tagged w/ 2008 Elections
-
This is an old docu, produced in 2006, but I just became really aware of what's at stake, and seeing it for the first time, wow. I believe you can watch the full video at Google Video, and you can order the DVD or watch it on HBO.
http://www.hackingdemocracy.com/
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/hackingdemocracy/synopsis.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_Democracy
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4762159260759486531
***********************************************************************************************************************
Electronic voting machines count about 87% of the votes cast in America today. But are they reliable? Are they safe from tampering? From a current congressional hearing to persistent media reports that suggest misuse of data and even outright fraud, concerns over the integrity of electronic voting are growing by the day. And if the voting process is not secure, neither is America's democracy. The timely, cautionary documentary HACKING DEMOCRACY exposes gaping holes in the security of America's electronic voting system.
In the 2000 presidential election, an electronic voting machine recorded minus 16,022 votes for Al Gore in Volusia County, Fla. While fraud was never proven, the faulty tally alerted computer scientists, politicians and everyday citizens to the very real possibility of computer hacking during elections.
In 2002, Seattle grandmother and writer Bev Harris asked officials in her county why they had acquired electronic touch screen systems for their elections. Unsatisfied with their explanation, she set out to learn about electronic voting machines on her own. In the course of her research, which unearthed hundreds of reported incidents of mishandled voting information, Harris stumbled across an "online library" of the Diebold Corporation, discovering a treasure trove of information about the inner-workings of the company's voting system.
Harris brought this proprietary "secret" information to computer security expert Dr. Avi Rubin of Johns Hopkins University, who determined that the software lacked the necessary security features to prevent tampering. Her subsequent investigation took her from the trash cans of Texas to the secretary of state of California and finally to Florida, where a "mini-election" to test the vulnerability of the memory cards used in electronic voting produced alarming results.
In Florida, Leon County supervisor of elections Ion Sancho presided over a trial "mini-election" to see if the vote could be hacked without being detected. Before votes were actually cast, computer analyst Harri Hursti "stuffed the ballot box" by entering votes on the computer's memory card. Then, after votes were cast, the results displayed when the same memory card was entered in the central tabulating program indicated that fraud was indeed possible. In other words, by accessing a memory card before an election, someone could change the results - a claim Diebold had denied was possible.
Ultimately, Bev Harris' research proved that the top-secret computerized systems counting the votes in America's public elections are not only fallible, but also vulnerable to undetectable hacking, from local school board contests to the presidential race. With the electronic voting machines of three companies - Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia - collectively responsible for around 80 percent of America's votes today, the stakes for democracy are high. This is an old docu, produced in 2006, but I just became really aware of what's... more
-
-
Up 8 in Florida, 8 in Ohio, 15 in Pennsylvania
Last week's presidential debate bounced Barack Obama past majority support in three key swing states that have helped decide the last two elections.
The Democratic candidate has surpassed 50 percent in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, and he holds leads over Republican John McCain of eight to 15 points, according to a new Quinnipiac swing state poll.
In Florida, its Obama with support from 51 percent of voters to McCain's 43 percent. Ohio has it for Obama 50-42, and Pennsylvania gives Obama his larges lead 54-39, according to the poll. The poll reflects a small bounce compared to Obama's pre-debate numbers and reflects more voter confidence in his ability to handle the economy.Up 8 in Florida, 8 in Ohio, 15 in Pennsylvania
Last week's presidential debate... more
-
-
Campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made to Barack Obama may backfire if the Democratic presidential hopeful wages an aggressive campaign to cast blame on rival John McCain and the Republicans in Congress for the mortgage-related losses that forced the U.S. Treasury to take over the quasi-governmental mortgage giants.
A review of Federal Election Commission records back to 1989 reveals Obama in his three complete years in the Senate is the second largest recipient of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae campaign contributions, behind only Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., the powerful chairman of the Senate banking committee. Dodd was first elected to the Senate in 1980.
According to OpenSecrets.com, from 1989 to 2008, Dodd received $165,400 in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac campaign contributions, including contributions from PACs and individuals, followed by Obama, who received $126,349 in such contributions since being elected to the Senate in 2004.
