent of respondents said that the candidate's race will not affect their vote. Ninety-two-percent said that the candidate's gender won't affect their vote. African-American Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton are consistently near the top of democratic polls....

New Yorkers Back Hometown Candidates

With more than a year to go before Election Day 2008, an exclusive NY1 poll shows the local candidates running for president already have a hometown advantage.

Statewide, Senator Hillary Clinton leads rival Illinois Senator Barack Obama with nearly half of Democrats surveyed pulling for her – 49 to 17 percent.

In a Republican primary, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani beats Senator John McCain by more than 40 points – 56 to 15 percent.

But when city voters have to decide between Clinton and Giuliani, the former first lady gets a whopping 70 percent of the vote. The former mayor gets nearly a quarter of the vote, with six percent undecided.

Among voters surveyed statewide, Clinton gets 53 percent to Giuliani's 39.

"Part of it is Clinton is very well liked statewide and Giuliani is not well-liked in New York City, and voters are overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton in any general election contest,” says NY1 pollster Mickey Blum.

Both Clinton and Giuliani should benefit from a law signed by Governor Eliot Spitzer yesterday to move New York's primary to February 5th. About a dozen other states have already moved their primaries or caucuses to the same day or plan to do so.

Critics say holding so many primaries on the same day limits voter choice and puts candidates at a disadvantage if they aren't as well-funded.

Following are the poll results along with comments by NY1 pollster Mickey Blum......

Florida Lets Most Felons Regain Voting Rights

Gov. Charlie Crist persuaded Florida’s clemency board today to let most felons easily regain their voting rights after prison, saying it was time to “leave the offensive ranks” of states that uniformly deny ex-offenders such rights.

The change is a major step for Florida, which bans more people from the polls than any other state, but it is not as drastic as Mr. Crist had hoped. Two of his fellow Republicans on the clemency board rejected his original plan to grant speedy restoration to everyone except murderers and sex criminals.

Florida has as many as 950,000 disenfranchised ex-offenders, far more than any other state, of whom the vast majority are black. Other states have repealed or scaled back similar bans in recent years, but roughly five million former felons remain barred from the polls nationwide.

Until now in Florida, most felons who finished prison and probation time had to submit to a lengthy review and waiting period if they wanted their civil rights back. But under the new rules passed today, the roughly 80 percent of ex-offenders whose crimes were not violent will win automatic rights restoration as long as they have paid any restitution owed to victims and have no pending criminal charges.

Convicted murderers, sexual predators and “violent career criminals” will still need a thorough investigation of their case and hearing before the clemency board, and they are not likely to win back their right to vote, serve on a jury and get jobs that require state licenses....

Dems Call for Review of Bush Appointment

Democrats called for an investigation Thursday into whether President Bush acted illegally in appointing Sam Fox ambassador to Belgium.

A day earlier, Bush named Republican fundraiser Fox to the post as a recess appointment - a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress, where Democrats had derailed his nomination.

"We view the recess appointment of Mr. Fox as a clear abuse of the President's recess appointment power," three Democratic senators wrote in a letter to the Government Accountability Office, Congress' auditing agency.

The senators - Democrats Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, John Kerry of Massachusetts and Robert Casey of Pennsylvania - also asked if Fox's appointment could be terminated if a Senate vote rejected him.

Democrats have denounced Fox for his donation to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the 2004 presidential campaign. The group's TV ads, which claimed that Sen. John Kerry exaggerated his military record in Vietnam, were viewed as a factor in the Massachusetts Democrat's election loss.

Recognizing Fox did not have enough support for Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last week. On Wednesday, with the Senate on a one-week break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Congress' blessing.

Dodd said in a statement that Bush's actions were "deceptive at best and illegal at worst."....

Could Obama beat Clinton in Round 2?

What do the first-quarter fundraising totals tell us about the Democratic race?

It's still early in the game, but the first-quarter results give us some important clues about how the Democratic race is shaping up and show us that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, with $26 million raised, and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, with $25 million raised, are in a class by themselves.

By nearly matching Clinton in total contributions, Obama proved his campaign is no pick-up team. (Interactive: Campaign finance totals)

Obama argues money follows message: "Sometimes it's the candidate who raises the most money," he said, "but a lot of times it's the candidates with the best message, and the money follows."

Obama has a strong anti-war message, but he also appeals to a longing for unity in the country. That's a rare combination, and it seems to be working. (Watch how Obama raised money online )
The Clinton campaign's response? "We are thrilled with our historic fundraising success," says Clinton campaign manager Patti Solice Doyle, "and congratulate Sen. Obama and the entire Democratic field on their fundraising, which demonstrates the overwhelming desire for change in our country.''

