Congress Knew About Interrogations, Freddie Mac Official Dead, Sebelius Stalled

1) CIA Confirms: Waterboarding 9/11 Mastermind Led to Info that Aborted 9/11-Style Attack on Los Angeles

(CNSNews.com) - The Central Intelligence Agency told CNSNews.com today that it stands by the assertion made in a May 30, 2005 Justice Department memo that the use of “enhanced techniques” of interrogation on al Qaeda leader Khalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) -- including the use of waterboarding -- caused KSM to reveal information that allowed the U.S. government to thwart a planned attack on Los Angeles.

See: http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=46949

1a) Hill Briefed on Waterboarding in 2002 In September 2002, four members of Congress met in secret for a first look at a unique CIA program designed to wring vital information from reticent terrorism suspects in U.S. custody. For more than an hour, the bipartisan group, which included current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk.  Among the techniques described, said two officials present, was waterboarding, a practice that years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two U.S. officials said.  "The briefer was specifically asked if the methods were tough enough," said a U.S. official who witnessed the exchange. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/08/AR2007120801664.html And: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/23/boehner-cia-methods-no-secret-hill/ 1b) Congress Knew About the Interrogations Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair got it right last week when he noted how easy it is to condemn the enhanced interrogation program "on a bright sunny day in April 2009." Reactions to this former CIA program, which was used against senior al Qaeda suspects in 2002 and 2003, are demonstrating how little President Barack Obama and some Democratic members of Congress understand the dire threats to our nation. George Tenet, who served as CIA director under Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, believes the enhanced interrogations program saved lives. He told CBS's "60 Minutes" in April 2007: "I know this program alone is worth more than the FBI, the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency put together have been able to tell us." …It was not necessary to release details of the enhanced interrogation techniques, because members of Congress from both parties have been fully aware of them since the program began in 2002. We believed it was something that had to be done in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to keep our nation safe. After many long and contentious debates, Congress repeatedly approved and funded this program on a bipartisan basis in both Republican and Democratic Congresses (emphasis mine). See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124044188941045415.html 2) Police investigating death of Freddie Mac official VIENNA, VA. – The chief financial officer of Freddie Mac, one of the mortgage giants at the heart of the nation's financial meltdown, was found dead in his basement early Wednesday morning in what police said was an apparent suicide. David Kellermann, 41, apparently hanged himself in his suburban Washington home, said a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. He asked not to be identified because the investigation was ongoing. …That relationship has been tense and stressful, with Kellermann working long hours, a colleague said. Freddie Mac executives recently battled with federal regulators over whether to disclose potential losses on mortgage securities tied to the Obama administration's housing plan, said a person familiar with the deliberations who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_bi_ge/us_freddie_mac_official_dead 3) GOP Stymies Vote on Sebelius President Obama will have to wait a bit longer to round out his Cabinet. Senate Republicans refused today to allow a confirmation vote on his health secretary nominee Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kan.). She is the last Cabinet member awaiting Senate approval.  At the start of the session today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) proposed taking a vote after five hours of debate. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) objected, arguing that lawmakers needed more time to consider her "fairly contentious" selection.  A handful of Republicans have complained about Sebelius' support for abortion rights and her failure to report the full extent of campaign contributions she received from a physician who performs abortions. See: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/23/gop_stymies_vote_on_sebelius.html And: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090423/ap_on_go_co/us_sebelius_hhs Indeed, “Sebelius received almost $40,000 in campaign contributions tied to Dr. George Tiller through 2002 — a figure she was forced to revise after Operation Rescue challenged her initial $12,400 total. Sebelius said it was an ‘inadvertent omission.’” See: http://www.sba-list.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=ddJBKJNsFqG&b=4186739&content_id={A1B3E441-E6AA-45EF-9BA3-51691B1F58EB}&notoc=1 4) Judiciary Committee greenlights 'hate crimes' Members refuse to protect Christian pastors from charges Members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee today rejected an opportunity to protect Christian pastors who preach the biblical condemnation of homosexuality and approved on a 15-12 vote a "hate crimes" bill that supporters admit could be used to bring charges against religious leaders.  The bill, H.R. 1913, now will be considered by the full House of Representatives. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95923 5) Fuzzy Math The GOP took some heat when they called out the $3,100 extra tax dollars per year American households would have to pay when Cap & Trade is implemented. The MIT professor who worked on the study said the GOP was lying -- predictably liberal bloggers and left media like Keith Olbermann picked up on this and made fun of the GOP by mocking them as mathematicians. Turns out it was the MIT professor who was the idiot, after admitting to a 'boneheaded excel spreadsheet' mistake, and wouldn't you know it---the actual number is even higher than the GOP's estimate. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24433/ 6) Is Obama campaign cash quashing eligibility suits? FEC shows more than $1 million paid to top law firm since election President Obama may be using campaign funds to stomp out eligibility lawsuits brought by Americans, as his campaign has paid more than $1 million to his top lawyer since the election.  According to Federal Election Commission records, Obama For America paid $688,316.42 to international law firm Perkins Coie between January and March 2009. The campaign also compensated Perkins Coie for legal services between Oct. 16, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2008 – to the tune of $378,375.52.  Robert Bauer of Perkins Coie – top lawyer for Obama, Obama's presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and Obama's Organizing for America – is the same Washington, D.C., lawyer defending President Obama in lawsuits challenging his eligibility to be president. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95772

More on "The Give Act", Torture Memos, Spending Cuts that are Not, More Obama Admin Corruption

