2009-04-26

Beyonce's movie "Obsessed" #1 at the Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Did someone say catfight?

The prospect of a saucy smackdown between R&B singer Beyonce Knowles (pictured left) and teen-movie siren Ali Larter propelled the new "Fatal Attraction"-style thriller "Obsessed" to the top of the weekend box office in North America.

According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, "Obsessed" sold $28.5 million worth of tickets, earning about twice what industry pundits had forecast and easily exceeding its modest $20 million budget.

The Screen Gems picture ranks as the label's second-best opening after the $30 million start for 2005's "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." Screen Gems is the lucrative low-budget division of Sony Corp's Columbia Pictures.

Knowles, the former Destiny's Child frontwoman who recently played blues icon Etta James in "Cadillac Records," stars as a woman who engages in a no-holds-barred fight
to save her marriage when a pretty office temp (Larter) falls hard for her husband (Idris Elba).

"This is one of those movies where you want to watch Beyonce kick butt," said Rory Bruer, Columbia's president of worldwide distribution.

The studio said female moviegoers comprised 58 percent of the audience, while 49 percent of all viewers were aged under 25.

HBCU Hampton University campus shooting

HAMPTON, Va. — Three people have been taken to a hospital after a shooting in the Harkness Hall men's dormitory on the campus of Historic Black College and University (HBCU) Hampton University.

Spokeswoman Yuri Rodgers Milligan says police believes that the shooter is a former student who was one of the three injured early Sunday. A night manager for the Harkness Hall men's dormitory at the school in southeastern Virginia was also hurt. The third victim was not identified, but was not a student.

No students were injured in the shooting reported about 1 a.m., Hampton police said.

The suspect, from Richmond, shot two Hampton men ages 62 and 43, before shooting himself, according to local police.

Milligan says all three are alive but she doesn't have an update on their conditions. Officials don't yet know the shooter's motive.

Per Hampton University policy, all students, faculty and staff were notified about the situation via text message and e-mail. The school remains locked down while police investigate.

Hampton University is a Historic Black College/University (HBCU) established in 1868 during Re-Construction to educate Black leaders for the newly freed former slaves.

A former Hampton University Graduate Booker T. Washington was one of those leaders, and Mr. Washington based his foundation setting up Tuskegee Institute in Alabama (now Tuskegee University) on Hampton's ideology.

Hampton and Tuskegee Universities focus on both a scholastic Education to go along with a high Skills curriculum.

A Hampton education is on par with the level of education offered at Howard, Morehouse, and Tuskegee. The shooting at such an outstanding University is a total surprise. Well-to-do African-Americans send their children to these high-end HBCU's, partly because of the Institution safety.

Can anyone feel absolutely safe now when shootings occur on University campuses each and every year -- Virginia Tech in 07, Deleware State last year, and now Hampton University? Two of these three Universities are in Virginia with their buy-a-gun-at-the-corner-store reputation. Virginia has very loose well documented gun laws. Would you send your kid to a Virginia college or university before their gun laws were fully addresed by the State? Or do we just take it for granted that anyone can get a gun like a piece of candy?

Secondly, is the solution that we first address violent and defiant behavior of a now desperate society? I say 'society' because it's not just the easily targetted and defenseless youth anymore.

You can no longer blame it on conneisseurs of gangsta rap music and pimped-out videos. Now grown men are going postal on their former colleagues at their most recent employer. The recent rash of grown-ass-men killing their entire family (kids included) and then themselves.

Are mental institutions too lenient in their prognosis? The answer is no longer an easy solution anymore.

Times can only get tougher considering the medical benefits, pensions, job/salary eliminations, and lower wages offered by today's buiness environment. Throwing a million youngins' in prison has not worked. A Government takeover nor bailout cannot resolve this continued menacing problem.

Education nowadays goes so far. White collar workers standing in concert-like lines for menial jobs in New York City, shown last week on Sunday's 60 minutes news program, was a sad site to see. Today, with the addition of easy access to every type of gun possible, may be a bad time to sit around and do nothing about it.

I am guesing -- but almost certain -- that Great Britian has laws where both its' citizens and local police are un-able to carry nor own guns. Homicides are a rarity throughout the entire country. Considered a drastic gun law in the land of guns (USA), that may be 'one' of the answers considering that over half-a-million mortgage and rent paying adults are being fired each month. I don't think that crime will go 'down' with people facing these drastic financial problems.

What is your solution?

2009-04-25

Susan Boyle debuts at "Britian's Got Talent" TV show

NFL Draft 2009

Round 1 Draft Picks

1 Detroit Matthew Stafford (QB) Georgia
2 St. Louis Jason Smith (OT) Baylor
3 Kansas City Tyson Jackson (DE) LSU
4 Seattle Aaron Curry (OLB) W Forest
5 NY Jets Mark Sanchez (QB) USC
6 Cincinnati Andre Smith (OT) Alabama
7 Oakland Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR) Maryland
8 Jacksonville Eugene Monroe (OT) Virginia
9 Green Bay B.J. Raji (DT) BC
10 San Francisco Michael Crabtree (WR) Texas Tech
11 Buffalo Aaron Maybin (DE) Penn State
12 Denver Knowshon Moreno (RB) Georgia
13 Washington Brian Orakpo (DE) Texas
14 New Orleans Malcolm Jenkins (CB) Ohio St
15 Houston Brian Cushing (OLB) USC
16 San Diego Larry English (DE) N Illinois
17 Tampa Bay Josh Freeman (QB) Kansas St
18 Denver Robert Ayers (DE) Tennessee
19 Philadelphia Jeremy Maclin (WR) Missouri
20 Detroit Brandon Pettigrew (TE) Oklahoma St
21 Cleveland Alex Mack (C) California
22 Minnesota Percy Harvin (WR) Florida
23 Baltimore Michael Oher (OT) Ole Miss
24 Atlanta Peria Jerry (DT) Ole Miss
25 Miami Vontae Davis (CB) Illinois
26 Green Bay Clay Matthews (OLB) USC
27 Indianapolis Donald Brown (RB) UConn
28 Buffalo Eric Wood (C) Louisville
29 NY Giants Hakeem Nicks (WR) UNC
30 Tennessee Kenny Britt (WR) Rutgers
31 Arizona Chris Wells (RB) Ohio St
32 Pittsburgh Evander Hood (DT) Missouri


Round 2 Draft Picks

1 Detroit Louis Delmas (S) W Michigan
2 New England Patrick Chung (S) Oregon
3 St. Louis James Laurinaitis (ILB) Ohio St
4 Cleveland Brian Robiskie (WR) Ohio St
5 Denver Alphonso Smith (CB) W Forest
6 Cincinnati Rey Maualuga (ILB) USC
7 Jacksonville Eben Britton (OT) Arizona
8 New England Ron Brace (DT) BC
9 New England Darius Butler (CB) UConn
10 Buffalo Jairus Byrd (CB) Oregon
11 Carolina Everette Brown (DE) Florida St
12 Miami Pat White (WR) W Virginia
13 NY Giants Clint Sintim (OLB) Virginia
14 Houston Connor Barwin (DE) Cincy
15 Oakland Michael Mitchell (S) Ohio
16 Denver Darcel McBath (S) Texas Tech
17 Seattle Max Unger (C) Oregon
18 Cleveland Mohamed Massaquoi (WR) Georgia
19 Buffalo Andrew Levitre (OG) Oregon St
20 Cleveland David Veikune (DE) Hawaii
21 Philadelphia LeSean McCoy (RB) Pittsburgh
22 Minnesota Phil Loadholt (OT) Oklahoma
23 Atlanta William Moore (S) Missouri
24 Indianapolis Fili Moala (DT) USC
25 Baltimore Paul Kruger (OLB) Utah
26 New England Sebastian Vollmer (OT) Houston
27 Carolina Sherrod Martin (CB) Troy
28 NY Giants William Beatty (OT) UConn
29 Miami Sean Smith (CB) Utah
30 Tennessee Sen'Derrick Marks (DT) Auburn
31 Arizona Cody Brown (OLB) UConn
32 Denver Richard Quinn (TE) UNC

President Barack Obama address April 25, 2009


Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
April 25, 2009


Good morning. Over the last three months, my Administration has taken aggressive action to confront an historic economic crisis. As we do everything that we can to create jobs and get our economy moving, we’re also building a new foundation for lasting prosperity – a foundation that invests in quality education, lowers health care costs, and develops new sources of energy powered by new jobs and industries.

