Government-Owned Media? Interrogation Memo Release: Consequences, Chavez, Israel/Iran

1) Obama Appointee Suggests ‘Direct Government Support for Public Media’ Influential Los Angeles Times columnist Rosa Brooks has hung up her journalistic hat and joined the Obama administration, but not before penning a public proposal calling for some radical ideas to help bail out the failing news industry. Brooks, who has taken up a post as an adviser at the Pentagon, advocated upping "direct government support for public media" and creating licenses to govern news operations. …"Since when did our Founding Fathers envision that ... you could exercise your right to freedom of speech provided you had a license from the federal government? This is the kind of stuff you have revolutions about," he told FOXNews.com (emphasis mine). See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/obama-appointee-suggests-radical-plan-newspaper-bailout/ 2) Former Bush Officials Warn Against Release of Legal Memos on Interrogation The ex-CIA director and the former homeland security secretary say the Obama administration runs great risks in revealing abandoned interrogation techniques against terror suspects. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/17/bush-officials-warn-release-legal-memos-interrogation/ 3) Savage sues Napolitano for targeting vets DHS report 'would have admiration of any current or past dictator' Radio talk show host Michael Savage has teamed up with the Thomas More Law Center of Ann Arbor, Mich., to file a lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.  "It is a civil rights action brought under the First and Fifth Amendments to the United States Constitution, challenging the policy, practice, and custom of the United States Government that targets for disfavored treatment those individuals and groups that are considered to be 'rightwing extremists,'" the complaint announced today said. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95244 4) Obama, Venezuela's Chavez shake hands at summit "I greeted Bush with this hand eight years ago; I want to be your friend," Chavez told Obama, according to a Venezuelan presidential press office statement. See: http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1736198420090417 4a) Chavez Gifts Obama With Book That Assails U.S. for Exploiting Latin America At President Obama's meeting with the heads of South American countries this morning, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stood, walked over to him, and presented him with a copy of "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" by Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano.  Obama politely posed for a photograph with Chavez, shook his hand, and accepted the gift. The book, first published in Spanish in 1971, offers a critique of the consequences of 500 years of European and U.S. colonization of Latin America. See: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/chavez-gifts-ob.html 5) Lawyer: Iran convicts US journalist of spying TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An American journalist jailed in Iran has been convicted of spying and sentenced to eight years in prison just days after she was tried behind closed doors, her lawyer said Saturday, dashing any hopes for her quick release. …In a speech, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran was preparing new proposals aimed at breaking an impasse with the West over its nuclear program. But it was uncertain how Washington would react to Saberi's conviction. On Thursday, the State Department said Saberi's jailing was not helpful and that Iran would gain U.S. good will if it "responded in a positive way" to the case. See: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090418/D97KU00O0.html 6) Israel 'preparing massive strike on Iran' Defense officials say country holding drills to be ready within hours of OK to act TEL AVIV, Israel–The Israel Defense Forces is carrying out drills to practice for a possible massive aerial assault on Iran's nuclear facilities within days - or even hours - of being given the go-ahead by its new government, according to a report today in the Times of London.  "Israel wants to know that if its forces were given the green light they could strike at Iran in a matter of days, even hours. They are making preparations on every level for this eventuality. The message to Iran is that the threat is not just words," one unnamed senior defense official was quoted telling The Times. …That official added it was unlikely that Israel would carry out any attack without receiving at least tacit approval from the Obama administration, which has pushing for dialogue with Tehran. …"My concern is that until Obama finishes his learning curve of the subject, the Iranians are going to have maybe the first or even more nuclear bombs." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95407 7) Obama will 'quickly' give Palestinians state Arab official says U.S. relayed message ahead of meeting with Abbas TEL AVIV, Israel – President Obama will move to create a Palestinian state "more quickly than anybody could imagine." At least that's the message the Palestinian Authority claims it received from the U.S. …Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting with Obama's envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, to outline the prime minister's approach to Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu reportedly told Mitchell he would condition future talks with the Palestinians on Palestinian leaders' first recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, a step that would be difficult should Hamas join a unity government. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95231