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From SeeingBlack.com The 411
Narrator: “It’s the toughest job in the world. You need to be ready for anything, especially now with two wars, oil prices skyrocketing and an economy in crisis. Harry Truman said it best: ‘If you can’t stand the heat. get out of the kitchen.’ Who do you think has what it takes?” Hillary Clinton: “I’m Hillary Clinton, and I approved this message.” Clinton: US Could “Totally Obliterate” Iran If Iran Attacks Israel Senator Clinton also ratcheted up her rhetoric toward Iran on Monday. During an interview that will air today on ABC News, Clinton said she would “totally obliterate” Iran if Iran attacked Israel with nuclear weapons. Obama Accuses Clinton of Employing “Politics of Fear” The Obama campaign responded to Clinton’s new TV ad by accusing her of employing “the politics of fear.” Within hours, the Obama campaign released its own ad. Narrator: “Who has what it takes to really bring change, to finally take on the special interests, not take their money? Who made the right judgment about opposing the war and had the courage and character to speak honestly about it? And who, in times of challenge, will unite us, not use fear and calculation to divide us?” Barack Obama: “We are one people. All of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes. All of us defending the United States of America. I’m Barack Obama, and I approved this message.” Clinton Faces Delegate and Money Shortfall Even if Hillary Clinton wins in Pennsylvania, she will remain far behind Obama in both the pledged delegate count and the overall popular vote. New campaign records also show Clinton is trailing Obama in the money race. With nine contests still to go, Obama has $42 million in the bank, Clinton has $8 million. Arizona Bill to Prohibit Anti-American Teachings A legislative panel in Arizona has endorsed a proposal that would prohibit public schools in Arizona from any teachings that overtly encourage dissent from the values of American democracy and western civilization. The Arizona Republic reports the measure would also prohibit students of the state’s universities and community colleges from forming groups based in whole or part on the race of their members, such as the Black Business Students Association at Arizona State University or Native Americans United at Northern Arizona University. Such groups would be forbidden from operating on campus. The sponsor of the bill, Representative Russell Pearce, said he doesn’t want taxpayer dollars used to indoctrinate students in what he characterized as anti-American or seditious thinking. Critics say the bill would essentially destroy the Mexican American study program in the state’s public schools, colleges and universities, as well as student groups such as the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan. Pentagon Allows More Felons to Enter Army New Pentagon statistics show the number of felons recruited by the Army more than doubled last year. Between September 2006 and 2007, the Army granted so-called conduct waivers for felonies and misdemeanors to 18 percent of its new recruits. Conduct waivers were given to recruits convicted of burglary, grand larceny, kidnapping, making terrorist threats, rape or sexual abuse, and indecent acts or liberties with a child. Congressman Henry Waxman, chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released the statistics yesterday. Waxman said, “The significant increase in the recruitment of persons with criminal records is a result of the strain put on the military by the Iraq war.” Army Expands Involuntary Extensions of Duty Meanwhile, USA Today reports the Army has accelerated its policy of involuntary extensions of duty to bolster its troop levels, despite Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s order last year to limit it. Since last May, the number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army through stop-loss has increased by 43 percent. The reliance on stop-loss has soared as the military has sent more troops to Iraq and extended tours to fifteen months to support the so-called surge. Citigroup and AT&T to Lay Off Thousands In economic news, two more major corporations have announced plans to lay off thousands of workers. On Friday, Citigroup announced a $5.1 billion loss and said it would cut 9,000 jobs. Meanwhile, AT&T has announced plans to eliminate 4,600 positions. Congress Urged to Probe Pentagon Propaganda Program The media advocacy group Free Press is calling on Congress to investigate the Pentagon’s propaganda program that recruited dozens of retired military officers to appear on TV to help sell the Iraq war. Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver said, “Government-sanctioned propaganda violates every conceivable standard of journalism. That it has been allowed to continue unquestioned and undisclosed for years is an indictment of both this White House and a docile American media.” CNN Hires Ex-White House Press Secretary Tony Snow In other media news, CNN has hired former White House spokesperson Tony Snow to serve as a news commentator. Snow worked as President Bush’s chief spokesperson up until September. Prior to his stint as White House press secretary, Snow worked at Fox News. Snow is the second top former Bush administration official to land a prominent television gig. Former White House Senior Adviser Karl Rove has been appearing on Fox News as a commentator since February. New HUD Nominee Has No Experience in Housing Issues President Bush’s nominee to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development is coming under criticism, because he has no apparent background in housing issues. Last week, Bush nominated Steve Preston to replace outgoing Secretary Alphonso Jackson. Preston is currently head of the Small Business Administration. He is a former executive with ServiceMaster and was an investment banker with Lehman Brothers. Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd has questioned why Bush would select a nominee with no expertise in housing issues while the country is facing the biggest housing crisis in recent history. Bush Has Highest Disapproval Rating in History of Gallup Poll Meanwhile, President Bush has set a new record. He now has the highest disapproval rating of any president in the seventy-year history of the Gallup Poll. In the most recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 69 percent of Americans disapproved of Bush’s job performance. The previous record was held by Harry Truman, who had a 67 percent disapproval rate in 1952. Bush also holds the record for having the highest approval rating of any president in Gallup’s history. In September 2001, in the days after the 9/11 attacks, Bush’s approval spiked to 90 percent. Ex-Justice Dept. Official Charge in Abramoff Scandal In other news from Washington, a former high-ranking Justice Department official has been charged with criminal conflict of interest for his role in the scandal involving Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Up until last year, Robert Coughlin served as deputy chief of staff of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the same division handling the Abramoff probe. Life Expectancy Falls for American Women in 1,000 Counties For the first time since the Spanish influenza of 1918, life expectancy is falling for a significant number of American women. The Washington Post reports the life expectancy for women is now shorter than it was in early 1980s in nearly 1,000 counties