Click here to view this media Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich had another “deer in the headlights” moment Wednesday. An ABC News producer asked Gingrich to hold up one of his campaign T-shirts for the camera and he probably now wishes he hadn’t followed her instructions. “A lot of what you’re talking about is about taking America back to America,” the ABC News producer explained. “We asked for T-shirts to be sent to us and they were made in America. I just picked up that one and it was made in El Salvador.” “Uh-huh,” a stunned Gingrich replied. “It was a big thing when we talked to your campaign about how you wanted things to be made in America,” the producer continued. “Do you have plans to change things?” “I’ll have to ask the folks who ordered this,” Gingrich said while still holding the T-shirt. “I didn’t order it and I don’t do it.” “One of the challenges with a volunteer campaign is lots of volunteers do lots of different things.”
Continue reading …Charles Krauthammer says Michele Bachmann’s stance on debt ceiling is ‘unbelievably irresponsible’
July 28, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media Bill O’Reilly is pretty good at hiding his disdain for Michele Bachmann’s policies because he knows she’s too radical to get elected and will ultimately hurt the GOP, but he doesn’t want to alienate his Tea Party base of viewers,l which is strong. He slyly calls her beliefs into question whenever he can — especially on the debt ceiling debate, where she has stated she will never vote to raise it. Charles Krauthammer comes on The Factor to attack the federal deficit and then diss ‘Pray Away The Gay’ Bachmann. (rough transcript) Charles: …I think this is a life or death decision for Republicans. I think it would be catastrophic if Republicans would not go with the Boehner plan. Bill: When you hear a Michele Bachmann, who we like here — we think Michele Bachmann is very responsible — when you hear, you know what? I’m not voting for the debt rise no matter what. I don’t care if you cut 40 trillion dollars out of it, I don’t care I’m not voting for it. What drives that? Krauthammer: I’m not going to be the psychiatrist other than to say it is unbelievably irresponsible , even only from the point of view of this… …why would you want to kill the Boehner plan and share the economy with Obama? It makes no sense whatsoever even in the narrowest political sense. Charles goes on babble about cutting spending and to say that Conservatives must control all three branches to push their agenda and be able to govern the way they’d like which means, gutting the federal government. Of course this will only prolong our economic problems and hurt millions of average Americans working and not working and will create more unemployment throughout the land of the free. You know our spending on the Military Industrial Complex will never be properly held to account and you can kiss Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid goodbye as we know it as well. What a grand vision of America; the land of the rich.
Continue reading …Small-town and rural America is fading away as the US becomes a nation of suburbanites and city dwellers, according to the latest census figures. The share of Americans who live in rural areas—including towns with fewer than 50,000 people that are out of commuting range of metropolitan areas—…
Continue reading …Edgar Jimenez Lugo, 14-Year-Old Hitman, Sentenced By Mexican Judge To Three Years In Prison
July 28, 2011 No Comment
By OSWALD ALONSO, Associated Press MIACATLAN, Mexico — A Mexican judge on Tuesday sentenced a teenage U.S. citizen to three years in prison for homicide, kidnapping and drug and weapons possession. Authorities say the teen confessed to killing four people whose beheaded bodies were found suspended from a bridge. Edgar Jimenez Lugo, known as “El Ponchis,” was given the maximum sentenced allowed for a minor in the central state of Morelos, said state prosecutor Jose Manuel Serrano Falmerol. Jimenez was tried in a state court because Mexico does not have a justice system to try minors at the federal level. Mexican prosecutors said Jimenez was 14 years old. Authorities say the teenager confessed to working for the South Pacific drug cartel, led by reputed drug lord Hector Beltran Leyva. When he was handed over to federal prosecutors, the boy calmly said in front of cameras that he participated in four killings while drugged and under threat. The bodies were found in the tourist city of Cuernavaca. In November, stories of a hit boy, maybe as young as 12, spread after a YouTube video appeared with teens mugging for the camera next to corpses and guns. One boy on the video alleged that “El Ponchis” was his accomplice. Jimenez was born in San Diego, California. He and a sister were arrested in December as they tried to board a plane to Tijuana, where they planned to cross the border and reunite with their mother in San Diego. The teenager has been in a juvenile detention center in Morelos since his arrest and will serve his time there, Serrano said. The two siblings allegedly worked for Julio “El Negro” Padilla, a reputed drug trafficker who authorities say has been fighting for control of the drug trade in Morelos. Morelos was formerly under the control of the Beltran Leyva gang, which broke up after alleged leader Arturo Beltran Leyva was killed in a shootout with Mexican marines a year ago. The battle among remnants of the gang has caused an unprecedented spike in violence in Morelos and in neighboring Guerrero state, where the resort city of Acapulco is located. A relative has said Jimenez was nicknamed “Ponchis” by his family because he was a pudgy child.