One of the pillars of that foundation must be fiscal discipline. We came into office facing a budget deficit of $1.3 trillion for this year alone, and the cost of confronting our economic crisis is high. But we cannot settle for a future of rising deficits and debts that our children cannot pay.

All across America, families are tightening their belts and making hard choices. Now, Washington must show that same sense of responsibility. That is why we have identified two trillion dollars in deficit-reductions over the next decade, while taking on the special interest spending that doesn’t advance the peoples’ interests.

But we must also recognize that we cannot meet the challenges of today with old habits and stale thinking. So much of our government was built to deal with different challenges from a different era. Too often, the result is wasteful spending, bloated programs, and inefficient results.

It’s time to fundamentally change the way that we do business in Washington. To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative. That will demand new thinking and a new sense of responsibility for every dollar that is spent.

Earlier this week, I held my first Cabinet meeting and sent a clear message: cut what doesn’t work. Already, we’ve identified substantial savings. And in the days and weeks ahead, we will continue going through the budget line by line, and we’ll identify more than 100 programs that will be cut or eliminated.

But we can’t stop there. We need to go further, and we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to reforming government. That’s why I’m announcing several steps that my Administration will take in the weeks ahead to restore fiscal discipline while making our government work better.

First, we need to adhere to the basic principle that new tax or entitlement policies should be paid for. This principle – known as PAYGO – helped transform large deficits into surpluses in the 1990s. Now, we must restore that sense of fiscal discipline. That’s why I’m calling on Congress to pass PAYGO legislation like a bill that will be introduced by Congressman Baron Hill, so that government acts the same way any responsible family does in setting its budget.

Second, we’ll create new incentives to reduce wasteful spending and to invest in what works. We don’t want agencies to protect bloated budgets – we want them to promote effective programs. So the idea is simple: agencies that identify savings will get to keep a portion of those savings to invest in programs that work. The result will be a smaller budget, and a more effective government.

Third, we’ll look for ideas from the bottom up. After all, Americans across the country know that the best ideas often come from workers – not just management. That’s why we’ll establish a process through which every government worker can submit their ideas for how their agency can save money and perform better. We’ll put the suggestions that work into practice. And later this year, I will meet with those who come up with the best ideas to hear firsthand about how they would make your government more efficient and effective.

And finally, we will reach beyond the halls of government. Many businesses have innovative ways of using technology to save money, and many experts have new ideas to make government work more efficiently. Government can – and must – learn from them. So later this year, we will host a forum on reforming government for the 21st century, so that we’re also guided by voices that come from outside of Washington.

We cannot sustain deficits that mortgage our children’s future, nor tolerate wasteful inefficiency. Government has a responsibility to spend the peoples’ money wisely, and to serve the people effectively. I will work every single day that I am President to live up to that responsibility, and to transform our government so that is held to a higher standard of performance on behalf of the American people.

Thank you.

Beatrice Arthur, Star of TV Shows Maude and Golden Girls, dead at 86


Maude Died. Damn. Beatrice Arthur, with her early 1970's show Maude, introduced Florida and Henry Evans. The Maude characters of Florida and Henry Evans real names are Esther Rolle and John Amos. Rolle and Amos played the parents in the blockbuster TV show Good Times. RIP Beatrice Arthur. AP story below.

By LYNN ELBER
The Associated Press
Sunday, April 26, 2009; 12:24 AM

Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress whose razor-sharp delivery of comedy lines made her a TV star in the hit shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" and who won a Tony Award for the musical "Mame," died Saturday. She was 86.

Arthur died peacefully at her Los Angeles home with her family at her side, family spokesman Dan Watt said. She had cancer, Watt said, declining to give further details.

"She was a brilliant and witty woman," said Watt, who was Arthur's personal assistant for six years. "Bea will always have a special place in my heart."

Arthur first appeared in the landmark comedy series "All in the Family" as Edith Bunker's loudly outspoken, liberal cousin, Maude Finley. She proved a perfect foil for blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), and their blistering exchanges were so entertaining that producer Norman Lear fashioned Arthur's own series.

In a 2008 interview with The Associated Press, Arthur said she was lucky to be discovered by TV after a long stage career, recalling with bemusement CBS executives asking about the new "girl."

"I was already 50 years old. I had done so much off-Broadway, on Broadway, but they said, `Who is that girl? Let's give her her own series,'" Arthur said.

"Maude" scored with television viewers immediately on its CBS debut in September 1972, and Arthur won an Emmy Award for the role in 1977.

The comedy flowed from Maude's efforts to cast off the traditional restraints that women faced, but the series often had a serious base. Her husband Walter (Bill Macy) became an alcoholic, and she underwent an abortion, which drew a torrent of viewer protests. Maude became a standard bearer for the growing feminist movement in America.

The ratings of "Maude" in the early years approached those of its parent, "All in the Family," but by 1977 the audience started to dwindle. A major format change was planned, but in early 1978 Arthur announced she was quitting the show.

"It's been absolutely glorious; I've loved every minute of it," she said. "But it's been six years, and I think it's time to leave."

"Golden Girls" (1985-1992) was another groundbreaking comedy, finding surprising success in a television market increasingly skewed toward a younger, product-buying audience.

The series concerned three retirees — Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan — and the mother of Arthur's character, Estelle Getty, who lived together in a Miami apartment. In contrast to the violent "Miami Vice," the comedy was nicknamed "Miami Nice."

As Dorothy Zbornak, Arthur seemed as caustic and domineering as Maude. She was unconcerned about the similarity of the two roles. "Look — I'm 5-feet-9, I have a deep voice and I have a way with a line," she told an interviewer. "What can I do about it? I can't stay home waiting for something different. I think it's a total waste of energy worrying about typecasting."

The interplay among the four women and their relations with men fueled the comedy, and the show amassed a big audience and 10 Emmys, including two as best comedy series and individual awards for each of the stars.

In 1992, Arthur announced she was leaving "Golden Girls." The three other stars returned in "The Golden Palace," but it lasted only one season.

Arthur was born Bernice Frankel in New York City in 1922. When she was 11, her family moved to Cambridge, Md., where her father opened a clothing store. At 12 she had grown to full height, and she dreamed of being a petite blond movie star like June Allyson. There was one advantage of being tall and deep-voiced: She was chosen for the male roles in school plays.

Bernice — she hated the name and adopted her mother's nickname of Bea — overcame shyness about her size by winning over her classmates with wisecracks. She was elected the wittiest girl in her class. After two years at a junior college in Virginia, she earned a degree as a medical lab technician, but she "loathed" doing lab work at a hospital.

Acting held more appeal, and she enrolled in a drama course at the New School of Social Research in New York City. To support herself, she sang in a night spot that required her to push drinks on customers.

During this time she had a brief marriage that provided her stage name of Beatrice Arthur. In 1950, she married again, to Broadway actor and future Tony-winning director Gene Saks.

After a few years in off-Broadway and stock company plays and television dramas, Arthur's career gathered momentum with her role as Lucy Brown in the 1955 production of "The Threepenny Opera."

In 2008, when Arthur was inducted in the TV Academy Hall of Fame, Arthur pointed to the role as the highlight of her long career.

"A lot of that had to do with the fact that I felt, `Ah, yes, I belong here,'" Arthur said.

More plays and musicals followed, and she also sang in nightclubs and played small roles in TV comedy shows.

Then, in 1964, Harold Prince cast her as Yente the Matchmaker in the original company of "Fiddler on the Roof."

Arthur's biggest Broadway triumph came in 1966 as Vera Charles, Angela Lansbury's acerbic friend in the musical "Mame," directed by Saks. Richard Watts of the New York Post called her performance "a portrait in acid of a savagely witty, cynical and serpent-tongued woman."

She won the Tony as best supporting actress and repeated the role in the unsuccessful film version that also was directed by Saks, starring Lucille Ball as Mame. Arthur would play a variation of Vera Charles in "Maude" and "The Golden Girls."

"There was no one else like Bea," said "Mame" composer Jerry Herman. "She would make us laugh during `Mame' rehearsals with a look or with a word. She didn't need dialogue. I don't know if I can say that about any other person I ever worked with."

