Schwarzenegger Signs Viagra Ban For Sex Offenders

In a move that I think everyone can agree is common sense -- except for sex offenders with impotency -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning the state health care system from paying for Viagra for poor sex offenders. I still don't understand why taxpayers should end up paying for anyone's Viagra, but especially in the case of a sex offender. If anything, erectile dysfunction drugs should be outlawed to anyone with sex offender status.

In addition Schwarzenegger also signed bills allowing children to testify in court via closed circuit television, prohibiting parents from having custody of their children if the parent lives with a registered sex offender, blocking the state's Department of Mental Health from placing sexually violent patients near schools after release from treatment and allowing state and local officials to use global positioning systems to monitor parolees.

Washington Post

Federal support for subsidized Viagra was curtailed earlier this year when a New York state audit found nearly 200 sex offenders benefiting from the program.

Schwarzenegger then asked state agencies to stop prescribing the drugs to sex offenders and asked lawmakers to pass a bill that would outlaw the coverage.

Sounds good to me. Now about those illegal aliens getting Viagra and other prescriptions and health care on the taxpayers dime...

Originally posted at Diggers Realm

Fewer See Dems As Religion-Friendly

The Democrats' efforts to improve their image with religious voters after their 2004 presidential election defeat backfire.

The Associated Press reports a new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that fewer people now see Democrats as friendly to religion now than felt that way a year ago:

That number has dropped from 40 percent in August 2004 who thought the Democrats were friendly to religion to 29 percent now.

"The change is seen across all groups," said Scott Keeter, director of survey research for the Pew Research Center, which conducted the poll for the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

After President Bush's reelection, the Democratic National Committee initiated numerous efforts to strengthen its standing with religious voters:

The DNC hired someone to coordinate religious outreach, encouraged state parties to work more closely with the religious community, and had Chairman Howard Dean meet with clergy and others in the religious community during his travels around the country.

According to the poll's findings, the Democrats have experienced a sharp erosion in the number of Americans who believe the party is friendly toward religion. Only about three-in-ten (29%) see the Democrats as friendly toward religion, down from 40% last August.

From California Yankee.

The Political Silly Season Has Started...Again

The presidential primaries are still a long way off, not starting until early 2008. But that hasn't stopped presidential hopefuls from visiting New Hampshire in an effort to lay the groundwork for a future campaign.

It seems the left over campaign signs from the 2004 Presidential elections have barely rotted away when TV, radio, and newspaper ads touting the efforts of a would-be candidate are starting to make their presence known.

Former 2004 running mates Senator John Kerry and ex-Senator John Edwards were slated to visit the state today, though there apparently no plans for them to meet. This is Edwards' third visit this year. There's no doubt in my mind that they're both planning another run for the White House.

Those supporting the idea of Hillary Clinton running for president will be visiting later and will be funding ads supporting her run.

Others presidential hopefuls visiting New Hampshire include Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana), Governor Bill Richardson (D-New Mexico), Senator Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), Senator George Allen (R-Virginia), Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Governor Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts), Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado), and a host of others. Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is scheduled to visit the state next month.

It is the beginning of the next great political silly season. Let the glad-handing begin....

(Cross-posted to Weekend Pundit)

Republican candidate calls for Bush impeachment

Dennis Morrisseau is a retired restaurant owner from West Pawlet, Vermont who's running as a Republican for the seat being vacated by Bernie Sanders. If elected, he promises to bring articles of impeachment against president Bush. Morrisseau doesn't appear to have a web site, and in lieu of a national party he's trying to go the grassroots route a la Howard Dean.

"GOP candidate calls for impeachment" quotes him as saying:

"This leadership isn't very Republican and I don't think it's very popular with Vermont Republicans... Republicans in this state tend to be mind-your-own-business people, keep taxes low and government small... [Former VT Gov. Deane Davis] was the best environmentalist we had in this state... That's Republicanism in Vermont. We like small businesses. We're afraid of outsiders and large businesses. That's what I'm about.... I think I've got a great shot... There's been movement since the election, if you track the polls. That's not just Democrats, that's Republicans, too. Down in southern Vermont, [Bush] is reviled among Republicans."

If his message gets any further attention, expect the fact that he was one of the founders of VT's liberal, anti-Vietnam War Liberty Union Party as well as the fact that he's a former Democrat to be used against him.

John Roberts is SCOTUS Pick [Updated]

Red State seems to be laying all the cards on John Roberts.

Bio of Roberts

Update; AP is confirming it is Roberts.

It should be noted that Red State beat the AP to that confirmation by two minutes.

NRO on Roberts

More on Roberts here

Keep an eye on this blog throughout the evening.

A round up/tracking of blog reactions here

An opposition by Alliance for Justice (pdf) [via Daily Kos]

NARAL opposition

More at Confirm Them

Plenty at Volokh, including a list of groups that opposed Roberts in 2003.

Supreme Court Pick to Come Tonight

President Bush will name his selection for the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday night at 9 p.m. EDT, a senior administration official said.

[...]

The name at the top of the list appears to be that of Judge Edith Clement (search), a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans. Activists have already prepared a video testimonial from long-time lawyer friends of Clement, who is known by the nickname "Joy."

FOX News has learned that Clement has already been interviewed by Vice President Dick Cheney, a possible sign that she is the choice for the high court.

Read more..

2008: The Games Begin In Iowa

I'm sorry -- didn't we just finish this?

Well, time's up. Here we go: Governors who would hope to be president of the United States are (informally) stumping in Iowa (CNN).

Particularly active: Pataki (NY), Vilsack (Iowa), and Huckabee (Arkansas). Oh, and Romney (MA). Those who read this page have heard me say it before: Keep and eye on Romney -- he's gonna get the nod before all is said and done.

Plame Outing May Not Have Been Crime

USA Today reports that the "outing" of Wilson's wife "may not have been a crime at all."

According to USA Today, in his book, "The Politics of Truth," Wilson writes that he and his future wife both returned from overseas assignments in June 1997:

Neither spouse, a reading of the book indicates, was again stationed overseas. They appear to have remained in Washington, D.C., where they married and became parents of twins.

Six years later, in July 2003, the name of the CIA officer — Valerie Plame — was revealed by columnist Robert Novak.

The column's date is important because the law against unmasking the identities of U.S. spies says a "covert agent" must have been on an overseas assignment "within the last five years." The assignment also must be long-term, not a short trip or temporary post, two experts on the law say. Wilson's book makes numerous references to the couple's life in Washington over the six years up to July 2003.

"Unless she was really stationed abroad sometime after their marriage," she wasn't a covert agent protected by the law, says Bruce Sanford, an attorney who helped write the 1982 act that protects covert agents' identities.

From California Yankee.

Farrell Wants A Rematch

Associated Press reports that Westport's Democratic First Selectman Diane Farrell took the first formal steps for a rematch with Republican Congressman Christopher Shays:

Farrell, a Democrat who lost to Shays in 2004, filed papers with the Federal Election Commission that will allow her to begin raising money for her campaign.

Shays, meanwhile, will file an FEC report Friday that will show he has already raised about $500,000 for his re-election bid, according to his campaign manager Michael Sohn. Sohn said Shays will finish the second quarter of the year with about $375,000 in cash on hand.

From California Yankee.

Spotlight on Rove

A roundup of Rove stories:

Rove under fire, WH quiet:

Nearly two years after stating that any administration official found to have been involved in leaking the name of an undercover CIA officer would be fired, and assuring that Karl Rove and other senior aides to President Bush had nothing to do with the disclosure, the White House refused on Monday to answer any questions about new evidence of Rove's role in the matter.

Dems urge Rove to clear air on leak:

Democrats yesterday pressed White House aide Karl Rove to "clear the air" about his role in the leak of a covert CIA operative's identity to the news media after disclosures that he was a Time reporter's source on that story.

The heat on Rove rose after the White House yesterday rebuffed reporters' questions about his role, citing the special prosecutor's probe - even though two years ago a Bush spokesman called suggestions Rove was involved "ridiculous" and said anyone who was would be fired.

"The prosecutors overseeing the investigation had expressed a preference to us that one way to help the investigation is not to be commenting on it from this podium," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said yesterday.

Press Batters McClellan on Rove/Plame Link

Full text of briefing

White House in a bind over Rove e-mail

Blog links:

Captain's Quarters
Powerline
Billmon
Just One Minute
Mickey Kaus

Justice O'Connor Retires From Supreme Court [Updated - Blog links]

Supreme Court Justrice Sandra Day O'Connor submitted her retirement notice to President Bush on Friday, setting the stage for a contentious battle over her replacement.

Bush is scheduled to speak from the White House Rose Garden at 11:15 a.m. EDT to announce the retirement. Sources said he will not be naming a potential successor for O'Connor.

"Dear President Bush, this is to inform you of my decision to retire from my position as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, effective upon the nomination and confirmation of my successor. It has been a great priviledge indeed to have served as a member of the Court for 24 Terms.

"I will leave it with enormous respect for the integrity of the Court and its role under our constitutional structure," O'Connor wrote.

Read more....

Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman and the 102nd person to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Judicial Offices:
Nominated by President Reagan as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court on July 7, 1981; confirmed by the United States Senate on September 22, 1981; and took oath of office on September 25, 1981.

Appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals by Governor Bruce Babbitt and served from 1979 to 1981.

Elected judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court, Phoenix, Arizona. and served from 1975 to 1979.

Some quotes from Justice O'Connor:

• A moment of silence is not inherently religious.

• Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom.

• Having family responsibilities and concerns just has to make you a more understanding person.

• I don't know that there are any short cuts to doing a good job.

• It is a measure of the framers' fear that a passing majority might find it expedient to compromise 4th Amendment values that these values were embodied in the Constitution itself.

• It is difficult to discern a serious threat to religious liberty from a room of silent, thoughtful schoolchildren.

• My hope is that 10 years from now, after I've been across the street at work for a while, they'll all be glad they gave me that wonderful vote.

• Statutes authorizing unreasonable searches were the core concern of the framers of the 4th Amendment.

We hold that the reckless disregard for human life implicit in knowingly engaging in criminal activity known to carry a grave risk of death represents a highly culpable mental state that may be taken into account in making a capital sentencing judgment not inevitable, lethal result.

Possible replacements include Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and federal courts of appeals judges J. Michael Luttig, John Roberts, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Michael McConnell, Emilio Garza and James Harvie Wilkinson III. Others mentioned are former Solicitor General Theodore Olson, lawyer Miguel Estrada and former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson, but Bush's pick could be a surprise choice not well known in legal circles. Another prospective candidate is Edith Hollan Jones, a judge on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who was also considered for a Supreme Court vacancy by President Bush's father.

Thoughts from Orin Kerr

Lots of talk over at The Corner

Supreme Court Nomination Blog

How Appealing

Bench memos at National Review

Just keep scrolling down at Daily Kos

Michelle Malkin

SCOTUS rules cities may take private property for private use

via the AP:

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people’s homes and businesses — even against their will — for private economic development.

It was a decision fraught with huge implications for a country with many areas, particularly the rapidly growing urban and suburban areas, facing countervailing pressures of development and property ownership rights.

The 5-4 ruling represented a defeat for some Connecticut residents whose homes are slated for destruction to make room for an office complex. They argued that cities have no right to take their land except for projects with a clear public use, such as roads or schools, or to revitalize blighted areas.

The opinions in Kelo, et. al. v. New London are here.

I have more thoughts here.

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano Faces Backlash For Vetoing Illegal Immigration Bills

Having vetoed nearly 60 bills in her term, including some key bills to cut benefits and the flow of illegal aliens into the state, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is facing a political backlash that could cost her re-election in 2006. The nearly 60 vetoes is the most by any Governor in the states history.

Bills she has vetoed include one denying in-state tuition and day care for illegal aliens and one allowing law enforcement to enforce immigration law on May 20. On May 10 she also vetoed a bill making English the official state language which would have allowed the state to save money by not having to provide all official documents in multiple languages and would have encourage assimilating immigrants into the American culture more effectively.

She also vetoed a bill that would have officially rejected the Matricula Consular from Mexico as a valid form of identification which an FBI official has said are "easy to forge" and a "major item on the product list of fraudulent document trade currently flourishing across the country and around the world.".

Knoxstudio

Napolitano said none of those bills would have solved immigration-related issues. She added that the immigration law enforcement bill did not include federal funding, so it would have cost the state millions of dollars.

"She is going to regret it," said Kathy McKee, founder of Protect Arizona Now. Her group played a major role in the passage of Proposition 200, which denies many public benefits to undocumented immigrants.

Kat Rodriguez, Tucson's Coalicion de Derechos Humanos coordinator , said Napolitano sent a strong message by not giving in to anti-immigrants while recognizing that "these bills would've been destructive to our community."

The coalition, however, regretted Napolitano's signing of a bill that prohibits use of taxpayer money for the construction of day-labor centers. She approved the legislation the same day she vetoed the most recent anti-immigrant bills.

"Day laborers won't go away," Rodriguez said, stressing the centers provide the workers some protection from exploitation.

It should be an interesting election in Arizona in 2006.

Originally posted at Diggers Realm

2006 Senate Races: The Terrain

There's been a lot of talk, more than usual this early in the election cycle, about the 2006 Senate races and the odds of either party picking up seats and changing the dynamics in a Senate now perennially deadlocked over judicial nominations and other business. In fact, much partisan strategy over these battles will, as always, be shaped by the prospects for the next election - where the parties hope to gain, where they fear to lose, and whether they expect to be dealing from a stronger or weaker hand come January 2007. With that in mind, let's take a look, using some hard numbers, at the political terrain for the 2006 Senate races.

There are polls, of course, but polls this early are volatile. Before we get to the polling data, there are two main pieces of hard data - actual votes - that we can use to evaluate the political climate in a state entering the beginning of a Senate race. The first is the red/blue issue: when people were paying greatest attention, which party did they side with? The polarizing nature of the 2004 election, with a conservative Republican and a liberal Democrat, sharpened that distinction. The second is the history of this Senate seat: how did the incumbent do in his/her last election? This second item is of particular importance where the incumbent is running again, although you do have to bear in mind that you are dealing with election results from six years ago, before 9/11, the Iraq War, the Florida Recount, Enron, judicial filibusters, Terri Schiavo, blogs, etc., etc., etc. Rather than rest on one or two of these data points, let's combine the two. I present a ranking of the Senate seats to be contested in 2006, from most to least likely to change parties, based on adding (1) the incumbent party's percentage of the vote in the last race for this seat (S%) to (2) the incumbent party's percentage of the vote in the 2004 presidential election (P%) (all numbers from FEC sources here, here and here):

ST	Incumbent	P	Notes	S%	P%	R%	D%
NE	Ben Nelson	D	B	51.00	32.68		83.68
RI	Lincoln Chaffee	R		56.85	38.67	95.52
ND	Kent Conrad	D		61.37	35.50		96.87
FL	Bill Nelson	D	B	51.04	47.09		98.13
MN	Open (Mark Dayton)	D	A	48.83	51.09		99.92
MI	Debbie Stabenow	D	A	49.47	51.23		100.70
PA	Rick Santorum	R		52.41	48.42	100.83
WA	Maria Cantwell	D	A	48.73	52.82		101.55
NJ	Jon Corzine/Open	D	B	50.11	52.92		103.03
MO	Jim Talent	R	A, E	49.80	53.30	103.10
NV	John Ensign	R	D	55.09	50.47	105.56
VA	George Allen	R	A	52.26	53.68	105.94
DE	Tom Carper	D	A	55.52	53.35		108.87
MT	Conrad Burns	R		50.55	59.07	109.62
CA	Dianne Feinstein	D	D	55.84	54.31		110.15
OH	Mike DeWine	R	D	59.90	50.81	110.71
NM	Jeff Bingaman	D		61.70	49.05		110.75
WI	Herb Kohl	D		61.54	49.70		111.24
ME	Susan Collins	R		68.94	44.58	113.52
NY	Hillary Clinton	D	B	55.27	58.37		113.64
CT	Joe Lieberman	D		63.21	54.31		117.52
MD	Open (Paul Sarbanes)	D		63.18	55.91		119.09
WV	Robert Byrd	D		77.75	43.20		120.95
TN	Open (Bill Frist)	R		65.10	56.80	121.90
MS	Trent Lott	R		65.88	59.01	124.89
TX	Kay B. Hutchinson/Open	R		65.04	61.09	126.13
IN	Richard Lugar	R		66.56	59.94	126.50
HI	Daniel Akaka	D		72.68	54.01		126.69
AZ	John Kyl	R	C	79.32	54.87	134.19
MA	Ted Kennedy	D	D	72.69	61.94		134.63
UT	Orrin Hatch	R		65.58	71.54	137.12
WY	Craig Thomas	R		73.77	68.86	142.63

Observant readers will note that I'm missing a state, Vermont. The problem is that Jim Jeffords ran there as a Republican in 2000, so it's hard to make anything of his 65.56%-25.42% thumping of his Democratic opponent. Kerry won 58.94% of the vote in Vermont, so if you double that and throw out the Jeffords anomaly, the D% should probably be 117.88, ranking the state near Maryland as an open seat the Democrats ought to be able to defend.