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It’s July and we’re all anxious to get away for some time before the end of summer is upon us. So the eternal question came up again at dinner last night with some friends…if you could only take 10 albums with you to a desert island with no other access to music (sorry no cloud service is available on this particular island), what would they be? This is my personal list and these are not necessarily the 10 best albums of all time. Simply my 10 favorites. These would be coming with me in the lifeboat (after my wife and kids of course). Only caveat, castaways are not permitted to bring greatest hits albums…have to be as originally recorded, blips and all. Blood on the Tracks (Bob Dylan) – My single favorite album of all time so had to put this one first. Makes you glad you are alive to be able to hear this astonishing record. Song after song leaves you wondering how any one person could write so many great songs in one sitting. “Tangled up in Blue”, “Simple Twist of Fate”, “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”, “Shelter From the Storm” with lyrics so good, they leave you breathless. Photo Credit: Xavier Badosa Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire (The Kinks) – The Kinks, led by Ray Davies, are quite simply one of the best bands of all time and always seem to be overlooked. They have written at least 100 great songs and wrote with an unsurpassed irony and satire. This record, which focuses on England’s rocky transition from a world power after WW2 was one of the first rock operas. “Victoria”, “Mr. Churchill Says”, “Drivin”…it’s a gem throughout. Who’s Next (The Who) – I could easily have put three other Who albums here, but this one, even with it being overplayed over the years, has an amazing resilience. This may be the best rock album ever made. Not only is the music unparalleled, but the lyrics of songs like “Behind Blue Eyes”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and Baba O”Riley never lose their resonance. And if you don’t know “The Song is Over”, what a treasure you have ahead of you. Photo Credit: Jason Hickey Graceland (Paul Simon) – “These Are Days of Miracle and Wonder”…when you hear this astounding record for the first time with “The Boy in the Bubble” you know you’re hearing true greatness. This should be required listening for any aspiring songwriter. The title track and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” are so sublime you might forget you’re stranded. Forever Changes (Love) – A magnificent record from one of the great, forgotten bands of the 60′s. Arthur Lee’s amazing band recorded their third and final album with this lineup (including Bryan MacLean). “Alone Again or” kicks off a seamless and beautifully arranged album with strings, horns and some fine guitar playing. “You Set the Scene”, which closes the record was a breakthrough in originality and arrangement. If you don’t know this album, get it immediately. American Idiot (Green Day) – Love this record….all the way through. It’s a classic and will be listened to years from now. Amidst all the passive media response to the Iraq war, one of the only consistent voices against our involvement was Green Day’s American Idiot. The title track, “Holiday”, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “Wake Me Up When September Ends” are all great. One of the finest albums released in the last 10 years. Photo Credit: Daniel D’Auria Sgt. Pepper (The Beatles) – I know…it’s so obvious but this record would be hard to live without on a desert isle. Not much explanation is needed here. I rarely listen to it at home anymore but that’s because we all know every line on the record. Still think “She’s Leaving Home” is one of McCartney’s best songs ever. The Rising (Bruce Springsteen) – I’m aware that a lot of Springsteen fans prefer his earlier work, but this remarkable album of America’s unshakeable spirit in the dark days following 9/11 is my favorite. “Lonesome Day”, “The Rising”, “You’re Missing”, “My City of Ruins”…every song is an inspiration. The Rising was the miracle we were all looking for. Photo Credit: Cable27 Turn Turn Turn (The Byrds) – Aren’t we lucky to still have this record to listen to. The Byrds were great interpreters of Dylan and there are two songs of his on this album, but they also wrote some great songs themselves. The arrangement of Pete Seeger’s “Turn Turn Turn” will never get old. Two great Gene Clark songs The World Turns All Around Her” and “Set Her Free This Time”. A classic recording. Achtung Baby (U2) – Released 20 years ago, this pivotal album included so many great songs that you forget this was somewhat of a comeback after ‘Rattle and Hum’. Recorded against the backdrop of a turbulent Berlin, this record includes “One”, “Mysterious Ways”, “Who’s Gonna Ride your Wild Horses”, “Until the End of the World” etc. A truly great album. Photo Credit: Matt McGee I’m sure I forgot some favorites, but that’s my list for now. Which albums would you take? Write your lists in the comments below.