In 1983, Arthur attempted another series, "Amanda's," an Americanized version of John Cleese's hilarious "Fawlty Towers." She was cast as owner of a small seaside hotel with a staff of eccentrics. It lasted a mere nine episodes.

Between series, Arthur remained active in films and theater. Among the movies: "That Kind of Woman" (1959), "Lovers and Other Strangers" (1970), Mel Brooks' "The History of the World: Part I" (1981), "For Better or Worse" (1995).

The plays included Woody Allen's "The Floating Light Bulb" and "The Bermuda Avenue Triangle," written by and costarring Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna. During 2001 and 2002 she toured the country in a one-woman show of songs and stories, "... And Then There's Bea."

Arthur and Saks divorced in 1978 after 28 years. They had two sons, Matthew and Daniel. In his long career, Saks won Tonys for "I Love My Wife," "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Biloxi Blues." One of his Tony nominations was for "Mame."

In 1999, Arthur told an interviewer of the three influences in her career: "Sid Caesar taught me the outrageous; (method acting guru) Lee Strasberg taught me what I call reality; and ('Threepenny Opera' star) Lotte Lenya, whom I adored, taught me economy."

In recent years, Arthur made guest appearances on shows including "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Malcolm in the Middle." She was chairwoman of the Art Attack Foundation, a non-profit performing arts scholarship organization.

Arthur is survived by her sons and two granddaughters. No funeral services are planned.

2009-04-23

Obama's Foreign Affairs by Raynard Jackson

by Raynard Jackson (pictured above with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton)

President Obama’s recent foreign trips have generated quite a bit of reaction within our country. Having studied foreign affairs in graduate school and having done work in other countries, I have a somewhat different take than most Republicans, especially the conservative ones.

First, I am extremely concerned by the rhetoric coming from a lot of the usual pundits and talk show hosts. It seems as though Republicans can’t accept the fact that we lost the election! It’s over! Obama won! McCain was a horrible candidate!

It’s almost as though blowhards like Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, or Rich Lowery want Obama and the U.S. to fail. We can disagree on policy, but that is not what has been happening.

Obama’s criticism from Republicans have bordered on the ridiculous. “He’s the one, he’s the messiah, or he is president of the world.” These comments are well beneath the intelligence of anyone with the least bit of smarts.

Obama has been in office just over 3months and Republicans have constantly chided him on a range of issues without giving the customary honeymoon period. The state of our foreign policy is and was in such shambles when he took over, that I am in total agreement with his “charm” offensive. Anyone who has worked in foreign policy will tell you that most of foreign policy is driven by personality more than substance. Substance is important, but the personality interaction determines the framework by which the substantive policy issues will be discussed.

The Bush administration’s foreign policy was heavy handed and very unilateral (“you’re either for us or against us”). In my private conversations with world leaders, this was clearly indicated.

Obama’s election created a real possibility of partnership with our allies and re-engagement with our enemies. Serious foreign policy professionals will always chose constructive engagement versus isolationism every time.

What does it say about our previous foreign policy that Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) tried to make nice with Obama at the recent gathering in Trinidad or that Raoul Castro made the extraordinary statement that “everything was open for discussion?” Fifty years of isolationism didn’t produce this. It was the willingness to open a line of communication to an enemy that brought this about.

Republicans claim to be the party of human rights and color-blindness, but yet they won’t speak out on the racist policy that allows Cubans (mostly white Cubans) to stay in the country base on the idiotic “wet foot, dry foot policy .” Simply put, the policy states that if a Cuban gets one foot on U.S. soil, then they are granted the chance to remain in the country and later would qualify for expedited legal permanent resident status and U.S. citizenship. Contrast that with people from Haiti who are summarily returned immediately to their country with no hope of getting an opportunity for citizenship.

What does it say about our global image that world leaders all clamor to be seen next to our president. We should all be proud of that image.

Now, the question is can President Obama translate this personal charm into substantive policy. Obama needs to give a major foreign policy address to clearly layout his vision for U.S. engagement---his guiding principles. How does Africa fit into our nation’s plans? What are the changes he wants to pursue with our European allies? Why should American care about North Korea or Iran?

Republicans need to layout a clear vision for their world view and then debate it in the marketplace of ideas. But, the continued use of extraneous verbiage, superfluous hyperbole, and just down right silliness, is no foreign policy. How can Republican principles create a safer world, more international cooperation, and the alleviation of all the pathologies that are affecting developing countries?

This type of dialogue is what Republicans should focus on. A clear articulation of their vision for America’s foreign policy will force the Obama administration to speak more clearly to the American people, thereby revealing their weakness in foreign policy. But, this continued childish banter should become a foreign affair.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-based political consulting/government affairs firm.

2009-04-19

High stakes in Hurricane Katrina flooding trial

Associated Press story

Judge could soon decide whether Army Corps of Engineers owes damages

NEW ORLEANS - More than three years after Katrina stirred up the waters and washed out levees along a 75-mile, man-made shipping channel dubbed "hurricane highway," a judge could soon decide whether the Army Corps of Engineers owes residents and businesses damages because of the massive flooding.

Arguments are set to begin Monday in the trial, which will be heard and decided by a judge, not a jury. And much is at stake: If the five residents and one business in this initial lawsuit are victorious, more than 120,000 other individuals, businesses and government entities could have a better shot at claiming billions of dollars in damages.

The residents argue the corps' poor maintenance of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, a shipping channel dug in the 1960s as a short-cut between the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans, led to the wipeout of St. Bernard Parish and the city's Lower Ninth Ward when Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005. They are asking for damages between $300,000 and $400,000 for each individual.

Immune from liability

The corps has argued that it is immune from liability because the channel is part of New Orleans' flood control system, but the judge has allowed the case to move forward because residents claim the shipping channel was a navigation project.

One of the residents suing, 75-year-old Lucille Franz, lost her home in the Lower 9th Ward. "I've been through a lot," she said.

Her sister drowned at St. Rita's nursing home in St. Bernard near the MRGO, also known as "Mister Go."

"They are responsible," she said of the corps. "We wouldn't have had that kind of water if it hadn't been for the MRGO."

The four-week trial will explore in detail the natural history, engineering and politics of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet.

The outlet was authorized in 1958 by Congress. The route went through largely pristine wilderness of marsh and swamp forest southeast of New Orleans.

Scientists say its construction destroyed about 18,000 acres (7,300 hectares) of marsh and 1,500 acres (600 hectares) of cypress swamps. The economic benefits never paid off, and few ships used it before Katrina. After the channel was built, larger vessels continued to use the Mississippi River because a bigger lock to the MRGO was never built.

New $1.3 billion floodgate
The corps has acknowledged the area's flood risk, and is in the process of closing the MRGO with rocks. The corps is also building a $1.3 billion floodgate.

"It's really something the people of St. Bernard and the Lower 9th Ward, and New Orleans East, everybody in that area, have needed for a long time. What happened there should not happen in the United States of America," said plaintiffs' attorney John Andry. "It's the largest preventable catastrophe in American history."

The Department of Justice is defending the corps, but lawyers declined to comment. In court documents, the government has argued that Katrina's massive storm surge, not the MRGO, caused the catastrophic flood.

"The only way in which the catastrophic flooding of the Lower Ninth Ward, St. Bernard, and New Orleans East could have been avoided would have been through the construction of a better hurricane protection system," the government argues.

For decades, the corps has invoked immunity from lawsuits over flooding — granted by the Flood Control Act of 1928 — and maintained it has a good track record of carrying out Congressional mandates.

Technical arguments
In this case, the plaintiffs have a glimmer of hope because U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval has ruled the corps can be held liable for flooding caused by the MRGO. By contrast, Duval threw out a similar suit in January 2008 over flooding caused by broken floodwalls closer to the city park and downtown New Orleans, ruling the corps was immune.

"The claims are not new, nor is the defense new, but their application is novel in two ways: One, the size of the stakes and, two, the amount of the alleged negligence and malfeasance," said Oliver Houck, environmental law professor at Tulane University.

The outcome of the trial may pivot on technical arguments.



Previous blog: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2009/04/president-ellen-johnson-sirleaf-visits.html

Presidents Obama and Chavez controversy

Obama calls summit 'productive'

A CNN story

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (CNN) — President Barack Obama concluded the 34-nation "Summit of the Americas" Sunday by calling it a "very productive" meeting that had proven hemispheric progress is possible if different countries are willing to set aside "stale debates and old ideologies."

