December 30 2007
On NBC’s Meet The Press this morning, host Tim Russert asked former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee if he believed “people are born gay or choose to be gay?” “I don’t know whether people are born that way,” responded Huckabee, “but one thing I know, that the behavior one practices is a choice.”

Huckabee conceded that “people who are gay say that they’re born that way,” but added that he believed that “how we behave and how we carry out that behavior” is more important. Watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdQx8_hBt3Q

As ThinkProgress has noted before, Huckabee has a record of using the power of government to discriminate against the choices that gay Americans make in their private lives. As governor of Arkansas, Huckabee pushed to strengthen the state’s anti-sodomy laws in order to “protect the traditional family structure”:

In 1997, Huckabee requested an amendment to a state Senate bill stating “that it is Arkansas public policy to prohibit sodomy to protect the traditional family structure.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 1/23/1997]

• Candidates split along party lines on health at Des Moines Register - Sat, Dec 29, 2007
• Another former Mass. governor campaigns with McCain at New Hampshire Union Leader - Sat, Dec 29, 2007
• Obama moves onto Edwards' populist turf at The Los Angeles Times - Sat, Dec 29, 2007

• Candidates launch new ad attacks at The Chicago Tribune (reg. req'd) - Sat, Dec 29, 2007
• Romney Eyes Huckabee's Lead at The Washington Post - Sat, Dec 29, 2007
• Giuliani, Seeking to Gain Ground, Returns to a Familiar Theme: 9/11 at The New York Times - Sat, Dec 29, 2007

Prison Planet

Texas Congressman Ron Paul has been banned from attending a presidential forum just two days before the New Hampshire Primary by Fox News.

The forum is due to be screened by Fox on January 6th 2008 but it won't include the Republican fundraising frontrunner and a contender who is set to garner over 10% of the vote in New Hampshire.

This is another blatant ploy to sideline Ron Paul and pretend as if he isn't going to play a crucial role in the campaign when even mainstream news media are now admitting that to be the case. “Given Ron Paul’s support in New Hampshire and his recent historic fundraising success, it is outrageous that Dr. Paul would be excluded,” said Ron Paul 2008 campaign chairman Kent Snyder. “Dr. Paul has consistently polled higher in New Hampshire than some of the other candidates who have been invited.”

“Paul supporters should know that we are continuing to make inquiries with Fox News as to why they have apparently excluded Dr. Paul from this event," he added.

The fact that Ron Paul broke all records by raising over $6 million dollars in one day this month matters little to the Neo-Con hierarchy at Fox News, who have thrown their weight behind Hillary Clinton's warmongering platform.

The Texas Congressman's fundraising haul gives him a real chance of picking up momentum quickly as the early primaries fly by, which is exactly what the establishment fear and are trying to derail.

Paul has been excluded from many major online polls in the last few months and was also initially blocked from attending a Republican presidential forum in Des Moines Iowa in June.

December 27, 2007
Enraged crowds rioted across Pakistan and hopes for democracy hung by a thread after Benazir Bhutto was gunned down Thursday as she waved to supporters from the sunroof of her armored vehicle. The death of President Pervez Musharraf's most powerful opponent threw the nation into chaos just 12 days before elections, and threatened its already unsteady role as a key fighter against Islamic terror.

• The murder of Bhutto, one of Pakistan's most famous and enduring politicians, sparked violence that killed at least nine people and plunged efforts to restore democracy to this nuclear-armed U.S. ally into turmoil.

Another opposition politician, Nawaz Sharif, announced he was boycotting Jan. 8 parliamentary elections in which Bhutto was hoping to recapture the premiership, and Musharraf reportedly weighed canceling the poll.

Bhutto, 54, was struck down amid scenes of blood and chaos as an unknown gunman opened fire and, according to witnesses and police, blew himself up, killing 20 other people

Video : Bhutto holds Musharraf "responsible for her death"

John Edwards:
“Benazir Bhutto was a brave and historic leader for Pakistan. Her assassination is a sad and solemn event, and our hearts go out to her family and to the Pakistani people. But we will not let this contemptible, cowardly act delay the march of progress in Pakistan for a single second.