1) Obama urges citizens to undertake national service WASHINGTON – Calling on Americans to volunteer, President Barack Obama signed a $5.7 billion national service bill Tuesday that triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years and expands ways for students to earn money for college. "What this legislation does, then, is to help harness this patriotism and connect deeds to needs," said Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_national_service 1a) New law to 'manage' 8 million 'volunteers' WND reported when the bill began its quick trip through Congress, and its original language called for a study of how best to implement a mandatory national service program for citizens of the United States (emphasis mine).  Later the language was dropped from that bill, only to appear at the same time in another legislative proposal. That plan, H.R. 1444, now is in committee. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95674 2) Obama open to torture memos probe, prosecution WASHINGTON – Widening an explosive debate on torture, President Barack Obama on Tuesday opened the possibility of prosecution for Bush-era lawyers who authorized brutal interrogation of terror suspects and suggested Congress might order a full investigation. Less than a week after declaring it was time for the nation to move on rather than "laying blame for the past," Obama found himself describing what might be done next to investigate what he called the loss of "our moral bearings." See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_interrogation_memos 2a) Cheney: Release interrogation success stories Argues techniques such as waterboarding yielded crucial results for U.S. …"One of the things that I find a little bit disturbing about this recent disclosure is they put out the legal memos, the memos that the CIA got from the Office of Legal Counsel, but they didn't put out the memos that showed the success of the effort," Cheney said. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95730 And: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8009571.stm 3) Obama’s Spending vs Obama’s Spending Cuts — in Pictures See: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/04/20/obamas-spending-vs-obamas-spending-cuts-in-pictures/ 4) Key Obama Climate Change Exchange Being Swayed by Top U.N. Officials A greenhouse gases trading system funded with the support of then-Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama, which is likely to play a major role in his $650 million cap-and-trade initiative, lists five present or former top-ranking U.N. officials on its advisory board who've had enormous influence over climate change matters -- including one who received $1 million from a convicted South Korean lobbyist. The most controversial figure of the five, Maurice Strong, was one of former Secretary General Kofi Annan's key aides at the U.N. for years until the Iraq Oil-for-Food scandal forced him to leave. Since then Strong has lived mostly in China. Calls to the exchange for comment about Strong's role, and that of other U.N. figures, were not returned. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/20/key-obama-climate-change-exchange-swayed-officials/ 5) EXCLUSIVE: Senator's husband's firm cashes in on crisis On the day the new Congress convened this year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband's real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms. See: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/21/senate-husbands-firm-cashes-in-on-crisis/ 6) Janet Napolitano said what? “And yes, when we find illegal workers, yes, appropriate action, some of which is criminal, most of that is civil, because crossing the border is not a crime per se. It is civil. But anyway, going after those as well.” ENTRY WITHOUT INSPECTION IS A CRIME: In fact, pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1325, crossing the border illegally is a crime–a misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony for the second and subsequent offenses. But of course, ignoring or mischaracterizing the law is a very convenient way for those in power to avoid the laws they find most inconvenient. Sadly, statements such as these are also a signal that Americans will have to wait a long time before their government articulates any credible immigration enforcement policy. See: http://michellemalkin.com/2009/04/21/janet-napolitano-said-what/ 7) Obama chief Axelrod sells 'astroturfing' firm Inventor of artificial 'grassroots' efforts dismissed tea parties as fake White House senior adviser David Axelrod – who has dismissed the April 15 tea parties as "astroturf" rather than grassroots events" – stands to profit $3 million over the next five years from selling his interest in ASK Public Strategies, a Chicago public relations firm he created that many credit with having invented "astroturfing."  The term "astroturfing" refers to a practice in which a public relations firm or a corporation artificially creates an impression of grassroots support for a cause or concern. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95744 8) The Richer-Is-Greener Curve In my Findings column, I explain how researchers have discovered that, over the long term, being richer often translates into being greener. Many environmental problems get worse as a country first industrializes, but once it reaches a certain level of income, the trend often reverses, producing a curve shaped like an upside-down U. It’s called a Kuznets curve (in honor of the economist Simon Kuznets, who detected this pattern in trends of income inequality). See: http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/the-richer-is-greener-curve/ 9) Miss California: God was testing me Contestant loses pageant crown after answering 'gay' marriage question At Sunday night's Miss USA pageant, contestant Carrie Prejean was asked the one question she dreaded most, "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage; do you think every state should follow suit?" Her answer, which suddenly has made her the center of both praise and scorn, included the words, "In my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be – between a man and a woman." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95656

Government Ownership of Banks Increases, Obama Used as Propaganda Tool, UN Walks Out on Iran

1) Bailout advisers shifting strategy Loans may be converted into banks' common stock WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's top economic advisers have determined that they can shore up the nation's banking system without having to ask Congress for more money any time soon, administration officials said.  In a significant shift, White House and Treasury Department officials say they can stretch what is left of the $700 billion financial bailout fund further than they had expected a few months ago, simply by converting the government's existing loans to the nation's 19 biggest banks into common stock (emphasis mine). Ummm…translation, they will now own the banks, in part or in whole.  Converting those loans to common shares would turn the government aid into available capital for a bank – and give the government a large equity stake in return. See: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/apr/20/1n20bailout22378-bailout-advisers-shifting-strateg/?uniontrib 2) SPIN METER: Saving federal money the easy way WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cut a latte or two out of your annual budget and you've just done as much belt-tightening as President Barack Obama asked of his Cabinet on Monday. The thrifty measures Obama ordered for federal agencies are the equivalent of asking a family that spends $60,000 in a year to save $6. See: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/SPIN-METER-Saving-federal-apf-14976290.html?.v=1 3) Glenn Beck: Obama used as propaganda tool HILLARY CLINTON: Well, I will not promise to meet with the leaders of these countries during my first year. I will promise a very vigorous diplomatic effort because I think that it is not that you promise a meeting with that high a level before you know what the intentions are. I don't want to be used for propaganda purposes. I don't want to make a situation even worse, but I certainly agree that we need to get back to diplomacy, which has been turned into a bad word by this administration, and I will pursue very vigorous diplomacy and I will use a lot of high level presidential envoys to test the waters, to feel the way. But certainly we're not going to just have our president meet with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez and, you know, the president of North Korea, Iran and Syria until we know better what the way forward would be. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24282/ 4) 51% View Tea Parties Favorably, Political Class Strongly Disagrees Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans have a favorable view of the “tea parties” held nationwide last week, including 32% who say their view of the events is Very favorable. See: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics2/51_view_tea_parties_favorably_political_class_strongly_disagrees 5) How Obama actually delayed pirate rescue SEAL team deployment stalled 36 hours, hampered by limited rules of engagement WASHINGTON – While Barack Obama is basking in praise for his "decisive" handling of the Somali pirate attack on a merchant ship in the India Ocean, reliable military sources close to the scene are painting a much different picture of the incident – accusing the president of employing restrictive rules of engagement that actually hampered the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips and extended the drama at sea for days.  Multiple opportunities to free the captain of the Maersk Alabama from three young pirates were missed, these sources say – all because a Navy SEAL team was not immediately ordered to the scene and then forced to operate under strict, non-lethal rules of engagement.  They say the response duty office at the Pentagon was initially unwilling to grant an order to use lethal force to rescue Phillips. They also report the White House refused to authorize deployment of a Navy SEAL team to the location for 36 hours, despite the recommendation of the on-scene commander. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95451 5a) Somali pirates fire on cargo ships in Gulf of Aden See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_re_af/piracy 6) Four CIA chiefs said 'don't reveal torture memos' Agency's ex-directors objected to interrogation techniques being revealed. But Barack Obama went ahead anyway. See: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/four-cia-chiefs-said-dont-reveal-torture-memos-1671068.html 7) Iran leader sparks walkout at UN over Israel GENEVA – Dozens of Western diplomats walked out of a U.N. conference and a pair of rainbow-wigged protesters threw clown noses at Iran's president Monday when the hard-line leader called Israel the "most cruel and repressive racist regime." …At the first mention of Israel, about 40 diplomats from Britain and France and other European Union countries exited the room. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_re_eu/un_un_racism_conference And: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517151,00.html 8) Minnesota's Missing Votes  Some Senate absentee ballots are more equal than others. …Case in point: the panel's dismal handling of absentee ballots. Early in the recount, the Franken team howled that some absentee votes had been erroneously rejected by local officials. We warned at the time that this was dangerous territory, designed to pressure election officials into accepting rejected ballots after the fact. Yet instead of shutting this Franken request down, or early on issuing a clear set of rules as to which absentees were valid, the state Supreme Court and the canvassing board oversaw a haphazard process by which some counties submitted new batches to be included in the tally, while other counties did not. The resulting additional 933 ballots were largely responsible for Mr. Franken's narrow lead. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124000875842430603.html

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

A New Foundation, CIA Memos (Stinging Caterpillars), Tea Party Extremism, China Chips in US Planes?