Notes:
A=Unseated incumbent in 2000 (or 2002, in Jim Talent's case)
B=Won open seat in 2000
C=Ran unopposed in 2000
D=Ran against divided opposition in 2000
E=Won special election in 2002

These notes are important. John Kyl is in a very strong position, but he ran unopposed in 2000; he's not quite as bulletproof as he looks. The Democrats may seem weak in several spots because they ran the table in close Senate races in 2000, but several of those candidates knocked off incumbents last time around, and will start in a stronger position this time around with the headwind of incumbency at their backs rather than in their faces. I figured "divided opposition" where the two main candidates pulled below 96%, leaving a number of voters on the table, but since Ted Kennedy beat his opponent 72.69%-12.86% in 2000, that doesn't amount to much.

I'd hesitate to say what threshhold indicates a realistic chance of a seat changing hands, but obviously anyone below 100 has to be viewed as an opportunity for the other side, and anyone above about 110 is - other than open seats - an extremely tough race. You can see that most of the most competitive races, based on this criteria, involve Democratic-held seats.

Of course, all of this is prologue; the 2006 races will be fought, like every election, with a new backdrop of issues and partisan mood and momentum, which so far seems to be favoring the Democrats. The number of genuinely competitive races is bound to be reduced if credible challengers can't be located, as was the case in 2004 in Nevada, for example, where Harry Reid was vulnerable but the GOP couldn't get a serious challenger. But the numbers above at least provide a solid guide to where the needle stands entering those races, and how far it has to move to save or defeat the incumbents listed above.

Report: FBI Official Claims to Be 'Deep Throat [Updated]

A former FBI official claims he was "Deep Throat," the long-anonymous source who leaked secrets about President Nixon's Watergate coverup to The Washington Post, Vanity Fair reported Tuesday.

W. Mark Felt, 91, who was second-in-command at the FBI in the early 1970s, kept the secret even from his family until 2002, when he confided to a friend that he had been Post reporter Bob Woodward's source, the magazine said.

"I'm the guy they used to call Deep Throat," he told lawyer John D. O'Connor, the author of the Vanity Fair article, the magazine said in a news release.

Read more...

Update: Woodward has confirmed the story.

The Senate Avoids A Meltdown

Senators reached a compromise on judicial nominees. According to the Associated Press, the compromise clears the way for confirmation votes on many of President Bush's stalled judicial nominees, leaves others in limbo and preserves Senate filibuster rules.

From California Yankee.

Pirro Won't Seek Re-election

New York's Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro, has decided not to seek a fourth term as, according to the Journal News.

Pirro is reportedly considering running for state attorney general or the U.S. Senate in 2006. The attorney general position is being vacated by Elliot Spitzer, who is running for governor. Former HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo is eyeing the attorney general position on the Democratic side. If Pirro runs for the Senate she will be challenging Senator Hillary Clinton.

From California Yankee.

UK Politician Blasts US Senate Hearing Over Its "Cavalier" Justice

George Galloway, the British member of parliament accused by a US senate committee of financially profiting from the Iraq oil-for-food programme, blasted the same committee in a hearing in Washington for using forged evidence and claims against him.

He went on to contrast his two visits to Saddams Iraq to those made by Donald Rumsfeld. He stated "The difference is Donald Rumsfeld met him to sell him guns and maps...I met him to try to bring about an end to sanctions, suffering and war."

Galloway also argued that the real sanction-breakers were the American companies aided by the US government. He also said that his record of opposition to the Saddam regime was better than that of the US and UK administrations.

Pentagon Wants 33 Major Military Bases Closed

The Defense Department on Friday proposed shutting down 33 of the 318 major military bases across the United States.

The proposal triggers the first round of base closures in a decade and kicks off an intense struggle by communities and lawmakers to save their facilities.

Aside from the 33 bases recommended for closure, another 29 based are being recommended for realignment. More than 775 other smaller military installations, including National Guard and Reserve facilities, will also be closed or realigned, according to the recommendations.

AP list of base closings

DoD article

Blogger and TCP contributor Jeff Quinton will be on MSNBC early this evening to talk about base closings in his area.

Bolton Nomination Goes To The Entire Senate

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent John Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to the full Senate without an endorsement after Ohio's Republican Senator Voinovich announced he would not support the nomination.

From California Yankee.

'Grenade' Thrown at Bush

A POSSIBLE hand grenade was reportedly thrown toward a stage in Georgia where US President George W. Bush was giving a speech today, but the device was taken away by a Georgian security officer, the US Secret Service said.

"After the president departed the country of Georgia we were notified by host country authorities of a report that during the president's speech in Tbilisi a device described as a possible hand grenade was thrown within 100 feet (30m) of the stage," said Secret Service spokesman Jonathan Cherry.

"It was reported that a device hit an individual in the crowd and the device fell to the ground," Mr Cherry said.

"It was reported that a Georgian security officer picked up the device which did not detonate and removed it from the area," he said.

NBC News, citing the Secret Service, said the Georgian officer "ran off" with the device, which was "rendered safe and did not go off on its own".

Read more...

President Bush Conference and Q&A

Transcript via Fox

WASHINGTON — A transcript of the televised address given by President Bush on Thursday, April 28, 2005, followed by his question-and-answer session with the media:

Good evening. Tonight I will discuss two vital priorities for the American people, and then I'd be glad to answer some of your questions.

Millions of American families and small businesses are hurting because of higher gasoline prices. My administration is doing everything we can to make gasoline more affordable.

In the near term, we will continue to encourage oil-producing nations to maximize their production.

Here at home, we'll protect consumers. There will be no price gouging at gas pumps in America.

We must address the root causes that are driving up gas prices.

In the past decade, America's energy consumption has been growing about 40 times faster than our energy production. That means we're relying more on energy produced abroad.

To reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, we must take four key steps.

First, we must better use technology to become better conservers of energy.

And secondly, we must find innovative and environmentally sensitive ways to make the most of our existing energy resources, including oil, natural gas, coal and safe, clean nuclear power.

Third, we must develop promising new sources of energy, such as hydrogen, ethanol or bio-diesel.

Fourth, we must help growing energy consumers overseas, like China and India, apply new technologies to use energy more efficiently and reduce global demand of fossil fuels.

I applaud the House for passing a good energy bill. Now the Senate needs to act on this urgent priority.

American consumers have waited long enough. To help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, Congress needs to get an energy bill to my desk by this summer, so I can sign it into law.

Congress also needs to address the challenges facing Social Security.

I've traveled the country to talk with the American people. They understand that Social Security is headed for serious financial trouble and they expect their leaders in Washington to address the problem.

Social Security worked fine during the last century, but the math has changed. A generation of baby boomers is getting ready to retire.

I happen to be one of them.

Today, there are about 40 million retirees receiving benefits. By the time all the baby boomers have retired, there will be more than 72 million retirees drawing Social Security benefits.

Baby boomers will be living longer and collecting benefits over longer retirements than previous generations. And Congress has assured that their benefits will rise faster than the rate of inflation.

In other words, there's a lot of us getting ready to retire who will be living longer and receiving greater benefits than the previous generation.

And to compound the problem, there are fewer people paying into the system. In 1950, there were 16 workers for every beneficiary; today there are 3.3 workers for every beneficiary. Soon there will be two workers for every beneficiary.

These changes have put Social Security on the path to bankruptcy.

When the baby boomers start retiring in three years, Social Security will start heading toward the red.

In 2017, the system will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. Every year after that, the shortfall will get worse, and by 2041 Social Security will be bankrupt.

Franklin Roosevelt did a wonderful thing when he created Social Security. The system has meant a lot for a lot of people. Social Security has provided a safety net that has provided dignity and peace of mind for millions of Americans in their retirement.

Yet there's a hole in the safety net, because Congresses have made promises it cannot keep for a younger generation.

As we fix Social Security, some things won't change. Seniors and people with disabilities will get their checks. All Americans born before 1950 will receive the full benefits.

Our duty to save Social Security begins with making the system permanently solvent, but our duty does not end there.

We also have a responsibility to improve Social Security by directing extra help to those most in need and by making it a better deal for younger workers.

Now as Congress begins work on legislation, we must be guided by three goals.

First, millions of Americans depend on Social Security checks as a primary source of retirement income, so we must keep this promise to future retirees as well. As a matter of fairness, I propose that future generations receive benefits equal to or greater than the benefits today's seniors get.

Secondly, I believe a reformed system should protect those who depend on Social Security the most. So I propose a Social Security system in the future where benefits for low-income workers will grow faster than benefits for people who are better off.

By providing more generous benefits for low-income retirees, we'll make this commitment: If you work hard and pay into Social Security your entire life, you will not retire into poverty.

This reform would solve most of the funding challenges facing Social Security.

A variety of options are available to solve the rest of the problem, and I will work with Congress on any good-faith proposal that does not raise the payroll tax rate or harm our economy.

I know we can find a solution to the financial problems of Social Security that is sensible, permanent and fair.

Third, any reform of Social Security must replace the empty promises being made to younger workers with real assets, real money.

I believe the best way to achieve this goal is to give younger workers the option — the opportunity — if they so choose, of putting a portion of their payroll taxes into a voluntary personal retirement account.

Because this money is saved and invested, younger workers would have the opportunity to receive a higher rate of return on their money than the current Social Security system can provide.

The money from a voluntary personal retirement account would supplement the check one receives from Social Security.

In a reformed Social System, voluntary personal retirement accounts would offer workers a number of investment options that are simple and easy to understand.

I know some Americans have reservations about investing in the stock market, so I propose that one investment option consist entirely of treasury bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

Options like this will make voluntary personal retirement accounts a safer investment that will allow an American to build a nest egg that he or she can pass on to whomever he or she chooses.

Americans who would choose not to save in a personal account will still be able to count on a Social Security check equal to or higher than the benefits of today's seniors.

In the coming days and weeks I'll work with both the House and the Senate as they take the next steps in the legislative process. I'm willing to listen to any good idea from either party.

Too often the temptation in Washington is to look at a major issue only in terms of whether it gives one political party an advantage over the other. Social Security is too important for politics as usual.

We have a shared responsibility to fix Social Security and make the system better, to keep seniors out of poverty and expand ownership for people of every background.

And when we do, Republicans and Democrats will be able to stand together and take credit for what is right for our children and our grandchildren.

And now I'll be glad to answer some questions.

QUESTION: Mr. President, a majority of Americans disapprove of your handling of Social Security, rising gas prices and the economy. Are you frustrated by that and by the fact that you are having trouble getting attraction on your agenda in a Republican-controlled Congress?

BUSH: We're asking people to do things that haven't been done for 20 years. We haven't addressed the Social Security problem since 1983. We haven't had an energy strategy in our country for decades. So I'm not surprised that some are balking at doing hard work.

But I have a duty as the president to define problems facing our nation and to call upon people to act.

And we're just really getting started in the process.

You asked about Social Security. For the past 60 days I've traveled our country making it clear to people we have a problem. That's the first step of any legislative process is to explain to the people the nature of the problem. And the American people understand we have a problem.

I've also spent time assuring seniors they'll get their check. That's a very important part of making sure we end up with a Social Security reform. I think if seniors feel like they're not going to get their check, obviously nothing's going to happen. And we're making progress there, too, as well.

See, once the American people realize there's a problem, then they're going to start asking members of Congress from both parties, "Why aren't you doing something to fix it?"

And I am more than willing to sit down with people of both parties to listen to their ideas.

Today, I advanced some ideas. I'm moving the process along.

The legislative process is just getting started, and I'm optimistic we'll get something done.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

BUSH: Polls? You know, if a president tries to govern based on polls, you're kind of like a dog chasing your tail.

I don't think you can make good, sound decisions based upon polls. And I don't think the American people want a president who relies upon polls and focus groups to make decisions for the American people.

Social Security is a big issue, and it's an issue that we must address now.

You see, the longer we wait, the more expensive the solution's going to be for a younger generation of Americans. The Social Security trustees have estimated that every year we wait to solve the problem, to fix the hole in the safety net for younger Americans, costs about $600 billion.

So my message to Congress is: Let's do our duty. Let's come together to get this issue solved.

QUESTION: Your top military officer, General Richard Myers, says the Iraqi insurgency is as strong now as it was a year ago. Why is that the case? And why haven't you been more successful in limiting the violence?

BUSH: I think he went on to say we're winning, if I recall.

But, nevertheless, there are still some in Iraq who aren't happy with democracy. They want to go back to the old days of tyranny and darkness and torture chambers and mass graves.

I believe we're making really good progress in Iraq, because the Iraqi people are beginning to see the benefits of a free society. They saw a government form today.

The Iraqi military is being trained by our military, and they're performing much better than the past.

The more secure Iraq becomes, as a result of the hard work of Iraqi security forces, the more confidence the people will have in the process and the more isolated the terrorists will become.

But Iraq is — they've got people there that are willing to kill, and they're hard-nosed killers.

And we will work with the Iraqis to secure their future.

A free Iraq in the midst of the Middle East is an important part of spreading peace. It's a region of the world where a lot of folks in the past never thought democracy could take hold.

Democracy is taking hold. And as democracy takes hold peace will be more likely to be the norm.

And in order to defeat the terrorists, in order to defeat their ideology of hate, in the long run we must spread freedom and hope.

Today, I talked to the prime minister of Iraq; had a great conversation with him. I told him I was proud of the fact that he's willing to stand up and lead. I told him I appreciate his courage and the courage of those who are willing to serve the Iraqi people in government.

I told him, I said, "When America makes a commitment, we'll stand by you."

I said, "I hope you get your constitution written on time." And he agreed. He recognizes it's very important for the transitional national assembly to get the constitution written so it can be submitted to the people on time. He understands the need for a timely write of the constitution.

And I also encouraged him to continue reaching out to disaffected groups in Iraq. And he agreed.