“I have seen firsthand in Pakistan, and in meetings with Prime Minister Bhutto and President Musharraf, the instability of the country and the complexity of the challenges they face. At this critical moment, America must convey both strength and principle. We should do everything in our power to help bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice and to ensure that Bhutto’s movement toward democracy continues.”

Chris Dodd:
“Today’s news from Pakistan is both shocking and saddening. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, I have had the opportunity to travel to Pakistan and come to know Former Prime Minister Bhutto very well over the years. I spoke to her personally several weeks ago and have stayed in close contact with her since. She was a respected leader who played an important part in moving Pakistan toward democracy.

“As we recognize the loss of a leader today, we must also recognize the implication of today’s tragedy to the security of the region and to that of the United States.

“At this critical time we must do everything in our power to help Pakistan continue the path toward democracy and full elections. Our first priority must be to ensure stability in this critical nuclear state.

“The United States should also stand ready to provide assistance in investigating this heinous act. And as Pakistan perpetrators to justice, it should also demonstrate that it will not allow such violence to derail democracy and proceed with elections in a timely manner.”

Mike Huckabee:
“I am deeply troubled by the news accounts this morning of Pakistani opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in a suicide attack. This is devastating news for the people of Pakistan, and my prayers go out to them as we follow developments regarding this dire situation.

“The terrible violence surrounding Pakistan’s upcoming election stands in stark contrast to the peaceful transition of power that we embrace in our country through our Constitution. On this sad day, we are reminded that while our democracy has flaws, it stands as a shining beacon of hope for nations and people around the world who seek peace and opportunity through self-government.”

Joe Biden:
“This is a terrible day. My heart goes out to Benazir Bhutto’s family, friends and followers.

“Like her father before her, Benazir Bhutto worked her whole life – and gave her life – to help Pakistan become a democratic, secular and modern Muslim country. She was a woman of extraordinary courage who returned to Pakistan in the face of death threats and even after an assassination attempt the day of her return, she did not flinch. It was a privilege to know her these many years and to call her a friend.

“I am convinced Ms. Bhutto would have won free and fair elections next week. The fact that she was by far Pakistan’s most popular leader underscores the fact that there is a vast, moderate majority in Pakistan that must have a clear voice in the system. Her assassination makes it all the more urgent that Pakistan return to a democratic path.

“This fall, I twice urged President Musharraf to provide better security for Ms. Bhutto and other political leaders – I wrote him before her return and after the first assassination attempt in October. The failure to protect Ms. Bhutto raises a lot of hard questions for the government and security services that must be answered.

“I know that Benazir’s followers will be tempted to lash out in anger and violence. I urge them to remain calm – and not play into the hands of the forces of destruction. I urge Pakistan’s leaders to open a fully accountable and transparent investigation. We must find out who was behind this and bring those responsible to justice. And the United States should offer any assistance necessary, including investigative teams, to get to the bottom of this horror.

“The way to honor Benazir Bhutto is to uphold the values for which she gave her life: democracy, moderation and social justice. I join with the Pakistani people in mourning the loss of a dear friend.”

Bill Richardson:
“Benazir Bhutto was a courageous woman. Her death, and the deaths of so many of her supporters, is more than just a tragedy. It is a testament to the will of the Pakistani people to see democracy restored. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died today.

“Ms. Bhutto knew the dangers to her safety. But she would not be intimidated. We also must not be intimidated.

A leader has died, but democracy must live. The United States government cannot stand by and allow Pakistan’s return to democracy to be derailed or delayed by violence.

We must use our diplomatic leverage and force the enemies of democracy to yield: President Bush should press Musharraf to step aside, and a broad-based coalition government, consisting of all the democratic parties, should be formed immediately. Until this happens, we should suspend military aid to the Pakistani government. Free and fair elections must also be held as soon as possible.

It is in the interests of the US that there be a democratic Pakistan that relentlessly hunts down terrorists. Musharraf has failed, and his attempts to cling to power are destabilizing his country. He must go.”

Hillary Clinton:
“I am profoundly saddened and outraged by the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, a leader of tremendous political and personal courage. I came to know Mrs. Bhutto over many years, during her tenures as Prime Minister and during her years in exile. Mrs. Bhutto’s concern for her country, and her family, propelled her to risk her life on behalf of the Pakistani people. She returned to Pakistan to fight for democracy despite threats and previous attempts on her life and now she has made the ultimate sacrifice. Her death is a tragedy for her country and a terrible reminder of the work that remains to bring peace, stability, and hope to regions of the globe too often paralyzed by fear, hatred, and violence.