In contrast, McCain warned of the coming mortgage crisis as he pressed in 2005 for regulatory reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
"For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – known as government-sponsored entities or GSEs – and the sheer magnitude of these companies and the role they play in the housing market," McCain said on the floor of the Senate in 2005, speaking in favor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005.
McCain pointed out Fannie Mae's regulator had stated the company's quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were "illusions deliberately and systematically created" by the company's senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal.
The bill passed the House but was never brought up for a vote in the Senate, largely because of Democratic opposition to change in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac regulatory structure that remained in place until the Treasury takeover two weeks ago.
As evidenced by the failure to pass the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, the Democrats in Congress have repeatedly fought back Republican Party efforts to reform the two mortgage banking giants.
Instead, Democrats in Congress have sought to preserve the quasi-governmental status of the mortgage giants, seeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as places to locate former top Democratic Party operatives, where they have earned millions in compensation, despite a continuing series of financial scandals. Enron-like accounting manipulation, for example, boosted earnings to a level at which massive executive bonuses could be paid.
In the aftermath of the U.S. government takeover, attention has focused on three Democrats with close ties to Obama who served as Fannie Mae executives: Franklin Raines, former Clinton administration budget director; James Johnson, former aide to Democratic Vice President Walter Mondale; and Jamie Gorelick, former Clinton administration deputy attorney general.
All three Obama-related executives earned millions in compensation from Fannie Mae.
Johnson earned $21 million in just his last year serving as Fannie Mae CEO from 1991 to 1998; Raines earned $90 million in his five years as Fannie Mae CEO, from 1999 to 2004; and Gorelick earned an estimated $26 million serving as vice chair of Fannie Mae from 1998 to 2003, according to author David Frum, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
More at link :)Campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made to Barack Obama may... more
-
-
no bailout should happen without the credit cardholders bill of rights passed.
http://current.com/items/89330161_this_is_how_you_win_an_election_in_nov
The thirty two words are these if you do not wish to go to the link...
Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.
My response to this demand.....
no way, no how, not in this lifetime.
What needs to happen is a total restructure based on those banks who are in trouble,
bank by bank. If it takes longer, becomes more work, requires more effective leadership, so be it. These so called leaders got themselves in this mess while making MILLIONS, if not BILLIONS, while singing the same united TUNE.
Why should they be given some free ride OUT.
NO WAY, NO HOW.
There should be no bail out of any kind without first approving and signing the
Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights.no bailout should happen without the credit cardholders bill of rights passed.... more
-
-
Mark this day down. Today – last night, actually – the New York Times and Roll Call reported (it's hard to see who was first) what may be the biggest political story of the campaign. How big? John McCain might have to fire his campaign manager. Big enough?
The story is this. The lobbying firm of Rick Davis, the manager, was being paid $15,000 a month by Freddie Mac until last month. That fact is a direct contradiction of words McCain had spoken Sunday night. At that time, responding to a Times story being prepared for Monday's paper revealing that Davis had been the head of a lobbying consortium led by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae until 2005, McCain said Davis had done no further work for either mortgage giant.
Someone's lying – either Davis to McCain, or McCain to the public. I trust you see the problem here.
The stories are here, by David Kirkpatrick (whose reporting on this topic has been leading the way) and Jackie Calmes of the Times, and here, by Tory Newmeyer of Roll Call. You should definitely read every word of both. I think after you do you'll agree that, depending on how big the pick-up is today and how hard the Obama camp presses this, it's pretty difficult to see how Davis can stay on as campaign manager.
The revelations are devastating for two reasons. First, as I noted above, either Davis lied to McCain or McCain lied to the voters. From the Times story:
On Sunday, in an interview with CNBC and The Times, Mr. McCain responded to a question about that tie between Mr. Davis and the two mortgage companies by saying that he "has had nothing to do with it since, and I'll be glad to have his record examined by anybody who wants to look at it."
Who lied to whom? This is the kind of thing we might not know for a while, or maybe never. My hunch would be that Davis concealed it from McCain and that McCain, as is his wont, just winged it Sunday night, without really caring whether it was true, because that's what he does. But let me clearly label that a hunch. I don't know. But it doesn't really matter.