Really happy to talk to him.

I invited him to come to America. I hope he comes soon.

There are a lot of courageous people in Iraq that are making a big difference in the lives of that country.

I also want to caution you all that it's not easy to go from a tyranny to a democracy. We didn't pass sovereignty but about 10 months ago.

And since that time a lot of progress has been made. And we'll continue to make progress for the good of the region and for the good of our country.

QUESTION: Mr. President, recently the head of the Family Research Council said that judicial filibusters are an attack against people of faith. And I wonder whether you believe that, in fact, that is what is nominating Democrats who oppose your judicial choices. And I wonder what you think, generally, about the role that faith is playing, how it's being used in our political debates right now.

BUSH: I think people are opposing my nominees because they don't like the judicial philosophy of the people I've nominated. And some would like to see judges legislate from the bench. That's not my view of the proper role of a judge.

Speaking about judges, I certainly hope my nominees get an up-or- down vote on the floor of the Senate. They deserve an up-or-down vote.

I think, for the sake of fairness, these good people I've nominated should get a vote. And I'm hoping that will be the case as time goes on.

Role of religion in our society? I view religion as a personal matter. I think a person ought to be judged on how he or she lives his life or lives her life.

And that's how I've tried to live my life: through example.

Faith plays an important part in my life individually. But I don't ascribe a person's opposing my nominations to an issue of faith.

QUESTION: Do you think that's an inappropriate statement? And what I ask is...

BUSH: No, I just don't agree with it.

QUESTION: You don't agree with it?

BUSH: No. I think people oppose my nominees because of judicial philosophy.

QUESTION: Sir, I asked you about what you think of...

BUSH: No, I know what you asked me.

QUESTION: ... the way faith is being used in our political debates, not just in society generally.

Well, I can only speak to myself. And I am mindful that people in political office should say to somebody, "You're not equally American if you don't happen to agree with my view of religion."

As I said, I think faith is a personal issue. And I take great strength from my faith. But I don't condemn somebody in the political process because they may not agree with me on religion.

The great thing about America is that you should be allowed to worship any way you want. And if you chose not to worship, you're equally as patriotic as somebody who does worship. And if you choose to worship, you're equally American if you're a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim.

And that's the wonderful thing about our country and that's the way it should be.

QUESTION: Several times we've asked you or your aides what you could do about the high price of gasoline. And very often the answer has come back: "Congress needs to pass the energy bill."

Can you explain for us how, if it were passed soon after it were introduced, the energy bill would have an effect on the current record price of oil that we're seeing out there?

BUSH: Actually, I said in my opening statement that the best way to affect the current price of gasoline is to encourage producing nations to put more crude oil on the market.

That's the most effective way, because the price of crude oil determines in large measure the price of gasoline. The feed stock for gasoline is crude oil, and when crude oil goes up, the price of gasoline goes up.

There are other factors, by the way, that cause the price of gasoline to go up, but the main factor is the price of crude oil. And if we can get nations that have got some excess capacity to put crude on the market, the increased supply, hopefully, will meet increased demand and therefore take the pressure off price.

But, listen, the energy bill is certainly no quick fix. You can't wave a magic wand. I wish I could.

It's like that soldier at Fort Hood that said, "How come you're not lowering the price of gasoline?" I was having lunch with the fellow, and he said, "Go lower the price of gasoline, President."

I said, "I wish I could." It just doesn't work that way.

This is a problem that's been a long time in coming. We haven't had an energy policy in this country. And it's going to take us awhile to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

What I've laid out for the Congress to consider is a comprehensive energy strategy that recognizes we need to be better conservers of energy, that recognizes that we can find more energy at home in environmentally friendly ways.

And obviously a contentious issue in front of the Congress is the issue over the ANWR, which is a part of Alaska. ANWR is 19 million acres of land. Technology now enables us to use just 2,000 of that 19 million to be able to explore for oil and gas, so we can have oil and gas produced here domestically.

One of the great sources of energy for the future is liquefied natural gas. There's a lot of gas reserves around the world. Gas can only be transported by ship, though, when you liquefy it, when you put it in solid form.

We've only got five terminals that are able to receive liquefied natural gas so it can get into our markets. We need more terminals to receive liquefied natural gas around the world.

We should have an active nuclear energy policy in America. We've got abundant resources of coal and we're spending money for clean coal technology.

So these are longer-term projects, all aimed at making us become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

QUESTION: Do I read you correctly that the energy bill would not have had an affect on today's high gasoline and oil prices?

BUSH: It would have 10 years ago. That's exactly what I've been saying to the American people. Ten years ago, if we'd have had an energy strategy, we would be able to diversify away from foreign dependence.

But we haven't done that. And now we find ourselves in the fix we're in. It's taken us a while to get there, it's going to take us a while to get out.

Hopefully, additional crude oil on the market from countries with some spare capacity will help relieve the price for the American consumers.

QUESTION: Mr. President, your State Department has reported that terrorist attacks around the world are at an all-time high. If we're winning the war on terrorism, as you say, how do you explain that more people are dying in terrorist attacks on your watch than ever before?

BUSH: Well, we've made the decision to defeat the terrorists abroad so we don't have to face them here at home. And when you engage the terrorists abroad, it causes activity and action.

And we're relentless — we, America and our coalition partners. We understand the stakes. And they're very high, because there are people still out there that would like to do harm to the American people.

But our strategy is stay on the offense, is to keep the pressure on these people, is to cut off their money and to share intelligence and to find them where they hide.

And we are making good progress. The Al Qaida network that attacked the United States has been severely diminished. We are slowly but surely dismantling that organization.

In the long run, like I said earlier, the way to defeat terror, though, is to spread freedom and democracy. It's really the only way in the long term.

In the short term we'll use our troops and assets and agents to find these people and to protect American. But in the long term, we must defeat the hopelessness that allows them to recruit by spreading freedom and democracy.

But we're making progress.

QUESTION: So in the near term you think there will be more attacks and more people dying?

BUSH: I can't predict that.

In the near term I can only tell you one thing: We will stay on the offense. We'll be relentless, we'll be smart about how we go after the terrorists, we'll use our friends and allies to go after the terrorists, we will find them where they hid and bring them to justice.

Let me finish with the TV people first.

You're not a TV person, Ed. I know you'd like to be.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: You'd be surprised.

BUSH: Yes. It's a tough industry to get into.

QUESTION: Mr. President, it was four years ago when you first met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. You said you looked into his eyes and you saw his soul. You'll also be meeting with the Russian leader in about a week or so.

What do you think of Putin now that he has expressed a willingness to supply weapons to outlaw regimes, specifically his recent comments that he said he would provide short-range missiles to Syria and nuclear components to Iran?

BUSH: Yes. First, just on a broader — kind of in a broader sense, I had a long talk with Vladimir there in Slovakia about democracy and about the importance of democracy.

And as you remember at the press conference, or, if you weren't there, somebody will remember, he stood up and said he strongly supports democracy. I take him for his word.

And we'll continue to work. Condi Rice, our secretary of state, just came back and she briefed me that she had a very good discussion with Vladimir about the merits of democracy, about the need to listen to the people and have a government that's responsive.

Now, we're working closely with the Russians on the issue of vehicle-mounted weaponry to Syria. We didn't appreciate that, but we made ourselves clear.

As to Iran, what Russia has agreed to do is to send highly enriched uranium to a nuclear civilian power plant and then collect that uranium after it's used for electricity, power purposes. That's what they've decided to do.

And I appreciate that gesture.

See, what they recognize is that what America recognizes and what Great Britain, France and Germany recognize, is that we can't trust the Iranians when it comes to enriching uranium; that they should not be allowed to enrich uranium.

And what the Iranians have said is, "Don't we deserve to have a nuclear power industry just like you do?"

I'm, kind of, wondering why they need one, since they've got all the oil. But nevertheless, others in the world say, "Well, maybe that's their right to have their own civilian nuclear power industry."

And what Russia said: "Fine, we'll provide you the uranium. We'll enrich it for you and provide it to you and then we'll collect it."

And I appreciate that gesture. So I think Vladimir was trying to help there. I know Vladimir Putin understands the dangers of an Iran with a nuclear weapon. And most of the world understands that as well.

QUESTION: Mr. President, have you asked your ambassador to the U.N., Ambassador John Bolton, about allegations that he acted improperly to subordinates? Do you feel that these allegations warrant your personal intervention?

And if they're true, do you feel that they should disqualify him from holding the post, sir?

BUSH: Well, John Bolton has been asked the questions about how he handles his business by members of the United States Senate. He's been asked a lot of questions, and he's given very good answers.

John Bolton is a seasoned diplomat. He has been serving our country for, I think, 20 years.

He has been confirmed by the United States Senate four times. In other words, he's been up before the Senate before. And they've analyzed his talents and his capabilities. And they've confirmed him.

John Bolton is a blunt guy. Sometimes people say I'm little too blunt. John Bolton can get the job done at the United Nations.

It seemed like to me it made sense to put somebody who's capable, smart, served our country for 20 years, been confirmed by the United States Senate four times and who isn't afraid to speak his mind in the post of the ambassador to the U.N.

See, the U.N. needs reform. If you're interested in reforming the U.N. like I'm interested in reforming the U.N., it makes sense to put somebody who's skilled and who's not afraid to speak his mind at the United Nations.

Now, I asked John during the interview process in the Oval Office — I said, "Before I send you up there to the Senate, let me ask you something: Do you think the United Nations is important?"

See, I didn't want to send somebody up there who said, "Well, that's not worth a darn. I don't think I need to go."

He said, "No, it's important, but it needs to be reformed."

And I think the United Nations is important.

As a matter of fact, I'll give you an example: Today I met with the United Nations representative to Syria, Mr. Larsen. He's an impressive fellow.

Now, he's delivered — to Lebanon, excuse me. He's delivered a very strong message to the Syrian leader, though, that the world expects President Assad to withdraw not only his military forces, but his intelligence services, completely from Lebanon.

And now he is in charge of following up to make sure it happens.

I think that's a very important and useful role for the United Nations to play.

We have played a role. France has played a role. A lot of nations have played roles. But the United Nations has done a very good job in Syria — with Syria in Lebanon of making it sure that the world expects the Lebanese elections to be free in May, without Syrian influence.

He's an impressive fellow. I applaud him for his hard work. But there's an example of why I think the United Nations is an important body.

On the other hand, the United Nations has had some problems that we've all seen.

RFID in U.S. Passports: Bad Idea

Boing Boing reports that the U.S. State Department has bought itself at least one clue, and won't put RFID beacons in American passports. As one site noted:

"Americans have enough things to worry about when traveling overseas: having an electronic bulls-eye on our backs shouldn't be one of them."

They obviously didn't read Winds of Change.NET's RFID briefing before hatching that idea. The bad news? State continues to pursue other forms of RFID for passports, though the alternatives don't make a lot of sense either as far as I can see (one idea: giving passports the equivalent of tinfoil hats...). There's a better way.

President Bush to Propose Building Oil Refineries at Closed Military Bases

USA Today, reports that President Bush will propose new initiatives to increase domestic energy production, including building oil refineries on abandoned military bases.

From California Yankee.

Voinovich Surprised By Reaction

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Ohio Republican Senator George Voinovich is surprised by the reaction to his surprise announcement that he wasn't prepared to vote to confirm John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations.

From California Yankee.

Powell Undermining Bolton Nomination

Former secretary of state Colin L. Powell is undermining the nomination of John R. Bolton's nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations.

The Washington Post reports that Powell told at least two key Republican Senators that Bolton is a "very problematic government official:"

Powell spoke in recent days with Sens. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.) and Chuck Hagel (Neb.), two of three GOP senators on the Foreign Relations Committee who have raised concerns about Bolton's confirmation, the sources said. Powell did not advise the senators to oppose Bolton, but offered a frank assessment of the nominee as a man who was challenging to work with on personnel and policy matters, according to two people familiar with the conversations.

The New York Times also reports on Powell's involvement.

From California Yankee.

Connecticut Legislature Approves Same-Sex Civil Unions

Connecticut's state Senate has given final legislative approval to a bill that would make Connecticut the first state to recognize same-sex civil unions without court pressure.

Governor Jodi Rell has said she will sign it into law.

From California Yankee.

Jeffords Won't Seek Re-Election

The Associated Press is reporting that Vermont Senator James Jeffords won't seek re-election.

Jeffords was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House in 1974 and to the U.S. Senate in 1988. Jeffords abandonment of the Republicans in 2001 gave Democrats control of the Senate.

According to the Associated Press, Jeffords will make the announcement Wednesday afternoon in Burlington, three sources close to the senator said.

From California Yankee.

Delay Is Sought In Bolton Vote

The New York Times reports that the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, will ask the panel's Republican majority to delay today's vote on the nomination of John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations.

According to the Times, Biden will urge the panel to allow more time to review allegations that Mr. Bolton has acted abusively toward subordinates and others.

From California Yankee.

Online Freedom of Speech Act

Redstate.org reports that Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) has introduced a companion piece of legislation to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's bill (S.678) to exclude the Internet from the definition of "public communication" in the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002. This would free the blogosphere from FEC restrictions regarding linkage to political campaigns, as reported last month. This is a cause that is bringing out both conservative and liberal bloggers (see Daily Kos).

[ via Slashdot ]

Republicans Air Concern Over DeLay

Private GOP tensions over Tom DeLay's ethics controversy spilled into public Sunday, as a Senate leader called on DeLay to explain his actions and one House Republican demanded the majority leader's resignation.

"Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election," Rep. Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican, told The Associated Press in an interview, calling for DeLay to step down as majority leader.

DeLay, a Texas Republican who was admonished by the House ethics committee last year, has been dogged in recent months by new reports about his overseas travel funded by special interests, campaign payments to family members and connections to a lobbyist who is under criminal investigation.

Read more...

Interesting, related article at Salon.

Defense Highlights: 2005-04-01

As many of you know, Winds of Change.NET isn't my only blog these days. Here are a few of the articles I've been running on DefenseIndustryDaily.com, in case you've missed them - a combination of interesting tech and a bit of "defenseology" from the military/ organizational side of the ledger:

TOP TOPICS

• April 1 Special: A story about a "dumb" solider - with a cameo by Miyamoto Musashi.

• Dept. of Defense takes over the U.S. Air Force's top 21 weapon-buying programs. Scandals and retirements have taken their toll, and the DoD is taking over. This has implications for $180 billion worth of weapons programs.

• A decade ago, the Marines' AV-8 Harrier vertical-takeoff jet was the most accident-prone plane in America's arsenal. Then an enterprising program manager changed all that. Now the Harrier jet is finding its niche amidst the urban warfare that typifies Operation Iraqi Freedom.

• IT and Communications are huge these days. Britain's armed forces are starting an $8-11 billion deal with EDS, the U.S. Congress is paying special attention to this area as defense budget deliberations continue, the U.S. Army has a $20 billion program on the way, and the USN is buying big bandwidth. Meanwhile, Microsoft continues to tighten its grip on the defense sector. Given the M$ (in)security record, that ought to worry us.

• Some recent U.S. investigations of illegal arms exports by the folks at ICE.

Other Items Include:

MQ-1 Predator plans; V-RAMBO; New semiconductors; battlefield visualization; Shoulder-fired missile defenses for planes; $1.5bn NORAD upgrade; 30,000 JDAMs; Ultralight 155mm howitzers; Halliburton; Navy program way over budget; F/A-22; What's this Joint Common Missile controversy?; BAE buys M2 Bradley manufacturer for $4bn; British to privatize their aerial tanker fleet for $25bn?; Turkey's turkey of an idea; South Korea increasing defense budgets.