He cited a potential thaw in relations between the United States and longtime adversaries Cuba and Venezuela, but said the ultimate test "is not simply words, but deeds."

Leaders did not "see eye to eye" on some important issues, but the meeting proved it is possible to "disagree respectfully," the president said.

Speaking to reporters before returning to Washington, Obama highlighted the importance of using American diplomacy and development aid in "more intelligent ways."

United States boycotts U.N. Racism Conference -- the C.B.C. disagrees

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A major United Nations anti-racism conference was thrown into further disarray Sunday when more countries joined a U.S. boycott amid concerns it was developing into a platform for attacking Israel.

Australia and the Netherlands were the latest to pull out of next week's meeting in Geneva, as a dispute gathered pace over a document said to single out Israel for its racism.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said she was "shocked and deeply disappointed" at the boycott.

"These are truly global issues, and it is essential that they are discussed at a global level, however sensitive and difficult they may be," she said in a statement.

Washington says despite numerous redrafts of the controversial document, due to be adopted at the conference, it remains unhappy, and says it violates American principles of free speech.

Canada, Israel, Italy and Sweden have also announced they are boycotting the conference aimed at creating a global blueprint for tackling discrimination. Britain says it will attend.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, whose past comments on the Holocaust and Israel are likely to overshadow his contributions to the debate, has reportedly confirmed his attendence.

U.S. State Department officials say redrafts of the offending document, which will reaffirm anti-discrimination commitments agreed at a 2001 meeting in Durban, South Africa, have failed to resolve outstanding issues.

America objected to the 2001 agreement -- joining Israel in walking out of the Durban meeting -- and says the current document "prejudges key issues that can only be resolved in negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians."

Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith echoed the concerns on Sunday, saying that Israel was being unfairly targeted..

"Regrettably, we cannot be confident that the Review Conference will not again be used as a platform to air offensive views, including anti-Semitic views," he said.

The United States says that despite its boycott, it "will continue to work assiduously" with all nations "to combat bigotry and end discrimination."

But the move has caused concern among anti-racism campaigners in the United States.

The Congressional Black Caucus said it was "deeply dismayed" by the decision made by the nation's first African-African president, saying it was inconsistent with administration policies.

"Had the United States sent a high-level delegation reflecting the richness and diversity of our country, it would have sent a powerful message to the world that we're ready to lead by example," a statement from the group said.

"Instead, the administration opted to boycott the conference, a decision that does not advance the cause of combating racism and intolerance, but rather sets the cause back."

2009-04-18

Iran Convicts U.S. Journalist Of Spying

Pictured above 31-year old Roxana Siberi convicted of spying by an Iranian court today

Story by Associated Press

April 18, 2009 · Iran convicted an American journalist of spying for the United States and sentenced her to eight years in prison, her lawyer said Saturday, complicating the Obama administration's efforts to break a 30-year-old diplomatic deadlock with Tehran.

The White House said President Barack Obama was "deeply disappointed" by the conviction, while the journalist's father told a radio station his daughter was tricked into making incriminating statements by officials who told her they would free her if she did.

It was the first time Iran has found an American journalist guilty of espionage — a crime that can carry the death penalty.

Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But earlier this month, an Iranian judge leveled a far more serious allegation, charging her with spying for the United States.

The Fargo, North Dakota native had been living in Iran for six years and had worked as a freelance reporter for several news organizations including National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp.

The journalist's Iranian-born father, Reza Saberi, told NPR that his daughter was convicted Wednesday, two days after she appeared before an Iranian court in an unusually swift one-day closed-door trial. The court waited until Saturday to announce its decision to the lawyers, he said.

Saberi's father is in Iran but was not allowed into the courtroom to see his daughter, who he described as "quite depressed." He said she denied the incriminating statements she made when she realized she had been tricked but "apparently in the case they didn't consider her denial."

Saberi's lawyer, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, told The Associated Press he would "definitely appeal the verdict."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States was working with Swiss diplomats in Iran to get details about the court's decision and to ensure Saberi's well-being. She said in a statement the United States will "vigorously raise our concerns" with the Iranian government.

The United States has called the charges against Saberi baseless, and the State Department said Thursday that Iran would gain U.S. good will if it "responded in a positive way" to the case.

Obama has said he wants to engage Iran in talks on its nuclear program and other issues — a departure from the tough talk of the Bush administration.

Iran has been mostly lukewarm to the overtures, but Iran's hard-line president gave the clearest signal yet on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic was also willing to start a new relationship with Washington.

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 Iran's judiciary is dominated by hard-liners, who some analysts say are trying to derail efforts to improve U.S.-Iran relations.

The United States severed diplomatic relations with Iran after its 1979 Islamic revolution and takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Relations deteriorated further under the former President George W. Bush, who labeled Iran as part of the so-called "Axis of Evil" along with Saddam Hussein's Iraq and North Korea.

Saberi's conviction comes about two months ahead of key presidential elections in June that are pitting hard-liners against reformists who support better relations with the United States. Ahmadinejad is seeking re-election, but the hard-liner's popularity has waned as Iran's economy struggles with high-inflation and unemployment.

Some conservative Iranian lawmakers played down Saberi's conviction, saying the verdict would not affect any ongoing efforts to build trust between the United States and Iran.

"Although there is a wall of mistrust between Iran and the United States, the judicial verdict won't affect possible future talks between the two countries. The verdict is based on evidence," said lawmaker Hosseini Sobhaninia.

Saberi's father disagreed, telling NPR, "I don't think they have any evidence and I haven't heard any evidence that they have made public."

Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Iran for arresting journalists and suppressing freedom of speech. The government has arrested several Iranian-Americans in the past few years, citing alleged attempts to overthrow its Islamic government through what it calls a "soft revolution." But they were never put on trial and were eventually released from prison.

"The Saberi case is the latest example of how Iranian authorities arbitrarily use spying charges to arrest journalists and tighten the gag on free expression," said Paris-based Reporters Without Borders.

Meanwhile, NPR CEO Vivian Schiller said in a statement it was "deeply distressed by this harsh and unwarranted sentence."

Iran has released few details about the charges against Saberi. Iranian officials initially said she had been arrested for working in the Islamic Republic without press credentials, and she had told her father in a phone conversation that she was arrested after buying a bottle of wine.

An Iranian investigative judge involved in the case later told state TV that Saberi with passing classified information to U.S. intelligence services.

Her parents, who traveled to Iran from their home in Fargo in a bid to help win their daughter's release, could not be reached by the AP for comment on Saturday.

Saberi's father has said his daughter, who was Miss North Dakota in 1997, had been working on a book about the culture and people of Iran, and hoped to finish it and return to the United States this year.


Blog on Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's visit to Washington DC: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2009/04/president-ellen-johnson-sirleaf-visits.html

Oakland Post Editor Chauncey Bailey murder investigation update by Democracy Now

President Barack Obama address April 18, 2009


WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Discusses Efforts to Reform Spending, Government Waste; Names Chief Performance Officer and Chief Technology Officer


WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Barack Obama announced that Jeffrey Zients, a CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur, will join the administration as the Chief Performance Officer, and that Aneesh Chopra, Virginia’s Secretary of Technology, will serve as the Chief Technology Officer. Zients will also serve as Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget. He will work to streamline processes, cut costs, and find the best practices throughout the government. As Chief Technology Officer, Chopra will promote technological innovation to help the country meet its goals from job creation, to reducing health care costs, to protecting the homeland. Together with Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, they will help give all Americans a government that is effective, efficient, and transparent.

President Obama announced his appointments of the following individuals today:

Jeffrey D. Zients
Zients has twenty years of business experience as a CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur with a deep understanding of business strategy, process reengineering and financial management. He served as CEO and Chairman of the Advisory Board Company and Chairman of the Corporate Executive Board. These firms are leading providers of performance benchmarks and best practices across a wide range of industries. Currently, he is the Founder and Managing Partner of Portfolio Logic, an investment firm focused primarily on business and healthcare service companies.

Aneesh Paul Chopra
Chopra serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology. He leads the Commonwealth’s strategy to effectively leverage technology in government reform, to promote Virginia’s innovation agenda, and to foster technology-related economic development. Previously, he worked as Managing Director with the Advisory Board Company, leading the firm’s Financial Leadership Council and the Working Council for Health Plan Executives.

The full audio of the address is HERE. The video can be viewed online at www.whitehouse.gov.


Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, April 18, 2009


It’s not news to say that we are living through challenging times: The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. A credit crisis that has made that downturn worse. And a fiscal disaster that has accumulated over a period of years.

In the year 2000, we had projected budget surpluses in the trillions, and Washington appeared to be on the road to fiscal stability. Eight years later, when I walked in the door, the projected budget deficit for this year alone was $1.3 trillion. And in order to jumpstart our struggling economy, we were forced to make investments that added to that deficit through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

But as surely as our future depends on building a new energy economy, controlling health care costs and ensuring that our kids are once again the best educated in the world, it also depends on restoring a sense of responsibility and accountability to our federal budget. Without significant change to steer away from ever-expanding deficits and debt, we are on an unsustainable course.

So today, we simply cannot afford to perpetuate a system in Washington where politicians and bureaucrats make decisions behind closed doors, with little accountability for the consequences; where billions are squandered on programs that have outlived their usefulness, or exist solely because of the power of a lobbyist or interest group; and where outdated technology and information systems undermine efficiency, threaten our security, and fail to serve an engaged citizenry.

If we’re to going to rebuild our economy on a solid foundation, we need to change the way we do business in Washington. We need to restore the American people’s confidence in their government – that it is on their side, spending their money wisely, to meet their families’ needs.

That starts with the painstaking work of examining every program, every entitlement, every dollar of government spending and asking ourselves: Is this program really essential? Are taxpayers getting their money’s worth? Can we accomplish our goals more efficiently or effectively some other way?

It’s a process we have already begun, scouring our budget line by line for programs that don’t work so we can cut them to make room for ones that do. That means ending tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas; stopping the fraud and abuse in our Medicare program; and reforming our health care system to cut costs for families and businesses. It means strengthening whisteblower protections for government employees who step forward to report wasteful spending. And it means reinstating the pay-as-you-go rule that we followed during the 1990s – so if we want to spend, we’ll need to find somewhere else to cut.

And this Monday, at my first, full Cabinet meeting, I will ask all of my department and agency heads for specific proposals for cutting their budgets. Already, members of my Cabinet have begun to trim back unnecessary expenditures. Secretary Napolitano, for example, is ending consulting contracts to create new seals and logos that have cost the Department of Homeland Security $3 million since 2003. In the largest Department, Secretary Gates has launched an historic project to reform defense contracting procedures and eliminate hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending and cost overruns. And I commend Senators McCain and Levin – a Republican and a Democrat – who have teamed up to lead this effort in Congress.

Finally, in the coming weeks, I will be announcing the elimination of dozens of government programs shown to be wasteful or ineffective. In this effort, there will be no sacred cows, and no pet projects. All across America, families are making hard choices, and it’s time their government did the same.

That is why I have assembled a team of management, technology, and budget experts to guide us in this work – leaders who will help us revamp government operations from top to bottom and ensure that the federal government is truly working for the American people.

I have named Jeffrey Zients, a leading CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur, to serve as Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget and as the first ever Chief Performance Officer. Jeffrey will work to streamline processes, cut costs, and find best practices throughout our government.

Aneesh Chopra, who is currently the Secretary of Technology for Governor Kaine of Virginia, has agreed to serve as America’s Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Aneesh will promote technological innovation to help achieve our most urgent priorities – from creating jobs and reducing health care costs to keeping our nation secure.

Aneesh and Jeffrey will work closely with our Chief Information Officer, Vivek Kundra, who is responsible for setting technology policy across the government, and using technology to improve security, ensure transparency, and lower costs. The goal is to give all Americans a voice in their government and ensure that they know exactly how we’re spending their money – and can hold us accountable for the results.

None of this will be easy. Big change never is. But with the leadership of these individuals, I am confident that we can break our bad habits, put an end to the mismanagement that has plagued our government, and start living within our means again. That is how we will get our deficits under control and move from recovery to prosperity. And that is how we will give the American people the kind of government they expect and deserve – one that is efficient, accountable and fully worthy of their trust.

Thank you.


See President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf blog: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2009/04/president-ellen-johnson-sirleaf-visits.html

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf visits Washington DC

The President of Liberia (African country established by African-American slaves) took a moment from her busy 14-hour a day Liberian schedule -- where there have been gradual but conflictingly steady growth since the War of 1991 -- to address a large crowd of mostly native Africans living in the nations capitol. The gleaming faces and traditional African attire seemed finally a comfortable setting in a America that unfortunately frowns on outside cultural traditions. Pervasive peace spread throughout the room. By the time the President made her entrance, only LayZ-Boy reclining chairs should have been the seats of choice for all in attendance at Atrium Hall in the Ronald Reagon International Building.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was in Washington DC this week to promote her just released book, a Memoir of her interesting life. The Liberian President convened with Liberians and enthusiatic Americans in her city to city tour of the United States. African and more specifically West African Pride was edged on native Africans from Nigeria, Senegal etc...all greeted each other throughout the evening, in anticipation of one of their regions own, the President of Liberia. The Native African Women were especially pleased, and most seemed to be doing well as respected business, and community leaders here in United States.

The format of the Presidents' address was a one-on-one interview with an organizer of the event. I anticipated an interview myself with the President, set-up and scheduled 90 minutes prior to the program by one of the groups of organizers, however and most unfortunate that did not occur. I had also referred a White House and US Capital reporter, that was also left in the cold insofar as a personal interivew and photo op with the President. Though personal gratification was not granted in the form of a personal interview and photo op, I recorded the program on Syndication One News-Talk network's digital recorder on the audio system's mult-box -- though low in volume. Audio problems such as lavaliers malfunctioning and feedback happened throughout the night.

The program began with a few speeches from Liberian activists and a few awards were given out. The anticipation of the Liberian President entrance mounted following thirty minutes of preliminaries. Finally the moment had come and the eventual interviewer announced "without further adew the President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf."

The escorted President made her way to the stage to a rousing standing ovation. She was riddled with exhausion, seemingly not from the event, but from the challenges faced as President. One of the questions in fact, was what does she plan to do whenever she retires, and she answered "sit under a coconut tree on a hammock drinking coconut juice." It was evident that the writing of her Memoirs somehow may mean that the end of her public life is nearing.

Witnessing both the entrance of President Obama at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver and at the 2009 Inauguation, there is a certain air of seeing a President enter a room. The majestic walk is a common trait that all Kings, Queens, or Presidents have whether they are surrounded by secret service personnel (as President Johnson-Sirleaf was) or not. Quite simply, this is just who they are, no matter how normal such leaders wish to be. Only England's Princess Diana and likely President-to-be Senator Robert Kennedy pulled off the common person appearance. The slight tritch of a hand -- in the elegant bright glove -- waved at cheering crowds from Queen Elizabeth Windsor of England is the feeling from most royality. No different a feeling seeing Liberia's President walk lightly with a smile and a head nod of appreciation. I rushed to the front of the stage to capture the President. The President paused next to both the American flag and bright plants as if knowing the place to pause for front page pictures. And though the Washington Post could not find room for an African President in the A-sections' 16-pages, all in attendance knew we were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime special. The Washington Post will only cover an African President upon their death or a personal hand shake from our President.

As mentioned earlier, the interviewer was in awe as she could not get out the first question after a thunderous ovation. To add pressure to the interviewer and organizer, the lavilier microphones pinned to lapels were not working properly. Technically, I knew having the two speakers near left and right of the stage, instead outside left and right of the audience, would be a feedback party. Once the exchange of hand microphones for the inoperable lavilier mics, the feedback party began. The audio man had to turn the volume of the speakers low, which also turned down the mult-box where cameramen and audio recorders plugged-in for sound. My fellow sound recorders were visibly upset having to turn their record volume up to the max, which in most analog recorders would have a hissing noise. My digital recorders handled to low sound input just fine.
I felt for the interviewer, whom was in awe and nervous to interview royalty, but she also had to have the added audio problem to deal with. In addition, once both mics were in both the interviewer and Presidents' hands, then one mic was not hooked up. The interviewer, dressed in an American green dress, stumbled through the first few questions, handing the one operating mic back and forth. I, of course -- and again -- confronted the sound man stating that the "second mic is not hooked up or did not have batteries in the wireless mic", as the President turned the mic switch on and off. He noticed also and plugged the wire from the very small multi-channel mixing board to the silent mic's transmitter. The sound man sent someone to the stage to alert the interviewer that the mic, now resting on the table with the two glasses of water, was now working.