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Price of NHS reforms soaring out of control says Labour as new total put at £1.49bn – up £160m in six months The cost of the government’s plans to restructure the NHS is rising at almost £1m a day, the Guardian has learned. Buried in a spreadsheet put out by the Department of Health as part of its revised business plan last week, officials admitted that the cost of transition was now £1.49bn. This figure is £160m more than the previous estimate, issued six months ago, when the reforms bill was first published. In January the department estimated the total cost of the structural change to be £1.33bn. The health bill was amended after suggestions by a committee set up by David Cameron, the Future Forum, to head off criticism over the wide-ranging reforms. But the effect appears to have been to increase significantly the cost of the upheaval to the taxpayer. A new impact assessment will now be completed by the Department of Health following the forum’s recommendations. Analysis by the Health Service Journal has shown that the transition to placing health budgets in the hands of GPs had already cost £228m since July last year. The size, scale and cost of the reforms have long troubled MPs and health service professionals, who point out that cutting staff also costs huge sums in redundancy payments. Trade unions claim that three-quarters of the estimated cost of the transition will go towards redundancy payments to 20,000 staff, suggesting average settlements of more than £45,000. John Healey, the shadow health secretary, said: “People will be shocked at the scale of wasted cost due to David Cameron’s NHS upheaval. These new figures, slipped out by the Department of Health, show that the costs of this unnecessary reorganisation are spiralling out of control.” Alan Maynard, professor of health economics at York University, said: “The delays and time taken for the reforms have really begun to affect morale and work ethic. People just won’t work if they don’t know where they will be next year or whether they have a job.” The department said the benefits of the changes will “far outweigh” the costs. The Co-operation and Competition Panel (CCP), the government body that investigates competition issues in the NHS, says that patients are losing out as a result of restrictions on their choice of provider of NHS care. An investigation found that nearly half of the NHS’s primary care trusts were blocking competition by guaranteeing NHS providers set amounts of work before patients can be sent to the private sector, or restricting the number of services that private hospitals can offer. The panel said that the expected benefits of patient choice – to patients and taxpayers – will not be fully realised. Trusts are also rationing procedures to cut costs. A freedom of information request by the health service GP magazine has found that, out of a survey of 111 PCTs, two-thirds are rationing “non-urgent” treatments such as tonsillectomies, cataract surgery and hip replacements. The issue of competition in the NHS is explosive. A controversial study by academics at the London School of Economics claims almost 1,000 lives were saved by the NHS being subject to competition. But Allyson Pollock, professor of public health research and policy at Queen Mary, University of London, said the study was “fundamentally flawed”. The paper, written by Zack Cooper, of the London School of Economics, and quoted by the prime minister last month, showed patients with more choice of hospitals had lower death rates. Cooper found that mortality rates of patients with heart disease fell faster in the more “competitive areas of England”. Thus the academics estimate that the reforms led to relative reduction of about 900, or around 7%, in heart attack deaths in the English NHS between 2006 and 2008. NHS Health Public finance Randeep Ramesh guardian.co.uk
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America’s political leaders now have just six days to agree a deal to raise the limit on US borrowing Global stock markets suffered fresh losses on Thursday as the US debt talks remained deadlocked, leaving investors braced for shockwaves to rattle the financial world . With no sign of a deal in Washington, there were heavy losses in Asia overnight. There was also a scrabble to sell shares in Europe, as traders reacted to the worst day’s trading in two months on Wall Street on Wednesday. The FTSE 100 fell 54 points at one stage of 5,802, but later clawed back most of the losses as the nervy morning session continued. There were sharper falls on the German and French markets. America’s political leaders now have just six days to