A blog about Politics.
Gender: male Date of Birth: October 31, 1953 Member Since: March 14, 2006 Last Signed In: November 08, 2009 Profile Views: 3254 Blog Views: 57366 Some predicted trouble from Fort Hood's Maj. Hasan Analysis: 10 percent jobless is Obama's new world UPDATE: Suspect identified in Orlando office building shooting Orlando office building gunman on the loose..NEW 911? Owes back patting from vanitys blog Troubling portrait emerges of Fort Hood suspect Army: 12 dead, 31 hurt in attack at Fort Hood Obama launches yearly American Indian summits Fla. baby missing for 5 days found alive under bed Young voters who helped elect Obama stayed home March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AFP) — Alaska was on alert Friday as scientists warned that a volcano rumbling near the state's largest city Anchorage was likely to erupt, officials said. Redoubt Volcano, which looms some 3,108 meters (10,200 feet) over a sparsely populated area some 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the city of 280,000 people, has been showing more seismic activity than normal over the past five days. Dave Schneider, a volcanologist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, told AFP the recent activity pointed to an eruption similar to the last significant blast at the crater in 1989-1990. "The most likely outcome of the current unrest is an eruption similar to what we saw in 1989-1990," Schneider said. "For around 18 hours or so we've had some pretty extensive periods of volcanic tremor. The volcano's been shaking constantly and that's what we'd expect to occur before an eruption actually happens." The observatory said a pilot who scanned the area on Friday afternoon had reported "no sign of ash emission, but observed significant steaming" in the volcano's summit crater. The observatory has issued an "orange" alert at the site, warning planes of possible dangers if the volcano erupts. The four engines of a Boeing 747 became clogged in 1989 when the plane flew over the cloud of ash spewed out by Redoubt during its last eruption. The pilot managed to restart the engines and save all 231 passengers. An erupting volcano can release plumes of ash several kilometers (miles) high, but the direction of the cloud and whether Anchorage would be threatened depends on the wind. "Like most eruptions in Alaska, the greatest hazard is from airborne volcanic ash which is tiny bits of broken rock and glass that comes out of the volcano," Schneider said. "That is hazardous for two reasons: aviation, and a fallout hazard but that is probably more of a nuisance rather than a danger." A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said pilots in the region had been advised of the volcano's status. Schneider said there were no communities in the immediate vicinity of the volcano and the nearest residents were some 40 miles away on an opposite stretch of coastline of the Cook Inlet. "There's nobody really living near there at all," Schneider said. There are 44 active volcanoes in Alaska, and Redoubt's eruption in 1989 lasted five months. Augustine volcano, situated on an isolated island in Cook Bay on which Anchorage is nestled, erupted in January 2006 without causing any damage or casualties. But reports of a possible eruption at Redoubt sparked so much interest that the observatory's website crashed early Friday due to the large numbers trying to access the site. Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:06 PM By: David A. Patten A rising chorus of GOP leaders are protesting that the blockbuster Democratic stimulus package would provide up to a whopping $5.2 billion for ACORN, the left-leaning nonprofit group under federal investigation for massive voter fraud. Most of the money is secreted away under an item in the now $836 billion package titled “Neighborhood Stabilization Programs.” Ordinarily, neighborhood stabilization funds are distributed to local governments. But revised language in the stimulus bill would make the funds available directly to non-profit entities such as ACORN, the low-income housing organization whose pro-Democrat voter-registration activities have been blasted by Republicans. ACORN is cited by some for tipping the scales in the Democrats' favor in November. According to Fox news, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., could appear to be a “payoff” for community groups’ partisan political activities in the last election cycle. “It is of great concern to me,” Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., tells Newsmax. “I think our government has stayed strong because we’ve had a two-party system, we have had robust debate, people have felt that it was one man-one vote. They are privileged and grateful that they have that ability to cast that vote. And when something is done to belittle or diminish that, it is of great concern to me.” Regarding ACORN, Blackburn added, “Additional funds going to these organizations that have tried to skew that system, it causes me great concern and I believe that it causes many of my colleagues great concern.” The three-term congressman stopped short of suggesting the “neighborhood stabilization” money is a power grab by Democrats seeking partisan political advantage. But radio talk giant Rush Limbaugh did not. Limbaugh warned his listeners Tuesday: “I’ll tell you what’s going on here: We, ladies & gentlemen, we’re funding Obama and the Democrats’ army on the street. We are funding the forces of the Democrat party’s re-election.” Blackburn echoed the concerns of Republican leaders who object that the bloated package lacks the short-term stimulus a cut in payroll or sales taxes would provide. According to Matthew Vadum of the Capitol Research Center, the stimulus package now under consideration includes:
Regarding the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Vadum writes in American Spectator: “Although ACORN operatives usually get their hands on such funds only after they have first passed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or state and local governments, the new spending bill largely eliminates these dawdling middle men, making it easier to get Uncle Sam's largess directly into the hands of the same people who run ACORN's various vote fraud and extortion rackets. And the legislative package provides these funds without the usual prohibition on using government money for lobbying or political activities.” The charges of partisan political payback appear to be resonating in part due to Obama’s longstanding association with partisan get-out-the-vote operations. He was endorsed by ACORN, and during the campaign paid an ACORN affiliate $832,600 to get-out-the-vote assistance. Early in his career, he led a voter drive for an ACORN-affiliated group called Project Vote. It’s not the first time ACORN has been entangled in a bailout controversy. In September, House Republicans objected that the original $700 billion bailout package included $100 million for ACORN – a tiny fraction of the sums for ACORN now being considered in the stimulus package. With unsold cars stacking up by the day, demand falling faster, and bailout silliness getting sillier, I have three easy to make predictions. read full article here: http://www.silverbearcafe.c... its the answer to our economic woes..... Posted: January 24, 2009 By Drew Zahn Since its inception in 1953, every new president has attended The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball – until now. The ball was created for President Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration to honor recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. The event is sponsored by the American Legion and co-sponsored by 13 other veteran's service organizations, including the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. And while 48 of the nation's 99 living recipients of the Medal of Honor attended the event, reports the Cleveland Leader and various self-attested attendees of the ball, newly sworn-in President Barack Obama became the first president in 56 years to skip out on the ceremony. Get "The Audacity of Deceit," and learn about the looming hostile attack on the values and freedoms Americans hold dear. Obama's itinerary on Inauguration Day, however, did include attendance at 10 balls in his honor, many of which were graced by a cast of the nation's biggest music and movie stars. According to a Sofia News Agency report, the president and first lady began at the Neighborhood Ball, dancing to the song "At Last," performed by popular music star Beyoncé. The dance also boasted attendees Stevie Wonder, Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine, Sting, Mariah Carey and Leonardo DiCaprio. The Obamas also attended the Home State Ball for Illinois and Hawaii, the Youth Inaugural Ball, a handful of regional balls and the Commander-in-Chief Ball, which was also attended by veterans and members of the military. At the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Sofia News Agency reports, Obama took time to address veterans. "It is wonderful to be surrounded by some of the very best and bravest Americans," Obama said. "Your courage, your grace and your patriotism inspire us all." News of new president's snub of the Heroes ball, however, launched a flurry of comment on the blogosphere, from angry veterans questioning if this is what Obama means by "change" to supporters who have labeled the whole story a hoax, claiming the ball never took place. The Jackson Sun, however, reports of at least one veteran who attended the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., and the Blackfive blog reports receiving a press release from the American Legion about the controversy. According to the blog, the Legion's media relations manager Craig Roberts wrote, "President Obama was invited but did not attend. Vice-President Joe Biden did appear, however, and was very warmly received. The new President's absence was understandable considering the unprecedented logistical challenges presented by the vastly increased number of visitors to this inauguration and the necessary attendant security measures. The American Legion, as an organization, does not feel offended or 'snubbed.'" Here's what happens when you allow the Government to take away your guns. Interesting Data
Four detainees were sent to Iraq, one to Algeria and one to Afghanistan after a series of reviews, the Defense Department said in a statement. Obama has vowed to close the detention center in southeast Cuba and stop the military commissions, or war-crimes trials. Still, military judges rejected last-minute requests to postpone pretrial hearings scheduled to begin Monday for five men accused of orchestrating the Sept. 11 attacks and a Canadian accused of killing an American soldier with a grenade in Afghanistan. And the chief prosecutor, Army Col. Lawrence Morris, said the prosecution was seeking a brief delay for "efficiency" and legal reasons. "We're still in business. We're going to court Monday," Morris told reporters at Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday as he and other lawyers prepared to fly to Guantanamo. Morris said he has to be prepared to go forward because he does not know when Obama will halt the trials and order the closure of the prison. The Pentagon said the transfer of the six prisoners "is a demonstration of the United States' desire not to hold detainees any longer than necessary." Since 2002, more than 525 detainees have departed Guantanamo.