“Let us pray that her legacy will be a brighter, more hopeful future for the people she loved and the country she served. My family and I extend my condolences and deepest sympathies to the victims and their families and to the people of Pakistan.”

John McCain:
“I was deeply saddened today to learn about the death of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. My deepest condolences go out to the family and supporters of this remarkable woman, an individual who paid the ultimate price for her embrace of moderation and rejection of extremism.

“The death of Benazir Bhutto underscores yet again the grave dangers we face in the world today and particularly in countries like Pakistan, where the forces of moderation are arrayed in a fierce battle against those who embrace violent Islamic extremism.

“Given Pakistan’s strategic location, the international terrorist groups that operate from its soil, and its nuclear arsenal, the future of that country has deep implications for the security of the United States and its allies. America must stand on the right side of this ongoing struggle.

“In my numerous visits to Pakistan - to Islamabad, to Peshawar, even to the tribal areas of Waziristan - I have seen first hand the many challenges that face the political leadership there, challenges so graphically portrayed by today’s tragedy. There are, in Pakistan, brave individuals who seek to lead their country away from extremism and instability and into the light of a better day. America, I believe, must do all we can to support them.”

Mitt Romney:
“We are still learning the details of today’s tragic events in Pakistan, but this is a stark reminder that America must not only stay on high alert, but remain actively engaged across the globe. Pakistan has long been a key part in the war against extremism and radical jihadists. For those who think Iraq is the sole front in the War on Terror, one must look no further than what has happened today. America must show its commitment to stand with all moderate forces across the Islamic world and together face the defining challenge of our generation – the struggle against violent, radical jihadists.

“At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go to the family of Benazir Bhutto, and to all the people of Pakistan who are fighting against extremist forces that would commit such heinous acts as the whole world has witnessed today.”

Barack Obama:
“I am shocked and saddened by the death of Benazir Bhutto in this terrorist atrocity. She was a respected and resilient advocate for the democratic aspirations of the Pakistani people. We join with them in mourning her loss, and stand with them in their quest for democracy and against the terrorists who threaten the common security of the world,” said United States Senator Barack Obama.

Rudy Giuliani:
“The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a tragic event for Pakistan and for democracy in Pakistan. Her murderers must be brought to justice and Pakistan must continue the path back to democracy and the rule of law. Her death is a reminder that terrorism anywhere — whether in New York, London, Tel Aviv or Rawalpindi — is an enemy of freedom. We must redouble our efforts to win the Terrorists’ War on Us.”

Video : VLOGZTV

Dec. 27 -- Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday after a campaign rally, sparking widespread riots and raising new concerns about the stability of this nuclear-armed nation of 165 million people.

n an outpouring of grief and rage that followed the attack, which also claimed the lives of at least 20 other people, Bhutto supporters smashed glass at the hospital where she died and rioted in the teeming port city of Karachi, where vehicles and a gas station were burned and police came under gunfire. At least five people were killed in riots across the country, police reported.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf blamed Islamic extremists for the assassination, but some angry Bhutto supporters held Musharraf responsible.

Elect me and oil prices instantly drop, says Hillary Clinton in Iowa

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Hillary Clinton predicted Saturday that just electing her President will cut the price of oil.

When the world hears her commitment at her inauguration about ending American dependence on foreign fuel, Clinton says, oil-pumping countries will lower prices to stifle America's incentive to develop alternative energy.

• "I predict to you, the oil-producing countries will drop the price of oil," Clinton said, speaking at the Manchester YWCA. "They will once again assume, once the cost pressure is off, Americans and our political process will recede."

Clinton argued that former President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s actually started moving in the right direction toward energy independence, but his successor, Ronald Reagan, "dismantled" that work.

• "Because costs were low, people didn't care, didn't complain," she said.

She warned that folks shouldn't be grateful now if oil countries cut prices from near $100 a barrel to $60 or $70, and compared it to trying to boil a frog.

"You put him in hot water, it jumps right out, you put him in cold water and turn up the heat - he's a goner," she said. "We've got to figure out how were going to not be the frog in the cold water anymore."