“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” - The last sentence in The Declaration of Independence.  1) “A New Foundation” Franklin Roosevelt gave us the New Deal. John Kennedy gave us the New Frontier. In a major domestic policy address at Georgetown University this week, Barack Obama promised -- eight times -- a "New Foundation." For those too thick to have noticed this proclamation of a new era in American history, the White House Web site helpfully titled its speech excerpts "A New Foundation." …The Whopper: The boast that he had "identified $2 trillion in deficit reductions over the next decade." It takes audacity to repeat this after it had been so widely exposed as transparently phony. Most of this $2 trillion is conjured up by refraining from spending $180 billion a year for 10 more years of surges in Iraq. Hell, why not make the "deficit reductions" $10 trillion -- the extra $8 trillion coming from refraining from repeating the $787 billion stimulus package annually through 2019. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041603379.html 2) New pollution limits seen for cars, big plants …It was the first time the federal government had said it was ready to use the Clean Air Act to require power plants, cars and trucks to curtail their release of climate-changing pollution, especially carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/epa_climate 3) Morning Bell: What Works for Teachers Unions …The data is in. School choice works. And it significantly lower costs. Opportunity Scholarships offered through the program are worth $7,500. Since the participating private schools cannot charge scholarship students more than the amount of their scholarships, that amount is still less than half of the $15,315 that D.C. taxpayers spent per pupil in the 2004–05 school year. See: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/04/14/morning-bell-what-works-for-teachers-unions/ 4) The President Ties His Own Hands on Terror The release of these opinions was unnecessary as a legal matter, and is unsound as a matter of policy. Its effect will be to invite the kind of institutional timidity and fear of recrimination that weakened intelligence gathering in the past, and that we came sorely to regret on Sept. 11, 2001. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123993446103128041.html 4a) Obama Releases CIA Memos: If We Get Hit Again, He Owns It RUSH: You're going to come up with your own answer. Here you have memos -- and, by the way, if you look at what we are calling "torture," you have to laugh. For example, what was it? "Slapping...putting an insect in with a prisoner in a small confined area." There were 10 of these, but if you go through what are said to be the four worst, waterboarding, of course, which worked on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. I'm looking here for the details. Yeah, "sleep deprivation, facial slaps, placing one high-ranking al-Qaeda suspect," that would be Abu Zubaydah, "in a cramped box of what he was told was a stinging insect." This guy had a paranoia about stinging insects. They put him in with a caterpillar. CALLER: Oooo! RUSH: A caterpillar doesn't sting. See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_041709/content/01125109.guest.html And: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aWdlo4rB9Uic&refer=us 5) Schakowsky: Tea parties 'despicable' Gotta love Illinois…why in the world do I live here? Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) blasted "tea party" protests yesterday, labeling the activities "despicable" and shameful." "The 'tea parties' being held today by groups of right-wing activists, and fueled by FOX News Channel, are an effort to mislead the public about the Obama economic plan that cuts taxes for 95 percent of Americans and creates 3.5 million jobs," Schakowsky said in a statement. You can’t cut taxes for people who aren’t paying them. The percentage of Americans paying no tax at all is 43%. Therefore, you cannot, by definition, cut taxes for 95% of Americans.    See: http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/04/16/schakowsky-tea-parties-despicable/ 5a) 1 million attend tea parties in 50 states 'Obama has awakened a sleeping giant' An estimated 1 million Americans participated in at least 1,000 tea parties, according to reports by organizers tabulating the nationwide numbers, with documented protests held in 50 states. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95230 5b) Glenn Beck: You Might Be an Extremist If... …But the one thing our government doesn't seem to understand anymore — and this was on display quite clearly on Wednesday — is that being concerned about your country doesn't make you an extremist. If you attended tea party, you were called — quote — "steeped in insanity" by The L.A. Times; "nutjobs" by The Washington Post; and your actions were seen as quote "not really family viewing," by CNN. And then you had the activists. Left-wing blogs like Daily Kos not only mocked the tea party attendees as GOP plants, they also spoke publicly about infiltrating the events along with groups like ACORN. They were adamant that us extremists would never be able to get together, but they were wrong — I haven't heard a single report of violence. Imagine that kind of peace at a Code Pink protest or a G20 summit? See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24165/ 6) Obama 'seeks a new beginning' with Cuba, talks PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – Trading their warmest words in a half-century, the United States and Cuba built momentum toward renewed ties on Friday, with President Barack Obama declaring he "seeks a new beginning" — including direct talks — with the island's communist regime. As leaders of the Americas gathered for a summit in this Caribbean nation, the head of the Organization of American States even said he'll ask his group to invite Cuba back after 47 years. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_us_cuba 7) A 'Copper Standard' for the world's currency system? "China has woken up. The West is a black hole with all this money being printed. The Chinese are buying raw materials because it is a much better way to use their $1.9 trillion of reserves. They get ten times the impact, and can cover their infrastructure for 50 years." See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/5160120/A-Copper-Standard-for-the-worlds-currency-system.html 8) Chinese spies may have put chips in US planes WASHINGTON: The Chinese cyber spies have penetrated so deep into the US system — ranging from its secure defence network, banking system, electricity grid to putting spy chips into its defence planes — that it can cause serious damage to the US any time, a top US official on counter-intelligence has said. See: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-4412075,prtpage-1.cms

Texas secession, Tea Parties, Hatred of Conservatives, CNBC Sweats 'Obama-Bashing'

“Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings. “…Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”  -Patrick Henry 1) Democrats: Texas gov should disavow secession talk AUSTIN, Texas – In a state that once was its own nation, a Republican governor who talked about secession without completely dismissing the idea has Democratic lawmakers in an uproar. Gov. Rick Perry, in comments following an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday, never did advocate Texas breaking away from the United States but suggested that Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to leave the union. That was enough to feed opinions for and against secession on Web sites, cable TV and talk radio across the nation. At the Texas Capitol on Thursday, Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, joined by several fellow Texas House Democrats, said some people associate talk of secession with racial division and the Civil War and that Perry should disavow any notion of seceding. "Talk of secession is an attack on our country. It can be nothing else. It is the ultimate anti-American statement," Dunnam said at a news conference. Just how is TALK of secession an attack on our country???? Welcome to the upside down world of liberalism… See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090417/ap_on_re_us/perry_secession And: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D97J48IO2.html 2) DHS issued report on extremism despite concerns WASHINGTON – Civil liberties officials at the Homeland Security Department did not agree with some of the language in a controversial report on right-wing extremists, but the agency issued the report anyway. In the report, right-wing extremism was defined as hate-motivated groups and movements, such as hatred of certain religions, racial or ethnic groups. "It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the report said. Just how is opposition to abortion ‘hatred’ or ‘hate-motivated’? Killing unborn babies is a hateful act… See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090417/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/napolitano_right_wing_extremists 2a) Napolitano stands by controversial report Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that she was briefed before the release of a controversial intelligence assessment and that she stands by the report, which lists returning veterans among terrorist risks to the U.S.  But the top House Democrat with oversight of the Department of Homeland Security said in a letter to Ms. Napolitano that he was "dumbfounded" that such a report would be issued.  "This report appears to raise significant issues involving the privacy and civil liberties of many Americans - including war veterans," said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, in his letter sent Tuesday night. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/16/napolitano-stands-rightwing-extremism/ 2b) Why call Americans 'extremists?' DHS asked Freedom of Information Act request seeks 'basis' for report "This is not an intelligence report but a diatribe against those who oppose the policies of the Obama administration," said Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel for the organization.  "It is a declaration of war against the American people and our constitution. It is a prelude to extreme gun control legislation and hate speech laws targeting Christian churches and others who oppose abortion and same sex marriage," he continued. "The federal government should be focusing its attention on the 35 radical Muslim compounds in the U.S. training its followers on how to kidnap and kill Americans." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95149 2c) CNN Smears 'Right Wing' As Nazis See: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mike-sargent/2009/04/15/cnn-smears-right-wing-nazis 2d) MSNBC Again Touts Right-Wing Threat of Violence; Features GOP Logo Speaking to Democratic strategist Bob Shrum, Brewer asked about a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report warning of "right-wing extremists." In a bewildered tone, she wondered, "...Is it just a leap to think that they're talking about Republicans? They didn't even mention conservatives in the report." See: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2009/04/15/msnbc-again-touts-right-wing-threat-violence-features-gop-logo 3) Md. Guard Issues Warning to Staff about Local TEA Party Protestors The document appears to treat protestors as potential terrorists. The Point of Contact is identified as "Antiterrorism Program Coordinator" and provides a redacted army.mil email address.  The verbiage in the document advises Guard personnel to prepare for the worst. "Commanders are encouraged to update alert rosters and review emergency evacuation plans/rally points. Ensure all facilities have emergency phone lists posted (i.e. FBI, FIRE, POLICE, HOSPITALS, EMS, ETC…). Be aware of and avoid local protests." See: http://somd.com/news/headlines/2009/9833.shtml 4) CNBC Asks Santelli to React to Tea Parties: 'I'm Pretty Proud of This' “I don’t know about cultural phenomenon, but I’ll tell you what,” Santelli said. “I think that this tea party phenomenon is steeped in American culture and steeped in American notion to get involved with what’s going on with our government. I haven’t organized. I’m going to have to work to pay my taxes, so I’m not going to be able to get away today. But, I have to tell you – I’m pretty proud of this.” See: http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20090415092104.aspx 5) Coast-to-coast tea parties put lawmakers on notice Taxpayers descend upon politicians in numbers far beyond expectations SACRAMENTO – Americans took to the streets to protest wasteful government spending today – with estimated crowd sizes of 5,000 to 15,000 in Atlanta, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Olympia, Wash., Lansing, Mich., Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo., and Sacramento. …and about 2,000 in Lisle, Il, where my husband held a hand-made sign that read, “Lady Liberty and John Galt have packed their bags” on one side, and “America has lost its collective mind…is it 2010 yet?” on the other. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/15/anti-tax-tea-party-protests-expected/ And: http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/04/16/beck_alamo/ And: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95111 6) CNBC SWEATS 'OBAMA-BASHING' THE top suits and some of the on-air talent at CNBC were recently ordered to a top-secret meeting with General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt and NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker to discuss whether they've turned into the President Obama-bashing network, Page Six has learned.  "It was an intensive, three-hour dinner at 30 Rock which Zucker himself was behind," a source familiar with the powwow told us. "There was a long discussion about whether CNBC has become too conservative and is beating up on Obama too much. There's great concern that CNBC is now the anti-Obama network. The whole meeting was really kind of creepy." See: http://www.nypost.com/seven/04162009/gossip/pagesix/cnbc_sweats_obama_bashing_164608.htm 7) Officials Say U.S. Wiretaps Exceeded Law WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews. …The agency believed that the congressman, whose identity could not be determined, was in contact — as part of a Congressional delegation to the Middle East in 2005 or 2006 — with an extremist who had possible terrorist ties and was already under surveillance, the official said. The agency then sought to eavesdrop on the congressman’s conversations, the official said. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/us/16nsa.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1239937524-HL91quRGadq%20NWP%20HdbC3A 8) Obama's plan for Mideast peace: Strip Israel bare TEL AVIV, Israel – The Obama administration has decided to base its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on an Arab "peace" initiative, according to a source in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.  Defenders of Israel warn the so-called "Arab Peace Initiative" in its full form would leave the Jewish state with truncated, difficult-to-defend borders and could threaten Israel's Jewish character by compelling it to accept millions of foreign Arabs. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95171

More Pirate Attacks, Tax Breaks that are Not, Tea Parties, 'Spirituality' for Kids

"I get so tired of hearing people say, ‘The government gave me blah, blah, blah.’ Give me a break! Where do you think the government got the money? They got it from you. The government giving you something is like you giving yourself a transfusion from your right arm to your left arm, with 90 percent of your blood dripping out on the floor." John Hagee 1) French nab 11 pirates as threats mount on US ships MOMBASA, Kenya – A pirate gang that staged an abortive attack on a second U.S. ship loaded with food aid said Wednesday they were singling out American vessels and would kill their crews. French forces detained 11 other hijackers in a high-seas raid. Pirates fired grenades and automatic weapons at the cargo ship Liberty Sun, but its American crew successfully blockaded themselves inside the engine room. The ship was damaged in Tuesday's attack but escaped and was heading to Kenya under U.S. Navy guard. A pirate whose gang attacked the ship said Wednesday that his group was targeting American ships and sailors. "We will seek out the Americans and if we capture them we will slaughter them," said a 25-year-old pirate based in the Somali port of Harardhere who gave only his first name, Ismail. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_on_re_af/piracy 2) Anti-tax protesters turn out for dreaded April 15 FRANKFORT, Ky. – Protesters began gathering at state Capitols and in neighborhoods and town squares across the country Wednesday to kick off a series of tax-day protests designed to echo the rebellion of the Boston Tea Party. Demonstrators said they're steamed about government spending since President Barack Obama took office. The rallies were being held everywhere from Kentucky, which just passed tax increases on cigarettes and alcohol, to South Carolina, where the governor has repeatedly criticized the $787 billion economic stimulus package Congress passed earlier this year. Large protests also were expected in California and New York. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_on_bi_ge/tax_day_protests 3) At tax time, cases like Geithner's raise pointed questions Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington -- The Treasury secretary, who oversees the IRS, initially didn't pay all his taxes. Neither did five other top nominees for the Obama administration or their spouses. Now, as tonight's tax deadline looms, some Americans are rhetorically asking: What would have happened to me if I had done the same thing? See: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-geithner-tax15-2009apr15,0,6763028.story 4) Pass the stimulus, and unemployment will never go above 8% …Yesterday he asked Robert Gibbs about a report that the Obama administration released in January—which showed what could happen to the unemployment rate if their world saving stimulus package was not passed (graph on page 5). Here are the highlights:  1) By their own estimation, the stimulus isn’t working as planned: The administration’s own estimates said that if the stimulus would pass, the unemployment rate would never rise above 8%. Its peak would be around 7.9% around the end of the year. Well…It’s at 8.5% already, and most economists seem to it’s getting worse before it gets better. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/blog/stu/ 5) Obama extends tax relief to 'working families' President Obama announced a five-fold, tax-cut plan Wednesday and vowed to simplify the "monstrous" tax code that baffles most Americans.  "We start from the simple premise that we should reduce the tax burden on working people," said Mr. Obama, on the deadline day for filing 2008 tax returns.  Yeah, enjoy your $13, which will decrease to $8 in January… The president also likened himself to a typical U.S. worker, saying he will end tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans "so that folks like me are paying the same rates that the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans paid when Bill Clinton was president." Mr. Obama's salary as president is $400,000 a year. Yeah, people who make more than $400,000 don’t work for their money, do they?  See: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/15/obama-offer-relief-taxpayers/ 6) 'Spirituality for Kids' class draws fire "What does greater satisfaction bring?" she asks. Matthew replies: "Spiritual power!" Zucker asks him where the power comes from? "Your inner light," the boy answers. And where is that light found? "In your heart," he says. The exchange is part of "Spirituality for Kids," a class offered in several Los Angeles public elementary schools during the day or after school. Created by a leader of the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Centre International, a spiritual and educational organization, the program is promoted as a nondenominational effort to teach children to make wise choices. See: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-schools-kabbalah14-2009apr14,0,3061945.story