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 2:56 PM By: Jim Meyers Mexico is in danger of a “rapid and sudden collapse” due to criminal gangs and drug cartels, according to a troubling new report by the U.S. Joint Forces Command on worldwide security threats. The report also cites Pakistan as a nation facing possible collapse. “In terms of worse-case scenarios for the Joint Forces and indeed the world, two large and important states bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse: Pakistan and Mexico,” the report states. The outcome of that internal conflict in America’s southern neighbor will have a “major impact on the stability of the Mexican state” over the next several years, according to the Joint Forces Command, a Defense Department combat command that includes different military service branches, active and reserves, according to the El Paso Times. The report warns that “any descent by Mexico into chaos would demand an American response based on the serious implications for homeland security alone.” As Newsmax reported last week, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the U.S. has developed plans for a “surge” in crime fighters if the drug wars in Mexico should spread across the border. The plans call for aircraft, armored vehicles and special teams to converge on trouble spots along the border. Military forces would be used if civilian agencies like the Border Patrol and local law enforcement were unable to control the violence. In the Joint Forces report, Marine Gen. J.N. Mattis said: “If we do not try to forecast the future, there is no doubt that we will be caught off guard as we strive to protect this experiment in democracy that we call America.” Criminal activity in Mexico has killed more than 5,300 people in the past year, including members of warring drug cartels, law enforcement officials and bystanders, many of them slain close to the U.S. border.
Executive order is expected during new administration's first week WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to issue an executive order his first week in office — and perhaps his first day — to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, according to two presidential transition team advisers. It's unlikely the detention facility at the Navy base in Cuba will be closed anytime soon. In an interview last weekend, Obama said it would be "a challenge" to close it even within the first 100 days of his administration. But the order, which one adviser said could be issued as early as Jan. 20, would start the process of deciding what to do with the estimated 250 al-Qaida and Taliban suspects and potential witnesses who are being held there. Most have not been charged with a crime. The Guantanamo directive would be one of a series of executive orders Obama is planning to issue shortly after he takes office next Tuesday, according to the two advisers. Also expected is an executive order about certain interrogation methods, but details were not immediately available Monday. The advisers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the orders that have not yet been finalized. Obama transition team spokeswoman Brooke Anderson declined comment Monday. The two advisers said the executive order will direct the new administration to look at each of the cases of the Guantanamo detainees to see whether they can be released or if they should still be held — and if so, where. Many of the Guantanamo detainees are cleared for release, and others could be sent back to their native countries and held there. But many nations have resisted Bush administration efforts to repatriate the prisoners back home. Both Obama advisers said it's hoped that nations that had initially resisted taking detainees will be more willing to do so after dealing with the new administration. What remains the thorniest issue for Obama, the advisers said, is what to do with the rest of the prisoners — including at least 15 so-called "high value detainees" considered among the most dangerous there. Detainees held on U.S. soil would have certain legal rights that they were not entitled to while imprisoned in Cuba. It's also not clear if they would face trial through the current military tribunal system, or in federal civilian courts, or though a to-be-developed legal system that would mark a hybrid of the two. Where to imprison the detainees also is a problem. Obama promised during the presidential campaign to shut Guantanamo, endearing him to constitutional law experts, civil libertarians and other critics who called the Bush administration detentions a violation of international law. But he acknowledged in an interview Sunday that the process of closing the prison would be harder and longer than initially thought. "That's a challenge," Obama said on ABC's "This Week." "I think it's going to take some time and our legal teams are working in consultation with our national security apparatus as we speak to help design exactly what we need to do. "But I don't want to be ambiguous about this," he said. "We are going to close Guantanamo and we are going to make sure that the procedures we set up are ones that abide by our constitution." President George W. Bush established military tribunals to prosecute detainees at Guantanamo. He also supports closing the prison, but strongly opposes bringing prisoners to the United States. Lawmakers have moved to block transfer of the detainees to at least two potential and frequently discussed military facilities: an Army prison at Fr. Leavenworth, Kan., and a Navy brig in Charleston, S.C. A Marine Corps prison at Camp Pendleton in Southern California also is under consideration, a Pentagon official said. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said Monday that "it's hard to show why terror suspects should be housed in Kansas." "If the holding facility at Guantanamo Bay is closed, a new facility should be built, designed specifically to handle detainees," Brownback said in a statement.