Video:
Kristol calls Ron Paul " Crackpot "
02;43

The Weekly Standard’s and Fox News analyst, Bill Kristol, made desperate attacks against Republican frontrunner Ron Paul. Kristol calls Paul a ‘Crackpot’ and even questioned the Air Force veteran’s patriotism.

1. The issue came up when Fox News interviewed Kristol about Paul’s response to Tim Russert’s questions on Meet the Press. Russert was digging up 20 year old quotes from Paul that had nothing to do with the election or Paul’s current platform.
2. The quotes dealt with Ron Paul’s statements in the past about the Civil War being avoidable and that there could have been a peaceful resolution to the conflict instead of the resulting 600,000 death toll of the war.

Ron Paul Circa 1988 on The Morton Downey Jr. Show
01:04

Ron Paul in his slightly younger years appearing on the Morton Downey Jr. Show in 1988




RELATED
Ron Paul on Meet The Press 12/23/2007

If you're ticketed by Green Bay police, you'll get more than a fine. You'll get fingerprinted, too. It's a new way police are cracking down on crime.

If you're caught speeding or playing your music too loud, or other crimes for which you might receive a citation, Green Bay police officers will ask for your drivers license and your finger. You'll be fingerprinted right there on the spot. The fingerprint appears right next to the amount of the fine.

Police say it's meant to protect you -- in case the person they're citing isn't who they claim to be. But not everyone is sold on that explanation.

"What we've seen happen for the last couple of years [is] increasing use of false or fraudulent identification documents," Captain Greg Urban said.

Police say they want to prevent the identity theft problem that Milwaukee has, where 13 percent of all violators give a false name.

But in Green Bay, where police say they only average about five cases in a year, drivers we talked with think the new policy is extreme.

"That's going too far," Ken Scherer from Oconto said. "You look at the ID, that's what they're there for. Either it's you or it's not. I don't think that's a valid excuse."

"I would feel uncomfortable but I would do it," Carol Pilgrim of Green Bay said.

Citizens do have the right to say no. "They could say no and not have to worry about getting arrested," defense attorney Jackson Main said. "On the other hand, I'm like everybody else. When a police officer tells me to do something, I'm going to do it whether I have the right to say no or not."

That's exactly why many drivers are uneasy about the fine print in this fingerprinting policy.

Police stress that the prints are just to make sure you are who you claim to be and do not go into any kind of database; they simply stay on the ticket for future reference if the identity is challenged.

FedEx Corp was delivered a big lump of coal today by the Internal Revenue Service, which slammed the company with a $319 million fine and penalties over its illegal independent contractor model. The IRS determined that FedEx Ground workers were indeed employees, a fact long asserted by the Teamsters Union.

"What a great Christmas gift to FedEx Ground workers who have suffered under FedEx's illegal independent contractor scam," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "It's a fundamental fact that FedEx has been skirting the law, and the Teamsters welcome the IRS decision."

The news caps a difficult week for the anti-union company. On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Attorney General cited FedEx Ground for intentionally misclassifying pickup and delivery drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. This follows a decision last month by the California Supreme Court, which refused to review an appeals court ruling that single route drivers in the state were misclassified. On Thursday, FedEx publicly acknowledged that regulatory and legal challenges on misclassification could hurt its stock price.

• "It's game over for FedEx's independent contractor scam," Hoffa said.

Since the $319 million fine only covers 2002, FedEx could face additional penalties totaling over a billion dollars after the IRS completes its investigation into the company's illegal employment practices that continue to this day.

PLAY VIDEO
COLLECTION OF NEWS CLIPS ON RON PAUL "MONEY BOMB"

Blackwater in Another Deadly Baghdad Attack -- on 'NYT' Dog December 18, 2007 3:40 PM ET
BAGHDAD The U.S. embassy in Iraq is investigating another deadly shooting incident involving its Blackwater bodyguards -- this time of the New York Times' dog, "Hentish," Reuters is reporting today. As of 4 p.m., an item on this has not yet appeared on the Times' Web site.

PLAY VIDEO
Arnold visits George at the White House and starts fooling around with G.Bush. This video covers all scenes cut together to one movie.

Cafferty Smacks Pelosi Calling Her Beyond Pathetic

PLAY VIDEO
Suddenly Iowa's a real race in both parties. And the Sunday show yakkers were full of talk about the nosediving Hillary and Rudy campaigns. Check out what they said in today's Sunday Show Roundup.