From that point on, the interview ran smoothly with mostly personal questions asked, revealed by the President in her just released memoir book. I was anticipating questions regarding the difficulties of President Johnson-Sirleaf runing her country. I have read and seen in documentaries the difficulties, financial and otherwise, that the Liberian President has had in the rebuilding process. These questions you would expect when a foreign President travels to other countries. The interviewer instead asked about the Presidents' difficulties raising her kids, former husband physically abusing her, having two babies in one year, and what she will do when she retires. Light questions, but effective enough to have a long line following the interview to purchase the Presidents' memoir. The President was quite candid with her answers, with an air of humor, and ended with motivation for all that they can do whatever they put their minds towards.

The President left to another rousing ovations. The secret service escorted her stage right to her quarters and would not allow the pushing press to her private area. Lines up the stairs to the second floor where her book was being sold formed.

I, however, left on the metro after being rejected by the secret service and again by the hired local organizers, in my attempts to get that prized interview and photo op promised prior to. Oh well, the short evening was rewarding and I again experienced royalty. The kind of royalty that I expect and demand as a broadcaster in the nation's capitol.


See President Obama's weekly 4-18-09 address: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2009/04/president-barack-obama-address-april-18.html

2009-04-17

The Family of 2007 Virginia Tech shootings' African-American woman victim -- Erin Peterson -- files lawsuit

AP story

Families of 2 slain at Va. Tech sue state, school

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — On the second anniversary Thursday of the mass killings at Virginia Tech University, the families of two slain students sued the state, the school and its counseling center, several top university officials and a local mental health agency, claiming gross negligence.

Relatives of Julie Pryde and Erin Peterson are seeking damages of $10 million, according to the lawsuits in Fairfax County Circuit Court.

They were the only families who did not agree to an $11 million settlement with the state last June. Student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people before fatally shooting himself on April 16, 2007. The gunman's estate also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed the last day before the statute of limitations had expired.

The lawsuits claim Virginia Tech failed to protect its students and is directly liable for gross negligence. They further claim the university is liable for a few of its officers and employees "who were deliberately indifferent to the safety needs of its students."

Virginia Tech owed Pryde and Peterson "a reasonably safe campus" and breached its duties, which the lawsuits call a "proximate cause of" their deaths. The lawsuits further accuse Virginia Tech of trying to cover up the start of the killing spree at a dormitory that morning rather than warning students that an armed man was on campus.

Some families have lingering animosity toward administrators and feel they've never received an adequate explanation of officials' actions that day. President Charles Steger convened a meeting with top administrators after Cho killed two students in the dorm, but more than two hours passed before an e-mail informed the campus.

By then, Cho was chaining the doors of Norris Hall shut in preparation for a bloodbath that had students cowering under desks and jumping from windows. Officials still don't know why Cho, a loner who had attracted little attention, killed so many people.

The lawsuits also claim a local health center where Cho had gone to say he felt suicidal did not adequately treat or monitor him.

Neither family immediately responded to messages Thursday.

Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker, who is named as a defendant along with Steger, would only confirm the lawsuits had been filed.

Abuse of Power: The Bush Administration's Secret Legal Memos

“The President has halted the use of the interrogation techniques described in these opinions, and this administration has made clear from day one that it will not condone torture,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “We are disclosing these memos consistent with our commitment to the rule of law."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 16, 2009
WWW.USDOJ.GOV

AG
(202) 514-2007
TDD (202) 514-1888
Department of Justice Releases Four Office of Legal Counsel Opinions

In connection with ongoing litigation, the Department of Justice today released four previously undisclosed Office of Legal Counsel ("OLC") opinions – one that OLC issued to the Central Intelligence Agency in August 2002 and three that OLC issued to the CIA in May 2005.

"The President has halted the use of the interrogation techniques described in these opinions, and this administration has made clear from day one that it will not condone torture," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "We are disclosing these memos consistent with our commitment to the rule of law."

Holder also stressed that intelligence community officials who acted reasonably and relied in good faith on authoritative legal advice from the Justice Department that their conduct was lawful, and conformed their conduct to that advice, would not face federal prosecutions for that conduct.

The Attorney General has informed the Central Intelligence Agency that the government would provide legal representation to any employee, at no cost to the employee, in any state or federal judicial or administrative proceeding brought against the employee based on such conduct and would take measures to respond to any proceeding initiated against the employee in any international or foreign tribunal, including appointing counsel to act on the employee’s behalf and asserting any available immunities and other defenses in the proceeding itself.

To the extent permissible under federal law, the government will also indemnify any employee for any monetary judgment or penalty ultimately imposed against him for such conduct and will provide representation in congressional investigations.

"It would be unfair to prosecute dedicated men and women working to protect America for conduct that was sanctioned in advance by the Justice Department," Holder said.

After reviewing these opinions, OLC has decided to withdraw them: They no longer represent the views of the Office of Legal Counsel.

A 18-page memo, dated August 1, 2002, from Jay Bybee, Assistant Attorney General, OLC, to John A. Rizzo, General Counsel CIA. Link below:
http://luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/aclu/olc_08012002_bybee.pdf

A 46-page memo, dated May 10, 2005, from Steven Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, OLC, to John A. Rizzo, General Counsel CIA. Link below:
http://luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/aclu/olc_05102005_bradbury46pg.pdf

A 20-page memo, dated May 10, 2005, from Steven Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, OLC, to John A. Rizzo, General Counsel CIA. Link below:
http://luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/aclu/olc_05102005_bradbury_20pg.pdf

A 40-page memo, dated May 30, 2005, from Steven Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, OLC, to John A. Rizzo, General Counsel CIA. Link below:
http://luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/aclu/olc_05302005_bradbury.pdf

2009-04-14

Polar Bear attacks woman in Berlin





2009-04-12

President Obama un-duly criticized during Somali Hostage Crisis

President Barack Hussein Obama received un-warranted criticism from extreme right-wing author and commentator Ann Coulter today on the Sunday Morning Fox Political show; and also from the extreme far-right Republican radio show hosts Tammy Bruce, Rush Limbaugh etc...throughout this hostage ordeal since Wednesday. Reaching for anything to bash a Democratic President, these extreme right talkers uniformly stated that the President was "too non-communicative" with the American people and the President is "not prepared" to handle such a daunting military task (btw it was President Obama that gave the "attack-when-ready" order Saturday).

Apparently -- according to these extreme right-wing talking heads -- the President was supposed to tell the entire world of his secret military plans. Or, according to extreme right talkers, the United States President was supposed to blow up the boat with everyone on it including Captain Phillips, as maybe the President's predecessor GW Bush or Reagon (or Ann, Rush, and Tammy) probably would have done. No diplomacy, just shoot first and talk later.

The longer the stand off, the more un-reasonably loud the criticism from right-wing representatives. What is evident from McCain-Palin through now, is that all of these extreme right-wing nationally known media communicators have turned out to be critically and occasionally 'dangerously' wrong about our now 'even more' popular African-American President. I use the word "dangerously" because these anti-Presidential sentaments from the extreme right national communicators expressing weakness could endanger the lives of Americans abroad.

If you can write these extreme right-wing media moguls, authors, and think tank lobbyist, please do so. Let them know to 'think before they speak.' Foreign terrorist, pirates, and criminals could take their anti-American comments as an opportunity to attack Americans.

President Obama continues to be a cut above the norm. Partisanship politics from the extreme right-winger media outlets and their political analysts continue to dig deeper holes for themselves. Soon the holes will be so deep that they'll be sitting on the Great Wall of China spiting tobacco in a can talking about the good old days of Strom Thurmond and Lee Atwater terrorism. If they continue down the same path of Atwater's protege' Carl Rove, the Republican Party will be surpassed by the Liberterians, Independents, and the Green Party within ten years.

President Obama undoubtedly will get little or no credit as the great Commander-In-Chief that he is in the coming days from the extreme right. However the rescue party will commence with family, friends, and co-workers of Captain Richard Phillips nonetheless. More than likely that will include a visit with President Barack Obama and the US Navy Seals at the White House in Washington DC. The celebration may have to wait until the President returns from Mexico as he begins to save more lives due to the out-of-control drug trafficking and territorial warfare going on throughout our country.

recent blog on MLK's assassination: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2009/04/it-was-april-4th-1968-when-rev-dr.html

Captain of 'Maersk Alabama' cargo ship Richard Phillips RESCUED from Somali Pirates!