Read the Rest...

Rowland Sentenced To One Year

The Associated Press reports that John Rowland, Connecticut's former Governor, was sentenced today to a year in prison.

Rowland was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Peter C. Dorsey after Rowland pleaded guilty to a corruption charge in December:

Dorsey sentenced Rowland to a year plus one day in prison, four months of home confinement and three years of supervised release. He ordered Rowland to report to prison on April 1 in Fort Devens, Mass.

"Officials are expected to serve not his own interest or the interest of his friends, but the highest interest of the community," Dorsey said. "Gratuities were accepted as if they were his due."

From California Yankee.

President Bush to name Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as his choice to head World Bank [Updated]

MSNBC :

President Bush will recommend that Defense Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz take over as head of the World Bank, a senior administration official said Wednesday.

Wolfowitz has been Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s top deputy and a lightning rod for criticism over the U.S. invasion of Iraq and other defense policies.

The administration began notifying other countries that Wolfowitz was the U.S. candidate to replace World Bank President James Wolfensohn, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made. Wolfensohn is stepping down as head of the 184-nation development bank on June 1 at the end of his second five-year term.

Senator Sarbanes To Retire

Reuters reports that Maryland's Democratic Senator, Paul Sarbanes will not run for re-election. The 72 year old Senator Sarbanes was first elected to the Senate in 1976.

Bush Picks Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to U.N.

No, not him. Nor him.

Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton, an outspoken arms control expert who rarely muffles his views in diplomatic nuance, is President Bush's choice to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the announcement Monday with Bolton at her side.

``The president and I have asked John to do this work because he knows how to get things done,'' Rice said at a State Department news conference. ``He is a tough-minded diplomat, he has a strong record of success, and he has a proven track record of effective multilateralism.''

Advertisement

Bolton promised to work closely with members of Congress to advance Bush's policies and said his record demonstrates ``clear support for effective multilateral diplomacy.''

``The United Nations affords us the opportunity to move our policies forward,'' said Bolton, who acknowledged that in the past he has written critically about the world body.

Presidential spokesman Scott McClellan, while not mentioning Bolton by name, told reporters: ``The person he (Bush) has selected to nominate to the position of ambassador to the United Nations is someone who shares the president's strong commitment to making sure multilateral organizations are effective.''

``This president believes it is important that the United Nations focuses on achieving results to make the world a safer place and a better place,'' McClellan said.

Read more...

Bush's EPA Pick Gets Praise

President Bush yesterday appointed a career agency insider as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, taking environmental groups by surprise and earning the White House rare praise from advocates who long have been bitter foes.

Stephen Johnson, 53, whom a former colleague praised as "the ultimate technocrat," is the first career EPA employee to head the agency. He has been the agency's acting administrator since Michael Leavitt left to become health and human services secretary in January.

[...]

The selection, subject to confirmation by the Senate, won bipartisan praise. It even won praise from environmental and industry groups locked in battles over Bush administration policies that generally ease strict regulations in favor of industry-friendly policies.

For most of his 24 years at EPA, Johnson held nonpolitical jobs in the part of the agency that regulates pesticides. He was promoted to a senior position there by the Clinton administration. Bush in 2001 named him assistant administrator for pesticides, which made him a political appointee, and the president has promoted Johnson twice since then.

"He knows the EPA from the ground up and has a passion for its mission — to protect the health of our citizens and to guarantee the quality of our air, water and land for generations to come," Bush said. "I've come to know Steve as an innovative problem-solver with good judgment and complete integrity."

Read more...

U.S. Citizen Charged With Plot to Kill President

FOX

A former Virginia high school valedictorian who had been detained in Saudi Arabia as a suspected terrorist was charged Tuesday with conspiring to assassinate President Bush and with supporting the Al Qaeda terrorist network.

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 23, a U.S. citizen, made an initial appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court but did not enter a plea. He claimed that he was tortured while detained in Saudi Arabia since June of 2003 and offered through his lawyer to show the judge his scars.

The federal indictment said that in 2002 and 2003 Abu Ali and an unidentified co-conspirator discussed plans for Abu Ali to assassinate Bush. They discussed two scenarios, the indictment said, one in which Abu Ali "would get close enough to the president to shoot him on the street" and, alternatively, "an operation in which Abu Ali would detonate a car bomb."

According to the indictment, Abu Ali obtained a religious blessing from another unidentified co-conspirator to assassinate the president.

More than 100 supporters of Abu Ali crowded the courtroom and laughed when the charge was read aloud alleging that he conspired to assassinate Bush.

The Tipsheet for 2.18.05

Today's tipsheet from The Hill:

Tough Crowd

Lester Crawford, President Bush's pick to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will likely undergo a difficult confirmation process. Senate Democrats believe many FDA decisions on drug safety have been politicized under Crawford's watch as acting commissioner. They are preparing to pepper Crawford with tough questions about FDA decisions regarding Plan B, a morning after pill to avert pregnancy, as well as VIOXX and other related pain relievers. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is developing his own legislation to deal with a new FDA oversight panel, while Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) are working on an FDA bill. Still, like other Bush nominees, Crawford will likely make it through the Senate after getting some rough treatment.

Next up: Herding cats

Expect the Senate to take up bankruptcy reform legislation the week following the upcoming Presidents’ Day recess. The second week after returning from the break, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) plans to take up the supplemental spending bill funding military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Frist wants to take the budget to the floor the following week, setting a packed March schedule for the Senate. Whether the Senate can follow Frist’s tight timeline remains to be seen. Frist likened his job to “herding cats” when he unveiled the March agenda at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce speech this week.

Partisan panel

Can partisanship be wished away? Probably not, but new House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) is certainly trying. At the panel's first hearing Tuesday night, Lewis lamented that too often of late, "We've brought the culture of the campaign trail into the subcommittee room." He said he hoped to reverse that trend in the 109th Congress. But partisanship is certainly alive and well on the committee, as Lewis's rules were approved by a party-line vote, and ranking member David Obey (D-Wis.) commented that the minority "will have minimum high regard for these decisions" by the majority.

Golden money

Even though Californians run the House Appropriations, Ways and Means, Rules and Armed Services committees, that's apparently not enough power to get the Golden State all the money Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ® says it needs. Meeting Thursday with members of the delegation -- including 33 Democrats and 20 Republicans -- the governor was expected to discuss with representatives bringing home a bigger slice of the federal pie. In particular, sources said, the governor is concerned about funding for Medicaid and transportation.

EXCLUSIVE AUDIO INTERVIEWS WITH TOP POLICY MAKERS!

The Hill is pleased to announce a new and exclusive service to its readers, Bisnow on Business' Policywonk Weekly, an e-mail summary and set of links to AUDIO interviews with top politicians, government officials, scholars and trade association executives on the biggest business and economic issues facing Congress. Co-produced with renowned local business news service Bisnow on Business, Policywonk Weekly allows readers to hear top news sources in their own words and voice -- without having to wait until Sunday and hoping they'll be on Meet the Press! Policywonk Weekly, presented by powerhouse lobbying firm The Carmen Group, is quickly becoming "must listening" for all political aficionados.

Bush Names Negroponte Intelligence Chief

President Bush announced Thursday that he picked John Negroponte, the current U.S. ambassador to Iraq, to be the nation's first national intelligence director.

The new official will oversee 15 separate intelligence agencies, including the CIA.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush may take questions from reporters following the announcement.

About John Negroponte

Defeated Online

Lots of web sited devoted to US Presidents ... not many devoted to those who lost the race for that office. But there is one: Defeated Online. Check it out.

Dean Elected Head of DNC

More...">Democrats elected Howard Dean chairman of their national party on Saturday, casting their lot with a skilled fund-raiser and organizer whose sometimes caustic, blunt comments can lead to controversy. The 447-member Democratic National Committee chose Dean on a voice vote to replace outgoing party chief Terry McAuliffe. The former Vermont governor and presidential candidate had promised to rebuild the state parties, take the offensive against Republicans, and better explain party positions on issues.

From the DNC site:

A message from Chairman Dean
Howard Dean

Today your representatives elected new Party leadership. But more importantly they endorsed the idea that our Party must always be led by the people — because your participation makes the Democratic Party a powerful force for change.

Our success depends on every single one of us taking responsibility for our Party's future. We have to commit to an active role in the political process. And we have to grow the Democratic Party in every single state so we can protect the values that bring our Party — and the vast majority of Americans — together.

We have new leadership and new energy. And thanks to your hard work and Terry McAuliffe's solid leadership we have enormous opportunities.

Please read my plan for our Party — and send me a note about yours. Together our work will make our Party stronger.

Thank you.
Howard Dean

Text of Dean's acceptance speech here.

The DNC "State of the Union Survey"

Yesterday in my mailbox: A "2005 State of the Union Survey" from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The survey's mission:

This is a critical moment in history for America and the Democratic Party. We must hold the line against the radical, mean-spirited agenda of George W. Bush and forcefully assert positive policies to improve the lives of Americans. This is your opportunity to let the Democratic leadership know your priorities for the future.

It asks questions about the "State of the Union" ("What is your outlook for the state of the union during the second term of George Bush? Positive, Negative, Uncertain?"), social security, education, etc., and is covered by a letter from Nancy Pelosi. Her letter begins:

Do not despair. Despite the re-election of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, we still have a fighting chance to block their radical, mean-spirited agenda.

I was hoping for an online version for you, but there's nothing on the survey over at DNCC (or its blog). Not quite sure how I got on the mailing list ... I'm not a registered Democrat. Perhaps from being at the convention.

Regardless, the whole thing once again raises my points of the Dems (1) defining themselves by what they're against rather than what they're for, and (2) having no strategic message. A similar Republican survey would have led with "Do not despair. Despite the re-election of Michele Catalano and Alan Nelson, we believe the best path for America is one where you have lower taxes, less government, and more security."

Based on this survey, the Dem message is: "We're against Bush and for positive policies." Uhh ... OK. Doesn't come close to passing the "strategic message" tests of universal, simple, broad, actionable, what & why, and relevant. Way too broad, not actionable, and the why (being against Bush) isn't nearly optimistic or forward-looking enough to motivate anyone near the center.

Might we expect different things from Dean? I hope so, just for a change of pace.

Gonzales Confirmed As Attorney General

Reuters reports Alberto Gonzales has been confirmed as Attorney General.

White House counsel Alberto Gonzales survived a Democratic wall of opposition on Thursday to win U.S. Senate confirmation as the nation's next attorney general. He will be the first Hispanic-American to hold the post.

UPDATE: The Associated Press reports the Senate voted 60-36 with all of the "no" votes coming from Democrats.

From California Yankee.

State of the Union Transcript

Here's the full transcript of the President's speech, pulled from the Globe and Mail. Full body in the extended entry.

* * *

Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, fellow citizens: As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of government share a great privilege: We have been placed in office by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq ...

Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed the commitment of our nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. This evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home and around the world.

Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going back to work, with our nation an active force for good in the world, the state of our union is confident and strong. Our generation has been blessed by the expansion of opportunity, by advances in medicine, and by the security purchased by our parents' sacrifice. Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror or a lot of gray and we watch our children moving into adulthood, we ask the question: What will be the state of their union?

Members of Congress, the choices we make together will answer that question. Over the next several months, on issue after issue, let us do what Americans have always done, and build a better world for our children and grandchildren.

First, we must be good stewards of this economy, and renew the great institutions on which millions of our fellow citizens rely.

America's economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized nation. In the past four years, we have provided tax relief to every person who pays income taxes, overcome a recession, opened up new markets abroad, prosecuted corporate criminals, raised homeownership to the highest level in history, and in the last year alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new jobs. When action was needed, the Congress delivered and the nation is grateful.

Now we must add to these achievements. By making our economy more flexible, more innovative, and more competitive, we will keep America the economic leader of the world.

America's prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of the federal government. I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm for spending discipline. So next week I will send you a budget that holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent, and stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.

My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150 government programs that are not getting results, or duplicate current efforts, or do not fulfill essential priorities. The principle here is clear: A taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or not at all.

To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are on the rise, and we are closing the achievement gap for minority students.

Now we must demand better results from our high schools, so every high school diploma is a ticket to success. We will help an additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career, by reforming our job training system and strengthening America's community colleges. And we will make it easier for Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell Grants.

To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job creators from junk lawsuits. Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class actions and frivolous asbestos claims and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year.

To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care more affordable, and give families greater access to good coverage, and more control over their health decisions.

I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical errors and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses and their employees, expanded health savings accounts, and medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs, and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need.

To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of affordable, environmentally responsible energy. Nearly four years ago, I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation, alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid, and more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy.

My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides strong funding for leading-edge technology from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four years of debate is enough. I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy.

All these proposals are essential to expand this economy and add new jobs but they are just the beginning of our duty. To build the prosperity of future generations, we must update institutions that were created to meet the needs of an earlier time.

Year after year, Americans are burdened by an archaic, incoherent federal tax code. I have appointed a bipartisan panel to examine the tax code from top to bottom. And when their recommendations are delivered, you and I will work together to give this nation a tax code that is pro-growth, easy to understand, and fair to all.

America's immigration system is also outdated, unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want only to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing workers, and invite chaos at our border.

It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.

One of America's most important institutions, a symbol of the trust between generations, is also in need of wise and effective reform. Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th century, and we must honor its great purposes in this new century.

The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social Security.

Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement and for them the system is strong and fiscally sound. I have a message for every American who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you. For you, the Social Security system will not change in any way.

For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious problems that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades ago, for a very different era. In those days people didn't live as long, benefits were much lower than they are today, and a half century ago, about 16 workers paid into the system for each person drawing benefits.

Our society has changed in ways the founders of Social Security could not have foreseen. In today's world, people are living longer and therefore drawing benefits longer and those benefits are scheduled to rise dramatically over the next few decades.

And instead of 16 workers paying in for every beneficiary, right now it's only about three workers and over the next few decades, that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.

So here is the result: Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before.

For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra $200 billion to keep the system afloat, and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than $300 billion. By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be drastically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs.

I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem like a long way off. But those dates are not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you have a 5-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay for college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in their 20s, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing before they retire does not seem like a small matter.

And it should not be a small matter to the United States Congress. You and I share a responsibility. We must pass reforms that solve the financial problems of Social Security once and for all.

Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid review of the options. Some have suggested limiting benefits for wealthy retirees. Former Congressman Tim Penny has raised the possibility of indexing benefits to prices rather than wages.

During the 1990s, my predecessor, President Clinton, spoke of increasing the retirement age. Former Senator John Breaux suggested discouraging early collection of Social Security benefits. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan recommended changing the way benefits are calculated.

All these ideas are on the table. I know that none of these reforms would be easy. But we have to move ahead with courage and honesty, because our children's retirement security is more important than partisan politics. I will work with members of Congress to find the most effective combination of reforms.

I will listen to anyone who has a good idea to offer. We must, however, be guided by some basic principles. We must make Social Security permanently sound, not leave that task for another day. We must not jeopardize our economic strength by increasing payroll taxes.

We must ensure that lower-income Americans get the help they need to have dignity and peace of mind in their retirement. We must guarantee that there is no change for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must take care that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger workers have years to prepare and plan for their future.

As we fix Social Security, we also have the responsibility to make the system a better deal for younger workers. And the best way to reach that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts.