The second reason this is devastating is maybe even bigger than the question of the Sunday lie, which is limited in scope after all to a sort of narrow legal question. The second reason is that McCain has been going around putting lobbyists, specifically for F & F, at the heart of the whole problem. This is from the Roll Call piece:
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac emerged as issues in the presidential race last week because of turmoil in the financial markets. In a radio address from Green Bay, Wis., on Saturday, McCain blamed the companies and their political clout for creating the housing mess now roiling Wall Street. "At the center of the problem were the lobbyists, politicians and bureaucrats who succeeded in persuading Congress and the administration to ignore the festering problems at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,'' he said. "Using money and influence, they prevented reforms that would have curbed their power and limited their ability to damage our economy. And now, as ever, the American taxpayers are left to pay the price for Washington's failure.''
I just can't picture any way of wiggling out of that. He is talking in those sentences about his own campaign manager! And he's going to be able to keep him on? Strange things happen all the time, but I have trouble seeing it.
Oh and by the way: No wonder Steve Schmidt, another top McCain strategist, said on a Monday conference call with reporters that "Whatever The New York Times once was, it is today not by any standard a journalistic organization." He obviously knew that more was coming and was trying to lay some discrediting groundwork.
This is a terrible, terrible story for McCain, and yes, the biggest political story of the general-election campaign so far.
Mark this day down. Today – last night, actually – the New York Times and... more
-
-
Barack Obama has opened up a significant lead over his rival John McCain in the race for the White House, with a poll released today giving him a nine-point advantage among likely voters.
The Washington Post-ABC national poll puts support for the Democratic candidate at 52%, compared with the Republican's 43%. Two weeks ago, in the wake of the Republican national convention, McCain had a two-point lead after a bounce attributed to the strong performance of his running mate, Sarah Palin.
The latest poll shows that 52% of voters view Palin positively but her unfavourable rating has gone up 10 points, from 28% to 38%.
Financial uncertainty weighed heavily on voters' minds, with 9% rating the economy as good or excellent - the lowest rating since before the 1992 election. The results suggest Obama is favoured to lead the country through economic turmoil.
When asked who they trusted to handle the economy, 53% said Obama and 39% said McCain. Two weeks ago, Obama's lead on the issue was five points. Independents have given Obama a 21-point lead on the economy, the highest since campaigning began.
The economy was cited as the most important issue by 50% of respondents, up from 37% two weeks ago. Since the last poll, Lehman Brothers has gone into bankruptcy and the US treasury has intervened to save other investment banks and the insurance company AIG.
Nine per cent of voters identified the war in Iraq as the most important issue in the election. This is the lowest percentage so far.
Obama has made substantial inroads into McCain's advantages on handling Iraq, international affairs and dealing with terrorism. McCain's lead on who could be trusted best to deal with a major unexpected crisis has been completely eroded, having stood at 57% to Obama's 37% just two weeks ago.
The Republican nominee retains a convincing lead when it comes to who would make a good commander in chief, with an approval rating of nearly three-quarters, compared with 48% for Obama.
The poll results reflect a boost in popularity for Obama among white voters at 45%. He stands five percentage points behind McCain and is almost level with the Republican nominee among white women, who heavily favoured McCain two weeks ago thanks in part to the Palin effect.
Obama has a sizeable lead among women overall but the candidates are level-pegging among men. The poll found almost a fifth of voters are undecided or may change their mind on who to vote for.
The survey included telephone interviews with a random national sample of 1,082 adults.
Barack Obama has opened up a significant lead over his rival John McCain in the race... more
-
-
At least a few in Congress get it.
A bill of rights for consumers is long overdue and hits home with millions of Americans.
Guess who is against it? Who has sold out the people?At least a few in Congress get it.
A bill of rights for consumers is long overdue... more
-
-
Democrat Barack Obama said if elected president he would not try to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on his own.
Obama said in an interview to run in gay publications Thursday that he wants to work with military leaders to build a consensus on removing the ban on openly gay service members in the armed forces. He said that wouldn't be accomplished by attaching a signing statement to a military spending bill, a process that President Bush has used to set other military policies.
