Former Bush official: Waterboarding is torture

"‘No doubt,’ says Tom Ridge, first Homeland Security secretary"

"WASHINGTON - The first secretary of the Homeland Security Department says waterboarding is torture.

"There's just no doubt in my mind — under any set of rules — waterboarding is torture," Tom Ridge said Friday in an interview. Ridge had offered the same opinion earlier in the day to members of the American Bar Association at a homeland security conference.
"One of America's greatest strengths is the soft power of our value system and how we treat prisoners of war, and we don't torture," Ridge said in the interview. Ridge was secretary of the Homeland Security Department between 2003 and 2005. "And I believe, unlike others in the administration, that waterboarding was, is — and will always be — torture. That's a simple statement.""

White House urged to be less secret

President can start by declassifying daily briefings, advisory group says

"WASHINGTON - The government is lagging far behind in declassifying its secrets and the problem is getting worse as agencies create billions more electronic records containing classified information.

In a report released Wednesday, a joint presidential-congressional advisory group urged greater openness, a sore subject for a White House roundly criticized for secrecy.
The Public Interest Declassification Board said President Bush can take immediate steps to address the issue."

Key figure in CIA tapes case demands immunity

"WASHINGTON - Attorneys for Jose Rodriguez told Congress the former CIA official won't testify about the destruction of CIA videotapes without a promise of immunity, two people close to the tapes inquiry said Wednesday.

Rodriguez, the former head of the CIA's National Clandestine Service, ordered that the tapes, which show harsh CIA interrogation of two al-Qaida suspects, be destroyed in 2005. Rodriguez is scheduled to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Jan. 16.
Defense attorney Robert Bennett told lawmakers, however, that he would not let Rodriguez testify because of the criminal investigation into the case. Without a promise of immunity, anything Rodriguez said at the hearing could be used against him in court. "

White House reused e-mail tapes

"WASHINGTON - The White House has acknowledged recycling its backup computer tapes of e-mail before October 2003, raising the possibility that many electronic messages - including those pertaining to the CIA leak case - have been taped over and are gone forever.
The disclosure came minutes before midnight Tuesday under a court-ordered deadline that forced the White House to reveal information it has previously refused to provide.
Among the e-mails that could be lost are messages swapped by any White House officials involved in discussions about leaking the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame."

Grandmother, 75, Gets Cuffs, Not Fries

"Tampa Bay Online
updated 8:40 a.m. ET, Sun., Jan. 20, 2008


By Carlos Moncada of The Tampa Tribune
CLEARWATER - If anyone was "lovin' it!" at the McDonald's that Jean Merola visited Thursday evening, it certainly wasn't her.
The 75-year-old grandmother of eight was arrested for disorderly conduct after she refused a police officer's orders to move her car while she waited for the coffee and fries she ordered at the drive-through window."

Sen. Fred Thompson dropps out of the race

Former Sen. Fred Thompson is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

The Role of Corporate Regulation

Democratic governments are responsible for ensuring the lives, liberties and well-being of all their citizens. To meet this responsibility, democratic governments have to regulate commerce. It’s no surprise that corporations disapprove of such regulation. It’s an infringement on their freedom, and a responsibility they don’t share. As they see it, the government’s chief responsibility is to ensure that their needs are met. “The business of government is business,” they might say.*

That’s why the current President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Donohue, has declared war against policies proposed by democratically-inclined politicians. Mr. Donohue has proclaimed that

“…the chamber will seek to punish candidates who target business interests with their rhetoric or policy proposals, including congressional and state-level candidates.

"I'm concerned about anti-corporate and populist rhetoric from candidates for the presidency, members of Congress and the media," he said. "It suggests to us that we have to demonstrate who it is in this society that creates jobs, wealth and benefits -- and who it is that eats them."

What are his concerns? If you read his speech at the website of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, you see that his concerns are

• unions
• trial lawyers
• taxes
• health, pension, and entitlement costs
• rules and mandates
• government regulators
• government-sponsored health insurance
• Social Security….. [without] more realistic cost-of-living benefit increases and the inclusion of a personal investment component.