agree a deal to raise the limit on US borrowing, and traders are having to confront the possibility – unthinkable just a few weeks ago – that they will fail. “The rout in global equity markets continues as concern builds over the failure of US lawmakers to serve up any meaningful progress regarding the debt ceiling,” said Cameron Peacock, market analyst at IG Markets. “This one item really is dominating the agenda right now.” Europe’s own debt crisis was also in focus, with Standard & Poor’s downgrading Greece’s credit rating. Earlier, Asian markets had seen heavy falls amid concern that the US, the world’s biggest economy and its biggest creditor, might default on its debts. Japan’s Nikkei lost nearly 1.5%, closing 145,84 points lower at 9,901.35. The US government moved to crush speculation that America has more time to resolve the crisis, insisting that the Treasury only has enough funds to last until 2 August. “The problem is there is not enough money because we can no longer borrow money to pay all our bills. You’re basically running on fumes,” White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters in Washington. “It is a crisis situation.” President Obama continues to push for a long-term deal to raise the debt ceiling. Republicans, though, are proposing a short-term extension – followed by fresh negotiations in 2012. Carney denied that Obama is looking to avoid a repeat of the current debacle in an election year. “It’s not about the re-election,” he said. “The issue here is the effect on the economy.” A short-term deal also raises the chances of America losing its AAA credit rating , warned Michael Hewson of CMC Markets. “Politicians do appear to be making some progress, however a major sticking point would appear to be the Republican insistence of a second vote on a debt ceiling rise before the 2012 election. Given recent comments by ratings agency S&P this may not be wisest course of action by US leaders and could well precipitate a ratings downgrade in the coming months,” Hewson said. The Republican plan is due to be debated and voted on this Thursday, after House speaker John Boehner was forced to rework the legislation – which did not initially deliver the spending cuts he had promised . Gary Jenkins of Evolution Securities is also concerned that the US is flirting with a downgrade, although rating agencies could be placated by a credible long-term fiscal plan to tackle America’s debt. “On the current proposals a downgrade is still likely in my opinion, but at this stage of more concern is the possibility that they don’t even raise the debt ceiling. Surely they couldn’t be that stupid?” Jenkins wrote in a research note. The interest rate on US 10-year government debt remained slightly above the UK equivalent, at 2.97% v 2.963% suggesting that Britain’s gilts are seen as a less risky investment than American Treasuries . Another Greek downgrade S&P warned that banks holding Greek debt will suffer significant losses via the rescue package announced last week, as it cut the country’s rating to CC. S&P said that the upcoming restructuring of Greek debt was a “distressed exchange” because private creditors will suffer losses if they agree to swap or rollover their loans into new 30-year bonds, and accept a “haircut” on the value of the the debt. S&P added that it will probably assign a “low-speculative-grade rating” to new Greek debt. In other banking news, Credit Suisse announced plans to cut 2,000 jobs. HSBC is also reported to be planning to eliminate thousands of positions worldwide in a cost-cutting drive. US economy Economics United States Ratings agencies Financial sector Stock markets European debt crisis Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk
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Artstrada says: Dan Peek dies at 60 ; founding member of the band America – AMERICA – Ventura Highway http://t.co/RSQbmai via @youtube
Continue reading …[ Melissa Harris-Perry explains in great detail the origins of the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and why the U.S. debt should not be questioned (14th amendment) while recapping the debt ceiling debate] Any rational person who follows politics understands that the debt-ceiling debate is a manufactured crisis, concocted by an insane Republican Party that is willing to wreck the American economy with the sole purpose of harming an Obama presidency and winning the White House in 2012. It has been enabled by a frightened Beltway media Village that refuses to give us honest analysis and historical context to go along with the debt ceiling process. President Obama sounded more like a Republican than a Democrat when he gave his presser the other