"I want to make sure that when we revert 'don't ask, don't tell,' it's gone through a process and we've built a consensus or at least a clarity of what my expectations are so that it works. My first obligation as the president is to make sure that I keep the American people safe and that our military is functioning effectively," Obama said. "Although I have consistently said I would repeal 'don't ask, don't tell,' I believe that the way to do it is make sure that we are working through a process, getting the Joint Chiefs of Staff clear in terms of what our priorities are going to be."
"Don't ask, don't tell" is intended to keep the military from asking recruits their sexual orientation. In 1993, President Clinton implemented the policy, a compromise after he was unable to make good on his campaign pledge to open the military to gays.
Obama's interview was with Mark Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, on behalf of the Gay History Project, a coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender publications. Republican presidential nominee John McCain did not respond to an interview request, Segal said.
Obama also declined to commit to have his attorney general support a lawsuit against the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages and gives states the right to refuse to recognize such marriages. Obama said he's not sure the 1996 law would be overturned by the courts and he prefers a legislative solution. Democrat Barack Obama said if elected president he would not try to repeal the... more
-
-
BuddyP
-
added this
-
3 years ago
- |
-
I found an incredibly well written article about the upcoming elections.
"The illusion is a shield, a curtain to hide the preparations being made off-stage from the spectators, to seal the fate of mankind. The stage hands know that one day the curtain will be lifted on their epic tragedy, revealing all that is now hidden. Our task is to expose the men behind the curtain before they can stage their final act.
It is time for Americans to grow-up and learn to think for themselves. All our lives we have had it so easy, with the ever-growing “nanny state” keeping us safe from the big bad world, making our decisions for us. This is the year of change. Nothing will ever be the same after this next election.
This is not saying that either of these two candidates will make a difference on anything important, it is simply a hard fact that “the powers that be” have decided that November 4, 2008 is to be a pivotal day in human history. After that day, the tyrants’ hands will be loosed from all restraining considerations, no political force will be able to deter the internationalists’ conspiracy from completing the global empire. The American people must be made to face this fact now, before the day of reckoning arrives.
With the passing of that fateful day, the “dogs of war” will truly be unleashed upon the innocent unprepared world. After the great game is decided, about whether our Nation shall be dominated by Republicans or “Republicans-lite” the real “shock and awe” will get underway. The outcome of this election will not change one thing, for Obama, like Clinton before him, is just another Republican “wannabe.” (Ask yourself: If Bush Sr. would have bombed more people than did Clinton, had he been elected?) Whoever wins in November, we will experience the national pain of a renewed draft, to feed our new war with another of Israel’s mortal enemies (probably all of Israel’s enemies at once).
Both candidates have more or less pledged to continue the failed military policies of Bush and Cheney and pretend that they are not lost causes. Neither of them will shut-down these old wars or the new military aggressions that the “nut jobs” plan to launch before inauguration day. Surely we will be at war with Iran by then, since both candidates and their vices have sworn allegiance at the feet of Israel. The Israel/Neocon alliance surely maintains control, as they openly push us towards nuclear war against Iran."I found an incredibly well written article about the upcoming elections.
"The... more
-
-
This is by far the most thorough debunking I’ve seen to date on the myriad of lies coming from Team McCain.
Obama wants to teach sex to kindergarteners? Lie.
Palin opposed the Bridge to Nowhere? Lie.
Palin hasn’t taken earmarks as Governor? Lie.
Alaska produces 20% of America’s energy? Lie.
Palin visited Iraq and Ireland? Lie.
HT Jed, who adds:
As the campaign moves towards a focus on the economy, it’s worth keeping in mind that McCain’s lies are relevant because the demonstrate the fundamental emptiness of his campaign. He is devoid of ideas and solutions; lies are the only thing McCain has left.This is by far the most thorough debunking I’ve seen to date on the myriad of... more
-
-
A new study out of Yale University confirms what argumentative liberals have long-known: Offering reality-based rebuttals to conservative lies only makes conservatives cling to those lies even harder. In essence, schooling conservatives makes them more stupid. From the Washington Post article on the study, which came out yesterday:
Political scientists Brendan Nyhan and Jason Reifler provided two groups of volunteers with the Bush administration's prewar claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. One group was given a refutation -- the comprehensive 2004 Duelfer report that concluded that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction before the United States invaded in 2003. Thirty-four percent of conservatives told only about the Bush administration's claims thought Iraq had hidden or destroyed its weapons before the U.S. invasion, but 64 percent of conservatives who heard both claim and refutation thought that Iraq really did have the weapons. The refutation, in other words, made the misinformation worse.