PLAY VIDEO
Bill O'Reilly on Fox News took his rhetoric in fighting against the imaginary "War on Christmas" a step too far last week and his timing could not have been worse as I show with the clips in this video

You tube has just changed the site and it really is not for the better. There are more problems then the ones I mentioned in this video, but this is all I had time to point out. Please support this video and others like it so we can help this site become better.

Ron Paul: $6 million haul and blimp on CNN

CNN mentions $6 million dollar fundraising success and the blimp. Footage of grassroots supporters in the snow.

Sen. John McCain strolled briefly through an open-air market in Baghdad in an effort to prove that Americans are “not getting the full picture” of what’s going on in Iraq.

Republican Presidential Candidates Tv Ads
3:08

Republican Presidential Candidates Tv Ads The cost to try to influence the 2008 election could exceed $3 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group, CNN's consultant on political television advertising.

This is nearly twice as much than what was spent in 2004 when political and issue-advocacy television advertising rang in at $1.7 billion. In 2006, $2.3 billion was spent on political and issue-advocacy TV commercials.

Ann Coulter on Huckabee's rise
4:10
The Big Story

Glenn Beck/Ron Paul Preview
1:34

Ron Paul will appear on Glenn Beck

for a full hour next Tuesday,

December 18th at 7p, 9p ET on

Headline News. Send your questions

for Dr. Paul to glennbeck@cnn.com!

WATCH VIDEO

Ron Paul on Mad Money with Jim Cramer 12-14-07
7:00

rid of the Federal Reserve. Paul's discussion with

Cramer is sure to be a lively one, so don't miss it!

WATCH VIDEO

The Ron Paul Phenomenon

NOW talks to Congressman Ron Paul and his supporters across the country about Paul's surprisingly popular run for the Republican nomination, led in large part by people acting on their own without help from Ron Paul or his campaign.

Airs this Friday, December 14 at 8:30 pm on PBS. Check local listings

WH Press Briefing December 12 2007
Is Dana Perino married? Who is she dating? Dam Dana is so HOT. The nice thing about blogs is that simplistic editorial standards allow us to report what everyone else is thinking.

REALLY ?? OH THATS FUNNY .... DON'T CHANGE IT

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is attacking Mike Huckabee on his record of illegal immigration in a new TV ad, a move the latter labeled as "desperate."

Iowa stations will begin broadcasting the spot, which attacks Huckabee by name, on Tuesday.

The Romney ad, titled "The Record," compares the candidates' conservative stands on social issues but draws a sharp contrast on their track records on immigration policy: "Mitt Romney stood up and vetoed in-state tuition for illegal aliens ... opposed driver's licenses for illegals," the ad's announcer says. "Mike Huckabee? Supported in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants. Huckabee even supported taxpayer-funded scholarships for illegal aliens
President Campaign Ad

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) -- The 2004 election was about terrorism. The 2006 election was about Iraq.

Remember "the economy, stupid"? That was in 1992 -- the last time the U.S. had an economic election. Another Bush, another Clinton, and that year the nation experienced an economic downturn.

Now, for the first time in more than four years, a majority of Americans, 57 percent, believe the nation is in a recession, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Tuesday.

The poll's margin of error on that question was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

The economy is now the biggest issue in the presidential campaign. Twenty-nine percent of poll respondents said the economy was their top issue, compared with 23 percent who listed the Iraq war -- a reversal from October's results, when 28 percent listed the war and 22 percent pointed to the economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush granted pardons Tuesday to carjackers, drug dealers, a moonshiner and a violator of election laws, but not to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, his vice president's former top aide who was convicted in the case of the leaked identity of a CIA operative.

• In all, Bush pardoned 29 convicts and reduced the prison sentence of one more, in the end-of-the-year presidential tradition.

Justice Department spokesman Erik Ablin said Bush has granted 142 pardons and commuted five sentences since taking office in 2001 -- lagging far behind the pace set by most modern presidents.

The list was issued with little fanfare Tuesday afternoon by the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the Justice Department. Bush was not expected to issue any more pardons this year.

