A Good Start

Not Gonna Pin The Blame On The Dems This Time ...

Gotta Listen To The Two-Termers

President Bartlet, aides push EFCA

“The West Wing” is back — sort of.

The award-winning NBC drama went off the air in 2006, but on Tuesday, “West Wing” stars Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff will try to use their celebrity status to promote the Employee Free Choice Act, the divisive labor union bill that has stalled in the Senate.

The three actors will unveil a new program called Faces of the Employee Free Choice Act, sponsored by the pro-labor group American Rights at Work, at a news conference at Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s office. The labor bill is also known as “card check” in business circles because it would get rid of the secret ballot for union elections.

Not surprisingly, the anti-EFCA forces are calling out the Hollywood stars for being hypocritical.

“These same actors cast secret ballots when electing the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild or voting on the annual SAG Award winners,” the anti-EFCA Workforce Fairness Institute said Monday. “Once again, Holly­wood thinks they deserve something that should be taken away from average working people.”

Sebelius to call for action now on health care

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, President Barack Obama's nominee for health and human services secretary, believes keeping the status quo on health care is "unacceptable and unsustainable."

This is the message Sebelius prepared for her appearance Tuesday before a Senate committee. In her remarks, Sebelius will pledge to carry out Obama's goal of overhauling the health care system to cover 48 uninsured Americans.
By ERICA WERNER

Obama tells allies that public supports his agenda

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Reassuring House Democrats that "we are in this together," President Barack Obama predicted that unity will help their party maintain its high standing with the public as they pursue an ambitious agenda in the face of economic turmoil.

The House and Senate are set this week to take up companion budget outlines that constitute Congress' initial response to the $3.6 trillion fiscal plan for 2010 that Obama proposed last month.
By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press Writer

Whadda I Care?

Swamped.

But here, I found this for you



And This

Smokers face a hit as tobacco taxes spike

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - However they satisfy their nicotine cravings, tobacco users are facing a big hit as the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever takes effect Wednesday.

Tobacco companies and public health advocates, longtime foes in the nicotine battles, are trying to turn the situation to their advantage. The major cigarette makers raised prices a couple of weeks ago, partly to offset any drop in profits once the per-pack tax climbs from 39 cents to $1.01.
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press Writer

Geithner: Risk is government does too little

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - The banking crisis. The credit crisis. The recession. The auto bailout. The bonus furor.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (GYT'-nur) has had to deal with so many hot button issues in little more than two months since joining President Barack Obama's Cabinet.
The Associated Press

Clinton: Diplomacy plays key role in Afghanistan

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan relies heavily on civilian efforts, and she is calling for all U.S. diplomats to contribute.

In a cable to U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, Clinton says the success of President Barack Obama's plan depends on the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, whose ranks in Afghanistan and Pakistan are in line for boosts.
By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writer

FAIL 2.0, Pt. 2

This worries me too

You're all familiar with the phrase "canary in the coal mine." The idea was that miners would bring canaries down into the mines as warning signals. When the air became toxic, the canaries would be affected first -- thus warning the miners of imminent danger.

With respect to the Afghanistan policy, the problem isn't that the "signaling" canaries are dropping dead. The problem is that they're too happy -- they're chirping with excessive mirth. Specifically, when Max Boot, Robert Kagan, Bill Kristol, and the Post editorial board are all excited about the policy.... well, it might be time to get out of the mine.

Europe Takes The Lead

The judge that got Pinochet may have a new portfolio

Spain’s national newspapers, El País and Público reported that the Spanish national security court has opened a criminal probe focusing on Bush Administration lawyers who pioneered the descent into torture at the prison in Guantánamo. The criminal complaint can be examined here. Público identifies the targets as University of California law professor John Yoo, former Department of Defense general counsel William J. Haynes II (now a lawyer working for Chevron), former vice presidential chief-of-staff David Addington, former attorney general and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, former Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee, now a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and former Undersecretary of Defense Doug Feith.

Analysis: New war strategy requires outside help

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - The success of President Barack Obama's new war strategy depends heavily on factors beyond his control: Afghan competence, Pakistani cooperation and a greater willingness by Europeans and other allies to adopt the American view that al-Qaida is at the core of the conflict.

Each of those has been missing or, at best, has fallen short despite years of U.S. pushing and prodding.

That is why, after more than seven years of inconclusive combat, hundreds of American deaths, billions in financial aid and incomplete efforts to build self-sustaining Afghan security forces, Obama saw a need Friday to retool strategy, clarify U.S. war aims and seek more help from NATO and other partners.

There are important factors that Obama does control, and these are central to prospects for prevailing. The extra troops he is ordering to Afghanistan in combat and advisory roles can make a difference, as can additional U.S. civilian specialists to help Afghanistan build governing competence.

But even those U.S. approaches have risks and limitations, as Obama made clear in explaining why he must overcome skepticism in Congress about spending billions of dollars more on State Department and foreign assistance programs.

"Make no mistake, our efforts will fail in Afghanistan and Pakistan if we don't invest in their future," he said.

As he deepened the U.S. commitment - declaring the war crucial to protecting Americans against a repeat of the 9/11 attacks - Obama set the country on a path that is likely to require far more help from the rest of the world than it took for President George W. Bush to turn around the war in Iraq.

The new strategy starts in Afghanistan.

Obama said a vital ingredient in his formula for success will be reconciliation among at least some adversaries within the country. However, leaders of the radical Taliban movement want to regain control of the nation they ruled from the mid-1990s until the U.S. invasion in the weeks following the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. And efforts by the Afghan government to reconcile with some elements have thus far failed.

Obama said he has "no illusions that this will be easy," and he acknowledged there is an "uncompromising core" of the Taliban that is beyond reconciliation and must be defeated militarily.

The Afghan government itself is part of the problem. Rife with corruption and unable to extend its authority beyond the capital, Kabul, the government has failed to instill confidence in its ability to provide basic services in much of the country. That has given the Taliban room to increase its influence.

Obama tied the prospects for success in Afghanistan to rooting out al-Qaida terrorists in neighboring Pakistan, which has become a haven for the group. He described al-Qaida as "a cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within." But to the Pakistanis, a more worrying threat has been its powerful neighbor and nuclear rival, India, with whom the Pakistanis have fought three wars over the past 60 years.

In Afghanistan, the Bush administration pleaded for years with NATO allies to provide more troops for combat and for training Afghan forces. The increases it got were modest, leaving an unmet need that U.S. commanders have cited in explaining why the Taliban has remained resilient and Afghan forces have developed slowly.

In his remarks Friday, Obama appealed to NATO to accept "a shared responsibility to act." And he said he would take that message to Europe next week for meetings with NATO and European Union leaders.

A fundamental disconnect between Washington and its European allies has been the nature of the extremist threat and the role of military force in addressing it.