Here is how the idea works. Right now, a set portion of the money you earn is taken out of your paycheck to pay for the Social Security benefits of today's retirees. If you are a younger worker, I believe you should be able to set aside part of that money in your own retirement account, so you can build a nest egg for your own future.

Here is why personal accounts are a better deal. Your money will grow, over time, at a greater rate than anything the current system can deliver and your account will provide money for retirement over and above the check you will receive from Social Security.

In addition, you'll be able to pass along the money that accumulates in your personal account, if you wish, to your children or grandchildren. And best of all, the money in the account is yours, and the government can never take it away.

The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set careful guidelines for personal accounts. We will make sure the money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds. We will make sure that your earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall Street fees.

We will make sure there are good options to protect your investments from sudden market swings on the eve of your retirement. We will make sure a personal account can't be emptied out all at once, but rather paid out over time, as an addition to traditional Social Security benefits.

And we will make sure this plan is fiscally responsible, by starting personal retirement accounts gradually, and raising the yearly limits on contributions over time, eventually permitting all workers to set aside four percentage points of their payroll taxes in their accounts.

Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to federal employees, because you already have something similar, called the Thrift Savings Plan, which lets workers deposit a portion of their paychecks into any of five different broadly based investment funds.

It is time to extend the same security, and choice, and ownership to young Americans. Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to honour and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family and faith, and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children. Government is not the source of these values, but government should never undermine them.

Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be redefined by activist judges. For the good of families, children and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.

Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us reach that goal, by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities, and I thank Congress for doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health. To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others.

We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical.

Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. As president, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and women who understand the role of courts in our democracy and are well qualified to serve on the bench, and I have done so.

The Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an up or down vote. Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the opportunities of America.

Our government will continue to support faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places. Now we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail.

Tonight I propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence. Taking on gang life will be one part of a broader outreach to at-risk youth, which involves parents and pastors, coaches and community leaders, in programs ranging from literacy to sports. And I am proud that the leader of this nationwide effort will be our First Lady, Laura Bush.

Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention, and provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease.

And as we update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens with the highest rates of new cases, African-American men and women.

Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief in equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice.

In America we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a crime he or she did not commit, so we are dramatically expanding the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction.

Soon I will send to Congress a proposal to fund special training for defence counsel in capital cases, because people on trial for their lives must have competent lawyers by their side.

Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy, and chief among them is freedom from fear.

In the three-and-a-half years since September 11th, 2001, we have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We have created a new department of government to defend our homeland, focused the FBI on preventing terrorism, begun to reform our intelligence agencies, broken up terror cells across the country, expanded research on defences against biological and chemical attack, improved border security, and trained more than a half million first responders.

Police and firefighters, air marshals, researchers and so many others are working every day to make our homeland safer, and we thank them all.

Our nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the enemy abroad, with measures that are determined, successful and continuing. The al-Qaeda terror network that attacked our country still has leaders but many of its top commanders have been removed.

There are still governments that sponsor and harbour terrorists, but their number has declined. There are still regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction, but no longer without attention and without consequence. Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many and intimidate us all, and we will stay on the offensive against them until the fight is won.

Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the war on terror and I thank the Congress for providing our servicemen and women with the resources they have needed. During this time of war, we must continue to support our military and give them the tools for victory.

Other nations around the globe have stood with us. In Afghanistan, an international force is helping provide security. In Iraq, 28 countries have troops on the ground, the United Nations and the European Union provided technical assistance for elections, and NATO is leading a mission to help train Iraqi officers. We are co-operating with 60 governments in the Proliferation Security Initiative, to detect and stop the transit of dangerous materials.

We are working closely with governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and nine other countries have captured or detained al-Qaeda terrorists. In the next four years, my administration will continue to build the coalitions that will defeat the dangers of our time.

In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror will stalk America and other free nations for decades.

The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom.

Our enemies know this, and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi recently declared war on what he called the "evil principle" of democracy. And we have declared our own intention: America will stand with the allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

The United States has no right, no desire and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the main differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal, self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life.

Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens and reflect their own cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and their neighbours, the advance of freedom will lead to peace.

That advance has great momentum in our time shown by women voting in Afghanistan, and Palestinians choosing a new direction, and the people of Ukraine asserting their democratic rights and electing a president. We are witnessing landmark events in the history of liberty. And in the coming years, we will add to that story.

The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories are showing the power of freedom to break old patterns of violence and failure. Tomorrow morning, Secretary of State Rice departs on a trip that will take her to Israel and the West Bank for meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas. She will discuss with them how we and our friends can help the Palestinian people end terror and build the institutions of a peaceful, independent, democratic state.

To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political, economic and security reforms. The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach and America will help them achieve that goal.

To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the United States will work with our friends in the region to fight the common threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of freedom.

Hopeful reform is already taking hold in an arc from Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain. The government of Saudi Arabia can demonstrate its leadership in the region by expanding the role of its people in determining their future. And the great and proud nation of Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East.

To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act, and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom.

Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror, pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium reprocessing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.

Our generational commitment to the advance of freedom, especially in the Middle East, is now being tested and honoured in Iraq. That country is a vital front in the war on terror, which is why the terrorists have chosen to make a stand there. Our men and women in uniform are fighting terrorists in Iraq, so we do not have to face them here at home.

And the victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the war on terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring more hope and progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a terrible threat from the lives of our children and grandchildren.

We will succeed because the Iraqi people value their own liberty, as they showed the world last Sunday. Across Iraq, often at great risk, millions of citizens went to the polls and elected 275 men and women to represent them in a new Transitional National Assembly.

A young woman in Baghdad told of waking to the sound of mortar fire on election day, and wondering if it might be too dangerous to vote. She said: "Hearing those explosions, it occurred to me the insurgents are weak, they are afraid of democracy, they are losing. So I got my husband, and I got my parents, and we all came out and voted together."

Americans recognize that spirit of liberty, because we share it. In any nation, casting your vote is an act of civic responsibility; for millions of Iraqis, it was also an act of personal courage, and they have earned the respect of us all.

One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia Taleb al-Suhail. She says of her country: "We were occupied for 35 years by Saddam Hussein. That was the real occupation. Thank you to the American people who paid the cost, but most of all to the soldiers." Eleven years ago, Safia's father was assassinated by Saddam's intelligence service.

Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able to vote for the leaders of her country, and we are honoured that she is with us tonight.

The terrorists and insurgents are violently opposed to democracy, and will continue to attack it. Yet the terrorists' most powerful myth is being destroyed. The whole world is seeing that the car bombers and assassins are not only fighting coalition forces, they are trying to destroy the hopes of Iraqis, expressed in free elections.

And the whole world now knows that a small group of extremists will not overturn the will of the Iraqi people.

We will succeed in Iraq because Iraqis are determined to fight for their own freedom and to write their own history. As Prime Minister Allawi said in his speech to Congress last September, "Ordinary Iraqis are anxious to shoulder all the security burdens of our country as quickly as possible."

This is the natural desire of an independent nation, and it also is the stated mission of our coalition in Iraq. The new political situation in Iraq opens a new phase of our work in that country. At the recommendation of our commanders on the ground, and in consultation with the Iraqi government, we will increasingly focus our efforts on helping prepare more capable Iraqi security forces — forces with skilled officers and an effective command structure.

As those forces become more self-reliant and take on greater security responsibilities, America and its coalition partners will increasingly be in a supporting role. In the end, Iraqis must be able to defend their own country, and we will help that proud, new nation secure its liberty.

Recently an Iraqi interpreter said to a reporter, "Tell America not to abandon us." He and all Iraqis can be certain: While our military strategy is adapting to circumstances, our commitment remains firm and unchanging. We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi friends, and freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come.

We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out. We are in Iraq to achieve a result: a country that is democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbours, and able to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women serving in Iraq will return home with the honour they have earned.

Right now, Americans in uniform are serving at posts across the world, often taking great risks on my orders. We have given them training and equipment, and they have given us an example of idealism and character that makes every American proud. The volunteers of our military are unrelenting in battle, unwavering in loyalty, unmatched in honor and decency, and every day they are making our nation more secure.

Some of our servicemen and women have survived terrible injuries, and this grateful country will do everything we can to help them recover. And we have said farewell to some very good men and women, who died for our freedom, and whose memory this nation will honor forever.

One name we honour is Marine Corps Sergeant Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror.

She wrote: "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said: 'You've done your job, mom. Now it's my turn to protect you."' Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honour freedom's defenders, and our military families, represented here this evening by Sergeant Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.

In these four years, Americans have seen the unfolding of large events. We have known times of sorrow, and hours of uncertainty, and days of victory. In all this history, even when we have disagreed, we have seen threads of purpose that unite us.

The attack on freedom in our world has reaffirmed our confidence in freedom's power to change the world. We are all part of a great venture: to extend the promise of freedom in our country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the peace that freedom brings.

As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, "Each age is a dream that is dying, or one that is coming to birth." And we live in the country where the biggest dreams are born.

The abolition of slavery was only a dream until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from fascism was only a dream until it was achieved. The fall of imperial communism was only a dream until, one day, it was accomplished.

Our generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with confidence. The road of providence is uneven and unpredictable, yet we know where it leads: It leads to freedom.

Thank you, and may God bless America.

State of the Union Primer

Not quite everything you need to know for tonight's speech, but it's a start:

• The history of the State of the Union, courtesy Wikipedia.

• No TV around? Tonight you can stream the speech here at WhiteHouse.gov.

• Why do we do this? The Constitution says so: "The President shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Article II, Sec. 3, U.S. Constitution

• Read White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's back-and-forth with the press about the speech in yesterday's Daily Briefing here.

• The text of all State of the Union speeches, 1790 (Washington) to 2004 (W. Bush).

• Watch prior State of the Union speeches at CSPAN (or watch this one at CSPAN if you're a Blue Stater and trafficing WhiteHouse.gov makes you feel dirty).

• You're a teacher? God bless ya'. Here's CSPAN's guide for State of the Union activities for the classroom.

There you go. Have fun, and we'll see you tonight in the chat.

Counties Shift from Blue to Red?"

USA Today reports that 153 counties that voted Democratic for president in 1996 and 2000 chose President Bush in 2004, while only 11 chose Kerry after voting Republican in 1996 and 2000.

From California Yankee.

Kerry : Gun-Runner to the Khmer Rouge ?

No, not a claim by some Barking-mad Rightwing Death Beast.

From NBC's Meet The Press, Dec 30 :

MR. RUSSERT: And you have a hat that the CIA agent gave you? SEN. KERRY: I still have the hat that he gave me, and I hope the guy would come out of the woodwork and say, "I'm the guy who went up with John Kerry. We delivered weapons to the Khmer Rouge on the coastline of Cambodia." We went out of Ha Tien, which is right in Vietnam. We went north up into the border. And I have some photographs of that, and that's what we did. So, you know, the two were jumbled together, but we were on the Cambodian border on Christmas Eve, absolutely.

There's also this :

MR. RUSSERT : Would you sign Form 180? SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will But everything that we put in it, Tim--everything we put in--I mean, everything that was out was a full documentation of all of the medical records, all of the fitness reports.

Fowler Surprises Dean In Race To Lead Democrats

Time Magazine reports that the executive committee of state party chairs voted to endorse Donnie Fowler rather than Dean to be the next Democratic Party chair:

Fowler, a South Carolinian who lives in California and is the son of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler, headed Al Gore's field operation in the 2000 presidential election. Last year he ran the field operation in Michigan for John Kerry, who won that state by three percentage points.

Former Texas Rep. Martin Frost had been considered the front-runner among the Anybody-But-Dean crowd, which includes a large number of Democratic elected officials. But Dean has been the odds-on favorite, in part because the 478 delegates of the Democratic National Committee who will vote next month on the replacement for current chairman Terry McAuliffe are more liberal than many of the party's most prominent faces. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California and her counterpart in the Senate, Nevada's Harry Reid, are among those working behind the scenes to drum up anti-Dean sentiment, but other party stalwarts like Harold Ickes are backing the former presidential contender whose candidacy dissolved with a misplayed yowl in Iowa.

From California Yankee.

Soros: Kerry Was A flawed Candidate

Bloomberg reports that Billionaire Bush hater George Soros, who spent $26 million in the failed effort to defeat President Bush, said Democratic challenger John Kerry was a flawed candidate:

"Kerry did not, actually, offer a credible and coherent alternative," Soros, 74, said yesterday in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "That had a lot to do with Bush being re-elected."

[. . .]

The Kerry campaign "tried to emphasize his role as a Vietnam War hero and downplay his role as an anti-Vietnam War hero, which he was," said Soros. "Had he admitted, owned up to it, I think actually the outcome could have been different."

From California Yankee.

Poll Finds Rossi Would Win A Revote

The National Journal's morning briefing "Wakeup Call!" reports that a Strategic Vision poll shows that Republican Dino Rossi would defeat Governor Christine Gregoire in a revote:

1. If there was to be a revote for Governor, would you vote for Dino Rossi, the Republican or Christine Gregoire, the Democrat?

Christine Gregoire 43%
Dino Rossi 51%
Undecided 6%

From California Yankee.

Cheney: Too Casual For Auschwitz?

It appears Dick Cheney was a bit too casual for yesterday's Auschwitz rememberance ... at least in the eyes of the press. CNN:

Vice President Dick Cheney raised eyebrows on Friday for wearing an olive-drab parka, hiking boots and knit ski cap to represent the United States at a solemn ceremony remembering the liberation of Auschwitz.

Other world leaders wore dark, formal coats, suits, and dress shoes.

Too casual for the occaision? We report, you decide.

Thanks to reader GS for the link.

Update: They always stylish Virginia Postrel notes:

WaPost fashion critic Robin Givhan says, "There is little doubt that intellectually Cheney approached the Auschwitz ceremony with thoughtfulness and respect," but he got the wardrobe all wrong. He's from Wyoming, where they have to take winter weather seriously, but she's got a point. You don't dress for a solemn state ceremony as though you were going for a hike. The always perfectly attired president would not have made this mistake.

What Happened To Friends Of John Kerry's $25,000?

Uhhh ... ok. A bit confused here. (And typing on the fly, so apologies for any typos.)

You might recall that a week ago I posted about the Friends of John Kerry committee, and how it had taken a $25,000 contribution from a Texas Reps' committee ... even though the contribution was made out to Kerry-Edwards Victory 2004, and even though the contribution was made on November 1st, weeks before Friends of John Kerry was created.

So today I check that post again, and when I click the link to the page listing the Reuben Hinojosa for Congress donation ... there's nothing there.

Gone. Vanished.

Did I dream it? Certainly not. I'm trying to find a cache of the page now. The image of the contribution form, which clearly says Kerry-Edwards Victory 2004 is still up; just the listing under the FOJK contributions has vanished.

Anyone else out there follow the link at the time and remember seeing the listing? Anyone have a cache of that?

Update: Turns out I have a cache of that. Here it is (click for a full-sized image):

BEFORE: 20 Jan. 2005

Note the date (from the Windows clock) in the upper right. Loaded into cache last week, Jan. 20th. Pulled from cache today. You can also see the URL is the same as the link to the donations page ... the one that is now blank. Here's a screen cap of the page now, taken moments ago on my Mac:

AFTER: 27 Jan 2005

Anyone able to tell me this is all standard operating procedure?

The Latest From Friends of Kerry: Kids Come First!

I continue to recieve email from the (oddly) funded Friends of John Kerry. Today comes a missive with the title They Won't Put Kids First, But We Will!