In July, Bush commuted Libby's 2 1/2-year sentence, sparing Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff from serving any prison time after being convicted of perjury and obstructing justice. Libby, who recently dropped appeals to have his convictions overturned, has paid a $250,000 fine and remains on two years probation.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ask.com unveiled Tuesday a "privacy switch" that lets users completely erase their search queries and related data from the search engine's servers.

The new feature, dubbed AskEraser, gives users control over whether their information is retained by the search engine. Company officials and privacy advocates hope the "privacy switch" will pressure other Internet companies to follow suit.

"Anywhere that you log into, anywhere where you put in personalized information, there should be a way - an easy way - to control how that information is used and retained," said Doug Leeds, senior vice president at Ask.com, a unit of IAC/InterActiveCorp. "We are giving users the ability themselves to take control of their privacy."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119738061204320863.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

by 4fx
Mon Dec 10, 2007

Huckabee's opinion on gay marriage is out there, but we should also be publicizing Huckabee's opinions on heterosexual marriage. Specifically, what he believes about a women's role in a marriage.

A Houston, Texas woman says she was gang-raped by Halliburton/KBR coworkers in Baghdad, and the company and the U.S. government are covering up the incident.

Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in the Green Zone, the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she'd be out of a job.

"Don't plan on working back in Iraq. There won't be a position here, and there won't be a position in Houston," Jones says she was told.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court against Halliburton and its then-subsidiary KBR, Jones says she was held in the shipping container for at least 24 hours without food or water by KBR, which posted armed security guards outside her door, who would not let her leave.

"It felt like prison," says Jones, who told her story to ABC News as part of an upcoming "20/20" investigation. "I was upset; I was curled up in a ball on the bed; I just could not believe what had happened."

• Over two years later, the Justice Department has brought no criminal charges in the matter. In fact, ABC News could not confirm any federal agency was investigating the case.

Legal experts say Jones' alleged assailants will likely never face a judge and jury, due to an enormous loophole that has effectively left contractors in Iraq beyond the reach of United States law.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1

The Justice Department and the CIA's internal watchdog announced Saturday a joint inquiry into the spy agency's destruction of videotaped interrogations of two suspected terrorists as the latest scandal to rock U.S. intelligence gathered steam.

The review will determine whether a full investigation is warranted.

"I welcome this inquiry and the CIA will cooperate fully," CIA Director Mike Hayden said in a statement. "I welcome it as an opportunity to address questions that have arisen over the destruction back in 2005 of videotapes."

The House Intelligence Committee is launching its own inquiry next week. It will investigate not only why the tapes were destroyed and Congress was not notified, but also the interrogation methods that "if released, had the potential to do such grave damage to the United States of America," said Chairman Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, on Saturday.

"This administration cannot be trusted to police itself," Reyes said.

The Senate Intelligence committee is also investigating.

Dec. 7, 2007

Bush Stealthily Authorizes Full Access to U.S. Roads for Even More Mexico-Based NAFTA Trucks

Statement of Joan Claybrook, President of Public Citizen

In a stealthy maneuver, the Bush administration has boosted the threat to the public by increasing the number of Mexico-based trucking firms allowed access to all U.S. roads as part of the reckless North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) trucking “pilot program.” The Department of Transportation recently revealed an increase in the number of NAFTA trucks permitted to all U.S. highways – now 10 carriers, sending as many as 55 trucks throughout the country.

The last time the Bush administration made a public announcement about the number of Mexico-based carriers allowed to participate in the NAFTA trucks pilot program, there were only three carriers.

It has long been the tradition by this administration to bury bad news like this by sending out press releases on Friday afternoon, but in this case, the Department of Transportation (DOT) reached a new low: not sending any press release at all, but simply updating a Web page.

PORTER J. GOSS"

CIA has recruited Iranians to defect

WASHINGTON -- The CIA launched a secret program in 2005 designed to degrade Iran's nuclear weapons program by persuading key officials to defect, an effort that has prompted a "handful" of significant departures, current and former U.S. intelligence officials familiar with the operation say.

The previously undisclosed program, which CIA officials dubbed "the Brain Drain," is part of a major intelligence push against Iran ordered by the White House two years ago.

Paul Supporters Protest Giuliani

From CBS News' Joy Lin
MIAMI -- “Fascist! Fascist!” shouted a handful of Ron Paul supporters at Rudy Giuliani as he left a hotel and got into his car.