The Europeans have been reluctant to accept the U.S. view - held in common by Obama and Bush - that al-Qaida is a threat to the existence of democratic societies. And the Europeans see political, economic and humanitarian aid as more important than military intervention in achieving stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

That is why Afghanistan has increasingly become an American war - and why Obama sees a need to change that. "This is not simply an American problem; far from it," he said. "It is, instead, an international security challenge of the highest order."

And it is why people like Sen. Richard Lugar, a leading voice on foreign affairs, worry about the growing U.S. role.

"We are unlikely to succeed if military and political efforts in that country trend toward greater U.S. domination," he said Friday.

---

EDITOR'S NOTE - Robert Burns has covered national security affairs for The Associated Press since 1990.

By ROBERT BURNS Associated Press Writer

Groups find common ground on health care overhaul

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Eighteen groups representing consumers, business, insurers, doctors and hospitals say they have reached agreement on how they would like to see the nation's health care system overhauled.

The groups, calling themselves the Health Reform Dialogue, say the uninsured should be covered through a combination of expanded government programs and subsidies to purchase private health coverage.
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press Writer

Toldja So

We Thought So

DNA test confirms 13-year-old Alfie NOT the dad

The British boy alleged to have become a dad at age 12 is not the baby's father, a British newspaper reports.

... Alfie took a DNA test, which indicated that he's not the father.

Oh Nos!

Will have to have a talk with Lily about the peril next door...

Not Smarter Than 5th Graders

Actual questions from a 'supporter poll' sent by the RNC to RNC-types ...

again, words fail:

* A recent national poll reported that nearly 25% of Americans want the government to pass more socialism. Do you agree or disagree?

* Which do you believe creates more jobs for the American economy: Government Programs and Spending or The American Free Enterprise System?

* Should Republicans unite to block new federal government bureaucracy and red tape that will crush future economic growth?

* Should we do everything we can to block Democrats who are trying to shut down conservative talk radio with the so-called "fairness doctrine"?

* Should we resist Barack Obama's proposal to spend billions of federal taxpayer dollars to pay "volunteers" who perform his chosen tasks?

* Should bureaucrats in Washington, DC be in charge of making your health care choices instead of you and your doctor?

* Do you think U.S. troops should have to serve under United Nations' commanders?

Tee Vee Watch

Network Star Barack Leno Obama on the tube Sunday AM

Obama Faces the Nation

In his first Sunday show interview, President Obama will be on Face the Nation this weekend, according to CBS News.

Host Bob Schieffer hinted at the questions he'll ask: "The economic crisis continues to dominate the news, but there are so many other issues which are getting less attention... We'll ask the president to weigh in on those issues he has not discussed as much in addition to the economy."

Maybe Now's The Time To Bow Out 'For The Good Of The People'

Ex-Senator and Current Senate-Litigator Norm can't be happy about this item in the hometown paper

Exec says Coleman donor ordered $100K payments

Sworn statement backs allegation that Kazeminy directed fees to an insurance firm to benefit the Colemans.

The former finance chief of a Texas company controlled by Nasser Kazeminy, a close friend of former Sen. Norm Coleman, said in a deposition last week that Kazeminy ordered $100,000 in fees be paid to a Minneapolis insurance agency where Coleman's wife was employed.

B.J. Thomas, who was chief financial officer of Deep Marine Technology Inc., said that $75,000 of that sum was paid to Hays Companies even though he saw no evidence of Deep Marine receiving any consulting services from Hays.

Thomas' deposition, taken under oath on March 19 and obtained by the Star Tribune, is the first corroboration from an official at Deep Marine of allegations made by company founder Paul McKim in a lawsuit filed last year against the company.

In the two weeks before the November U.S. Senate election, two lawsuits were filed against Deep Marine -- one by McKim and one by a group of minority shareholders. In them, Kazeminy was accused of funneling payments to Hays to benefit the Colemans, as well as other alleged financial wrongdoing.

Referred By Mr G Baker

The Purple One last night

How They Dood It

FAIL 2.0

Fresh New Recycling from the brainpower behind Iraq, the Aborted Afghan Mission and the Patriot Act

Think Progress

A newly-formed and still obscure neo-conservative foreign policy organisation is giving some observers flashbacks to the 1990s, when its predecessor staked out the aggressively unilateralist foreign policy that came to fruition under the George W. Bush administration.

The blandly-named Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI) - the brainchild of Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, neo-conservative foreign policy guru Robert Kagan, and former Bush administration official Dan Senor - has thus far kept a low profile; its only activity to this point has been to sponsor a conference pushing for a U.S. “surge” in Afghanistan.

Though it’s not mentioned on their Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI) bio page, Kristol and Kagan were co-founders of PNAC in 1997. Matt Duss writes at the Wonk Room that Kristol and Kagan seem to be re-naming their old organization because it became “inextricably bound in the public’s imagination to one of the worst foreign policy blunders in American history,” the invasion of Iraq.

Keep An Eye Out

The race to replace newly appointed Senator Kirsten Gillabrand, a Democrat from a conservative upstate NY district ends this Tuesday.

Murphy Takes Lead in NY-20

As the NY-20 special election enters the final weekend, Scott Murphy (D) has reversed a four-point deficit and turned it into a four-point lead over Jim Tedisco (R), according to a new Siena Research poll. Murphy now leads 47% to 43% among likely voters, having trailed two weeks ago by a 45% to 41% margin.

Key findings: Tedisco's campaign is viewed by voters as more negative by a 44% to 25% percent margin, while Murphy's campaign is seen as more positive. Nonetheless, the conventional wisdom in the district is that Tedisco will win the election.

The Rep's Plan

House Republicans Flub Budget Roll Out

"Days after being chided by President Obama for offering no alternative to his $3.6 trillion budget, House Republicans on Thursday released their own spending plan that proved light on numbers and specific policy proposals," the Washington Times reports.

The AP notes the "glossy pamphlet, short on detail, promises to cut domestic spending below current levels but makes it impossible to determine what deficit the GOP is projecting based on its numbers."

First Read: "Let's be honest: Yesterday's House Republican budget rollout was a P.R. disaster for the GOP... now we learn that Reps. Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan objected to unveiling yesterday's 'blueprint' but were overruled by Reps. John Boehner and Mike Pence. But bigger than any internal disagreements or any criticism about a lack of details is the fact that yesterday's GOP non-announcement moved the attention away from the Obama-vs.-congressional Democrat storyline to the GOP's lack of a budget. In fact, after yesterday, the White House and congressional Democrats can agree on one thing: The GOP -- at least until next week -- is the 'Party of No.' What's more, it puts more pressure on Ryan to truly put out a comprehensive budget alternative; Also, this episode could end up creating a rift in the GOP over how to combat the Obama White House. After all, Senate Republicans wanted nothing to do with an alternative, and now Mitch McConnell, et al are either laughing at their House GOP colleagues, furious at them, or both."