Dear Supporter,

This is personal. As I traveled across the country last year, I learned a lot about the dreams, hopes, fears and frustrations of the American people. Nothing touched me more than the parents I met who feared that illness would strike a child who is uninsured.

A sick child is always a worry. A sick child that you can't get help for is a parent's worst nightmare. Helping the 11 million children who have no health coverage isn't even on the radar screen of the Bush administration and the Republican leaders in Congress. But, we're going to put it there.

It is totally unacceptable that, in the greatest country in the world, millions of children are not getting the health care they need. That's why this week I introduced the Kids Come First Act. Help me push through the Republicans' political roadblocks and take care of the 11 million children without health insurance.

Please co-sponsor my Kids Come First Act by clicking here:

http://www.johnkerry.com/KidsFirst

The Republican leadership will try to prevent this essential legislation from ever seeing the light of day. Help me gather one million co-signers for the Kids Come First Act, and we'll force them to act or to admit that they just don't care enough to act. Here's why it's so important to do something now:

• 1/4 of children are not fully up to date on their basic immunizations.
• 1/3 with chronic asthma do not get a prescription for medications they need.
• 1/2 of uninsured children have not had a well child visit in the past year.
• 1 in 6 has delayed or unmet medical needs.
• 1 in 5 has trouble accessing health care.
• 1 in 4 does not see a dentist annually.
• 1 in 3 had no health insurance during 2002 and 2003.

In the Senate, I am working hard to convince my colleagues to co-sponsor this vitally important bill. But, the most important co-sponsors - the ones who can help push this legislation through a Republican Congress and the Bush White House - are the hundreds of thousands of grassroots activists in the johnkerry.com community. If you haven't done so already, please sign our Kids Come First petition and forward it to your family, friends, and neighbors:

http://www.johnkerry.com/KidsFirst

To date, nearly 300,000 Americans have signed our Kids Come First petition. Our goal is to top 500,000 before President Bush makes his State of the Union Address on February 2nd. We'll build from there until we stand one million strong. We've got to put getting our children the health care they need at the top of our national agenda. It won't be easy, but we will never relent until we find a way to make sure Kids Come First.

The Bush administration wants to ignore the fact that children without health care translates into needless pain and suffering for millions of American families. But you and I won't let those children be ignored any longer.

Making sure that Kids Come First is the right thing to do. What's more, it makes no economic sense to leave millions of American children uninsured. Immunizations, annual visits to a pediatrician, dental care, and screening for vision, hearing, and developmental problems are all long-term money savers for the health care system as a whole.

And investing now in the health of our children is truly what is key to saving our Social Security system and the long-term financial solvency issues facing Medicare. The health and productivity of the next generation's workforce is what will contribute most to saving these systems, not whether or not we privatize accounts or means test the benefits.

I hope you will take a moment to review this essential proposal -- and I hope you will act to encourage everyone you know to sign our Kids Come First petition now.

As you read this, President Bush is on a health care swing through Ohio. In the midst of photo ops and canned speeches, he is offering no genuine solution to the fact that 11 million American children have no health insurance. You and I must work to provide the ideas and leadership that are missing from the White House and the Republican leaders of Congress. And we have to work day in and day out to mobilize America to cover every child.

Thanks for standing with me in this essential undertaking.

Sincerely,

John Kerry

P.S. You can read a summary of the Kids Come First Act here:

http://www.johnkerry.com/petition/billsummary.php

New Social Security Spinblog

New in the 'sphere: a spinblog (yes, I just coined that term) titled Social Security Choice. The "about" blurb:

Sponsored by the Club for Growth, this site seeks to promote “The Ownership Society” by advocating personal accounts for Social Security.

Contrary to popular belief, the Club for Growth is neither a hair club for men nor a penile enhancment e-store. From its "about" blurb:

Founded in 1999 by Steve Moore, National Review president Dusty Rhodes, Cato Institute president Ed Crane, Richard Gilder, economist and CNBC Kudlow & Cramer co-host Larry Kudlow and other like-minded pro-growth conservatives, the Club for Growth sends campaign contributions from our members to the most free-market oriented candidates in tight, but winnable races. Members of the Club are economic conservatives, like-minded political contributors who are frustrated with the ideological drift of both parties today. Club members have a shared goal of contributing to and electing more Reaganites to Congress who are willing to stand for the issues that they as members care about most, issues like: cutting taxes, controlling federal spending, personal accounts for Social Security, ending the death tax, eliminating the capital gains tax, fundamental tax reform, providing true school choice and minimizing government's role in our daily lives.

So there you go.

PR Spending Doubled Under Bush

USA TODAY reports that the Bush administration has more than doubled its spending on outside contracts with public relations firms during the past four years. Details:

The administration spent at least $88 million in fiscal 2004 on contracts with major public relations firms, the analysis found, compared with $37 million in 2001, Bush's first year in office. In all, the administration spent $250 million on public relations contracts during its first term, compared with $128 million spent for President Clinton between 1997 and 2000. The analysis did not examine what the Clinton administration spent during its first term.

TIME: Scalia's Likely Next As Grand Court Poobah

TIME emails with this all caps lead:

JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA COULD SUCCEED REHNQUIST, SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH WHITE HOUSE THINKING ON JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS TELLS TIME, BUT IT’S NOT A LOCK

I suppose this is something TIME feels is worth screaming about (read the story here).

In terms of the Blogosphere, Red Right offers an analysis here, fleshing out the Thomas/Scalia comparison.

Republicans File Governor's Race Challenge In State Legislature

The Associated Press reports that Washington state's Republicans, while still pursuing a court challenge to the disputed governor's election, have filed a separate challenge with the state Legislature:

Republicans have filed a legal challenge against the hand recount in Chelan County Superior Court, saying mistakes were made and calling for another statewide vote. That same challenge was filed with the Legislature Friday evening, "as an insurance policy," Lane said Saturday.

The challenge, however, goes to the Democrat-controlled Legislature, which certified the election Jan. 11 despite a GOP request for a two-week delay.

From California Yankee.

Dean's Image Tarnished

In its Washington Wire feature, The Wall Street Journal reports on Howard Dean's tarnished image:

DEAN BATTLES a tarnished image in bid for Democratic chairmanship. Just 27% of party backers view the Vermont ex-governor positively, down from 48% a year ago. But he's less of a lightning rod for Republicans than during his presidential bid; 37% view him negatively, down from 58% in January 2004

From California Yankee.

New Republican Voices Newsletter Up

Republican Voices has posted their latest online newsletter, an inaugural edition.

Inaugural Speech: Free Download

Henry Copeland emails to note that Audible.com has posted a free iTunes download of yesterday's inaugural speech. Missed it? iPod that sucker. (Hey! I created a new verb!)

Inaugural Counter-Spin: Hastings Group

It didn't take long for the Hastings Group (a DC-area lobbying & PR firm) to start working the inaugural counter-spin, sending me an email that leads:

A major new national opinion survey of 1,608 U.S. voters shows that most Americans do NOT support President Bush’s focus on “democracy building” – which was the primary call to action in his Inaugural Address message today. (1) According to the survey, American voters think the nation’s highest foreign and military policy priority should be close to home – “defense of U.S. borders and homeland security,” which was supported by a plurality of 43 percent of voters. A considerably smaller share of U.S. voters (7 percent) agree with President Bush that the primary U.S. foreign policy focus should be on “democracy building” in other nations.

See the survey results here. I post, you decide.

Transcript of Bush's Speech

Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens:

On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.

At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical - and then there came a day of fire.

We have seen our vulnerability - and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny - prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder - violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.

We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.

America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation's security, and the calling of our time.

So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary. Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities. And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own. America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.

The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it. America's influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America's influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom's cause.

My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people against further attacks and emerging threats. Some have unwisely chosen to test America's resolve, and have found it firm.

We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.

We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people. America's belief in human dignity will guide our policies, yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.

Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty - though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt. Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it.

Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:

All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.

Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country.

The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it."

The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.

And all the allies of the United States can know: we honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom's enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies' defeat.

Today, I also speak anew to my fellow citizens:

From all of you, I have asked patience in the hard task of securing America, which you have granted in good measure. Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfill, and would be dishonorable to abandon. Yet because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it. By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well - a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world.

A few Americans have accepted the hardest duties in this cause - in the quiet work of intelligence and diplomacy … the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments … the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies. Some have shown their devotion to our country in deaths that honored their whole lives - and we will always honor their names and their sacrifice.

All Americans have witnessed this idealism, and some for the first time. I ask our youngest citizens to believe the evidence of your eyes. You have seen duty and allegiance in the determined faces of our soldiers. You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs. Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself - and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character.

America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home - the unfinished work of American freedom. In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.

In America's ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance - preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal.

In America's ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character - on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives. Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self. That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people. Americans move forward in every generation by reaffirming all that is good and true that came before - ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

In America's ideal of freedom, the exercise of rights is ennobled by service, and mercy, and a heart for the weak. Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.

From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?

These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom. We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes - and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.

We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul. When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner "Freedom Now" - they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled. History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.

When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, "It rang as if it meant something." In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength - tested, but not weary - we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.

May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America.

Committee Confusion: Why Are "Friends Of John Kerry" Using $25K Given To "Kerry-Edwards Victory 2004" Four Weeks Before The Creation Of "Friends Of John Kerry"?

Yesterday I receive the second email in as many days from John Kerry (as a function of being on a DNC-related distribution list for the convention). The first called for Rummy’s head; yesterday’s explains his vote against Condi Rice ... and again calls for Rummy’s head (lead posted below; full text in the extended entry).

Dear Supporter, Earlier today, I voted in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee against the nomination of Dr. Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State. This vote is an expression of my determination that we hold the Bush administration accountable ...

“What?”, I say to myself, “Does he think he’s still running?”

I notice that the emails, which used to come from the Kerry prez campaign, now come from “Friends of John Kerry.” Awfully busy, motivated, and well-funded friends, it seems.

So I do a little poking around.

The first place I go is www.johnkerry.com, which used to be the campaign site, but has now been re-branded as just johnkerry.com, “a community of online activists, first brought together in the heat of the 2004 presidential campaign. In 2005, we continue to work side-by-side to rewrite the book on grassroots politics.” By the content on the splash page, rewriting the book on grassroots politics appears to be code for “removing Don Rumsfeld.”

I also notice that the site is still full of Kerry/Edwards references and items, one of which is the “official blog,” which is (1) still branded Kerry/Edwards, and (2) empty.

So I poke around some more and notice that Byron York of National Review is seeing the same emails. He too has noticed that John’s Friends are the sponsors. He too has noticed the (poor and inconsistent) re-branding of johnkerry.com. And he adds:

The site, including the anti-Rumsfeld campaign, was paid for by Friends of John Kerry, Inc., a committee established by Kerry about six weeks ago.

Some more poking and I see that our own CA Yankee posted in this space that:

The Boston Globe reports that John Kerry plans to set up a federal campaign committee, Friends of John Kerry, which would allow him to seek a fifth term in the US Senate in 2008 while not precluding another run for president that year. The Committee will be a vehicle for fund-raising for either campaign.
According to the Globe, Kerry transferred all the money from his previous committee to his presidential campaign committee after retaining his Senate seat in 2002 and Kerry could do the same should he decide against seeking reelection in favor of a second bid for the presidency.

(Note to self: just search the Command Post for this stuff.)

Searching the Federal Election Commission database I find the FEC filing for Friends of John Kerry. The designation of FOJK is PRINCIPAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE OF A CANDIDATE: SENATE. I also find the donations to date:

• $25,000 by Reuben Hinojosa for Congress (Dem Rep for the 15th District of Texas ... long way away for a Sen from Mass, eh?)

• I also see that no individuals have given to date, so at least according to the FEC, Friends of John Kerry is funded, so far, by that single $25 K from Mr. Hinojosa.

• The original Boston Globe story about Friends of John Kerry ran on November 25th, 2004, and noted that Kerry planned to establish FOJK “as early as this week.” But what about this: The Hinojosa disbursement was (1) actually made out to "Kerry-Edwards Victory 2004," and (2) was made on November 1st, the day before the election. See the image of the filing yourself here. So I'm presuming that Kerry can "roll over" his donations to a new committee ... one that didn’t yet exist? Someone help clarify.

Now, this might be a nothing, and may be common practice. But I just find it a bit ... oh, I don't know, unsavory ... that a sitting Senator is using money from one campaign committee given by a Texas Representative to a different campaign committee several weeks the before the formation of the first committee to argue for the ousting of an existing Secretary of Defense more than two months later.

Don't you?

Update: From the Boston Globe story:

The Massachusetts Democrat will call the committee Friends of John Kerry, spokesman David Wade said, and stock it with money from fund-raisers that have yet to be scheduled. Kerry transferred all the money from his previous committee to his presidential campaign committee after retaining his Senate seat in 2002. He could do the same should he decide against seeking reelection in favor of a second bid for the presidency.

OK. But this wasn't stocked with money from a fundraiser that was yet to be scheduled ... it was stocked with money raised prior to Nov. 1, 2004, by, it appears, a Congressman from Texas. And if Kerry could transfer money between committees if he decided against seeking reelection, why does the scope of FOJK leave open support of a Senate OR Presidential campaign?

Confused yet?

***********

Dear Supporter,

Earlier today, I voted in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee against the nomination of Dr. Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State. This vote is an expression of my determination that we hold the Bush administration accountable.

Dr. Rice is a principal architect, implementer, and defender of a series of Administration policies that have not made our country as secure as we should be and have alienated much-needed allies in our common cause of winning the war against terrorism. Regrettably, I did not see in Dr. Rice's testimony before our committee any acknowledgment of the need to change course or of a new vision for America's role in the world.

On Iraq, on North Korea, on Iran, to name just a few of the most critical challenges, it seems to be more of the same. I hope I am proven wrong. I hope the course will change. And I hope that the Administration will recognize the strength of a foreign policy that has bipartisan support.

I am prepared to work with Dr. Rice and others in the Administration to try to reach agreement on policies that will truly strengthen our security and restore America's credibility on the world stage. And I am confident colleagues on both sides of the aisle are prepared to do so as well.

But, we've got to remain firm in our insistence that those who create policies that don't work have the courage to admit their mistakes and the wisdom to change course. Our johnkerry.com community has been expressing that determination in huge numbers.

Over 700,000 people have called on President Bush to fire Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense.

If you haven't signed the Rumsfeld petition, please do so immediately.

http://www.johnkerry.com/ReplaceRumsfeld

And, please forward the petition right now to friends and colleagues, urging them to join in this effort.

I know you share my strong convictions on the importance of holding the President and his Cabinet accountable. I pledge to you that I will not yield in this effort. Let's keep working together. America's future is at stake.

Sincerely,

John Kerry

Put On Your Top Hat: It's Inauguration Day

It's Inauguration Day here in the States, and I swear to God, there were times in the past two years I thought this day would never arrive.

But it has, and here's some web stuff (that's me, Mr. Sophistication) to aid your enjoyment of the festivities:

• The White House Inaugural 2005 page, which includes the 2005 schedule of events (no times, though, which makes it a bit weak as schedules go).

• As of yesterday, the President was on draft 21 of his remarks. According to his PressSec they will be 17 minutes long.

• Bush asked to see the Washington Bible yesterday morning ... he may use two, it and the family bible he used in 2000.

• Bartleby.com has record of all inaugural speeches from GW (Washington) to GW (Bush).

• For the record: Best 2nd inaugural of all time? Lincoln's. Read it here. The key passage is the close:

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

Enjoy the show.