The first quarter tends to be easy picking for fundraisers. The second quarter is when it gets tough. You need to show sustainability. (Watch how Obama's $25 million changes the race )
Obama looks well-positioned to do that. His contributions came from twice as many individuals as Clinton's did, and in smaller amounts. He can go back to them for more.

But Clinton has some advantages, too. "He [Obama] is trying to energize a group of people who don't necessarily always participate in the process but who are hungry for something different," says Dan Balz, a reporter for The Washington Post. "I think she is going more for what you would call the core Democratic constituencies, who often have been instrumental in helping someone win a nomination.".....

Cheney accuses Pelosi of "bad behavior" in Syria

Vice President Dick Cheney accused U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday of "bad behavior" on her Middle East trip, saying she bungled a message for Syria's president that was later clarified by Israel.

Cheney harshly criticized Pelosi's visit to Syria this week and declared in an interview, "The president is the one who conducts foreign policy, not the speaker of the House."

Pelosi's Syrian stopover was opposed from the start by the Bush administration, which accuses Damascus of sponsoring terrorism and says it should be isolated from the international community.

While in Damascus on Wednesday, Pelosi announced she had told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that Israel was prepared to negotiate with Syria. That prompted Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office to underline the Jewish state's preconditions for such talks -- including that Syria abandon its "support for terrorist groups."

Cheney, pointing to the Israeli reaction, said it was obvious Olmert had not authorized the message Pelosi delivered.

"It was a non-statement, nonsensical statement and didn't make any sense at all that she would suggest that those talks could go forward as long as the Syrians conducted themselves as a prime state sponsor of terror," the vice president said on the Rush Limbaugh radio show.....

Freed British sailors back with their families

The 15 British Navy personnel captured by Iran have been reunited with their families and loved ones.

The freed Marines and sailors arrived on a BA flight at Heathrow earlier. Back in their uniforms, they paused briefly for photographs and were transferred to two military helicopters which took them to Royal Marines Base Chivenor, near Barnstaple, north Devon.

At Chivenor, the 14 men and one woman are being reunited with their families and will later undergo medical checks and a full de-briefing.

Their safe arrival back in the UK came shortly after four British soldiers were killed in the Iraqi city of Basra.

Speaking at Downing Street Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "Just as we rejoice at the return of our 15 personnel, so today we also grieve and mourn for the loss of our soldiers in Basra who were killed as a result of a terrorist act."....

Bush move bypasses Congress

Using a recess appointment, he makes a big campaign donor the envoy to Belgium.

President Bush on Wednesday named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress, where Democrats had derailed Fox’s nomination.

The appointment, made while lawmakers were out of town on spring break, prompted angry rebukes from Democrats, who said that Bush’s action might be illegal.

Democrats had denounced Fox, a St. Louis businessman, for his 2004 donation to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group’s TV ads, which alleged that Sen. John Kerry exaggerated his military record in Vietnam, were viewed as a major factor in the Massachusetts Democrat’s election loss.

Recognizing that Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for a spring break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation.

This means that Fox can remain ambassador until the end of the next session of Congress, in effect through the end of the Bush presidency.

“It’s sad but not surprising that this White House would abuse the power of the presidency to reward a donor over the objections of the Senate,” Kerry said in a statement....

Clinton's war chest record not as remarkable as Obama's

Senator Barack Obama has a good reason to celebrate. He is neck-and-neck with Senator Hillary Clinton when it comes to collecting cash for his presidential campaign.

Obama has raised $25 million this year that's just $1 million less than Clinton's record-breaking $26 million.

But Obama, a relative newcomer and freshman senator, got his money from 100,000 people, that's double the number that contributed to Clinton's campaign.

"That means exponential growth is possible for him in a way that is not available to Hillary Clinton right now," said Democratic politicall consultant for ABC Joe Tripp.

Clinton's supporters say they're not worried.

"Ultimately forget the money you got to get votes and right now Hillary wins in that category. She wins every single poll today," said Chairman of the Hillary Clinton Campaign Terry Mcauliffee.

Most polls have shown Obama running second behind Clinton for their party's nomination. Former Sen. John Edwards, generally considered the third top-tier Democratic candidate, posted a $14 million campaign report.....

Thompson Wants Iraqi Vote on U.S. Troops

Presidential candidate Tommy Thompson said Wednesday that he wants the Iraqi government to vote on whether the U.S. should keep its troops there.

"I'm confident they will, but ... if they do vote no _ they don't want us there _ we should get out," Thompson said, drawing applause. Thompson, who was health and human services secretary during President Bush's first term, made the comment during his first formal presidential campaign stop in his home state.