Purple AIG

Phil Spector murder retrial in hands of LA jury

Sent from Express News
LOS ANGELES - The murder case against music producer Phil Spector is in the hands of a California jury again.

The case was turned over to the Los Angeles Superior Court jury Thursday after the prosecution concluded a rebuttal to the defense closing arguments.
The Associated Press

Top Irish republican charged with killing soldiers

Sent from Express News
LARNE, Northern Ireland - A prominent Irish republican has been arraigned in Northern Ireland on charges of murdering two British soldiers.

Colin Duffy was arrested March 14, a week after a dissident IRA gun attack that killed two off-duty, unarmed soldiers outside an army base. The 41-year-old offered no plea Friday to two counts of murder, five of attempted murder and one of weapons possession in Larne Magistrates Court.
The Associated Press

Consumer spending up for 2nd straight month

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - The government says consumers increased spending for a second straight month in February even though their incomes slipped due to continuing massive layoffs.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that consumer spending edged up 0.2 percent in February, in line with expectations. That follows a huge 1 percent jump in January that was even better than the 0.6 percent rise originally reported.
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer

Key Senate panel backs Obama's budget blueprint

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - A key Senate panel stacked with allies of President Barack Obama approved his ambitious budget blueprint Thursday, giving the president a symbolic endorsement of efforts to boost clean energy, fight global warming and improve access to health care.

Senate Budget Committee approval by a party-line vote sets the stage for floor debate next week, where moderate Democrats unhappy with deficits wield more influence. The Senate measure is a nonbinding road map for major legislation later this year on health care, energy and education.
By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press Writer

THE INFLUENCE GAME: Obama limits stimulus lobbying

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says lobbyists pushing for projects in the stimulus package can't utter a word about them to administration officials. Lobbyists are hardly staying mum about this latest affront and are looking for ways to cope with the extraordinary speaking ban.

The restrictions, which began taking effect unevenly this week, have angered lobbyists already upset with Obama's repeated shots at them for wielding too much influence. Critics charge it may be unconstitutional to bar certain people - registered lobbyists - from speaking to government officials.
By ALAN FRAM Associated Press Writer

* Quote of the Day:

"Two novels can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other involves orcs."

Fail

Investigators say food tracing system full of gaps

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Government investigators testing the nation's food tracing system were able to follow only five out of 40 foods all the way through the supply chain, according to a report to be released Thursday.

The ability to trace food is a critical part of investigations into outbreaks of food-borne illness and would be crucial in a bioterrorism attack. Food companies are required by federal law to keep records that would allow investigators to follow suspect foods one step back and one step forward in the supply chain.
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press Writer

Sources: Extensive regulatory overhaul planned

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is proposing an extensive overhaul of financial regulations to increase oversight of such exotic instruments as credit default swaps that have been blamed for contributing to the worst financial crisis to hit the country in seven decades.

Officials said Wednesday that the administration will seek to regulate the market for credit default swaps and other types of derivatives and require hedge funds to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer

Clinton: US shares blame for Mexican drug wars

Sent from Express News
MEXICO CITY - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that America's "insatiable" demand for illegal drugs and inability to stop weapons smuggling into Mexico are fueling an alarming spike in violence along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Clinton said the United States shares responsibility with Mexico for dealing with the violence. She said the administration will work with Mexican authorities to improve security on both sides of the border.

By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writer

Bones may be from US grave of 57 Irish immigrants

Sent from Express News
MALVERN, Pa. - Researchers may have discovered a mass grave for nearly five dozen 19th-century Irish immigrants who died of cholera weeks after traveling to Pennsylvania to build a railroad. Historians at Immaculata University have known for years about the 57 immigrants who died in August 1832 but could not find the grave.

Human bones discovered last week near the suburban Philadelphia university may at last reveal their final resting place - and possibly allow researchers to identify the remains and repatriate them.
By KATHY MATHESON Associated Press Writer

YouTube blocked in China; official says video fake

Sent from Express News
BEIJING - A video that appears to show police fatally beating a Tibetan protester was a fake concocted by supporters of the Dalai Lama, China said Tuesday - the same day the video-sharing network YouTube said its service had been blocked in China.

The video has been posted on YouTube in recent days.
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN Associated Press Writer

Sen. Schumer changes view, supports gay marriage

Sent from Express News
NEW YORK - Sen. Charles Schumer reached out to gay leaders earlier this month and convened a meeting at an upscale Manhattan restaurant to make an important announcement: He was supporting gay marriage after years of opposing it. The response from the crowd was swift. "The room applauded," recalled Alan Van Capelle, the executive director of Empire State Pride Agenda, who helped organize the dinner at Gramercy Tavern.

The reversal marked a significant shift for the Democratic senator and gave further momentum to gay marriage in New York, where every other statewide Democratic official supports such unions.
By MARCUS FRANKLIN Associated Press Writer

Specter shifts stance to oppose card check

This guy is such a fucking weasal. He never seen a courageous stand that he couldn't find a way to back down from. NEVER.

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - In a setback for organized labor, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter said Tuesday he will oppose a bill that would make it easier for workers to form unions.

Specter was the only Republican to support the Employee Free Choice Act two years ago, and unions were hoping he might be the crucial 60th vote needed to overcome an expected GOP filibuster of the measure when it's taken up this summer.
By SAM HANANEL Associated Press Writer

Barney!

For some reason (which I refuse, on principle, to try to figure out) Code Pink decided that Banking Committee hearing was a good place to hold one of their infantile uniformed 'protests' (what adults would call 'tantrums').

Barney Frank, Chairman:

"I understand that there are some people for whom rational discussion is not an appropriate means of expressing themselves. You are entitled to do that in general, but not in a way that interrupts those of us who are trying to have rational discussions," he said. "The next one who holds a sign will be ejected."

Stop Making Us Look Like Morons!!!!

Aah Redemption

WLS-AM program director Bob Shomper says Blagojevich will be on the air on the Chicago station Wednesday morning, taking calls from listeners, telling stories and talking with guests.

Still A Ways To Go On That Post-Racial America Thing

I don't have any words for this ....

That's who he's married to, what does that tell you? This is what we've got -- you know what we've got? We've got trash in the White House. Trash is a, is a thing that is color blind, it can cross all eco -- ecosocionomic kind of categories, you can work on Wall Street or work at the Wal-Mart. Trash are people who use other people to get things, who patronize others, who consider you bitter and clingy.

Well, maybe 'racist cunt'

Poorer

Nationally, 24 percent of lesbians and bisexual women are poor compared to 19 percent of heterosexual women. 15 percent of gay and bisexual men nationally are poor compared to 13 percent of heterosexual men.

Researchers theorized gays and lesbians could be more vulnerable to poverty because of employment discrimination, lack of insurance, less family support and no access to marriage and the more than 1,100 rights and benefits it affords.