Rice Endorsed By Senate Committee

MSNBC reports that he Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to confirm Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state. The vote was 16-2 vote with only John Kerry and Barbara Boxer voting not to recommend that Rice be confirmed.

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman To Head UNICEF

The Los Angeles Times reports U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has nominated U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman to head the United Nations Children's Fund:

Veneman, a 55-year-old lawyer, grew up on a peach farm in Modesto, and her career has focused on agriculture. Before she joined President Bush's Cabinet in 2001, she served from 1995 to 1999 as secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. She has also served in agriculture-related posts in the administrations of Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

UNICEF is the U.N.'s largest agency and has always been headed an American.

From California Yankee.

Rice Statement at Confirmation Hearing

Via FOX:

"Thank you Chairman Lugar, Senator Biden, and Members of the Committee. And let me also thank Senator Dianne Feinstein who, as a fellow Californian, I have long admired as a leader on behalf of our state and our nation. Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, it is an honor to be nominated to lead the State Department at this critical time a time of challenge and hope and opportunity fo America, and for the entire world.

"September 11, 2001 was a defining moment for our nation and the world. Under the vision and leadership of President Bush, our nation has risen to meet the challenges of our time: fighting tyranny and terror, and securing the blessings of freedom and prosperity for a new generation. The work that America and our allies have undertaken, and the sacrifices we have made, have been difficult and necessary and right. Now is the time to build on these achievements to make the world safer, and to make the world more free. We must use American diplomacy to help create a balance of power in the world that favors freedom. And the time for diplomacy is now.

"I am humbled by President Bush's confidence in me to undertake the great work of leading American diplomacy at such a moment in history. If confirmed, I will work with members of Congress, from both sides of the aisle, to build a strong bipartisan consensus behind Americas foreign policy. I will seek to strengthen our alliances, to support our friends, and to make the world safer, and better. I will enlist the great talents of the men and women of the State Department, the foreign and civil services and our foreign service nationals. And if I am confirmed, I will be especially honored to succeed a man I so admire my friend and mentor, Colin Powell.

"Four years ago, Secretary Powell addressed this committee for the same purpose I do now. Then as now, it was the same week that America celebrates the life and legacy of Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a time to reflect on the legacy of that great man, on the sacrifices he made, on the courage of the people he led, and on the progress our nation has made in the decades since. I am especially indebted to those who fought and sacrificed in the civil rights movement so that I could be here today.

"For me, this is a time to remember other heroes as well. I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama the old Birmingham of Bull Connor, church bombings, and voter intimidation the Birmingham where Doctor King was thrown in jail for demonstrating without a permit. Yet there was another Birmingham, the city where my parents John and Angelena Rice and their friends built a thriving community in the midst of the most terrible segregation in the country. It would have been so easy for them to give in to despair, and to send that message of hopelessness to their children. But they refused to allow the limits and injustices of their time to limit our horizons. My friends and I were raised to believe that we could do or become anything that the only limits to our aspirations came from within. We were taught not to listen to those who said to us, 'No, you cant.'

"The story of Birmingham's parents and teachers and children is a story of the triumph of universal values over adversity. And those values a belief in democracy, and liberty, and the dignity of every life, and the rights of every individual unite Americans of all backgrounds, all faiths, and all colors.

"They provide us a common cause in all times, a rallying point in difficult times, and a source of hope to men and women across the globe who cherish freedom and work to advance freedoms cause. And in these extraordinary times, it is the duty of all of us legislators, diplomats, civil servants, and citizens to uphold and advance the values that are the core of the American identity, and that have lifted the lives of millions around the world.

"One of history's clearest lessons is that America is safer, and the world is more secure, whenever and wherever freedom prevails. It is neither an accident nor a coincidence that the greatest threats of the last century emerged from totalitarian movements. Fascism and Communism differed in many ways, but they shared an implacable hatred of freedom, a fanatical assurance that their way was the only way, and a supreme confidence that history was on their side.

"At certain moments, it almost seemed to be so. During the first half of the 20th century much of the democratic and economic progress of earlier decades looked to be swept away by the march of ruthless ideologies armed with terrible military and technological power. Even after the allied victory in World War II, many feared that Europe, and perhaps the world, would be forced to permanently endure half enslaved and half free.

"The cause of freedom suffered a series of major strategic setbacks: Communism imposed in Eastern Europe Soviet power dominant in East Germany the coup in Czechoslovakia. the victory of the Chinese Communists, the Soviet nuclear test five years before we predicted to name just a few. In those early years, the prospect of a united democratic Germany and a democratic Japan seemed far-fetched.

"Yet America and our allies were blessed with visionary leaders who did not lose their way. They created the great NATO alliance to contain and eventually erode Soviet power. They helped to establish the United Nations and created the international legal framework for this and other institutions that have served the world well for more than 50 years. They provided billions in aid to rebuild Europe and much of Asia. They built an international economic system based on free trade and free markets to spread prosperity to every corner of the globe. And they confronted the ideology and propaganda of our enemies with a message of hope, and with the truth. And in the end though the end was long in coming their vision prevailed.

"The challenges we face today are no less daunting. America and the free world are once again engaged in a long-term struggle against an ideology of tyranny and terror, and against hatred and hopelessness. And we must confront these challenges with the same vision, courage and boldness of thought demonstrated by our post-World War Two leaders.

"In these momentous times, American diplomacy has three great tasks. First, we will unite the community of democracies in building an international system that is based on our shared values and the rule of law. Second, we will strengthen the community of democracies to fight the threats to our common security and alleviate the hopelessness that feeds terror. And third, we will spread freedom and democracy throughout the globe. That is the mission that President Bush has set for America in the world and the great mission of American diplomacy today.

"Let me address each of the three tasks I just mentioned. Every nation that benefits from living on the right side of the freedom divide has an obligation to share freedoms blessings. Our first challenge, then, is to inspire the American people, and the people of all free nations, to unite in common cause to solve common problems.

"NATO and the European Union and our democratic allies in East Asia and around the world will be our strongest partners in this vital work. The United States will also continue to work to support and uphold the system of international rules and treaties that allow us to take advantage of our freedom, to build our economies, and to keep us safe and secure.

"We must remain united in insisting that Iran and North Korea abandon their nuclear weapons ambitions, and choose instead the path of peace. New forums that emerge from the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative offer the ideal venues to encourage economic, social and democratic reform in the Islamic world.

"Implementing the Doha Development Agenda and reducing trade barriers will create jobs and reduce poverty in dozens of nations. And by standing with the free peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan, we will continue to bring hope to millions, and democracy to a part of the world where it is sorely lacking.

"As President Bush said in our National Security Strategy, America 'is guided by the conviction that no nation can build a safer, better world alone. Alliances and multilateral institutions can multiply the strength of freedom-loving nations.' If I am confirmed, that core conviction will guide my actions. Yet when judging a course of action, I will never forget that the true measure of its worth is whether it is effective.

"Our second great task is to strengthen the community of democracies, so that all free nations are equal to the work before us. Free peoples everywhere are heartened by the success of democracy around the globe. Together, we must build on that success.

"We face many challenges. In some parts of the world, an extremist few threaten the very existence of political liberty. Disease and poverty have the potential to destabilize whole nations and regions. Corruption can sap the foundations of democracy. And some elected leaders have taken illiberal steps that, if not corrected, could undermine hard-won democratic progress.

"We must do all we can to ensure that nations which make the hard choices and do the hard work to join the free world deliver on the high hopes of their citizens for a better life. From the Philippines to Colombia to the nations of Africa, we are strengthening counterterrorism cooperation with nations that have the will to fight terror, but need help with the means. We are spending billions to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases, to alleviate suffering for millions and help end public health crises.

"America has always been generous in helping countries recover from natural disasters and today we are providing money and personnel to ease the suffering of millions afflicted by the tsunami, and to help nations rebuild their infrastructure. We are joining with developing nations to fight corruption, instill the rule of law, and create a culture of transparency. In much of Africa and Latin America, we face the twin challenges of helping to bolster democratic ideals and institutions, and alleviating poverty.

"We will work with reformers in those regions who are committed to increasing opportunity for their peoples. And we will insist that leaders who are elected democratically have an obligation to govern democratically.

"Our third great task is to spread democracy and freedom throughout the world. I spoke earlier of the grave setbacks to democracy in the first half of the 20th century. The second half of the century saw an advance of democracy that was far more dramatic. In the last quarter of that century, the number of democracies in the world tripled. And in the last six months of this new century alone, we have witnessed the peaceful, democratic transfer of power in Malaysia, a majority Muslim nation, and in Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population. We have seen men and women wait in line for hours to vote in Afghanistan's first ever free and fair presidential election.

"We and I know you, Mr. Chairman, were heartened by the refusal of the people of Ukraine to accept a flawed election, and their insistence that their democratic will be honored. We have watched as the people of the Palestinian Territories turned out to vote in an orderly and fair election. And soon the people of Iraq will exercise their right to choose their leaders, and set the course of their nation's future. No less than were the last decades of the 20th century, the first decades of this new century can be an era of liberty. And we in America must do everything we can to make it so.

"To be sure, in our world there remain outposts of tyranny and America stands with oppressed people on every continent -- in Cuba, and Burma, and North Korea, and Iran, and Belarus, and Zimbabwe. The world should apply what Natan Sharansky calls the 'town square test': if a person cannot walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm, then that person is living in a fear society, not a free society. We cannot rest until every person living in a 'fear society' has finally won their freedom.

"In the Middle East, President Bush has broken with six decades of excusing and accommodating the lack of freedom in the hope of purchasing stability at the price of liberty. The stakes could not be higher. As long as the broader Middle East remains a region of tyranny and despair and anger, it will produce extremists and movements that threaten the safety of Americans and our friends.

"But there are hopeful signs that freedom is on the march. Afghanistan and Iraq are struggling to put dark and terrible pasts behind them and are choosing the path of progress. Just months ago, Afghanistan held a free and fair election, and chose a president who is committed to the success of democracy and to the fight against terror. In Iraq, the people will soon take the next step in their journey toward full, genuine democracy. All Iraqis, whatever their faith or ethnicity from Shias to Sunnis to Kurds must build a common future together. The election later this month will be an important first step as the people of Iraq prepare to draft a constitution and hold the next round of elections elections that will create a permanent government.

"The success of freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq will give strength and hope to reformers throughout the region, and accelerate the pace of reforms already under way. From Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain, we are seeing elections and new protections for women and minorities, and the beginnings of political pluralism. Political, civil, and business leaders have issued stirring calls for political, economic and social change. Increasingly, the people are speaking, and their message is clear: the future of the region is to live in liberty.

"And the establishment of a Palestinian democracy will help to bring an end to the conflict in the Holy Land. Much has changed since June 24th, 2002, when President Bush outlined a new approach for America in the quest for peace in the Middle East, and spoke the truth about what will be required to end this conflict. Now we have reached a moment of opportunity and we must seize it.

"We take great encouragement from the elections just held for a new Palestinian leader. And Senators Biden and Sununu, I want to thank you for representing the United States at these historic elections. America seeks justice and dignity and a viable, independent, and democratic state for the Palestinian people. We seek security and peace for the State of Israel. Israel must do its part to improve the conditions under which Palestinians live and seek to build a better future. Arab states must join to help and deny any help or solace to those who take the path of violence.

"I look forward to personally working with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders, and bringing American diplomacy to bear on this difficult but crucial issue. Peace can only come if all parties choose to do the difficult work, and choose to meet their responsibilities. And the time to choose peace is now.

"Building a world of hope, prosperity and peace is difficult. As we move forward, America's relations with the world's global powers will be critical. In Russia, we see that the path to democracy is uneven and that its success is not yet assured. Yet recent history shows that we can work closely with Russia on common problems. And as we do so, we will continue to press the case for democracy, and we will continue to make clear that the protection of democracy in Russia is vital to the future of US-Russia relations.

"In Asia, we have moved beyond the false assumption that it is impossible to have good relations with all of Asia's powers. Our Asian alliances have never been stronger and we will use that strength to help secure the peace and prosperity of the region. Japan, South Korea, and Australia are key partners in our efforts to deter common threats and spur economic growth. We are building a candid, cooperative and constructive relationship with China that embraces our common interests but still recognizes our considerable differences about values. The United States is cooperating with India, the world's largest democracy, across a range of economic and security issues. This, even as we embrace Pakistan as a vital ally in the war on terror, and a state in transition towards a more moderate and democratic future.

"In our own neighborhood, we are cooperating closely with Canada and Mexico, and working to realize the vision of a fully democratic hemisphere, bound by common values and free trade.

"We also must realize that America and all free nations are facing a generational struggle against a new and deadly ideology of hatred that we cannot ignore. We need to do much more to confront hateful propaganda, dispel dangerous myths, and get out the truth. We will increase our exchanges with the rest of the world. And Americans should make a serious effort to understand other cultures and learn foreign languages.

"Our interaction with the rest of the world must be a conversation, not a monologue. And America must remain open to visitors and workers and students from around the world, without compromising our security standards. If our public diplomacy efforts are to succeed, we cannot close ourselves off from the world. And if I am confirmed, public diplomacy will be a top priority for me and for the professionals I lead.

"In all that lies ahead, the primary instrument of American diplomacy will be the Department of State, and the men and women of its Foreign and Civil Services and Foreign Service Nationals. The time for diplomacy is now and the President and I will expect great things from America's diplomatic corps.

"We know from experience how hard they work, the risks they and their families take, and the hardships they endure. We will be asking even more of them, in the service of their country, and of a great cause. They will need to develop new skills, and rise to new challenges. This time of global transformation calls for transformational diplomacy. More than ever, Americas diplomats will need to be active in spreading democracy, fighting terror, reducing poverty, and doing our part to protect the American homeland. I will personally work to ensure that America's diplomats have all the tools they need to do their jobs from training to budgets to mentoring to embassy security.

"I also intend to strengthen the recruitment of new personnel, because American diplomacy needs to constantly hire and develop top talent. And I will seek to further diversify the State Department's workforce. This is not just a good cause; it is a necessity. A great strength of our country is our diversity. And the signal sent to the rest of the world when America is represented abroad by people of all cultures, races, and religions is an unsurpassed statement about who we are and what our values mean in practice.

"Let me close with a personal recollection. I was in government in Washington in 1989 to 1991. I was the Soviet specialist in the White House at the end of the Cold War. I was lucky to be there, and I knew it. I got to participate in the liberation of Eastern Europe. I got to participate in the unification of Germany and to see the Soviet Union collapse. It was a heady time for us all. But, when I look back, I know that we were merely harvesting the good decisions that had been made in 1947, in 1948, and in 1949, when Truman and Acheson and Vandenberg and Kennan and so many wise and farsighted statesmen in the executive and legislative branches recognized that we were not in a limited engagement with Communism, we were in the defining struggle of our times.

"Democrats and Republicans united around a vision and policies that won the Cold War. The road was not always smooth, but the basic unity of purpose and values was there and that unity was essential to our eventual success. No president, and no secretary of state, could have effectively protected American interests in such momentous times without strong support from the Congress, and from this committee. And the same is true today. Our task, and our duty is to unite around a vision and policies that will spread freedom and prosperity around the globe. I have worked directly with many of you. And in this time of great challenge and opportunity, Americas co-equal branches of government must work together to advance freedom and prosperity.