A similar "backfire effect" also influenced conservatives told about Bush administration assertions that tax cuts increase federal revenue. One group was offered a refutation by prominent economists that included current and former Bush administration officials. About 35 percent of conservatives told about the Bush claim believed it; 67 percent of those provided with both assertion and refutation believed that tax cuts increase revenue.
In a paper approaching publication, Nyhan, a PhD student at Duke University, and Reifler, at Georgia State University, suggest that Republicans might be especially prone to the backfire effect because conservatives may have more rigid views than liberals: Upon hearing a refutation, conservatives might "argue back" against the refutation in their minds, thereby strengthening their belief in the misinformation. Nyhan and Reifler did not see the same "backfire effect" when liberals were given misinformation and a refutation about the Bush administration's stance on stem cell research.
If you've ever gotten in an argument with your conservative friends (assuming you haven't offered each other a mutual Carville-Matalin-style political ceasefire to preserve the friendship), you've probably seen this "backfire effect" in action. The more you try to tell people that Sarah Palin is lying when she says she was against the Bridge to Nowhere, the more they believe she was telling the truth. The more you try to explain how similar McCain's policies are to Bush's, the more they maintain he's "the original maverick."
The typical mantra of the left is that we don't need to sink to the Republicans' level because we have the truth on our side. But if the other side is utterly immune to the truth -- and indeed, the truth only makes them dig deeper into their fantasy world in which the economy is fundamentally strong and the War in Iraq is a staggering success -- what's a leftie to do?
I ain't got the answers, ace, except to say this: When arguing with conservatives in front of on-the-fence independents, remember that you're not trying to convince the conservative to actually buy into silly notions like facts and reason. You're highlighting the differences between left and right for the outside observer. If the other guy insists on political views that belong only in Disney World's Fantasyland, other folks will realize what's happening.
But if there is no third party, do yourself a favor and save your breath. As the study demonstrates, you're only making matters worse. Consider that aforementioned ceasefire. It is football season, after all. There's plenty of other things to argue about. Go Mizzou!A new study out of Yale University confirms what argumentative liberals have... more
-
-
Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of the 3,000-member Hope Christian Church in the Washington, D.C area and founder and chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, told the crowd of social conservative voters that he believes America is at a very important moment in its history with both major presidential candidates vowing change if elected.
While he said he was “glad” and “happy” that Sarah Palin was selected as the Republican vice presidential candidate, Jackson warned that values voters should not allow what happened in the past eight years with President George W. Bush in the White House to repeat itself with the new administration.
“I don’t think Bush meant to deceive us,” Jackson said. “He was a Christian."
“But what happened was that you and I thought that all we had to do was to get somebody into White House and everything would be O.K,” he noted.
Continued........Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of the 3,000-member Hope Christian Church in the... more
-
-
Sen. Chuck Schumer said on NBC that the McCain campaign had a reached a peak in popularity that could not sustain a lead over Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
NBC's Tom Brokaw asked the senator to comment on the surge in national polls for John McCain's campaign.
"It's still an even race," Schumer said. "And I hate to keep reiterating, as this campaign unfolds, I think in a certain sense, the McCain/Palin campaign has peaked. They had all the excitement. Everyone's excited that for the first time the Republican Party chose a woman candidate. But the fundamentals matter in a race like this and they don't have the fundamentals. You cannot -- you cannot win an election if it's premised on a fundamental mistruth, which is that they are change. They are not change from George Bush."
Schumer went on to criticize Palin for cronyism, support for Senator Ted Stevens, abuse of power, not releasing her tax returns.