Oops: Colbert wins NASA space station name contest

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - NASA's online contest to name a new room at the international space station went awry. Comedian Stephen Colbert won.

The name "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options in the space agency's effort to have the public help name the addition. The new room will be launched later this year.
The Associated Press

Prosecutor calls Phil Spector 'demonic maniac'

Sent from Express News
LOS ANGELES - A prosecutor told a jury that Phil Spector's history of violence against women was like a game of Russian roulette that ended with the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his hilltop mansion.

Deputy District Attorney Truc Do urged jurors Monday in the music producer's retrial to find Spector guilty of second-degree murder, not the lesser possibility of involuntary manslaughter. His first jury deadlocked 10-2 for conviction.
By LINDA DEUTSCH AP Special Correspondent

Octuplets mom fires free nanny training service

Even I thought that this wouldn't happen for another few months...

Sent from Express News
LOS ANGELES - Octuplets mother Nadya Suleman has fired a nonprofit group of nurses that helped care for her children, accusing the group of spying on her and reporting her to child welfare officials, her spokesman said Monday.

Suleman attorney Jeff Czech said the relationship started badly between Suleman and Angels in Waiting, which has been training nannies paid by Suleman at the family's La Habra home.
By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER Associated Press Writer

AP source: EPA closer to global warming warning

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first step on the long road to regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

Politicians and the public, business and industry will have to weigh in along the way, but for now a proposed finding by the EPA that global warming is a threat to public health and welfare is under White House review.
By H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writer

South Africa bars Dalai Lama from peace conference

Is this change that Nelson Mandela can believe in?

Sent from Express News
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa barred the Dalai Lama from a peace conference in Johannesburg this week, hoping to keep good relations with trading partner China but instead generating a storm of criticism.

Friday's peace conference was organized by South African soccer officials to highlight the first World Cup to be held in Africa, which South Africa will host in 2010.
By DONNA BRYSON Associated Press Writer

SXSW ends as buzz grows for bands who impressed

Sent from Express News
AUSTIN, Texas - Not long after the last guitar is strummed, the final beer is downed and East 6th Street clears out, the discussion of which acts made a mark at South By Southwest begins.

For better or worse, that amorphous thing called "buzz" has become a central part of modern music listening. Bands are built up by hype on the Internet and taste-making blogs drive audiences by declaring the next cool thing.

Nowhere is the omnipresence of expected buzz more manifest than at SXSW, the annual music conference and festival that concluded its 23rd annual event early Sunday after four nights of revelry.

With some 1,900 acts packed into just about every venue in downtown Austin (including a church and an old Safeway supermarket), a pack mentality in the audience can set in as attendees - mostly industry reps and press - flock together looking for new sound from established acts and first-timers.

Among the established acts was Metallica, promoting a new videogame, who played a semisecret, intimate show for 2,100 - if a thunderous heavy-metal band can play an "intimate" show.

Kanye West performed twice, once at a showcase for his G.O.O.D. Music record label, the other in a surprise appearance at the party hosted by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. Big Boi, half of the rap duo OutKast, was eager to talk about his upcoming solo album but less so to perform songs off it, instead playing older material.

Other veteran acts who performed included Echo & the Bunnymen, Devo, P.J. Harvey, Primal Scream and the reunited Jane's Addiction. And some of the most popular shows were those by indie heavyweights like the Hold Steady, M. Ward, Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear and the Decemberists, who performed their new operatic concept album "The Hazards of Love" in full, webcasting it for NPR.org.

But much of the energy of SXSW was in discovery.

Among the bands that drew fresh excitement were: indie pop outfit The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, the show-stopping Norwegian rocker Ida Maria, South Africa's BLK JKS (pronounced "Black Jacks"), New York's experimental Dirty Projectors, the Ohio garage rockers Heartless Bastards and the Canadian acoustic folk trio Rural Alberta Advantage.

But the constant, never sated search for a sonic cause celebre can sometimes feel more concerned with newness than musical enjoyment. Since most music can be instantly heard online, the hype process has sped up.

"I don't take a lot of stock in this buzz thing idea," said Bob Boilen, of NPR's "All Songs Considered" and host of the Decemberists' broadcast.

"I understand that everyone wants to see Ida Maria, and I do too," said Boilen. "But I like doing the blindfold thing: listening to a bunch of music, not knowing who they are."

The buzz cycle has become familiar to music fans after watching it play out for indie bands like Vampire Weekend, Cold War Kids and Arctic Monkeys.

At times, the attention comes like a tidal wave. Last year, Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig said in an interview that they finally were graduated from being a "normal band" and that they had "paid their dues" in buzz.

At SXSW, Grizzly Bear singer Edward Droste felt sympathy for young bands celebrated too enthusiastically too soon. The climb for Grizzly Bear, the band says, has been gradual and manageable.

"It can be really detrimental to explode too quickly," said Droste. "For me, personally, the music that I like the most is the stuff that takes a little time to grow with and has a bit of longevity. There are albums that I've jumped on and been like `Yeah!' and then three months later, I've been like, `Nah.' It's sort of the nature of the beast."

But there can be upside to buzz, which is essentially a multiplied version of someone recommending a band to check out. And in the current climate of the music business, any mode of attracting listeners is to be embraced.

The Swedish synth pop trio Peter Bjorn and John had released several albums before the hit "Young Folks" off their 2006 album, "Writer's Block," catapulted them to indie renown.

"We had kind of given up on that," said the band's lead singer Peter Moren before performing. "We thought that the band was going to be a hobby. When you hit 30, you don't think that suddenly it's going to happen, that the dream is going to happen."

---

By JAKE COYLE AP Entertainment Writer

Bigger Ones Than Any Man

One Of Hillary's strongest voices effortlessly became one of Barack's strongest voices over the course of 2009. She was smart, calm and focused. Made me crazy during the primaries because she was so good, so sane, so not Hillary2008.

And all of while THIS was going on.

WASHINGTON -- When Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz steps to the lectern at the Capitol on Monday to push for greater awareness of breast cancer risks in younger women, she'll be speaking from experience.

The Broward County Democrat and mother of three told The Miami Herald on Saturday that she successfully battled breast cancer for the past year and is going public with her story in the hope of alerting young women to its prevalence. She'll introduce legislation Monday that calls for a national education campaign targeting women between 15 and 39.

'I wanted to be able to not just stand up and say, `I'm a breast cancer survivor.' . . . I wanted to find a gap and try to fill it,'' said Wasserman Schultz, 42.

In the past year, she underwent seven major surgeries, including a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, while balancing motherhood, Congress and her roles as a chief fundraiser for House Democrats and a political surrogate, first for Hillary Clinton and then for Barack Obama.

''I had a lot going on last year,'' she said with a laugh, sitting in the living room of the Capitol Hill town house she shares with two other members of Congress when she's in Washington. ``I'm a very focused, methodical person, and I wasn't going to let this beat me. I wasn't going to let it interfere with my life.''