Radicals on Right, Russian Citizen Has Seen this Movie Before, Iran, NK, Texas Gov

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” C.S. Lewis Don’t forget to attend a T.E.A. Party tomorrow! See http://taxdayteaparty.com/ 1) Federal agency warns of radicals on right A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines "rightwing extremism in the United States" as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.  "It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the warning says. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/14/federal-agency-warns-of-radicals-on-right/ And: http://www.thelibertypapers.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hsa-rightwing-extremism-09-04-07.pdf 2) Gov. Perry Backs Resolution Affirming Texas’ Sovereignty Under 10th Amendment I guess that would make him an extremist then… “I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.” See: http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/12227/ 3) Victor Saw This in Soviet Russia CALLER: Well, what concerns me, Mr. Limbaugh, is that, in my opinion, there's nothing less than essentially a takeover of the country. I've seen all of this before. I've seen the playbook. I actually have a Ph.D. in philosophy, and I started in college and Marxist and Leninist philosophy. And what's happening here, the left is playing by the same book of rules that the Soviet Socialist Republic has lived for nearly 80 years. And very, very few people in this country recognize what's actually taking place. See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_041409/content/01125112.guest.html 4) Peres: Israel Prepared to Strike Iran “[Iranian president Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad recruits forces against us, but there are also forces against him,” Israeli President Shimon Peres warned Sunday, according to a report in the Jerusalem Post.  “What happened in Egypt created a fierce opposition and we must unify all his opponents -- the Sunnis and the Europeans, as well as those afraid of nuclear weapons and terror,” the Israeli leader said.  Peres tempered his saber-rattling remarks by adding that he hoped President Barack Obama’s call for dialogue with Ahmadinejad would be heeded.  More ominously, however, he advised that if such talks don’t soften the Iranian president’s approach, “we’ll strike him.” See: http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/peres_israel_iran/2009/04/13/202469.html 5) U.S. may drop key condition for talks with Iran WASHINGTON - The Obama administration and its European allies are preparing proposals that would shift strategy toward Iran by dropping a longstanding American insistence that Tehran rapidly shut down nuclear facilities during the early phases of negotiations over its atomic program, according to officials involved in the discussions. See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30202638/ 6) NKorea to quit talks, reopen nuclear plants SEOUL (AFP) – North Korea announced Tuesday it would quit six-nation nuclear disarmament talks and restart its atomic weapons programme in protest at the UN's condemnation of its rocket launch. The communist nation said Security Council discussion of the launch, which it insists sent a satellite into orbit, was "an unbearable insult" to its people. Hours later, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its inspectors had been ordered to leave the country as Pyongyang prepared to reactivate its nuclear facilities. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090414/wl_asia_afp/unnkoreamissilenuclear;_ylt=AqMO8snt1p0.3P.IpDuGs4Z34T0D 7) Somali pirates seize two more ships Seems like a profitable business model, since no one is stopping them… See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090415/ts_nm/us_somalia_piracy;_ylt=AnQz0xavN2.BANFMYeIzO6l34T0D 8) NY Gov. Paterson to introduce gay marriage bill See: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5grygnggpvdxoXHz6K6u0f9CUtsPQD97IFURO0

Somali Pirates are Muslims, DHS on Guard Against 'Right Wing Extremists', Traditional Values Over?

1) The Somali Pirates are Really Muslims, just as they were 200 years ago… The United States tried to play nice with the Barbary pirates and even inked a few treaties. That language, too, has a striking ring. The Barbary States were Muslim, as is Somalia.  …Eventually, though, Americans felt humiliated paying off a bunch of knife-sucking thugs in blousy pants. That’s what led to the Barbary Wars, first in 1801 when Jefferson became president, and again in 1815, when James Madison sent the United States Navy to shell the Barbary Coast. The battles became the stuff of legend — “the shores of Tripoli” in the Marine Hymn — and were critical in developing the nation’s young Navy. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/weekinreview/12gettleman.html?ref=africa 1a) Somali Insurgents Fire at U.S. Congressman During Visit to Mogadishu See: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514935,00.html 2) Homeland Security on guard for 'right-wing extremists' Returning U.S. military veterans singled out as particular threats WASHINGTON – A newly unclassified Department of Homeland Security report warns against the possibility of violence by unnamed "right-wing extremists" concerned about illegal immigration, increasing federal power, restrictions on firearms, abortion and the loss of U.S. sovereignty and singles out returning war veterans as particular threats. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94803 …So, if you disagree with Obama on amnesty for illegals or stand up for the Second Amendment, you are branded a "rightwing extremist" by the Department of Homeland Security and become the subject of scrutiny by some 850,000 local and state law enforcement personnel. See: http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94799 3) Ahmadinejad: Iran now has the ability to produce nuclear fuel Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that Iran now controls the entire cycle for producing nuclear fuel with the opening of a new facility to produce uranium pellets. See: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1077726.html 4) Obama officials working against Netanyahu? Rallying Congress for fear Israeli PM will bypass White House JERUSALEM – In anticipation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington next month, the Obama administration has been briefing Congress on its position regarding establishing a Palestinian state, according to informed Israeli diplomatic sources.  The sources said Obama's team fears Netanyahu may try to rally support in Congress against the president's policies, prompting the White House to act first by detailing for members of Congress Obama's positions regarding a Palestinian state and freezing Jewish construction in the West Bank. The White House is stressing that it holds Israel's security paramount but that Obama believes establishing a Palestinian state is crucial for Middle East peace. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94601 5) Critics say U.S. lawmakers erred by meeting with Castro brothers WASHINGTON -- Two former Cuban political prisoners and congressional backers of the U.S. embargo against Cuba Thursday lambasted a Congressional Black Caucus visit to Havana for overlooking the plight of dissidents on the island. Republican Reps. Chris Smith of New Jersey and Frank Wolf of Virginia said they've been trying to visit with political prisoners, but have twice been blocked from visiting Cuba by the Castro government. They were filing a third request Thursday. ''The Cuban government routinely denies lawmakers who have criticized its human rights record any access to the country itself,'' Smith told reporters. ``But for members of Congress who signal they will be docile, it rolls out the red carpet.'' See: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/992309.html 6) Glenn Beck - Schumer: traditional values are 'over' See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/23945/ 7) Minn. court declares Franken leading vote-getter ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minnesota court confirmed Monday that Democrat Al Franken won the most votes in his 2008 Senate race against Republican Norm Coleman, who had already announced plans to appeal the decision. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090414/ap_on_go_co/minnesota_senate

Pirates, Group Talks with Iran, ACORN to crash TEA parties, TARP now in Insurance

1) FBI joins effort in hostage standoff with pirates

NAIROBI, Kenya – FBI hostage negotiators joined U.S. Navy efforts Thursday to free an American cargo ship captain held captive on a lifeboat by Somali pirates. A U.S. destroyer and a spy plane kept a close watch in the high-seas standoff near the Horn of Africa, and more U.S. ships were dispatched to the area. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090409/ap_on_re_af/piracy 1a) U.S. military already prepared with battle plans for Somalia pirates, say intelligence sources Retired U.S. Ambassador Robert Oakley, who was special envoy to Somalia in the 1990s, said U.S. special operations forces have drawn up detailed plans to attack piracy groups where they live on land, but are awaiting orders from the Obama national security team. See: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/04/09/2009-04-09_us_military_prepared_for_battle_with__somalia_pirates.html 1c) Analysis: Hillary warned there'd be days like this

For the second time in four days and with less than three months in office, President Barack Obama has received the "3 a.m. phone call" that Clinton warned about. In their bitter presidential contest, Clinton suggested that her young rival was not ready for a national security crisis. 