Sen. Chuck Schumer said on NBC that the McCain campaign had a reached a peak in... more
-
-
'People thought I looked a bit like him': Brazilian politician Henrique dos Anjos has changed his name to Barack Obama
Walk into a polling station in Belford Roxo, an impoverished city on the fringes of Rio de Janiero, on October 5 and you will be faced with an historic choice. You could vote for Alcides Rolim, the Workers' Party mayoral candidate promising a "city for all" or Elizeu Pitorra, a local communist who believes it is "time for a change". Most voters, however, will probably opt for Barack Obama, a 39-year-old Brazilian who, until recently, was known as Claudio Henrique dos Anjos.
Welcome to Obama-mania, Brazil-style. Few countries have embraced the idea of the US's first black president as enthusiastically as Brazil, a country with one of the largest Afro-descendant populations on Earth yet where black faces remain a minority in politics. Obama T-shirts are everywhere while chat shows and newspaper columns are filled with talk of the 47-year-old Illinois senator.
Now even Brazil's politicians are lining up for their piece of the pie. Due to a quirk of Brazilian law, candidates are allowed to run under the name of their choice. As a result, at least six Brazilian politicians have officially renamed themselves "Barack Obama" in a bid to get an edge over their rivals in October's municipal elections.
"In truth it was an accident," says Belford Roxo's Obama, an IT consultant who is bidding to become the city's first black mayor. "I'd been on the television wearing a suit and people thought I looked a bit like him so they started calling me Barack Obama. They'd see me in the street and shout: 'Hey! Barack!" So I decided to register it."
Like his illustrious American counterpart, who has relatives in Kenya, Brazil's Obama also has one foot in Africa. His grandfather was the descendant of slaves.
He admits he has also been looking to his namesake's speeches for inspiration. "I say the same things. I talk about political renewal, change, about transforming the city."
Despite their similarities the two Obamas have yet to meet although the Brazilian Obama says that as mayor he would "extend an invitation" to the real Obama to dine in Belford Roxo. "It would be great if he could come and see our reality," he beams. "Just imagine."
'People thought I looked a bit like him': Brazilian politician Henrique dos... more
-
-
Sean Smith spent two months with the 101st Airborne in Baghdad during the dog days of the American occupation. He filmed heavy fighting with the Mahdi army in Sadr City and Shulla, and powerful unmediated testimony from soldiers openly critical of the occupation.
This is powerful stuff.
Bansheewail, over and out.Sean Smith spent two months with the 101st Airborne in Baghdad during the dog days of... more
-
-
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has released its fourth annual report, "CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress, outlining Washington politicians who it says have "most egregiously betrayed the public's trust."
12 of the 24 members of Congress listed in the report are under investigation. The thirteenth, New York Congressman Charlie Rangel, has opened a House ethics investigation on himself.
"With soaring gas prices, a housing market in crisis, rising unemployment, and a nation at war, elected officials should be prioritizing their constituents' needs over their own self-interests," said CREW executive director Melanie Sloan. "Unfortunately, the members of Congress listed in CREW's Most Corrupt report have decided that their personal needs are paramount to those they represent. This report holds them accountable for those choices."
The entire list is as follows:
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-NY)
Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA)
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA)
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA)
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
The report also adds four "dishonorable mentions":
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH)
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has released its fourth annual... more
-
-
Memorial services are set to be held to mark the seventh anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed when four planes were hijacked and flown into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.
The presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, will attend a ceremony at Ground Zero in New York.
At the Pentagon, President George W Bush will dedicate a new memorial for the 184 people who died there.
The memorial in Washington was built at a cost of $22m (£12.6m) on a 1.9-acre (0.77-hectare) parcel of land within view of the crash site.
Mr Bush will attend the New York ceremony after standing for a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House at 0846 (1246 GMT) - the time that the first of the two passenger planes hit the World Trade Center.
9/11: THE NEW FRONTIER
Mapping the militant nexus
New patterns of militancy
Voices from unstable borders
More coverage throughout the day on BBC World News and BBC World Service
It is the last time Mr Bush marks the anniversary as president.
The attacks are regarded as the defining moment of his time in office so far, and they had a huge impact on the foreign policy of his administration.
"The president thinks about 9/11 every single day when he wakes up and before he goes to bed," White House press secretary Dana Perino said on Wednesday.
Bansheewail, " I seriously doubt it Dana. Also, can you run out and grab us all some coffee and begals."Memorial services are set to be held to mark the seventh anniversary of the 11... more
-
-
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has accused the United States of emboldening Georgia to start a war in the Caucasus to test Russian resolve.