In brief, Mr. Donohue is calling “anti-corporate” anything that represents a restraint or obligation for corporations.

But restraints and obligations have to be imposed, for the common good of all members of the community. While it's true that corporations create jobs, wealth and benefits, they also present challenges to democratic governments. For example, corporations are powerful sources of political money and influence. Also, when restraints and obligations have not been imposed upon them, corporations have too often endangered the lives, liberties, and well-being of citizens. The intention of regulating corporations is not to be “anti-corporate”. The intention is to be “pro-community”, whether at the local, state, national or international level. For, just as there must be “checks and balances” in the political system to maintain a democracy, there must also be “checks and balances” in the economic system to maintain a democracy.

Alex Budarin, Jefferson's Parlor

*This quotation is often attributed to President Calvin Coolidge, but several resources indicate that this is not exactly what he said.

America The Bankrupt

GAO Head Warns Of Fiscal Troubles.

It is clearly evident the USA is headed towards economic bankruptcy. “The comptroller general of the United States says the nation is on the path to financial ruin unless the American public tells Washington to change its ways (NewsTarget). David M. Walker, head of the General Accountability Office, or GAO, is the nation's top federal accountant. With the voting season now in full swing as November approaches, candidates from both major political parties are talking up the standard issues that energize the public and encourage discussions, but no candidate appears to be talking about the state of the nation's fiscal prospects.

"This is about the future of our country, our kids and grandkids … we the people have to rise up to make sure things get changed," says Walker.” Walker is a non-partisan appointed civil servant. He was first appointed by republican president Ronal Regan. His remarks stress the need for broad changes to U.S. financial institutions and systems. I strongly believe that capitalism and the power of markets are not the solution. America needs more economic diversity implementing certain socialist elements to our broad profit driven economy specifically in healthcare in addition to establishing regulations in the energy (oil) and corporate sectors.
Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warns “that the American economy might slip into recession by year's end.”

If we stop excessive spending now the nation’s economic stability can be salvaged ensuring continued growth. It is fact a Democratic president would more likely put the nation back on this track removing budgetary priority away from defense/military placing a greater than presently priority into domestic programs will create jobs, increase access and household income. How to destroy an economy? Rising gas prices, government borrowing for war, aggressive variable housing loan rates that always go up, and profit driven healthcare. Is there any successful country that has a completely capitalistic social and economic system? As of 01/09/08 $58 Trillion Dollars is the U.S. National debt.

Source:
http://www.newstarget.com/020930.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/28/business/main2135398.shtml

http://gaonet.gov/cghome/2005/businessweekideasoutsidecolumn.pdf

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wirestory?id=2904418

Clinton Wins New Hampshire

"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, defying pre-election polls, defeated Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in Tuesday's Democratic primary in New Hampshire.

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's come-from-behind victory in New Hampshire revives a campaign badly shaken after a third-place finish in Iowa. And Republican John McCain, whose campaign was left for dead a few months ago, wins with a push from independent voters. "

50 Cars Crash in Florida Fog; 3 Die

"LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — About 50 cars crashed on a highway blanketed by fog and brush fire smoke in central Florida on Wednesday, killing at least three people, authorities said.
Visibility hampered rescue efforts, forcing officials responding to the scene to walk about 14 miles of Interstate 4 that were closed between Tampa and Orlando, checking individual vehicles for injuries, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Larry Coggins said.

There were numerous accidents, including the 50-car pileup. He declined to confirm that three people were dead, a figure released by Polk County officials.
"No one has been able to see this thing in its entirety yet," Coggins said.
Aerial footage showed next to no visibility for miles, with a soupy mix of fog and smoke giving the skies an eerie golden color.

Firefighters on Tuesday battled a controlled burn that charred 250 acres and reduced visibility on the interstate. Smoke from the fire and fog combined for dangerous conditions during morning commutes Wednesday.

"It's been very difficult to see out there," county spokeswoman Cindy Rodriguez said.
Polk County officials said a tanker overturned on the roadway, but it was unclear if the truck was part of the pileup.

No further information was immediately available."