...Upon returning from his first European trip Wednesday—at about 3 a.m.—he got word that a U.S.-flagged cargo ship was in the hands of Somali pirates. The seafaring hostage takers were holding a 20-member crew, all Americans. Historians said it was the first time in 200 years pirates had taken control of an American-flagged vessel.

See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97EJ4S00&show_article=1 2) Obama playing nice with communist dictators... Fidel Castro to Congressional Black Caucus members: 'How can we help President Obama?' How's this for hope and change: U.S. officials flying to Cuba, not to interrogate prisoners at Guantanamo Bay but to meet with the Castro brothers in order to ease the 50-year tensions between the two nations. Greg Adams of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana confirmed that the three members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with Castro, who handed the communist torch to his brother Raul in early 2007. Cuban state television is expected to release more details of the meeting tonight, Adams said. See: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/04/congressional-caucus-members-meet-with-the-castro-cousins-in-cuba.html 3) Iran says running 7,000 enrichment centrifuges TEHRAN, April 9 (Reuters) - Iran is now running 7,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges, a senior official said on Thursday, an announcement likely to increase Western concerns about the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear plans. See: http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKDAH95156720090409 3a) US to attend group nuclear talks with Iran WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration said Wednesday it will participate directly in group talks with Iran over its suspect nuclear program, marking another shift from former President George W. Bush's policy.  State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the United States would be at the table "from now on" when senior diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany meet with Iranian officials to discuss the nuclear issue. The Bush administration had generally shunned such meetings. See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97EDOA00&show_article=1   4) ACORN to crash Tax Day tea parties? Activist group plans rallies, blasts 'gripe fest by bunch of conservatives' With only one week left before citizens in 2,000 U.S. cities take to the streets in protest of government spending this Tax Day, will ACORN and the Huffington Post crash the party?  ACORN spokesman Charles Jackson told WND his group will be rallying on the same day. "ACORN is going to be engaged in a series of rallies across the country on April 15 in support of the priorities outlined in President Obama's first budget – investments in education, health care, and getting Americans back to work," Jackson said. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94297 4a) ACORN to Play Role in 2010 Census The U.S. Census is supposed to be free of politics, but one group with a history of voter fraud, ACORN, is participating in next year's count, raising concerns about the politicization of the decennial survey. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/17/lawmakers-concerned-role-acorn-census/ 5) Treasury to extend TARP to life insurers: report Great! Now Geithner can take over insurance companies too! NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department plans to extend the Troubled Asset Relief Program to certain life insurers, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Treasury is expected to announce within the next several days the inclusion of life insurers that are bank holding companies or own a thrift, the Journal reported on its website. See: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0749421220090408 6) AP Newsbreak: Obama looks at climate engineering WASHINGTON (AP) - The president's new science adviser said Wednesday that global warming is so dire, the Obama administration is discussing radical technologies to cool Earth's air. John Holdren told The Associated Press in his first interview since being confirmed last month that the idea of geoengineering the climate is being discussed.  One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun's rays. Holdren said such an experimental measure would only be used as a last resort. See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97EG5200&show_article=1 7) Osteens: Obama doing great job, loves the Lord An example of total lack of discernment, but then, consider the source...someone who isn’t sure Jesus is the only way (see Joel Osteen's previous interview with Larry King) can’t be trusted to make any right spiritual judgements. Joel Osteen: Well, it matters to me. It matters to me that I know he loves the Lord, and I think it's important that he has convictions from his faith. So to me, it matters when I'm making my personal decisions. See: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/08/lkl.osteens/index.html

US Not at War with Islam? Geithner to Oust More Execs, TSA Detains Ron Paul Official

“No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” - Ronald Reagan    

“Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.” - Ronald Reagan 

  1) Obama tells Turks that US is not at war with Islam   ANKARA, Turkey – Barack Obama, making his first visit to a Muslim nation as president, declared Monday the United States "is not and will never be at war with Islam."   ...Obama recognized past tensions in the U.S.-Turkey relationship, but said things were on the right track now because both countries share common interests and are diverse nations. "We don't consider ourselves Christian, Jewish, Muslim. We consider ourselves a nation bound by a set of ideals and values," Obama said of the United States. "Turkey has similar principals."    See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090406/ap_on_re_eu/eu_obama And: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97CVOMG0&show_article=1 2) Geithner May Oust Executives at Banks Needing ‘Exceptional’ Aid April 6 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said he’s prepared to oust executives and directors at banks that require “exceptional” assistance from the U.S. government.  “If in the future, banks need exceptional assistance in order to get through this, then we will make sure that assistance comes,” while ensuring taxpayers are protected, Geithner said yesterday in an interview on the CBS “Face the Nation” program. “Where that requires a change in management and the board, then we will do that.” See: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aMWnzAPdYvl8&refer=worldwide   3) Bombings in Baghdad kill 33 people, police say   The explosions come amid a period of relative calm in most of Iraq, where violence has dropped by more than 90 percent. But with U.S. forces drawing down their operations under a plan by President Barack Obama to remove combat troops from the country by Aug. 31, 2010, some U.S. military and Iraqi government officials have privately expressed concerns about an increase in violence.   See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090406/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq   4) TSA detains official from Ron Paul group The Transportation Security Administration is investigating the detention and harassment of a Ron Paul organization official by airport screeners, an incident that was caught on tape at a St. Louis airport. …On the tape, Mr. Bierfeldt is asked repeatedly where he works, where he obtained the money and why he was in St. Louis.  In each instance, Mr. Bierfeldt asked whether he was required by law to answer the questions.  "You want to play smartass, and I'm not going to play your f--ing game," the TSA official said. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/06/tsa-detains-official-from-ron-paul-group/ 5) Authorities: Pilot of stolen plane captured after going on the run WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The pilot of a small Cessna 172 aircraft reported stolen from a Canadian flight school has been captured, authorities said.  The pilot reportedly stole a small Cessna 172 aircraft from a Canadian flight school, flew hundreds of miles across the Midwest, landed on a dirt road in Missouri late Monday and took off on foot, federal officials said. Federal, state and local authorities launched a manhunt for the pilot, who was identified by the FBI as Yavuz Burke, 31, a native of Turkey who became a Canadian citizen last year. He was formerly known as Adam Leon, though officials did not indicate a reason for the name change. See: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/04/06/stolen.plane/ 6) Good news: Pharmacists win battle in 'conscience' rights case Court rejects officials' attempt to 'trample' faith-related protections Pharmacists in Illinois have been granted a victory in their legal battle over their right of conscience, according to the American Center for Law and Justice, an organization dedicated to protecting constitutional rights.  The state circuit court in Springfield has issued a temporary restraining order against the governor of Illinois, barring him from enforcing a 2005 administrative regulation that forced pharmacies to dispense Plan B and other abortion-inducing drugs. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94156 7) An ‘alarmist’ (what some have called me) foresaw earthquake… Italy muzzled scientist who foresaw quake ROME, April 6 (Reuters) - An Italian scientist predicted a major earthquake around L'Aquila weeks before disaster struck the city on Monday, killing dozens of people, but was reported to authorities for spreading panic among the population.  The first tremors in the region were felt in mid-January and continued at regular intervals, creating mounting alarm in the medieval city, about 100 km (60 miles) east of Rome. See: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L6566682.htm