He formally announced Sunday on "This Week" on ABC that he is seeking the Republican nomination for president.

Thompson described himself as the only candidate with a commonsense approach to Iraq.

He said he would work with Iraqi leaders to form 18 self-governing provinces that would operate under a national government. He also would encourage the Iraqi government to give each citizen a stake in the nation's oil reserves.

"We must give the Iraqi people a stake in their nation and stability in their future," Thompson said.....

Thompson formally declares presidential run

Calling himself a "reliable conservative," former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson Tuesday officially joined the crowded Republican race for the White House.

"America is facing some tough times, some uncertain times," Thompson told supporters at an event center just outside of Des Moines, Iowa. "But it's time for America and Americans to come together, roll up our sleeves and get to work,"

Thompson briefly laid out a three-step plan for U.S. involvement in Iraq, part of which includes having the Iraqi government "vote" on whether the U.S. military should remain in that country. He also said the U.S. had a "responsibility and duty" to give service members in Iraq full resources.

"Withholding funding for our troops is not the answer," he said.

Invoking the Republican losses in last year's election, Thompson promised to restore fiscal conservatism if elected president.....

Obama forced opponents from race in first campaign

The day after New Year’s 1996, operatives for Barack Obama filed into a barren hearing room of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

There they began the tedious process of challenging hundreds of signatures on the nominating petitions of state Sen. Alice Palmer, the longtime progressive activist from the city’s South Side. And they kept challenging petitions until every one of Obama’s four Democratic primary rivals was forced off the ballot.

Fresh from his work as a civil rights lawyer and head of a voter registration project that expanded access to the ballot box, Obama launched his first campaign for the Illinois Senate saying he wanted to empower disenfranchised citizens.

But in that initial bid for political office, Obama quickly mastered the bare-knuckled arts of Chicago electoral politics. His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer.

A close examination of Obama’s first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career: The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it.....

Barack Obama: Race versus Substance

Much of the hype about whether Barack Obama was “black enough” for the African-American community had died down when reports began to surface that the Reverend Al Sharpton had complained about Obama’s “blackness.” Specifically, the reports alleged, Sharpton was concerned that Obama had never been active in the black community and that his campaign was largely driven by white Americans.

As the first serious black contender for the Presidency, Obama came under fire early for not being “black enough” to fully represent African-Americans. Jolivette Anderson-Douoning, facility and program supervisor for the Black Cultural Center, said the following: “His father didn’t experience Jim Crow. He was a black man not defined by Jim Crow America.” She went on to say that the black community was concerned with Obama’s family’s lack of the “black experience” and his politics towards blacks.

But is this really important? We will never be able to move away from judgments based on skin color as long as people insist on voicing such ridiculous questions. Yes it is an accomplishment that for the first time an African-American is a serious contender for the Presidency. But the color of his skin should not matter beyond that achievement. What should matter is what Obama believes, and what qualifications he possesses that would make us comfortable entrusting to him the leadership of the most powerful nation on Earth.....

Obama Raises $25 Million, Almost Matching Clinton

Illinois Senator Barack Obama raised at least $25 million in the first quarter of his presidential campaign, just below the total of Democratic rival and top fundraiser Hillary Clinton.

Clinton, a New York senator, reported on April 1 that she raised $26 million and added another $10 million from her Senate campaign account. Clinton had previously proven herself one of the best fundraisers in the country, bringing in $51 million for her 2006 re-election campaign that had no real competition.

Obama's announcement today helps fortify his position in the top tier of candidates behind Clinton, who leads in public opinion polls. The third-place contender, former vice presidential nominee John Edwards, raised $14 million in the period.

``The amount of money puts Obama on the Hillary level,'' said Stephen Wayne, a government professor at Georgetown University in Washington.

The reports offer the first glimpse of the so-called ``money primary'' in the race for a presidential nomination. While the candidates who raise the most don't always win, a show of strength in fundraising can offer a needed boost.

Obama's campaign emphasized the number of donors as evidence of widespread support. The political newcomer, who won his first race for federal office in 2004, received contributions from more than 100,000 people, his campaign said. Clinton, 59, reported receiving donations from 50,000 people....

Fox News Hires Big-Name Liberal Harold Ford, Jr.

In another indication of its leftward drift, the Fox News Channel has hired liberal former Democratic Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. as a political commentator and analyst. Ford lost his Tennessee Senate race to Republican Bob Corker last year. Ford was the recipient of incredibly favorable coverage by Fox News during his Senate campaign. Fox News portrayed Ford as a moderate or even a conservative.