Talks with Iraqi leaders likely to focus on withdrawal of U.S. troops BAGHDAD - U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad on Monday for talks with leaders of Iraq, where the withdrawal of some 140,000 American troops is seen as a key challenge facing the incoming U.S. administration. The Delaware senator, who takes office with President-elect Barack Obama later this month, met President Jalal Talabani at his Baghdad residence. The visit by the long-time chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee came at the tail end of a tour of southwest Asia that included stops in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where Obama wants to send more troops as he withdraws from Iraq. He is best known in Iraq as the author of a 2006 plan to divide the country into self-governing Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish enclaves -- an idea that offended many Iraqi politicians and was quietly put on the back burner as violence ebbed.
http://www.youtube.com/watc... I've been trying to upload the video since yesterday...Time to give up and post the link.
Many states across the U.S. are facing budget deficits, and Massachusetts is not immune. Governor Deval Patrick and state lawmakers have already slashed millions from the budget, but more cuts are on the way. Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow - 1/8/2009 9:00:00 AM WASHINGTON—In an alarming development with wide-reaching implications for America's safety, Department of Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff and CIA Director Michael Hayden issued a joint report Monday warning that the next 9/11 could in fact occur on a different date. The report, based on intelligence gathered by field-agents, found that a future 9/11 might take place on an entirely new month and day, including 4/24, 6/13, or even 10/12. According to the report, the nation could realistically find itself in the midst of a 5/25 scenario, as well as a potential 3/14 situation in the months to come. 8/28, 6/19, and 11/7 were also cited as possible 9/11s. Enlarge Image "1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5," Chertoff continued for nearly 45 minutes, "12/28, 12/29, 12/30, 12/31—these are all plausible and serious threats." An addendum to the report that includes leap years will be released by the end of March. Though the DHS has identified more than 7,000 sensitive dates spanning the next 20 years, it did manage to rule out 4/15/04 and 10/38 as future 9/11s. The government report also confirmed that the next 9/11 would more than likely not involve an assault on the World Trade Center's North and South towers as it has in previous attacks. Furthermore, the 350-page document rejected long-held beliefs that the next 9/11 would commence at 8:46 a.m. on a sunny Tuesday morning. In fact, it warns that a future attack could occur on a cloudy, snowy, or even brisk day, at 8:53 a.m., 10:42 p.m., or any one of the other 1,440 known times. "We are dealing with agents of terror who are willing to carry out another 9/11 on—if you can imagine it—6/8," Hayden told reporters. "Indeed a day may come when we as a nation have to live in fear of another 6/8, recount where we were when 6/8 happened, and swear never to forget the events of 6/8." "At some point we might even have to come to terms with the harsh lessons of 6/8," Hayden continued. Hayden assured citizens, however, that no matter what date the imminent attacks fall on, he has every reason to believe that the next 9/11 will be carried out by militants, radicals, zealots, or extremists, who will stop at nothing, next to nothing, or very little to destroy America. Hayden also said he was certain that at least one of the world's 6.7 billion human beings will plot the future 5/24 or 3/17 attacks, and that it will most likely target either the nation's subways, seaports, landmarks, stadiums, buildings, structures, or other indoor or outdoor areas where large groups of people tend to gather. "Instead of calling major terrorist attacks on their soil 'our 9-11,' other nations may soon refer to their own national disasters as 'our 11/28,'" Chertoff said. "Which, incidentally, is also my birthday, though I admit that is neither here nor there." At the conclusion of the press conference, Chertoff urged Americans not be alarmed by the recent news, and to continue living their lives as they have for the last seven years—with the crippling fear that at any moment they, or someone they love, could die in a fiery inferno. |
A pro-family advocate says budget cuts are coming for Massachusetts schools, but programs aimed at promoting homosexuality need not worry.
A large sum of money -- $850,000 -- that is allotted for these pro-homosexual school programs is being questioned. "And that has been untouchable," Camenker contends. "I have spoken with [the] Senate president's office; I've spoken with the governor's office. I've spoken with the governor's budget office -- and you know, they all support it, and that's that."