None of us are worthy.

Like We Said

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), in Politico today:

The thing about Barack Obama, I know about him, is he doesn’t get distracted. If you notice during the campaign, things would come up and people would counsel him to change strategy, get tougher, get meaner, do this, do that. That’s not how he is. He is very secure and willing to take responsibility but doesn’t get ruffled.

That Worked Out Well

Tim Geithner, who everybody says is useless and near professional death, announced his bailout/toxic assets plan today ... the one that everybody was panning all weekend.



And because he sucks sooooo much and so does his plan and don't even get them started on the Leninist that Tim works for, well ...

Wall Street Could Only Respond This Way

Politico

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner – who hasn’t had many winning days in his short tenure on Pennsylvania Avenue – scored a big political victory Monday, as Wall Street traders breathed new life into his career with a stock market rally of nearly 500 points

.... Peterson Institute economist Gary Clyde Hufbauer raved over the plan: “Hooray for team Obama! … The team showed a friendly face to Wall Street and ignored advice to nationalize the financial sector. Can’t do better than that.”

Geithner was partially boosted by savvy stagecraft at Treasury. He spoke without television cameras present, and attracted a group of policy-wonk reporters who seemed far more interested in the details of the plan than they were in the cable news chatter over Geithner’s woes. As a result, Geithner was not asked a single question about the controversy surrounding his handling of the AIG bonus mess, or the speculation over his future in the Obama cabinet.

The absence of television crews seems to have helped Geithner, who has been criticized for his sometimes-awkward on-camera delivery. Sipping from a tall bottle of water as he spoke to a packed room of reporters, Geithner did not seem to be a man whose job is on the line. Although the White House has been forced to issue repeated statements of support for Geithner, the Treasury Secretary appeared confident, spoke without a prepared script, and fielded detailed technical questions.

Now Worth Reading

Sully, holding on to his Burkean self definition, posted a meditation on conservatism.

Today Hilzoy at Political Animal re-printed with helpful links. It now becomes a must read - as long as you click on each link as you read along:

"Conservatism is "formless" like water: it takes the shape of its conditions, but always remains the same. This is why Russell Kirk calls conservatism the "negation of ideology" in The Politics of Prudence. It is precisely the formlessness of conservatism which gives it its vitality. Left alone, the spirit of conservatism is essentially what T.S. Eliot calls the "stillness between two waves of the sea" in "Little Gidding" of his Four Quartets. Conservatism is both like water and the stillness between the waves -- the waves are not the water acting, but being acted upon; stillness is the default state of conservatism:

Not known, because not looked for

But heard, half-heard, in the stillness

Between two waves of the sea.

Quick now, here, now, always --

A condition of complete simplicity

Like the Greek concept of kairos -- acting in the right way, for the right reasons, at the right moment -- this sort of waiting is simply careful conservatism. Conservatism is responsive, reactionary, reserved. Conservatism waits. Perhaps this is why conservatism is most needed in the modern age of mobility. Being careful, and above all patient is crucial to doing something right. Realizing that one does not know the best way of doing anything guarantees not that one will find the best way, but that one might not find the worst way. The same principle applies to knowledge: conservatism (hopefully) does not pretend to know the definitive way, but rather professes the virtue of ignorance with the quiet hope of finding knowledge."

Soooo NOT What Was Intended ...

Bravery in the face of torture leads to ... conversion of infidels.

Another Bush/Cheney/Rummy success story:

The Guard Who Found Islam

Army specialist Terry Holdbrooks had been a guard at Guantánamo for about six months the night he had his life-altering conversation with detainee 590, a Moroccan also known as "the General." This was early 2004, about halfway through Holdbrooks's stint at Guantánamo with the 463rd Military Police Company. Until then, he'd spent most of his day shifts just doing his duty. He'd escort prisoners to interrogations or walk up and down the cellblock making sure they weren't passing notes. But the midnight shifts were slow. "The only thing you really had to do was mop the center floor," he says. So Holdbrooks began spending part of the night sitting cross-legged on the ground, talking to detainees through the metal mesh of their cell doors.

He developed a strong relationship with the General, whose real name is Ahmed Errachidi. Their late-night conversations led Holdbrooks to be more skeptical about the prison, he says, and made him think harder about his own life. Soon, Holdbrooks was ordering books on Arabic and Islam. During an evening talk with Errachidi in early 2004, the conversation turned to the shahada, the one-line statement of faith that marks the single requirement for converting to Islam ("There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet"). Holdbrooks pushed a pen and an index card through the mesh, and asked Errachidi to write out the shahada in English and transliterated Arabic. He then uttered the words aloud and, there on the floor of Guantánamo's Camp Delta, became a Muslim.

Cont'd

What Would Jesus Say?

We mostly have ignored the Comedia dell'arte piece that is Sarah Palin but Some of the stuff just writes itself ....

HuffPo

Palin Pallin' Around with Scientologists: Todd & Sarah & John & Greta

There is something absolutely bizarre and troubling going on in the political netherworld of Sarah and Todd Palin, Greta Van Susteren and her wannabe-queen-maker hubby, John Coale.

At best, it's a clear case of journalistic conflict-of-interest on behalf of Van Susteren; at worst, it's a sleazy, national power play by a couple of practitioners of Scientology--the controversial cult that Time magazine described as "a hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner."

Let's start with the easy stuff: Van Susteren is a flat-out hypocrite and a con artist. Quote me. Ever since Palin was first selected as John McCain's running mate last August, Van Susteren--she of the rather severe face lift and right-wing tilt--has been utterly infatuated with the Palins (especially with Todd) and has enjoyed unequaled access to the Last Frontier's first couple and their family.

Continue here

Patience

Coming Soon: Declassified Bush-Era Torture Memos
By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball NEWSWEEK

Over objections from the U.S. intelligence community, the White House is moving to declassify—and publicly release—three internal memos that will lay out, for the first time, details of the "enhanced" interrogation techniques approved by the Bush administration for use against "high value" Qaeda detainees. The memos, written by Justice Department lawyers in May 2005, provide the legal rationale for waterboarding, head slapping and other rough tactics used by the CIA. One senior Obama official, who like others interviewed for this story requested anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity, said the memos were "ugly" and could embarrass the CIA. Other officials predicted they would fuel demands for a "truth commission" on torture.

Because of an executive order signed by President Obama on Jan. 22 banning such aggressive tactics, deputies to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. concluded there was no longer any reason to keep the interrogation memos classified. But current and former intel officials pushed back, arguing that any public release might still compromise "sources and methods." According to the administration official, ex-CIA director Michael Hayden was "furious" about the prospect of disclosure and tried to intervene directly with Obama officials. But the White House has sided with Holder. Faced with a court deadline in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit regarding the memos filed by the ACLU, Justice lawyers asked for a two-week extension "because the memoranda are being reviewed for possible release." (White House, Justice and CIA spokesmen all declined to comment.)