Government Control of the Internet, A 'Nuclear Free World', NY Times Refuses to Report on ACORN

1) The Cybersecurity Act of 2009: Government Control of the Internet… A pair of bills introduced in the U.S. Senate would grant the White House sweeping new powers to access private online data, regulate the cybersecurity industry and even shut down Internet traffic during a declared "cyber emergency."  Senate bills No. 773 and 778, introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., are both part of what's being called the Cybersecurity Act of 2009, which would create a new Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor, reportable directly to the president and charged with defending the country from cyber attack.  A working draft of the legislation obtained by an Internet privacy group also spells out plans to grant the Secretary of Commerce access to all privately owned information networks deemed to be critical to the nation's infrastructure "without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule or policy restricting such access." …First, the White House, through the national cybersecurity advisor, shall have the authority to disconnect "critical infrastructure" networks from the Internet – including private citizens' banks and health records, if Rockefeller's examples are accurate – if they are found to be at risk of cyber attack. The working copy of the bill, however, does not define what constitutes a cybersecurity emergency, and apparently leaves the question to the discretion of the president. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93966 2) NKorea rocket fizzles, US says; Obama urges action UNITED NATIONS – The U.S. and its allies sought punishment Sunday for North Korea's defiant launch of a rocket that apparently fizzled into the Pacific, holding an emergency U.N. meeting in response to the "provoctive act" that some believe was a long-range missile test. President Barack Obama, faced with his first global security crisis, called for a international response and condemned North Korea for threatening the peace and stability of nations "near and far." Minutes after liftoff, Japan requested the emergency Security Council session in New York. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090405/ap_on_re_as/as_nkorea_missile 3) Obama outlines sweeping goal of nuclear-free world PRAGUE – Declaring the future of mankind at stake, President Barack Obama on Sunday said all nations must strive to rid the world of nuclear arms and that the U.S. had a "moral responsibility" to lead because no other country has used one. …Few experts think it's possible to completely eradicate nuclear weapons, and many say it wouldn't be a good idea even if it could be done. Even backward nations such as North Korea have shown they can develop bombs, given enough time. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090405/ap_on_go_pr_wh/eu_obama 4) Financial Industry Paid Millions to Obama Aide WASHINGTON — Lawrence H. Summers, the top economic adviser to President Obama, earned more than $5 million last year from the hedge fund D. E. Shaw and collected $2.7 million in speaking fees from Wall Street companies that received government bailout money, the White House disclosed Friday in releasing financial information about top officials. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/us/politics/04disclose.html?_r=1&partner=MYWAY&ei=5065 5) ACORN Closely Tied to Obama Administration, NY Times ‘Stands Down’ on the Story According to MonCrief, New York Times reporter Stephanie Strom was getting close to documenting a story directly linking the Obama campaign to ACORN through the "Project Vote" organization. Barack Obama worked for "Project Vote" in the 1990s. There is speculation that "Project Vote" did a number of illegal things last November during the voter registration process. Strom was allegedly zeroing in on the situation.  But the Times' investigation suddenly stopped dead, prompting a call from Strom to MonCrief, her source. A voicemail from Strom was left on Oct. 21, 2008:  "Hi, Anita, it's Stephanie. I've just been asked by my bosses to stand down. ... They want me to hold off on coming to Washington. Sorry, I take my orders from higher up." See: http://townhall.com/columnists/BillOReilly/2009/04/04/the_mighty_acorn 6) South Carolina Gov Refusing Stimulus Money On Friday, just before the Obama administration’s deadline, Mr. Sanford became the last governor to certify that he would accept some stimulus money, but declared that he would not accept the $700 million largely designated for education unless the legislature agreed to use a similar amount to pay down the state’s debt. (He did, however, accept most of the remaining $2.1 billion for Medicaid, transportation and other uses. Only Mr. Sanford and Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska have rejected the education money.) See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/us/politics/04sanford.html?_r=2&hp 7) Abortion is a blessing and abortionists are doing holy work, says Anglican priest The new Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massacusetts, has given a sermon describing abortions as a "blessing" for the women who undergo them. The Rev Katherine Hancock Ragsdale also thinks that the people who run abortion clinics are "heroes" and even "saints". Ms Ragsdale, speaking in Birmingham, Alabama, said that "when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion - there is not a tragedy in sight - only blessing." See: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/damian_thompson/blog/2009/04/02/abortion_is_a_blessing_and_abortionists_are_doing_holy_work_says_anglican_priest 8) Leaving Michigan Behind: Eight-year population exodus staggers state RUSH: This is from the Detroit News. Headline says it all: "Leaving Michigan Behind: Eight-Year Population Exodus Staggers State.' -- Outflow of skilled, educated workers crimps Michigan's recovery. The state loses a family every 12 minutes, and the families who are leaving -- young, well-educated high-income earners -- are the people the state desperately needs to rebuild." Why are they leaving? Snerdley, where are they leaving? Jennifer Granholm. In the last two to three decades, could somebody name for me what party governed Michigan for the vast majority of the past 20, 30 years? What party governed Detroit for as long back as anybody can remember? Democrats. A teachable moment here. In this whole story there's not one mention of high taxes. There's not one mention of high taxes here. Crumbling education, crumbling infrastructure, crime, and now the government taking over General Motors -- so more Democrats running that industry. See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_040309/content/01125104.guest.html And: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090402/METRO/904020403/&imw=Y

Energy Tax: $2000/year, Federal Hate Crimes Bill Introduced in House, Guns in Mexico are NOT from US