Captain of "Maersk Alabama" cargo ship -- docked now in Kenya -- Richard Phillips (AP picture right) held captive since Wednesday by Somalian pirates, has been rescued! Three of the four Somalian pirates were killed, while the fourth is now in custody.

According to CNN quoting a senior US official, Captain Phillips dove over the side of the lifeboat, while US Navy Seals led by Vice-Admiral William Gortney shot three of his four captors. Capt. Richard Phillips was taken aboard the USS Bainbridge, a nearby naval warship un-injured and in good condition.

John Reinhart, president and CEO of Maersk Line Limited that Phillips (family picture left) captained, called Phillips' wife, Andrea, to tell her the good news at roughly 1:30p eastern time.

"We are all absolutely thrilled to learn that Richard is safe and will be re-united with his family," Reinhart said. "Maersk Line Limited is deeply grateful to the Navy, the FBI and so many others for their tireless efforts to secure Richard's freedom."

"We look forward to welcoming him home in the coming days," Reinhart added.

The 'Maersk Alabama' reached port in Mombasa, Kenya on Saturday. Crew members aboard the freed cargo ship are estatic that their captain is freed.

2009-04-11

April 4th, 1968 -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated







President Obama Weekly Address -- April 11, 2009


WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Says Nations Must Unite To Overcome Global Challenges

WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Barack Obama extended his best wishes to everyone celebrating this week’s Passover and Easter holidays and called on nations around the world to come together to solve the current trials facing the world. On the heels of his weeklong trip overseas, the President said he believes it is important to acknowledge no single nation can solve global problems like a recession, international terrorism, climate change, or nuclear proliferation. But, working with other nations, the United States can lead the way in overcoming these challenges.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, April 11, 2009


I speak to you today during a time that is holy and filled with meaning for believers around the world. Earlier this week, Jewish people gathered with family and friends to recite the stories of their ancestors’ struggle and ultimate liberation. Tomorrow, Christians of all denominations will come together to rejoice and remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These are two very different holidays with their own very different traditions. But it seems fitting that we mark them both during the same week. For in a larger sense, they are both moments of reflection and renewal. They are both occasions to think more deeply about the obligations we have to ourselves and the obligations we have to one another, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what faith we practice.

This idea – that we are all bound up, as Martin Luther King once said, in "a single garment of destiny"– is a lesson of all the world’s great religions. And never has it been more important for us to reaffirm that lesson than it is today – at a time when we face tests and trials unlike any we have seen in our time. An economic crisis that recognizes no borders. Violent extremism that’s claimed the lives of innocent men, women, and children from Manhattan to Mumbai. An unsustainable dependence on foreign oil and other sources of energy that pollute our air and water and threaten our planet. The proliferation of the world’s most dangerous weapons, the persistence of deadly disease, and the recurrence of age-old conflicts.

These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone. The United States must lead the way. But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations. That is why I met with leaders of the G-20 nations to ensure that the world’s largest economies take strong and unified action in the face of the global economic crisis. Together, we’ve taken steps to stimulate growth, restore the flow of credit, open markets, and dramatically reform our financial regulatory system to prevent such crises from occurring again – steps that will lead to job creation at home.

It is only by working together that we will finally defeat 21st century security threats like al Qaeda. So it was heartening that our NATO allies united in Strasbourg behind our strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and contributed important resources to support our effort there.

It is only by coordinating with countries around the world that we will stop the spread of the world’s most dangerous weapons. That is why I laid out a strategy in Prague for us to work with Russia and other nations to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons; to secure nuclear materials from terrorists; and, ultimately, to free the world from the menace of a nuclear nightmare.

And it is only by building a new foundation of mutual trust that we will tackle some of our most entrenched problems. That is why, in Turkey, I spoke to members of Parliament and university students about rising above the barriers of race, region, and religion that too often divide us.

With all that is at stake today, we cannot afford to talk past one another. We can’t afford to allow old differences to prevent us from making progress in areas of common concern. We can’t afford to let walls of mistrust stand. Instead, we have to find – and build on – our mutual interests. For it is only when people come together, and seek common ground, that some of that mistrust can begin to fade. And that is where progress begins.

Make no mistake: we live in a dangerous world, and we must be strong and vigilant in the face of these threats. But let us not allow whatever differences we have with other nations to stop us from coming together around those solutions that are essential to our survival and success.

As we celebrate Passover, Easter, and this time of renewal, let’s find strength in our shared resolve and purpose in our common aspirations. And if we can do that, then not only will we fulfill the sacred meaning of these holy days, but we will fulfill the promise of our country as a leader around the world.

2009-04-08

Adelstein: FCC To Launch PPM Inquiry

Jim Winston, Executive Director of the National Assocition of Black-Owned Broadcasters(pictured left)

Outgoing FCC Commissioner JONATHAN ADELSTEIN seems determined to go out with a bang -- in terms of getting the FCC involved in ARBITRON's PPM business. After this MORNING's (4/8) FCC meeting, ADELSTEIN told reporters he hoped that the COMMISSION would launch an official inquiry into the methodology behind ARBITRON's PPM meter. He voiced concern that minority-owned and minority-focused stations were continuing to experience dramatic audience losses due to PPM's methodology.

Later, he released a statement that all but assured an imminent inquiry into the PPM. In part it read:

Since our last Diversity Order in 2007, we have heard widespread concerns that the Portable People Meter ratings system, created by ARBITRON, has started to pose a threat to minority- and women-owned stations. The COMMISSION recognizes the important role of advertising revenue in ensuring a diverse ownership of broadcast assets. The potentially inaccurate ratings of PPMs could damage minority- and women-owned stations. I am encouraged that the COMMISSION will soon launch an inquiry I have sought into this audience measurement system so that all the facts and its effect on diversity will be evaluated and brought into light.

We have clear authority over all signals transmitted by broadcasters under section 303(j) of the Communications Act to ensure they are in the public interest. Because encoded broadcast signals are required for the PPM to operate and the measurements are used as currency throughout the broadcasting industry, we have legitimate questions about whether to allow unaccredited systems to be used over the public airwaves, impairing the COMMISSION’s important goals to promote diversity and fair competition under the Communications Act. In light of the challenging economic times and the fact the COMMISSION uses ARBIRTRON’s market definitions and rating data, we need to ensure PPM’s accuracy and reliability. The Commission cannot be left in the dark.

Both this Report and Order and the forthcoming PPM inquiry demonstrate not only the COMMISSION’s commitment to diversity, but also it’s determination to bring all the facts to the table in every decision. I am, therefore, pleased to support this item and the work that lies ahead.

NABOB Exec. Dir & General Counsel JIM WINSTON told ALL ACCESS, "NABOB is very pleased that the Commission is moving on this matter. We hope that the Commission will continue to move forward and initiate further inquiry into PPM."

Recently, ARBITRON reached costly settlements with NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY (NET NEWS 1/7), and MARYLAND over PPM's methodology, which brought forth a list promises in improved performances in areas of concern, (NET NEWS 2/4), with expanded emphasis on ethnic outreach response.

Arbitron Responds

An ARBITRON spokesperson responded to this, telling ALL ACCESS, "ARBITRON is continuing our long-standing discussions with the customers who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK OWNED BROADCASTERS and the SPANISH RADIO ASSOCIATION as well as our on-going discussions with all our PPM customers.

Continuing, "In these discussions, we are asking for specific ideas for the ways ARBITRON can enhance our PPM services in order to explore ways of incorporating these ideas into our continuous improvement programs for PPM. We have already delivered significant enhancements to the PPM system and continue to work on additional enhancements for the benefit of all our customers.

"One outcome of our discussions: on FEBRUARY 27th, 2009, ARBITRON announced it would voluntarily extend to all PPM markets on a nationwide basis, the key enhancements of our PPM continuous improvement program that we put in place as part of our agreements with the Attorneys General of NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY and MARYLAND.

"THE MEDIA RATING COUNCIL (MRC) was founded at the behest of Congress to audit and accredit audience measurement services. ARBITRON is committed to the MRC process and is actively pursuing accreditation for all PPM markets."

Does The FCC Have Legal Oversight Of The PPM?