The debate about torture ramped up again last week with an account in the New York Review of Books about a secret International Red Cross report that was delivered to the CIA in February 2007. The report, according to journalist Mark Danner, quotes detainees describing, often in gruesome detail, how they were locked in coffin-size boxes; swung by towels around their necks into plywood walls; and forced to stand naked for days while their arms were shackled above their heads.

Slowly but deliberately, the Obama Administration is building the case against the Bush Crime Family and its many henchpeople. for now the crimes have been stopped and the criminals no longer have access to potential victims.

While the immediate needs (i.e. 2009 needs) of the country revolve around The Economy and Health Care Reform there will be time later to bring justice to war criminals.

Just as he did so often during the campaign, Obama seeks to educate and slowly bring us to a consensus before acting. When that time comes, unlike now, the country will be ready to support the necessary actions.

For now, let us be thankful that maybe we can re-claim what we earned during WWII:

Before I lived in Germany and Poland for about six years, the Army taught me German and some Polish. And so there were countless conversations with older Germans and Poles, and I heard earfuls of stories. The older Germans were very respectful toward our "Greatest Generation," but pretty much hated the Russians because of their brutality. The theme nearly always drifted to the very humane treatment we afforded German prisoners, while the Russians killed them off. We even had German prisoners working on farms, and after the war, many Germans returned and married American women! But the Poles didn't like the Germans or the Russians because of the very same reasons. They had been mistreated, but the Poles have great respect for America because we treated them well. Americans are extremely welcome in Poland, but that place sure is cold.

Summing it up

TPM offers this (special post for Mr TLW, ex-pat):

How Did We Get in This Mess?

Watching Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL) on CNN calling for Tim Geithner to resign. After just nine weeks on the job? We all know the real culprit here is Obama. He's had an entire 10 weeks to wreck the country. Things were fine before.
--David Kurtz

His Mysterious Ways

Wonkette:

GOD MOCKS BOBBY JINDAL WITH VOLCANIC ERUPTION:

Just last month, the governor of Louisiana went on television and was all, “Now this $140 million ‘volcano monitoring’ deal is such a dumb liberal plot by ACORN, amiright?” And now Alaska’s Mount Redoubt has erupted, out of spite. Why does God/Vulcan/Sarah Palin want Bobby Jindal to look like such an asshole? [BBC News]

Obama: Anger over AIG isn't governing strategy

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is no fan of bonuses paid at a financial institutions being kept afloat by taxpayer dollars but also says he would not "govern out of anger" despite Americans' frustration with such perks.

Obama's declaration came as he pushed for a $3.6 trillion federal budget proposal that already is opposed from within his own party. As he seeks lawmakers' support for his first budget, he took a political risk in signaling discomfort with a separate plan that slaps a punitive, 90 percent tax on bonuses paid to American International Group employees.

By PHILIP ELLIOTT Associated Press Writer

Home Boy Makes Smart

Arne Duncan goes national

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Friday he wants to launch a "new era" of science education in the United States, one that encourages students to ask tough, challenging questions and brings more specially trained science and math teachers into the classroom.

Duncan told the National Science Teachers Association during a visit to New Orleans that President Barack Obama sees a need for inventors and engineers along with poets and scholars and "will not allow scientific research to be held hostage to a political agenda."

"Whether it's global warming, evolution or stem cell research, science will be honored. It will be respected and supported by this administration," he said.

LA jury can consider lesser charge in Spector case

Sent from Express News
LOS ANGELES - Jurors in Phil Spector's retrial can consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter instead of second-degree murder in the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson, a judge ruled Friday.

Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler reversed course from his earlier decision in the music producer's first trial where he refused to instruct the jury that it could consider voluntary or involuntary manslaughter against Spector. That jury deadlocked 10-2 with the majority favoring conviction on second-degree murder.
The Associated Press

Kitschy NJ store that inspired band may close

No 'bright future in sales'?

Sent from Express News
WAYNE, N.J. - A kitschy northern New Jersey landmark that spawned a popular rock band's name and served as the backdrop for a "Sopranos" episode may be in danger of closing.

Fountains of Wayne has sat on the side of Route 46 for more than 40 years, beckoning shoppers with displays of lawn ornaments, outdoor furniture and life-sized Santa Claus figures in various attire.
The Associated Press

Iran's supreme leader dismisses Obama overtures

Sent from Express News
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed overtures from President Barack Obama on Saturday, saying Tehran does not see any change in U.S. policy under its new administration.

Khamenei was responding to a video message Obama released Friday in which he reached out to Iran on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian new year, and expressed hopes for an improvement in nearly 30 years of strained relations.
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI Associated Press Writer

A Master Sings His Mentor

Rod, Ronnie, Kenny, Mac and Tetsu do Sam



Rod, Ronnie, Ron, Kenny and Mac do The Big Mac

Not That They Weren't Right

The music types were over at GT12 last night and I was forcing them to listen to my latest nostalgic-but-indefinsible CD purchase, a 'best of' by The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver...

The Sutherland's wrote this song, Rod Stewart's biggest hit, up to that point, in England (this is post- 'Never A Dull Moment' friends.

While it probably shows us why punk rock had to be invented and definately shows the beginning of Rod's Rot, it is not without its virtues.

Sailing

Maybe This Will Do It

Joe's Last Stand? I mean, it's one thing to think that racism, torture and (above all) stupidity are American Values Under Attack'. It's another thing to honestly share what unwarranted positive attention gives does to a guy ...

God, all this love and everything in the room - I’m horny

Reflect On This

Notice that all the reasons given are fraudulent and many we have heard since do not appear

Real Live Voter Fraud

Eight Arrrested in Kentucky.

Five Clay County officials, including the circuit court judge, the county clerk, and election officers were arrested Thursday after they were indicted on federal charges accusing them of using corrupt tactics to obtain political power and personal gain.

The 10-count indictment, unsealed Thursday, accused the defendants of a conspiracy from March 2002 until November 2006 that violated the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). RICO is a federal statute that prosecutors use to combat organized crime. The defendants were also indicted for extortion, mail fraud, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to injure voters' rights and conspiracy to commit voter fraud.

According to the indictment, these alleged criminal actions affected the outcome of federal, local, and state primary and general elections in 2002, 2004, and 2006.

How do you game the computerized voting machines? Here's one plan

3. It was part of the conspiracy that the Defendants and their co-conspirators agreed to take advantage of voter unfamiliarity with new voting machines by misleading voters as to the mechanics of casting their votes once they were selected.