across the country, including areas of the Deep South, Appalachia and the lower Midwest. The trend appears to be driven by increases in death from diabetes, lung cancer, emphysema and kidney failure. About half of all deaths in the United States are attributable to a small number of “modifiable” behaviors and exposures, such as smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise. Supreme Court Rejects Appeals from 11 Death Row Inmates The Supreme Court has turned away appeals from eleven death row prisoners in seven states. The decision came one week after the court upheld the use of lethal injections in Kentucky. Indigenous Summit at UN Tackles Climate Change Thousands of indigenous activists are gathering in New York for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This year’s forum focuses on the global impact of climate change on indigenous peoples. On Monday, Bolivian President Evo Morales opened the conference. He said, “If we want to save our planet earth, we have a duty to put an end to the capitalist system.” US Postal Service Honors Ruben Salazar And the US Postal Service is issuing a stamp today honoring the pioneering Mexican American reporter Ruben Salazar. Salazar was killed on August 29, 1970, when he was shot by a sheriff’s deputy following an antiwar demonstration in East Los Angeles. S. African Dockworkers Refuse to Unload Arms for Mugabe In other news from Africa, a Chinese ship carrying arms for Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has been turned away from a dock in South Africa after union workers refused to unload the arms. The dock workers were protesting South African President Thabo Mbeki’s failure to pressure Mugabe to release the results of last month’s presidential election. The opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, claims they won the election, while Mugabe’s ruling party says there should be a run-off. On Sunday, Tendai Biti, the secretary general of the MDC, rejected calls for a recount. Tendai Biti: “It is quite clear that the dictatorship will do everything, legally and extralegally, to try and reverse the people’s victory of the 29th of March of 2008. But we have made our case. The jury is out there. Zimbabweans themselves know what they did in the polling stations. The rest of the African community, the rest of the international community is watching. The so-called recount has no credibility at all, is not legitimate, and we will not accept that recount. We will not accept that which is unlawful.” Study: GM Crops Reduces Productivity In other food news, a new study by the University of Kansas has found that genetic modification reduces the productivity of crops. The Independent of London reports the study undermines repeated claims that a switch to the controversial technology is needed to solve the growing world food crisis. Researchers found that genetically modified soya produces about ten percent less food than its conventional equivalent. Palestinian Activist Found Dead in Texas And a prominent pro-Palestinian activist in Texas has died after drowning in a lake. Riad Hamad was the founder of the Palestine Children’s Welfare Fund and raised millions of dollars through his organization for schools, charitable organizations and hospitals. Local police say Hamad was found gagged and bound in the lake. While police say he likely committed suicide, questions have been raised over his death. Prior to his death, Hamad had been under FBI surveillance. In late February, FBI and IRS agents raided his office and seized forty boxes of tax returns and other documents. No charges were filed at the time, but investigators claimed they had probable cause to investigate wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering. Riad Hamad was fifty-five years old. 81 Die in Somalia In Somalia, at least eighty-one people died over the weekend in the heaviest fighting the capital Mogadishu has seen in months. Most of the fighting is between US-backed Ethiopian troops and Somali fighters linked to the former Union of Islamic Courts. The Elman Human Rights organization accused Ethiopian troops of using heavy artillery and tank shells in residential areas. Bush Heads to New Orleans for SPP Summit President Bush is heading to New Orleans today to meet with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts for a summit on the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America. Critics of the SPP accuse Bush of pushing a new NAFTA-plus deal with Mexico and Canada that would cover security, immigration, the environment, business, food regulation and other issues. Amnesty International and other critics accused the North American leaders of negotiating the deal in secret without meaningful public debate. Ban Ki-moon: Surging Food Prices Threaten Anti-Poverty Efforts UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning the surge in global food prices risks setting back the world’s anti-poverty efforts and, if not properly handled, could hurt global growth and security. The food price surge has sharply increased the risk of hunger and poverty in developing countries and has already sparked food riots in parts of Asia and Africa. Ban Ki-moon addressed the issue at the opening of a UN trade and development conference in Ghana. Ban Ki-moon: “If not handled properly, this crisis could trigger a cascade of others and develop into multiple crises, becoming a multidimensional problem affecting economic growth, social progress and even political security around the world.” Israel Rejects Offer from Hamas After Carter Visit The Israeli government said on Monday it sees no change in Hamas’s positions after a visit by former President Jimmy Carter to the region. After a meeting with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, Carter suggested Hamas would be willing to make peace with Israel. Jimmy Carter: “They said that they would accept a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders if approved by Palestinians and that they would accept the right of Israel to live as a neighbor next door, in peace, provided the agreements negotiated by Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas was submitted to the Palestinians for their overall approval.” But Israeli government spokesperson David Baker rejected the offer. David Baker: “Israel is targeted on a daily basis by rocket barrages from Hamas-controlled territory in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is an enemy of Israel. Today, they critically injured a four-year-old Israeli boy. Israel sees no change in Hamas’s extremist position.” Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said on Monday that Hamas accepts the establishment of a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war but would not recognize the Jewish state. Khaled Meshaal: “We accept a state starting from the borders of June 4 in addition to the other rights we ask for, but without recognizing Israel. We have offered a ten-year truce after Israeli withdrawal to the borders of June 4, 1967 as an alternative to the recognition. This is the clear vision of Hamas.” Report: Israel to Pay Family of Slain British Filmmaker In other news from the region, Israel has reportedly agreed to compensate the family of a British filmmaker who was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip in 2003. Haaretz reports Israel will pay $3.5 million in compensation to the family of James Miller. Miller was killed while making a film about the impact of violence on children in the region. © Copyright by SeeingBlack.com |