The news about Fox hiring Ford was expected. Bartholomew Sullivan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that “The move to the conservative network run by News Corp. media mogul Rupert Murdoch was no surprise to Washington cognoscenti, who have read speculation about the move for weeks. Well before the November election, The Commercial Appeal noted News Corp.’s support for Ford’s Senate bid. At least 18 senior News Corp. or Fox executives, including Murdoch, were contributors to his campaign.”

Indeed, Ford received a financial contribution from Murdoch himself. AIM questioned Murdoch about it at last year’s News Corporation shareholders meeting, where Murdoch claimed he was contributing to both sides in that race. But a Murdoch contribution to Corker doesn’t show up in the Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. There is, however, a $500 contribution to Corker from Paul A. Jackson, listed as director of government relations for News Corporation in Washington, D.C.

AIM was not able to verify the complete figure of 18 News Corporation/Fox News executives contributing to Ford, but FEC records did confirm the following, in addition to Murdoch: Peter Chernin, president of News Corporation; Gary Ginsberg, Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications at News Corporation; Codie Brooks, a Fox News Channel researcher; Timothy S. Carry, a Fox News Channel executive; and Suzanne Feldman, a Fox News sales executive.....

Ford's carrying Democrats' message to middle-of-the-road voters

Austin was one of the first stops on a long road Harold Ford Jr. has chosen to preach a gospel of ideas to fellow Democrats eager to retake the White House. The widespread unpopularity of the Republican administration whose lease on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue expires in January 2009 sends Democratic hopes soaring.

That cliché about counting eggs is especially true in politics and so Ford — newly minted chairman of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council — has hit the road to remind fellow Democats about the differences between hopes and plans and rhetoric and reality.

"We can win if we have a message, but being anti-Bush and anti-Iraq isn't going to be enough," Ford said in a visit last week with American-Statesman editors and editorial writers.

The Democratic Leadership Council was founded as a way to connect with moderates in the South and West by trying to shake the loony liberal caricature clamped to the Democratic Party. Ford quickly noted that the leadership council didn't endorse candidates but pushed ideas.

However, Ford balked at answering a question about whether Democrats are ready to listen.
Like Republican Party purists, Democratic Party party purists know what they want to hear and get testy when they don't hear it.

And they vote.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, considered the Democatic front runner, was challenged in New Hampshire to apologize for her 2002 vote to authorize war in Iraq.....

Harold Ford Jr. visits campus

Harold Ford Jr. visited ETSU last Wednesday for the Social Work Career Day. Ford is currently a professor at Vanderbilt University teaching a class on political leadership.

Ford spoke about how social work was so important to this country. "We are in a struggle for the human condition," he said.

Ford spoke about how there are not enough people putting time and money into the community. "I ask you to do that and more," he said.

"Since Sept 11, (America) is in a struggle for the human condition," Ford said. He elaborated, making a point that he himself supported the troops and the war but not the way it is being handled. Ford believes in educating our troops about the culture and religion they are going to have to face in the war zone.

Ford insisted that America "is all about believing that we are a great nation, but we aren't making the steps to keep it a strong nation."

Ford said, "America has lost the quality of what we once stood for," meaning that the U.S. needs to do more than just be boastful; it needs to prove its greatness.....

Harold Ford Jr. plays it forward

When doors shut, windows sometimes open.

Tennessee voters may not have given Harold Ford Jr. the open door that many other voters across the country gave Democrats in last year's midterm election. Yet Ford's shut door led to a window of apparently limitless opportunities.

Five months after losing his U.S. Senate race, Ford is chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a vice chairman at financial services firm Merrill Lynch, a "political contributor" for Fox News Channel, and a visiting professor of public policy at Vanderbilt University.

"I would not be doing these things had I not lost the race," Ford says, "so the Lord works in mysterious ways. I am enjoying teaching a great deal, so maybe this was a needed detour."

Ford is a man in flux who does not like to linger long on the rearview mirror. Asked how he felt on swearing-in day for the 110th Congress (he gave up his U.S. House seat to run for the Senate), Ford says he does not want to think in those terms. "Naturally, that is where I wanted to be. It did not work out. I am fortunate to be blessed to do other things." .....

Harold Ford, Jr. Makes an IMPACT

“The greatness of our country rests on the shoulders of this generation,” said Harold Ford, Jr. during the IMPACT symposium last week. Speaking to several hundred students and politically conscious Tennesseans at Vanderbilt University, Ford continued his crusade for the youth of America to become more politically aware.