4. It was part of the conspiracy that WW serve as the Democrat election judge in the Manchester Precinct. It was further part of the conspiracy that CW serve as the Republican election judge in the Manchester Precinct. Both WW and CW were instructed by Defendants Freddy W. Thompson and Charles Wayne Jones to tell voters that when they had pushed a button labeled “Vote” that their votes had been cast, when, in fact, that function merely provided a review screen of the voter’s selections in each race, and that the further step of pushing the “Cast Ballot” button was required. This review screen gave the voter the opportunity to change any candidate selections prior to casting the ballot.

5. It was part of the conspiracy that when the misled voters left the voting booth after pushing the “Vote” button, WW and/or CW entered the booth, changed their votes to candidates selected in part by Defendant Russell Cletus Maricle and cast the ballot by pushing the “Cast Ballot” button.

A sample of the indictees:

Clay County Clerk, Freddy Thompson, 45, allegedly provided money to election officers to be distributed by the officers to buy votes and he also instructed officers how to change votes at the voting machine....

Election officer William E. Stivers, 56, allegedly marked votes or issued tickets to voters who had sold their votes and changed votes at the voting machine....

Paul E. Bishop, 60, allegedly marked voters or issued tickets to voters who sold their votes and he also hosted alleged meetings at his home where money was pooled together by candidates and distributed to election officers, including himself. He was also accused of instructing the officers how to change votes at the voting machine.

A Great Read

His description of how the legitimate arms of Madoff Securities were run sounds like a skit out of Monty Python. “The three managers who ran parts of the businesses were getting $500,000 to $750,000 a year and they didn’t even know anything about modern computerized trading,” the employee said. They knew only the antiquated methods of talking to clients and trading in the stock market by phone. They mostly socialized, read the news. They would have been unemployable on the outside.”

The employee learned the salaries of his colleagues when he secretly obtained a document listing them. “A senior computer programmer would make $350,000, where in most comparable firms they would be getting $200,000 to $250,000. The customer-relations people, who just handled complaints from clients, were making six figures. There wasn’t anyone who wasn’t paid in the hundreds of thousands,” he said, adding: “There were twice as many people as were needed and there was rampant inefficiency.

The Daily Beast finds Madoff insiders and gives us a glimpse of how to be El Ponzi Supremo

Something For Lily To Work Toward

World's Oldest Dog Ready for 21st Birthday: She struggles to see, hear and even walk down the street, but Chanel, a 20-year-old Daschund, is still able to enjoy the finer things in life. As one of her owners, Karl Shaughnessy, said, "this dog is a real work of art."

PORT JEFFERSON STATION, N.Y. -- She's 20 in human years, or 140 in dog years, making Chanel the Daschund the oldest living dog, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Chanel, who turns 21 in May, was awarded the honor last spring.
"She's the oldest dog we have ever seen," said the dog's veterinarian Phillip Zangara, of the Roosevelt Animal Hospital in Port Jefferson Station, N.Y. "She is defying every odd right now. I'm surprised at just about everything about her."

As an elderly lady, Chanel lives a low-key existence; she rarely leaves her owners' suburban Long Island home, let alone tiled kitchen, and struggles with getting around on her own.

Woman accused of church theft blames Satan

Sent from Express News
ARLINGTON, Wash. - A woman accused of taking more than $73,000 from the Arlington church where she was an administrative assistant blames the devil. Papers filed with a theft charge Wednesday in Snohomish County Superior Court say the 62-year-old Arlington woman told detectives "Satan had a big part in the theft."

The Everett Herald reported the woman was accused of forging the pastor's signature on 80 checks from the Arlington Free Methodist church. She was fired in February 2008.
The Associated Press

Obama reaches out to Iran with video message

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is reaching out to the Iranian people in a new video with Farsi subtitles, saying the U.S. is prepared to end years of strained relations if Tehran tones down its bellicose rhetoric.

The video released Friday was timed to the festival of Nowruz (no-ROOZ), which means "new day" and marks the arrival of spring. It's a major holiday in Iran.
By PHILIP ELLIOTT Associated Press Writer

HHS names health technology coordinator

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - A former Harvard Medical School professor who has advised Sen. Edward Kennedy and one-time Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis will lead health information technology efforts for the Obama administration.

Dr. David Blumenthal was also a senior adviser to President Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
The Associated Press

Stockpicker In Chief

How much money would you have today if you'd placed $1000.00 in the DOW when Obama recommended buying stocks, on March 3 of this year?

It's Hard Out There For A Honky

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
The New White Face of Crime
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things w/ Demetri Martin Political Humor

George W. Bush to write memoir about 'decisions'

Sent from Express News
NEW YORK - Former President George W. Bush, who once famously called himself "The Decider," is writing a book about decisions.

"I want people to understand the environment in which I was making decisions. I want people to get a sense of how decisions were made and I want people to understand the options that were placed before me," Bush said during a brief telephone interview Wednesday with The Associated Press from his office in Dallas.

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer

`The Colbert Report' set for USO Persian Gulf tour

Sent from Express News
LOS ANGELES - Stephen Colbert is taking his Comedy Central show to the Persian Gulf.

"The Colbert Report" will tape four shows performed for troops as part of a USO tour.

The Associated Press

New Mexico governor abolishes capital punishment

Sent from Express News
SANTA FE, N.M. - Gov. Bill Richardson, who has supported capital punishment, signed legislation to repeal New Mexico's death penalty, calling it the "most difficult decision in my political life."

The new law replaces lethal injection with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The repeal takes effect on July 1, and applies only to crimes committed after that date.

By DEBORAH BAKER Associated Press Writer

Ill. Gov faces 'greatest crisis of modern times'

Sent from Express News
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Patt Quinn is asking lawmakers to significantly hike the state's income tax as Illinois grapples with what he calls the "greatest crisis of modern times."

The tax increase is necessary to close a $11.5 billion deficit and part of a broader plan to reform state government, Quinn told the General Assembly on Wednesday.

By DEANNA BELLANDI Associated Press Writer

Jaguar, Buick dethrone Lexus in reliability study

Jaguar???!!!!???

Sent from Express News
NEW YORK - British luxury carmaker Jaguar surged to the top of J.D. Power and Associates' closely watched vehicle dependability study this year, tying Buick for the No. 1 spot and dethroning Lexus for the first time since the Japanese luxury brand has been a part of the survey.

Lexus, Toyota Motor Corp.'s luxury brand, took second place in the study released Thursday, followed by Toyota's namesake brand, then Mercury, Infiniti and Acura.

By DAN STRUMPF AP Auto Writer

Obama plays populist, anti-D.C. role in Calif.

Sent from Express News
COSTA MESA, Calif. - In Washington, President Barack Obama is the ultimate insider, hosting White House parties to woo lawmakers and diplomats. Elsewhere, he increasingly plays the embattled and populist crusader, helping average Americans fight entrenched interests on Capitol Hill and Wall Street.

On Wednesday, Obama donned that cloak in Southern California, where he said the weather and conversations are much nicer than in Washington. The conversation was more one-sided, to be sure, as he stood before 1,300 frequently cheering people, 2,500 miles from the Capitol's shadow.