night, once again making his case for a Grand Bargain, which he has admitted is a slap to Democratic principles. Is he playing a chess game with the GOP, hoping America will see the Tea Party for the radical right wing cult they are, to win the debate? That’s for you to decide , but this is a precarious strategy nonetheless, since it’s destined to be a huge setback for Keynesian economics and Progressive ideals, as Greg Sargent outlines in his piece. Even so, the media should be able to explain to the American people that the problem isn’t between both parties, but only one: the Republican party. Why do the media refuse to cover this story honestly? Paul Krugman has a few thoughts on the matter: Watching our system deal with the debt ceiling crisis — a wholly self-inflicted crisis, which may nonetheless have disastrous consequences — it’s increasingly obvious that what we’re looking at is the destructive influence of a cult that has really poisoned our political system. And no, I don’t mean the fanaticism of the right. Well, OK, that too. But my feeling about those people is that they are what they are; you might as well denounce wolves for being carnivores. Crazy is what they do and what they are. No, the cult that I see as reflecting a true moral failure is the cult of balance, of centrism. Think about what’s happening right now. We have a crisis in which the right is making insane demands, while the president and Democrats in Congress are bending over backward to be accommodating — offering plans that are all spending cuts and no taxes, plans that are far to the right of public opinion. So what do most news reports say? They portray it as a situation in which both sides are equally partisan, equally intransigent — because news reports always do that. And we have influential pundits calling out for a new centrist party, a new centrist president, to get us away from the evils of partisanship . “Washington is broken” is the refrain we hear constantly from the Beltway media, a long-held talking point pushed by conservatives in the MSM. When one branch controlled by Republicans does break down, then the government does stop working. The debt-ceiling debate is exposing the GOP as truly being broken because House Speaker Boehner can’t even get his own members to back his own “spending cuts” plan, even after President Obama has offered up the store in negotiations. But this story also strikes at the heart of the Villagers as much as the GOP. What all this means is that there is no penalty for extremism; no way for most voters, who get their information on the fly rather than doing careful study of the issues, to understand what’s really going on. You have to ask, what would it take for these news organizations and pundits to actually break with the convention that both sides are equally at fault? This is the clearest, starkest situation one can imagine short of civil war. If this won’t do it, nothing will. And yes, I think this is a moral issue. The “both sides are at fault” people have to know better; if they refuse to say it, it’s out of some combination of fear and ego, of being unwilling to sacrifice their treasured pose of being above the fray. It’s a terrible thing to watch, and our nation will pay the price. Our nation has been paying the price of their news cowardice for decades (Clinton’s impeachment, Al Gore’s loss, and the Iraq War, to name a few) and now as this usually unremarkable procedural vote called the debt ceiling winds down and which has never been subjected to this type of political grand-standing closes in, our credit rating may fall and throw the US into a much deeper economic hole than we already are in—the beltway media stands by refusing to report what is actually going on. As Krugman says, this is a moral one facing journalism as a whole, but it’s the American population that suffers.
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Article by WorldNews.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. Three years prior to the 1968 devastating TET Offensive that cost thousands of deaths among both Viet Cong and U.S. soldiers, including hundreds of innocent civilians, and four years before America was losing one-thousand troops a month, Undersecretary of State George Ball wrote a memorandum entitled “A Compromise Solution in South Vietnam.” Ball, in 1965, was one of the few members in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration who was openly skeptical of the escalating American military campaign in South and North Vietnam. The memorandum sets forth his opposition to a deepening commitment and crisis, a commitment and crises that would…
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