Giuliani donned his signature grin while someone screamed at him and his staff, calling them “traitors to the constitution, all of you!” Another guy yelled, “Pathetic!”

“Sell-outs! Got to war, you hypocrites! Cowards! Where’s your support? You don’t have anybody!” one protestor continued.

Bulten asked why Americans should vote for Ron Paul.

“Lower taxes, less government, more protection for our borders, and um…get our troops home” she said.

The Sunday shows: Tough questions for Giuliani

It was former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani’s turn in Tim Russert’s hot seat Sunday, but the front-runner (in national polls) for the GOP presidential nomination managed to stay cool.

The host of NBC’s “Meet the Press” is inviting the leading presidential candidates for one-on-one hour-long interviews; Giuliani is the 10th to appear since the “Meet the Candidates” series started in January with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Presidential mistresses were entitled to Secret Service protection

C.I.A. Official in Inquiry Called a ‘Hero’

MARK MAZZETTI

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 — At a conference in El Paso in mid-August, Representative Silvestre Reyes of Texas, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, heaped praise on a man whose exploits, he joked, had been the inspiration for the television show “24.”

Democrats Charge Cover-Up of Destroyed CIA Tapes

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressional Democrats Friday demanded a full Justice Department investigation into whether the CIA obstructed justice by destroying videotapes that documented the harsh 2002 interrogations of two alleged terrorists.

A day after CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden told agency employees the tapes were destroyed in 2005, members of Congress, human rights groups and lawyers for accused terrorists said the tapes may have been key evidence that the U.S. government had illegally authorized torture.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 — The first of the so-called high-value Guantánamo detainees to have seen a lawyer claims he was subjected to “state-sanctioned torture” while in secret C.I.A. prisons, and he has asked for a court order barring the government from destroying evidence of his treatment.

Lawyers for the detainee, Majid Khan, a former Baltimore resident, released documents in his case on Friday. They claim he “was subjected to an aggressive C.I.A. detention and interrogation program notable for its elaborate planning and ruthless application of torture” to numerous detainees.

The documents also suggest that Mr. Khan, 27, and other high-value detainees are now being held in a previously undisclosed area of the Guantánamo prison in Cuba he called Camp 7.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.AS RATM WAS GETTING READY TO PLAY KILLING IN THE NAME OF ZACK DE LA ROCHA ANGRY OVER POLICE BEVHAVIOR AGAINST THE PEOPLE EXPRESSING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AGAINGT THE DEMOCRATS WHO ZACK SAYS SOLD THIS COUNTRY OUT.

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- State Department Inspector General Howard J. Krongard, who has been accused of improperly interfering with investigations into private security contractor Blackwater USA and with other probes, resigned today.

"I have nothing further to say at this time," wrote Krongard, whose job made him the department's chief internal watchdog.

Howard Krongard told President Bush in a letter that he would quit effective Jan. 15.

Blackwater Worldwide — a private contractor that protects U.S. diplomats in Iraq — is alleged to have smuggled weapons into the country. In November, Krongard was forced to recuse himself from any inquiries into Blackwater after it was disclosed that his brother had joined the company's advisory board.

In addition to recusing himself from matters related to Blackwater, Krongard also said last month he was no longer involved in corruption investigations related to the flawed construction of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a $600 million project that is beset by logistical delays and security concerns.

From: bravenewfilmsHenry Kravis is a billionaire, the 57th richest person in America. He acquired this wealth by purchasing public companies with borrowed money. To pay off the debt, he cuts benefits at the company, sells its assets, and lays off employees.

This get-rich-quick scheme made him $450 million last year. Meanwhile, his tax rate is lower than teachers, firemen, nurses, even his own cleaning staff!

The CIA did not tell Congress about the destruction in 2005 of videotapes recording aggressive CIA interrogations of two al Qaeda suspects until this year, the top two members of the House Intelligence Committee said in an angry letter Friday to CIA Director Michael V. Hayden.

Anticipating an upcoming New York Times article revealing the destruction, Hayden said in a memo to employees on Thursday that congressional oversight committees had been notified about the existence of the tapes and plans to get rid of them.

"Based upon available records and our best recollection, this simply is not true," said a joint letter from House intelligence committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-Calif.) and the committee's ranking member and former chairman, Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.).

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