1) Energy costs being bumped $2,000 per household Researcher says tax could be biggest levy ever in the U.S. The vice president for an energy research center says the administration of President Barack Obama is working now on what could end up being the biggest levy ever in the history of the United States, a tax that is expected to cost $2,000 per household. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93778 2) Budgets Approved, With No G.O.P. Votes See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/us/politics/03budget.html?ref=todayspaper 3) Federal workers may get bigger raises WASHINGTON — Despite President Obama's call for federal employees to "do their part" and accept smaller-than-usual pay raises, Congress is considering a budget that could spend an additional $1.3 billion or more on pay for civilian federal workers. See: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-03-government-pay-raises_N.htm 4) Fannie, Freddie Bonuses Total About $210 Million In a compensation program that has drawn angry protests from lawmakers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac expect to pay about $210 million in retention bonuses to 7,600 employees over 18 months, according to a letter from the mortgage companies' regulator. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123876318076986497.html 5) Federal hate crimes bill introduced in House  Measure lets feds prosecute bias-motivated violence Legislation that would allow the federal government to prosecute bias-motivated violence against LGBT people was introduced Thursday in the U.S. House. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced the legislation, H.R. 1913. As of Friday, the bill had 42 co-sponsors. The legislation would allow the Justice Department to assist in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes committed against LGBT people that result in death or serious injury. The federal government could lend its assistance to local authorities or take the lead in cases if local officials are unwilling or unable to prosecute the cases. See: http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=24830 6) The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S. EXCLUSIVE: You've heard this shocking "fact" before -- on TV and radio, in newspapers, on the Internet and from the highest politicians in the land: 90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States. -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it to reporters on a flight to Mexico City. -- CBS newsman Bob Schieffer referred to it while interviewing President Obama. -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said at a Senate hearing: "It is unacceptable to have 90 percent of the guns that are picked up in Mexico and used to shoot judges, police officers and mayors ... come from the United States." -- William Hoover, assistant director for field operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testified in the House of Representatives that "there is more than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 percent of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States." There's just one problem with the 90 percent "statistic" and it's a big one: It's just not true. In fact, it's not even close. The fact is, only 17 percent of guns found at Mexican crime scenes have been traced to the U.S. …The exaggeration of United States "responsibility" for the lawlessness in Mexico extends even beyond the "90-percent" falsehood -- and some Second Amendment activists believe it's designed to promote more restrictive gun-control laws in the U.S. …"Reporter after politician after news anchor just disregards the truth on this," Cox said. "The numbers are intentionally used to weaken the Second Amendment." See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2009/04/02/myth-percent-guns-mexico-fraction-number-claimed/ 7) Running out of ammunition …The shortage is the result of a confluence of events, industry observers say: a run on guns by consumers since the election of President Barack Obama, more ammunition being sent to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the increased cost of raw materials needed to make bullets. "In the first three months of the year, we've already sold what we typically sell in an entire year," said Rex Gore, owner of Black Wing Shooting Center in Delaware. Sales now are limited to a few boxes at a time, depending on the caliber, he said. "We've never seen anything like this before," Gore said. "We've had spikes in demand before with other administration changes, after 9/11 and when people were preparing for Y2K, but nothing like this. See: http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/02/ammo_shortage.ART_ART_04-02-09_A1_82DEC41.html?sid=101 8) Russia's Medvedev hails 'comrade' Obama LONDON (AFP) - - Russia's Dmitry Medvedev hailed Barack Obama as "my new comrade" Thursday after their first face-to-face talks, saying the US president "can listen" -- even if little progress was made on substance. The Russian president contrasted Obama as "totally different" to his predecessor George W. Bush, whom he blamed for the "mistake" of US missile shield plans fiercely opposed by Moscow. See: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090403/twl-russia-us-g20-diplomacy-missile-7e07afd.html 9) Worries Rise as North Korea Nears Missile Launch President Barack Obama increased pressure on North Korea to halt moves toward a weekend test of a long-range ballistic missile, warning Pyongyang on Friday that a launch would be "provocative" and wouldn't go unpunished. U.S. defense officials said, however, there were no signs North Korea was curtailing its test and was instead making final preparations for the rocket shot, which could come as early as Saturday -- despite intensified diplomacy and increasingly strong objections from Mr. Obama and the U.S.'s Asian allies. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123880166885488565.html 10) Democrats Try to Bully Coleman… Coleman faces hot seat even if he wins Even if Norm Coleman pulls off a long-shot legal victory in the extended Minnesota Senate race, Democrats are vowing to make him wish that he hadn’t. See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/20835.html 11) U.S. News' Bonnie Erbe Argues Abortion is a 'Good Decision' in a Recession See: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/colleen-raezler/2009/04/02/u-s-news-bonnie-erbe-argues-abortion-good-decision-recession 12) Iowa Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090404/ap_on_re_us/iowa_gay_marriage

The 'New World Order', Netanyahu: Stop Iran, or I Will, Stimulus Now Equals Entire 2008 GDP

1) House approves $3.6 trillion budget blueprint WASHINGTON – The Democratic-controlled House approved a budget blueprint drawn to President Barack Obama's specifications Thursday and the Senate hastened to follow suit after administration allies rejected alternatives from liberals and conservatives alike. The vote in the House was 233-196, largely along party lines, for a $3.6 trillion plan that includes a deficit of $1.2 trillion. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_go_co/congress_budget 2) 'Stimulus' tab: $12.8 trillion and climbing: Amount nearly equals value of everything produced in U.S. in 2008 WASHINGTON – The federal government and the Federal Reserve have committed $12.8 trillion in spending so far to bailouts and "stimulus" packages – an amount nearly equal to the value of everything produced in the U.S. in 2008. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93686 3) G-20 gives $1 trillion to fight global crisis LONDON – World leaders pledged $1.1 trillion in loans and guarantees to struggling countries and agreed Thursday to crack down on tax havens and hedge funds — but failed to reach sweeping accord on more stimulus spending to attack the global economic decline. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090402/ap_on_re_eu/g20_summit 4) Lawmakers Have Long Rewarded Their Aides With Bonuses Capitol Hill bonuses in 2008 were among the highest in years, according to LegiStorm, an organization that tracks payroll data. The average House aide earned 17% more in the fourth quarter of the year, when the bonuses were paid, than in previous quarters, according to the data. That was the highest jump in the eight years LegiStorm has compiled payroll information. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123854799133476409.html 5) To Chagrin of Republicans, Compensation Bill Passes See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/us/politics/02pay.html?ref=todayspaper 6) U.S. Plans Key Role In Naming GM Board: Washington Post: Obama Administration Will Have Heavy Influence Over The Automaker's Leadership The president said Monday that "the United States government has no interest in running GM." But in practice it is already exerting tremendous influence over it, a situation that has triggered fierce debate over how much power the government should wield over the companies that it aids. See: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/01/politics/washingtonpost/main4909701.shtml 7) Gordon Brown Calls for ‘New World Order’ It all sounds wonderful and pleasant, and even biblical, but this is what the Bible warned would happen in the end times, and this is the philosophy and methodology that will set the stage for the antichrist.   See: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1166182/Brown-DOES-God-calls-new-world-order-sermon-St-Pauls.html 8) Obama issues warning as North Korea readies rocket WASHINGTON – As North Korea fueled a multistage rocket Thursday for its threatened satellite launch, President Barack Obama promised a "stern" response and Japan vowed to press for an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council. Senior U.S. defense officials said that trailers and vehicles carrying rocket propellant were in place at North Korea's coastal launch site and that fueling had begun. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_nkorea_missile 9) APRIL 1st MARKS 30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION: How did Washington miss it? Netanyahu understands Iran threat today, does Obama? Do they understand the eschatology — or End Times theology — held by the current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and how such deeply-held religious beliefs are driving Iranian foreign policy and military doctrine? Do they understand that Iran’s current leaders believe they have been chosen by God to bring about the end of the world, that this is why they are hell-bent on acquiring or building nuclear weapons? See: http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/april-1st-marks-30th-anniversary-of-the-iranian-revolution-how-did-washington-miss-it-will-we-miss-it-again/ 10) Netanyahu to Obama: Stop Iran—Or I Will See: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200903u/netanyahu 11) U.S. says will push hard for Palestinian statehood The United States will push hard for Palestinian statehood despite a new rightist government in Israel but anticipates a rough road ahead, a U.S. official said on Thursday. See: http://in.news.yahoo.com/137/20090403/760/twl-u-s-says-will-push-hard-for-palestin.html 12) Pakistani militant poses growing threat to US Mehsud is now seen as posing one of the greatest threats to President Barack Obama's push to stem Pakistan's slide toward instability and turn around the war in Afghanistan, analysts and officials said. For years, the U.S. had considered him a lesser threat than some of the other Pakistani Taliban, their Afghan counterparts and al-Qaida, because most of his attacks were focused inside Pakistan, not against U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials said the U.S. has changed its view in recent months as Mehsud's power has grown and concerns mounted that increasing violence in Pakistan could destabilize the nuclear-armed ally. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan 13) Fraken and Coleman Race in Minnesota Still Not Decided… See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/20785.html