Mr Kadyrov, who is a keen supporter of the Russian government, said Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili had been dancing to Washington's tune.
But he said that Russia had responded decisively during last month's conflict and shown it was the stronger power.
Mr Kadyrov made the remarks in a speech at the presidential palace near Grozny.
After 1999 we found a common language with Russia and now we'll stay in the Russian Federation
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov
Profile: Ramzan Kadyrov
Scars remain amid Chechen revival
The newly constructed complex outside the Chechen capital comes complete with a private race course, artificial lake and miniature mountain, as well as Mr Kadyrov's personal zoo of panthers, leopards and bears.
The wild beasts, he said, had a calming influence on him, and he liked to talk and play with them in his spare time.
'Testing ground'
The small Russian republic of Chechnya has waged two brutal wars in the past 15 years against Russia, and Mr Kadyrov's father, Akhmad, fought as a field commander before switching allegiance to the Kremlin.
But the 31-year-old leader was adamant that the republic was now loyal to Moscow.
Mr Kadyrov confirmed Chechen units fought with the Russians in Georgia
Therefore, Russia's recent decision to recognise the independence of two other breakaway regions in the Caucasus, the Georgian enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, would not reopen the question of Chechen independence, he said.
Mr Kadyrov confirmed that Chechen units and paramilitaries had fought with Russians against Georgians in South Ossetia last month.
"We Chechens are obliged to be on the front line with Russia because we are warriors, and we know what war is," he explained.
But he also went further to accuse the US of using the Caucasus as a testing ground to challenge Russia's resolve.
Mr Kadyrov claimed Georgia's President Saakashvili had been dancing to the US government's tune, and that through Georgia the US had provoked a confrontation.
But he said that Russia had responded decisively and shown the US that it was the stronger power.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has accused the United States of emboldening Georgia... more
-
-
He's a lumberjack and it's OK,
Seems anyone can run for office – as long as they're not gay!
If you think the election's not quite silly enough yet, sign up and show your support for Michael Palin's presidential candidacy, and get a free fuzzy thing...He's a lumberjack and it's OK,
Seems anyone can run for office – as... more
-
-
In the short period since she was announced as John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin's personal attitudes and beliefs have remained something of a mystery. In search of insights, ABC News sent Lisa Fletcher to Wasilla, Alaska to speak to "the women who know her best."
Fletcher interviewed four of Palin's closest friends, members of a group who jokingly call themselves "the Elite Six." The six women, including Palin, met 15 years ago at an aerobics class and started getting together after class as well.
When asked to reveal something about Palin that no one knows, one woman offered, "She doesn't care for cats very much," and another chimed in, "Oh, yes, she's afraid of my cat." A third added, "She lives off of caffeine and chocolate."
When asked what the American public really needs to know about Palin, one asserted, "She's honest as the day is long, and that is a unique personality trait for a politician these days." Palin's honesty has come into question this past week, in light of her claims to have opposed the "bridge to nowhere."
Although the women told Fletcher that they didn't discuss politics much among themselves, one did venture that there were certain things Palin had done as governor that she didn't agree with, including "the polar bear issue." Palin has sued the federal government to stop the listing of polar bears as an endangered species.
"Is it possible to be pro-choice and vote for Sarah Palin?" Fletcher asked.
A couple of the women responded that they were pro-choice, with the one who seemed to have the most doubts about Palin explaining, "I can't necessarily say who I'm going to vote for. ... I haven't made up my mind yet. ... I don't agree with everything Sarah says. ... I haven't committed to voting for anybody."
Another added, "I have never voted for a Republican for presidential and this may be the first time. ... I'm real excited to see the debates and make up my mind -- but I'm not committed."
Just one of the women said outright that she was voting for McCain because once he selected Palin, "I knew that she would help our nation go forward."
The fourth woman, the one who had described Palin as honest, declined to answer, saying, "My vote is very personal, and it's between me and the voting booth ... but I love Sarah to pieces."
This video is from ABC's Good Morning America, broadcast September 8, 2008.
In the short period since she was announced as John McCain's running mate, Sarah... more
-