"In the preface to his memoirs, published in 1969, Dean Acheson wrote of the post-war period that 'those who acted in this drama did not know, nor do any of us yet know, the end.' Senators, now we know and many of us here bore witness to that end. The end was a victory for freedom, the liberation of half a continent, the passing of a despotic empire and vindication for the wise and brave decisions made at the beginning. It is my greatest hope and my deepest conviction that the struggle we face today will some day end in a similar triumph of the human spirit. And working together, we can make it so. Thank you."

Rice Faces Grilling to Be Secretary of State

Condoleezza Rice faces questioning by a Senate committee Tuesday in her quest to be the nation's next secretary of state, replacing Colin Powell. Rice is expected to easily secure enough votes to be confirmed but she also is prepared to answer tough questions about her role combatting terrorism and waging war in Iraq. If confirmed, Rice would be the first black woman, and only the second woman after Madeleine Albright, to be America's top diplomat.

Read more...

D'Amato 'Opens Door" To Endorsing Spitzer For Governor?

The New York Post reports that Republican and former U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato, has "opened the door to endorsing New York's Eliot Spitzer for governor." D'Amato called Democrat Spitzer "a great attorney general" who has done "a terrific job" cracking down on Wall Street abuses.

According to the Post, D'Amato remains close to Pataki and said he would back the governor if, as few senior Republicans now believe likely, he runs for a fourth term in 2006.

From California Yankee.

Kerry Criticizes Election Outcome

The Associated Press reports John Kerry, speaking at Boston's annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast, criticized President Bush and decried reports of voter disenfranchisement on Election Day:

"Voting machines were distributed in uneven ways. In Democratic districts, it took people four, five, 11 hours to vote, while Republicans sorted through in ten minutes -- same voting machines, same process, our America," he said.

From Californuia Yankee.

TIME: Limousine Terror at Inauguration?

^{From a TIME email alert - story appears in the Jan. 24, 2005 issue}.

LIMO GAS BOMB THREAT HAS BECOME FOCUS OF CONCERN FOR PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
---
Prompted By Document Seized from al Qaeda Last Year Entitled,
'Rough Presentation for Gas Limo Project,' U.S. Intelligence Sources tell TIME
---
Plan Calls for 3 Limos, Each Carrying 12 or More Compressed-Gas Cylinders to Create a 'Full Fuel-Air Explosion' by Venting Flammable Gas into a cofided Space and Then Igniting It'
--
Cylinders Would be Painted Yellow to Falsely Signify Toxic Gases to
Spread Terror and Chaos When Emergency and Haz-Mat Teams Arrive on Scene

New York - As Washington gears up for the first Inaugural of the post-9/11 era, one potential security threat has emerged as a particular focus of concern: vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, or VBIEDs, possibly disguised as limousines, TIME's Adam Zagorin reports. The fears were prompted in part, say U.S. intelligence sources, by a 39-page document seized from al-Qaeda last year, titled "Rough Presentation for Gas Limo Project." It lays out a scenario for using limousines to deliver bombs equipped with cylinders of a flammable gas. Though the Inauguration is not specifically mentioned, parts of the document began circulating among senior U.S. intelligence authorities on Jan. 5. In response, barriers have been set up to block any vehicle bent on destruction.

The document is believed to have been written by Issa al-Hindi, an al-Qaeda operative captured in Britain last year. It recommends concealing bombs in limos because the vehicles "blend in" and "can transport larger payloads than sedans ... and do not require special driving skills." The limos can "access underground parking structures that do not accommodate trucks" and "have tinted windows that can hide an improvised explosive device from outside."

The document calls for the deployment of three limos, each carrying 12 or more compressed-gas cylinders to create a "full fuel-air explosion by venting flammable gas into a confined space and then igniting it." It suggests painting the cylinders yellow to falsely "signify toxic gases to spread terror and chaos when emergency and haz-mat teams arrive."

Al-Qaeda used similar devices in the truck bomb that blew up the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam in 1998 and in a 2002 attack on a Tunisian synagogue. Shortly after the document surfaced last summer, the Department of Homeland Security began contacting limousine firms to warn of the danger. With hundreds of limos expected to jam the capital this week, authorities are on the alert.

"60 Minutes Wednesday" May Not Survive

The New York Times reports that CBS's "60 Minutes Wednesday," the program that broadcast the Rathergate story may not survive:

Leslie Moonves, the chairman of CBS and co-president of the network's parent company, Viacom, said in a telephone interview that Mr. Rather was expected to continue his career at CBS on the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes" after he steps down as the network's primary anchor in March. But Mr. Moonves added the phrase, "provided the show continues."

The program is guaranteed to be on the air through May, when the current television season ends, Mr. Moonves said, but "they are not exactly tearing it up in the ratings over there."

From California Yankee.

Gregoire Sworn In as Washington's Governor

The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that Christine Gregoire pushed back tears as she took the oath of office as Washington's governor. Gregoire outlined her vision for the state in her inaugural address, "casting herself as the governor for everyone and claiming a mandate to mend fences and build on a centrist agenda."

Tacoma's News Tribune reports that Republicans were unenthusiastic but polite during the inauguration:

Republicans, either by plan or happenstance, were polite if unenthusiastic. Only a handful wore orange ribbons – a symbol borrowed from the Ukranian opposition party that means the wearer supports a revote.

They stood when Gregoire entered the House chambers. They applauded – briefly – as she walked up the aisle. They stood when it was expected, they applauded when it was expected.

Many other times, when Democrats were standing and applauding with all the enthusiasm of a party given a second chance, Republicans sat silently. But no one should have expected them to be happy Wednesday, just civil.

From California Yankee.

Bush Names Judge Michael Chertoff Homeland Security Chief [Updated]

President Bush on Tuesday named federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff as his nominee to be the next homeland security secretary. The announcement was made at 10 a.m. EST. Chertoff will have to be confirmed by the Senate before he can take over for retiring Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.

Chertoff was a U.S. attorney in New Jersey before he became special counsel for the Whitewater Committee in the U.S. Senate. He was then a partner with the firm, Latham and Watkins, then joined the Justice Department as an assistant attorney general within the criminal division.

More about Chertoff here.

Bio here.

CBS Releases Report, Fires 4 Staff

CBS has released the long-awaited report of its independent panel investigation into a disputed 60 Minutes story about President Bush's National Guard service. Four employees have been ousted, but CBS News President Andrew Heyward appears to be unaffected.

(CBS) Four CBS News employees, including three executives, have been ousted for their role in preparing and reporting a disputed story about President Bush’s National Guard service.

The action was prompted by the report of an independent panel that concluded that CBS News failed to follow basic journalistic principles in the preparation and reporting of the piece. The panel also said CBS News had compounded that failure with “rigid and blind” defense of the 60 Minutes Wednesday report.

Asked to resign were Senior Vice President Betsy West, who supervised CBS News primetime programs; 60 Minutes Wednesday Executive Producer Josh Howard; and Howard’s deputy, Senior Broadcast Producer Mary Murphy. The producer of the piece, Mary Mapes, was terminated.

The correspondent on the story, CBS News anchor Dan Rather, is stepping down as anchor of CBS Evening News.

Official Panel Report in PDF format

Official CBS News Reaction and actions taken in PDF Format

The panel said a "myopic zeal" to be the first news organization to broadcast a groundbreaking story about Mr. Bush’s National Guard service was a key factor in explaining why CBS News had produced a story that was neither fair nor accurate and did not meet the organization’s internal standards.

The report said at least four factors that some observers described as a journalistic “Perfect Storm” had contributed to the decision to broadcast a piece that was seriously flawed.

"The combination of a new 60 Minutes Wednesday management team, great deference given to a highly respected producer and the network’s news anchor, competitive pressures, and a zealous belief in the truth of the segment seem to have led many to disregard some fundamental journalistic principles," the report said.

The piece was aired during a tight and hotly contested presidential race between Mr. Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry. The timing of the story prompted charges of political bias against CBS News.

While the panel found that some actions taken by CBS News encouraged such suspicions, “the Panel cannot conclude that a political agenda at 60 Minutes Wednesday drove either the timing of the airing of the segment or its content.”

The story, which aired last Sept. 8, relied on four documents allegedly written by one of Mr. Bush's Texas Air National Guard commanders in the early 1970s, Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, who is now dead. Questions about the authenticity of the documents were raised almost immediately.

After a stubborn 12-day defense of the story, CBS News conceded that it could not confirm the authenticity of the documents and asked former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and former Associated Press President Louis Boccardi to conduct an independent investigation into the matter.

Their findings were contained in a 224-page report made public on Monday. While the panel said it was not prepared to brand the Killian documents as an outright forgery, it raised serious questions about their authenticity and the way CBS News handled them.

The panel identified 10 serious defects in the preparation and reporting of the story that included failure to obtain clear authentication of the documents or to investigate controversial background of the source of the purported documents, retired Texas National Guard Lt. Col. Bill Burkett.

The producer of the piece, Mary Mapes, was also faulted for calling Joe Lockhart, a senior official in the John Kerry campaign, prior to the airing of the piece, and offering to put Burkett in touch with him. The panel called Mapes’ action a “clear conflict of interest that created the appearance of political bias.”

The panel noted that the Guard segment was rushed on the air only six days after 60 Minutes Wednesday had obtained some of the documents from Burkett and that preparation of the piece was supervised by a new management team of executive producer Josh Howard and senior broadcast producer Mary Murphy.

A key factor in the decision to broadcast the piece was a telephone conversation between Mapes and Maj. Gen. Bobby Hodges, Killian’s commanding officer. Mapes told the panel Hodges confirmed the content of the four documents after she read them to him over the phone.

Hodges, however, denied doing so. He also told the panel he had given Mapes information that should have raised warning flags about the documents, including his belief that Killian had never ordered anyone, including Mr. Bush, to take a physical.

Hodges said that when he finally saw the documents after the Sept. 8 broadcast, he concluded they were bogus and told Rather and Mapes of his opinion on Sept. 10.

“This alleged confirmation by Major General Hodges started to march 60 Minutes Wednesday into dangerous and ultimately unsustainable territory: the notion that since the content of the documents was felt to be true, demonstrating the authenticity of the documents became less important.”

Mapes’ telephone conversation with Hodges was part of a vetting process that the panel concluded was wholly inadequate, largely because it had to be done so quickly. The key executives vetting the piece were West, Howard, and Murphy.

After rushing the piece to air, the panel said, CBS News compounded the error by blindly defending the story. In doing so, the news organization missed opportunities to set the record straight.

“The panel finds that once serious questions were raised, the defense of the segment became more rigid and emphatic, and that virtually no attempt was made to determine whether the questions raised had merit,” the report concluded.

The panel believes a turning point came on Sept. 10, when CBS News President Andrew Heyward ordered Betsy West to review the opinions of document examiners who had seen the disputed documents and the confidential sources supporting the story.

But no such investigation was undertaken.

“Had this directive been followed promptly, the panel does not believe that 60 Minutes Wednesday would have publicly defended the segment for another 10 days,” the report said.

The panel made a number of recommendations for changes, including:

Appoint a senior Standards and Practices Executive, reporting directly to the President of CBS News, who would review all investigative reporting, use of confidential sources and authentication of documents. Personnel should feel comfortable going to this person confidentially and without fear of reprisal, with questions or concerns about particular reports.

Foster an atmosphere in which competitive pressure is not allowed to prompt airing of reports before all investigation and vetting is done.

Allow senior management to know the names of confidential sources as well as all relevant background about the person needed to make news judgments.

Appoint a separate team, led by someone not involved in the original reporting, to look into any news report that is challenged.

©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Congress Certifies Bush's Win After Protest

The U.S. Congress on Thursday formally certified President Bush as the victor of the November elections after two Democrats symbolically stalled the event in protest at alleged voting irregularities in Ohio.
California Sen. Barbara Boxer and Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, formally lodged objections because of Ohio, although they said they recognized Bush had won and were not trying to overturn the results.

They said their goal was to force lawmakers to heed problems that had been particularly evident in Democratic-leaning minority and urban neighborhoods and to consider the need for more voting reforms including standard election rules in all states.

"This objection does not have at its root the hope or even the hint of overturning or challenging the victory of the president," Tubbs Jones said. Boxer called it a matter of "electoral justice."

The rare objection to vote certification, the first filed in decades, forced the House and Senate to halt their joint session, usually a routine and ceremonial affair. Each chamber then debated the objection, and rejected it, the Senate by a 74-1 vote, the House 267-31. The state-by-state certification was completed a few hours later.

Read more...

Education Dept. Paid Journalist to Push "No Child Left Behind"

The Bush administration paid a prominent commentator to promote the No Child Left Behind schools law to fellow blacks and to give the education secretary media time, records show.

A company run by Armstrong Williams, the syndicated commentator, was paid $240,000 by the Education Department. The goal was to deliver positive messages about Bush's education overhaul, using Williams' broad reach with minorities.

The deal, which drew a fast reuke from Democrats on Capitol Hill, is the latest to put the department on the defensive for the way it has promoted Bush's signature domestic policy.

The contract required Williams' company, the Graham Williams Group, to produce radio and TV ads that feature one-minute "reads" by Education Secretary Rod Paige. The deal also allowed Paige and other department officials to appear as studio guests with Williams.

Read more...

Two Court Challenges Filed In Washington Governor's Election

The Associated Press reports that two voters have challenged Washington's gubernatorial election in Washington's Supreme Court:

Both challenge the legitimacy of Gov.-elect Christine O. Gregoire, a Democrat who lost the first two counts but beat Republican Dino Rossi by 129 votes in a hand recount of 2.9 million ballots. Gregoire's inauguration is scheduled for Wednesday.

[. . .]

Stevens, 38, owner of a construction and real estate business, said he filed the challenge out of frustration.

"An engineering department has plans and codes and rules to address a 100-year storm. Why can't the state be prepared for the 100-year vote?" Stevens asked. "The impact of who gets in office is minimal if we miss this opportunity to use this as a catalyst for reform."

[. . .]

Dr. Arthur Coday Jr., a pediatrician in Shoreline, filed an 11-page brief arguing that the hand recount was flawed for several reasons and asking the high court to declare Rossi the winner.

"It was an issue of conscience, to be honest," Coday told The Seattle Times.

From Califoirnia Yankee.

Presidential Vote Certification Faces Objection

When the joint session of Congress meets Thursday to certify the Electoral College votes that gave President Bush his second term, several Democratic House members are expected to contest the results.

They may also find support from Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., whose participation under congressional rules would then require senators and representatives to recess to their respective chambers to debate certification.

The action would be the first of its kind in 36 years, but most likely won't add up to more than a procedural delay of the inevitable.

Read more...

Second Ohio Recount Demanded

The Associated Press reports that Green Party candidate David Cobb and the Libertarian Party's Michael Badnarik asked a federal court in Columbus to force a second recount of the Ohio vote.

According to the Associated Press,iIn the recount finished Tuesday President Bush won the state by 118,457 votes.

The two candidates, who received less than 0.3 percent of the Ohio vote, said they don't expect to change the election results, but want to make sure that every vote is proply counted.

From California Yankee.

Dems Drafting Scalia?

I know ... not a headline you'd expect to read. And not one I'd expect to believe. But read Ryan Sager's take over at TCS, and decide for yourself.

It's not likely we'd be seeing the nation's top Democrat giving big, sloppy kisses to one iconic conservative Supreme Court justice unless the purpose were to make a cuckold of another. Apparently, the Democrats are so terrified that President Bush will nominate Justice Thomas to helm the court that they're slyly offering up a smooth confirmation should Scalia be tapped instead.