Although President Bill Clinton wasn’t in attendance, his previous description of Ford paints a strong picture of his unwavering determination to make some changes within the current political realm.

“[He is] the walking, living embodiment of where America ought to go in the 21st century,” according to Clinton.

This past November, Ford’s crusades lead him to the closest Senatorial race in the history of the Volunteer state. Although Ford was defeated by less than three percentage points by Republican Bob Corker, he has not faded from political or public view.

Currently, Ford teaches a course on American political leadership at Vanderbilt University. This course, according to his students, gives the charismatic Ford a perfect outlet for spreading his infectious passion for politics.....

Harold Ford Jr. makes first DLC speech

Harold Ford Jr., in his first major speech as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, said Wednesday that he wants the 2008 presidential race to be about ideas, not money.

The former Memphis congressman, defeated in his bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee last year, was in Washington to address a luncheon of Democratic Party bigwigs and their corporate sponsors.

Ford said the DLC, a centrist think tank which cannot endorse candidates, will be holding idea forums around the country to help form a Democratic agenda.

"Today we face a host of challenges," Ford told the adoring crowd. "And thanks to this administration, we face a political climate in Washington that believes the purpose of politics is to grab and gain and accumulate power, rather than to help Americans do better?.

"The next eight months could define America’s future for the next eight years. So today, we say to campaigns of both parties, and to the press who cover them: The horserace, the money chase, and the in-your-face can wait. Let’s turn the next year into the ‘Ideas Primary’ instead."

Ford laid out a six-point plan to make the country more secure, to guarantee college education in exchange for public service, making the government accountable and ending poverty for all who work......

"Clash of Wills" as AT&T Makes $4.6B Cable Move

Promising increased competition and consumer advocacy, AT&T is investing $4.6 billion in a national move into the cable industry, yet many area municipalities have accused the telecommunications giant of pursuing anything but fair competition.

Project Lightspeed is a new video product offered by AT&T that is designed to compete with cable. The corporation’s nationwide campaign has begun to raise eyes in Illinois as House Bill 1500 is currently up for review.

Under the bill, a statewide competition correction would be made, enabling AT&T to compete against cable franchises.However, the bill has irked many municipalities because as it is written, it would remove much of the standard municipal control that currently exists in the cable franchise business.

“The current franchising system doesn’t work,” said Paul La Schiazza, president of AT&T Illinois. “It is too time-consuming and cumbersome. We have negotiated for 18 months with 100 communities and we only have six agreements. We can’t break into the current system.”....

Lobbying against the AT&T Cable Bill in Tennessee

Recently I spoke against the AT&T cable bill in Tennessee. As a student and a member of the Nashville community I spoke at the Congressional Black Caucus on this matter and while most people said I did a great job, I really don't feel that I was heard in the matter that I should have been heard. I understand that our elected officials are human beings and I know that they sit in tons of meetings. However I felt as if I was rushed when speaking and that much of what I said wasn't heard because our elected officials wanted to try to get home since it was close to 6p.m.

So I am going to remain optimistic and say that I hope the Tennessee Congressional Black Caucus heard me loud and clear when I say that the AT&T Cable Bill will not bring better service or competitive rates. If it was than why can't AT&T operate like the local companies if they are sure they bring better competition. Why does AT&T need a legislative bill promising to bring competitive competition. Thus that's the problem, AT&T will cost just as much as the local cable companies, except for the fact the local cable companies will bring down their rates in order to hold on to their customers especially their wealthy customers who might join AT&T. None the less, this issue needs to be addressed and I am glad I spoke on the issue today.

Battle between Bush and Congress has familiar ring

The parallels are striking: Bold new congressional majorities swept into power by public dissatisfaction with White House policies; the administration and Congress digging in for a test of wills over federal spending; a watershed presidential election looming.

The 1995 budget fight between President Bill Clinton and leaders of the Republican revolution casts a distinct shadow over the building impasse between President George W. Bush and congressional Democrats regarding spending on Iraq. Each side believes it can apply lessons learned from that earlier battle to its strategy in the current showdown.

Republicans were outmaneuvered by the Clinton administration and found themselves blamed for a shutdown of federal agencies 12 years ago. Today, they stand behind the executive branch, with 150 Republican House members promising Bush they would sustain his veto of a war spending measure that sets a timeline for leaving Iraq.

Democrats, who sided with the president in 1995, are now the ones challenging the White House, bolstered by public sentiment against the war. Their confidence is such that Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, announced this week that he would support a separate, more far-reaching measure that would cut off money for the war within a year.

Even as those in the middle of the current clash plan their next move, some figures central to the past fight say the differences are more pronounced than the similarities.....