However, there are those who doubt that the FCC has the legal right to look into the business practice of ARBITRON that is the PPM. According to Communications Law Attorney GREGG SKALL, who writes the FCC Uncensored column in ALL ACCESS, the COMMISSION just might have that kind of jurisdiction -- but that might not be enough to prevent the issue from inevitably being settled in the courts.

"ADELSTEIN made a very interesting argument for jurisdiction that has legs," he told ALL ACCESS. "The FCC could very well claim jurisdiction over the PPM based on the dual prongs of spectrum utilization and its ancillary affect on broadcasting and the public interest. We'll have to see what they do and how it plays out. In the end, however, even with a valid claim of jurisdiction, the DC COURT OF APPEALS has said numerous times that they will defer to the COMMISSION only for so long before it has to substantiate empirically its views on applying the public interest standard."

Stations Still Launching New Latin And Urban Formats

It's worth noting that PPM is not stopping the sign-on of new Latin and Urban stations in those markets. Examples include ENTRAVISION's debut of Regional Mexican KDLD "EL GATO" replacing Alternative INDIE 103.1 back in JANUARY, GRUPO RADIO CENTRO's announced LMA of EMMIS' Rhythmic AC KMVN and flip to Latin Pop on APRIL 15th, and this week's debut of Urban/Hip Hop STREETZ 102.9/ATLANTA.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Why I am opposed to the Vietnam War"

2009-04-07

President Obama in Iraq today April 7th, 2009

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_obama_iraq

On February 27th, President Obama announced his plan to bring the War in Iraq to a responsible end. Today he addressed the troops in Iraq in a surprise visit before coming home from Europe. Find the full transcript below:

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, guys. Let me say Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Corps Iraq, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq First Corps, America's Corp Band: Thanks to all of you.

Listen, I am so honored.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you.

THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Applause.) I am honored -- I'm honored and grateful to be with all of you. And I'm not going to talk long because I want to shake as many hands as I can. (Applause.) And I've been talking all week. (Laughter.)

But there's a couple of things I want to say. Number one, thank you.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: You're welcome.

THE PRESIDENT: You know, when I was at Camp Lejeune I spoke about what it means for America to see our best and brightest, our finest young men and women serve us. And what I said then is something that I want to repeat to you, which is: You have performed brilliantly in every mission that has been given to you.

AUDIENCE: Ooh-ah.

THE PRESIDENT: Under enormous strain and under enormous sacrifice, through controversy and difficulty and politics, you've kept your eyes focused on just doing your job. And because of that, every mission that's been assigned -- from getting rid of Saddam, to reducing violence, to stabilizing the country, to facilitating elections -- you have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country. That is an extraordinary achievement, and for that you have the thanks of the American people. (Applause.) That's point number one.

Point number two is, this is going to be a critical period, these next 18 months. I was just discussing this with your commander, but I think it's something that all of you know. It is time for us to transition to the Iraqis. (Applause.) They need to take responsibility for their country and for their sovereignty. (Applause.)

And in order for them to do that, they have got to make political accommodations. They're going to have to decide that they want to resolve their differences through constitutional means and legal means. They are going to have to focus on providing government services that encourage confidence among their citizens.

All those things they have to do. We can't do it for them. But what we can do is make sure that we are a stalwart partner, that we are working alongside them, that we are committed to their success, that in terms of training their security forces, training their civilian forces in order to achieve a more effective government, they know that they have a steady partner with us.

And so just as we thank you for what you've already accomplished, I want to say thank you because you will be critical in terms of us being able to make sure that Iraq is stable, that it is not a safe haven for terrorists, that it is a good neighbor and a good ally, and we can start bringing our folks home. (Applause.)

So now is not the time to lose focus. We have to be even more focused than we've been in order to achieve success.

The last point I want to make is I know how hard it's been on a lot of you. You've been away from your families, many of you for multiple rotations. You've seen buddies of yours injured and you remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

AUDIENCE: Ooh-ah.

THE PRESIDENT: There are probably some people here who have seen children born and have been missing watching them grow up. There are many of you who have listened to your spouse and the extraordinary sacrifices that they have to make when you're gone.

And so I want you to know that Michelle and myself are doing everything -- (applause) -- are doing everything we can to provide additional support for military families. The federal budget that I have introduced increases support for military families. We are going to do everything required to make sure that the commitment we make to our veterans is met, and that people don't have to fight for what they have earned as a consequence of their service.

The main point I want to make is we have not forgotten what you have already done, we are grateful for what you will do, and as long as I am in the White House, you are going to get the support that you need and the thanks that you deserve from a grateful nation. (Applause.)

So thank you very much everybody. (Applause.) God bless you. (Applause.) God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

2009-04-06

President Barack Obama April 4, 2009 Weekly Address



WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Hails
Unprecedented G-20 Action to Address Global Economic Downturn

WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Barack Obama praised the agreement of the G-20 nations to act together as a turning point in this global economic slump. With the American economy inextricably linked to the global economy, global coordination is needed to restore lending, spur job growth, reform financial regulation and ultimately fix our economy. The President also discussed his meetings with Chinese President Hu, Russian President Medvedev, and America’s NATO allies.

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, April 4, 2009

In this new century, we live in a world that has grown smaller and more interconnected than at any time in history. Threats to our nation’s security and economy can no longer be kept at bay by oceans or by borders drawn on maps. The terrorists who struck our country on 9/11 plotted in Hamburg, trained in Kandahar and Karachi, and threaten countries across the globe. Cars in Boston and Beijing are melting ice caps in the Arctic that disrupt weather patterns everywhere. The theft of nuclear material from the former Soviet Union could lead to the extermination of any city on earth. And reckless speculation by bankers in New York and London has fueled a global recession that is inflicting pain on workers and families around the world and across America.

The challenges of our time threaten the peace and prosperity of every single nation, and no one nation can meet them alone. That is why it is sometimes necessary for a President to travel abroad in order to protect and strengthen our nation here at home. That is what I have done this week.

I began my trip by attending a summit of the G20 – the countries that represent the world’s largest economies – because we know that the success of America’s economy is inextricably linked to that of the global economy. If people in other countries cannot spend, that means they cannot buy the goods we produce here in America, which means more lost jobs and more families hurting. Just yesterday, we learned that we lost hundreds of thousands more jobs last month, adding to the millions we’ve lost since this recession began. And if we continue to let banks and other financial institutions around the world act recklessly and irresponsibly, that affects institutions here at home as credit dries up, and people can’t get loans to buy a home or car, to run a small business or pay for college.

Ultimately, the only way out of a recession that is global in scope is with a response that is global in coordination. That is why I’m pleased that after two days of careful negotiation, the G20 nations have agreed on a series of unprecedented steps that I believe will be a turning point in our pursuit of a global economic recovery. All of us are now moving aggressively to get our banks lending again. All of us are working to spur growth and create jobs. And all of us have agreed on the most sweeping reform of our financial regulatory framework in a generation – reform that will help end the risky speculation and market abuses that have cost so many people so much.

I also met this past week with the leaders of China and Russia, working to forge constructive relationships to address issues of common concern, while being frank with each other about where we disagree. President Hu and I agreed that the link between China’s economy and ours is of great mutual benefit, and we established a new Strategic and Economic Dialogue between the U.S. and China. President Medvedev and I discussed our shared commitment to a world without nuclear weapons, and we signed a declaration putting America and Russia on the path to a new treaty to further reduce our nuclear arsenals. Tomorrow, I will lay out additional steps we must take to secure the world’s loose nuclear materials and stop the spread of these deadly weapons.

Finally, I met yesterday with our NATO allies and asked them for additional civilian support and assistance for our efforts in Afghanistan. That is where al Qaeda trains, plots, and threatens to launch their next attack. And that attack could occur in any nation, which means that every nation has a stake in ensuring that our mission in Afghanistan succeeds.

As we have worked this week to find common ground and strengthen our alliances, we have not solved all of our problems. And we have not agreed on every point or every issue in every meeting. But we have made real and unprecedented progress – and will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead.

Because in the end, we recognize that no corner of the globe can wall itself off from the threats of the twenty-first century, or from the needs and concerns of fellow nations. The only way forward is through shared and persistent efforts to combat fear and want wherever they exist. That is the challenge of our time. And if we move forward with courage and resolve, I am confident that we will meet this challenge.

Thank you.

(Is that a urinal to the left of the President?)