By CHARLES BABINGTON Associated Press Writer

Schwarzenegger to help Obama answer GOP critics

Sent from Express News
LOS ANGELES - President Barack Obama is playing a bit of divide and conquer this week, pitting his Republican critics in Washington against GOP governors and mayors eager for the federal money that his hard-fought stimulus plan will bring. Next on the list of Republican notables to embrace the president is California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is to join Obama at a town hall meeting Thursday in Los Angeles.

Congress recently enacted Obama's $787 billion stimulus bill without a single House Republican's vote, and with only three GOP senators' votes.

By CHARLES BABINGTON Associated Press Writer

Durbin meets with panel, prosecutor about Burris

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Sen. Richard Durbin said on Wednesday that he had spoken with an Illinois prosecutor and the Senate ethics committee about embattled Sen. Roland Burris.

The Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Durbin said he met with the Senate committee at its request. He said he won't comment about Burris, his Illinois colleague and fellow Democrat.

By HENRY C. JACKSON Associated Press Writer

Attorney general signals shift in marijuana policy

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Eric Holder signaled a change on medical marijuana policy Wednesday, saying federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state law.

That would be a departure from the policy of the Bush administration, which targeted medical marijuana dispensaries in California even if they complied with that state's law.

By DEVLIN BARRETT

Sources: US to sign UN gay rights declaration

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned.

U.S. officials said Tuesday they had notified the declaration's French sponsors that the administration wants to be added as a supporter. The Bush administration was criticized in December when it was the only western government that refused to sign on.

By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writer

God Kills

Look, somewhere along the line here it's gonna become just indefensible to participate in the Roman communion.....

Stupid fucking Hitler-youth shit-head (via Political Animal):

Two week ago, we learned of a 9-year-old girl in Brazil, pregnant with twins after being raped by her stepfather. Though there are strict restrictions on abortion in Brazil, doctors concluded that the girl's immature hips made childbirth exceedingly dangerous. Catholic Church leaders unsuccessfully fought to force the girl to carry the baby to term and then have a cesarean. What's more, as part of the debate, church leaders condemned a judge for following the law, lashed out at the doctors treating the victim, and even excommunicated the young girl's distraught mother.

This week, Pope Benedict XVI took a line on reproductive health that was nearly as offensive.

Pope Benedict XVI said on his way to Africa Tuesday that condoms were not the answer in the continent's fight against HIV, his first explicit statement on an issue that has divided even clergy working with AIDS patients.

Benedict arrived in Yaounde, Cameroon's capital, Tuesday afternoon to a crowd of flag-waving faithful and snapping cameras. The visit is his first pilgrimage as pontiff to the African continent.... Benedict said that the Roman Catholic Church is in the forefront of the battle against AIDS.

"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters aboard the Alitalia plane headed to Yaounde. "On the contrary, it increases the problem."

Let me get this straight. There are nearly 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who are HIV positive. The pope, claiming to be a leader on morality, goes to Cameroon to argue against condom usage? He's going to put his own religious dogma over the lives of millions?

A lot of phrases come to mind when describing all of this, but "pro-life" isn't one of them.

A 'Bit Of The Ould Sod, uh, River

Anti-Freeze colored water not just for Chicagoans on St Pat's!

White House Fountains Dyed Green For First Time At Michelle Obama's Request

WASHINGTON — The White House is going green for St. Patrick's Day.
The water in the fountains on the north and south lawns of the White House has been dyed green to mark the national holiday of Ireland.

First Lady Michelle Obama came up with the idea for the festive touch, said spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld. She was inspired by the St. Patrick's Day celebrations in her hometown of Chicago, where the city marks the holiday by dyeing the river green.

"It's a little piece of home for our new home," said Lelyveld, who is also from Chicago.
Lelyveld said it's the first time the water in the White House fountains has been dyed. The green hue will stay until the dye runs outs.

President Barack Obama marks St. Patrick's Day with separate meetings in Washington with Irish leaders and he'll also attend St. Patrick's Day events in the White House and on Capitol Hill.

Erin Go Pittsburg

Tell Chris Matthews! Obama might win PA!

On St. Patrick's Day, Obama taps Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney to be Ireland ambassador.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today at the White House, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Daniel Rooney as the Ambassador to Ireland.
President Obama said, "I am honored and grateful that such a dedicated and accomplished individual has agreed to serve as the representative of the United States to the Irish people. Dan Rooney is an unwavering supporter of Irish peace, culture, and education, and I have every confidence that he and Secretary Clinton will ensure America's continued close and unique partnership with Ireland in the years ahead."

Dan Rooney is the recent recipient of the American Ireland Fund's Lifetime Achievement Award and honorary Commander of the British Empire for contributions to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, has played an integral role in the Irish peace process since the early 1970s. In 1976, Rooney co-founded the American Ireland Fund, an organization which to date has raised over $300 million for peace and education programs in Ireland. Rooney founded the annual prize for Irish Literature in 1987 and co-founded the Ireland Institution of Pittsburgh in 1989. In 1993, the "Rooney Fellowship" was created to honor his generosity and charitable works.

Department Of 'No Shit, Sherlock'

Political Wire

Is the Country Fixed Yet?

Walter Shapiro: "Now that we have created this 86,400-seconds-a-day expectation of instant political news, it is virtually impossible to return to prior laid-back ways of thinking about Washington. The problem, of course, is that successful governing requires far more than merely winning a particular morning's news cycle. But our foreshortened attention span gets in the way of long-term perspective. As a result, it is easy to get caught up in the fiction that the fate of Obama's presidency rides with the short-term direction of the stock market, the cleverness of Robert Gibbs' putdowns of Dick Cheney, or even the pace of appointments to the sub-Cabinet."

!

New-home construction logs unexpected gain

Construction of new homes rises sharply in February, defying economists' forecasts

The number of new housing projects that builders broke ground on in February rose sharply, defying economists' forecasts for yet another drop in activity.

The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that construction of new homes and apartments jumped 22.2 percent from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 583,000 units. Economists were expecting construction to drop to a pace of around 450,000 units.

Construction activity fell to a pace of 477,000 units in January, according to revised figures. That was a little higher than first reported but still marked a record low.

Applications for building permits, considered a reliable sign of future activity, also rose in February by 3 percent to an annual rate of 547,000. Economists were expecting permits to fall to a pace of 500,000 units.

Even with February's rare burst of activity, housing construction is down a whopping 47.3 percent from a year ago.

The collapse of the once high-flying housing market has been devastating to the United States' economic health.

Its spreading fallout has contributed to big pullbacks by consumers and businesses alike, plunging the economy into a recession now in its second year.

The Obama administration has announced a $75 billion program to stem skyrocketing home foreclosures, which have dumped even more properties on an already crippled market.