The Senate prepared to vote Saturday on whether to follow the House of Representatives and consider a resolution opposing Bush's plan to send another 21,500 troops to Iraq. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid made clear he expected a renewed Republican attempt to block a vote in the 100-member Senate on the resolution, which voices support for U.S. forces but opposes the Republican president's troop buildup aimed at bolstering security in Baghdad and violent Anbar province. The Senate's rare Saturday session comes a day after the House passed the symbolic challenge to Bush's unpopular war strategy, and as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on a surprise visit to Baghdad. "Americans deserve to know whether their senator stands with the president and his plans to deepen our military commitment in Iraq, or with the overwhelming majority of Americans who oppose this escalation," Reid, of Nevada, said in a statement.... http://news.yahoo.com censor News |
Editor - 08:48:00 02-17-07 |
Corporate spin can come in disguise |
If McDonald's makes the case that fast food is nutritious or ExxonMobil argues against higher taxes, it looks like simple self-interest. But when an independent voice makes the case, the ideas gain credibility. So big corporations have devised a form of idea laundering, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to seemingly independent groups that act as spokesmen under disguise. Their views wind up on the opinion pages of the nation's newspapers - often with no disclosure that the writer has financial ties to the companies involved. A few examples: - James K. Glassman, a prominent syndicated columnist, denounced Super Size Me, a movie critical of McDonald's. Readers were not told that McDonald's is a major sponsor of a Web site hosted by Glassman.... http://www.sptimes.com/2006/09/10/Worldandnation/Corporate_spin_can_co.shtml
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Editor - 08:42:00 02-17-07 |
N.Y. 'Mummy' Found Year Later in Front of TV |
A man's body was found in his home more than a year after his death, with the television still on and his features preserved by dry conditions in the house, officials said.Vincenzo Ricardo, 70, apparently died of natural causes, said Dr. Stuart Dawson, Suffolk County deputy chief medical examiner. Southampton Town police found Ricardo's body this week when they responded to a report of burst pipes.Ricardo was found in a chair in front of the television set, as though he were watching it, Dawson said.The home's dry air had left his features intact, morgue assistant Jeff Bacchus said."You could see his face. He still had hair on his head," Bacchus said.Ricardo's wife died years ago, and he lived alone, Dawson said.... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,252578,00.html
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Editor - 08:40:00 02-17-07 |
Ex-envoy says Iraq rebuilding plan won't work |
Kiki Munshi was showcased by the media in September as a seasoned U.S. diplomat who came out of retirement to lead a rebuilding group in Iraq.Now she is back home, angry, and convinced that President George W. Bush's new strategy of doubling the number of such groups to 20 along with a troop surge of 21,500 will not help stabilize Iraq. A diplomat for 22 years, she quit her job last month as leader of a Provincial Reconstruction Team — groups made up of about 50 civilian and military experts that try to help Iraqi communities build their own government while strengthening moderates. ... http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2883700
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Editor - 08:37:00 02-17-07 |
Venezuela's Chavez calls for anti-imperialist unity as he woos Caribbean |
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, seeking inroads in a region where the U.S. has long been the dominant influence, called on Caribbean states to join his fight against imperialism. During a Caribbean tour that began Friday, the leftist leader is promoting Venezuela's sales of fuel under preferential terms to Caribbean nations and highlighting its public works projects in the region. On Saturday, Chavez was in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to unveil a plaque marking where a fuel storage facility will be built and to visit a liquid natural gas facility constructed under his Petrocaribe program. Petrocaribe, an agreement between Venezuela and 14 Caribbean countries, offers deferred payment and long-term financing for fuel shipments. "Today is the time of the people, of unity," Chavez said ... http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-02-17-chavez-caribbean_x.htm?csp=34
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Editor - 08:34:00 02-17-07 |
Italians march in US base protest |
Thousands of people are marching in the north-eastern Italian city of Vicenza against a planned extension of the US army base there. Organisers say the majority of local people are opposed to US plans. They say Prime Minister Romano Prodi has ignored strong local objections. Thousands of extra police are on duty in Vicenza for what has been planned as a peaceful march. There are fears that radical fringe groups will try to cause violence. Vicenza's mayor fears the march will be infiltrated by left-wing radicals from other EU states intent on causing violence - as happened in Genoa six years ago, when rioting during a G8 summit caused heavy damage, one death and many injuries. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6370671.stm
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Editor - 08:32:00 02-17-07 |
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