THE FLASHLIGHT, Sept. 23-29, 2006
THE FLASHLIGHT, September 23-29, 2006
Iraq
NYTimes 9-24, A portion of the National Intelligence estimate of April, 2006 was leaked to the press, revealing that in the opinion of US intelligence professionals the Iraq War, far from discouraging terrorism, has stimulating and increased it. It has aided the growth of a new generation of Islamic radicals world wide.
CNN 9-24. Gen. Peter Schoomacher, head of the Army, saying that men and equipment are wearing out and that many billions more must be sent to replace them, refused to sign off on the Army budget. Five hundred billion dollars has been spent already, and counting.
[Michael Ware, an Australian, is the chief correspondent for CNN on the ground in Iraq. When he is on camera, watch his eyes. This man is seeing horrible sights every day and he looks continually horrified.] 9-28 He warned that the hope of help from Iraqi security forces is a “mirage.” They are part of the problem, not its solution.
CNN 9-28. Al Qaida in Iraq announced that 4000 jihadis from abroad had died in Iraq so far.
In his new book, State of Denial, Bob Woodward of the Washington Post said that American forces in Iraq are being attacked on average once every fifteen minutes. The situation is worse and will probably get even worse in 2007. He says the Bush Administration is resorting to secrecy by classifying the bad news and denying it in public.
A majority (about two-thirds) of Iraqis want the US to withdraw from Iraqi right away. So does about the same proportion of Americans.
Since the war began, 515 Americans working for private contractors have been killed in Iraq.
CNN 9-29. The Woodward book also says that the White House now is divided and dysfunctional on the issue of the Iraq War. Rumsfeld is so hostile to Condoleeza Rice that the President had to instruct him to answer her calls. There is also a deep division between Rumsfeld and Colin Powell.
US News
Detainee Legislation
This week was spent debating new legislation in the Senate for the interrogation and trial of illegal enemy combatants. The Supreme Court has ruled that the current practices are unconstitutional. Although a group of Senators, led by John McCain, demanded major reforms, the compromise with the Administration was disappointing to Democrats, many Republicans, and the liberal press. Several commentators on CNN and PBS said that the new legislation would also be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The issues will have to be reconsidered by Congress. One commentator said that the results of this week of debate marked a low point in American democracy.
NYTimes 9-28. Objections to the new legislation:
1. The President can label even a legal resident of the US as an “enemy combatant,” who can be arrested and detained indefinitely with no appeal.
2. Torture. The President can decide in secret which “abusive interrogation methods” are permissible. “Coerced” evidence is acceptable if a US judge says so.
3. Habeas corpus (first recognized in 1215 in the Magna Carta) is abrogated: detainees have no right to challenge their imprisonment.
4. Protests against secret evidence are restricted.
NYTimes 9-29 Thirty two Democratic Senators, including all Presidential hopefuls, voted against this legislation. Sen. Lieberman voted for it. This was the last act of Congress before adjournng to campaign for reelection in November.
Report on the FDA
The Institute of Medicine of the US Academy of Sciences has completed a sharply critical report on the Federal Drug Administration. It said that consumers should be wary of recently approved drugs.
The report called the culture of the FDA “dysfunctional,” since the organization is rife with internal squabbles and hobbled by under-financing, poor management, and outdated regulations.
It recommended that new drugs during their first two years on the market should display a safety warning and advertisements for them should be restricted.
Senate Races
NYTimes 9-28. Democrats are now somewhat hopeful of taking over the Senate as well as the House. Lieberman is leading Lamont by 10 points in Connecticut but in Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey is leading Rick Santorum by 10 points, and Democrats DeWine in Ohio and Cardin in Maryland are leading their opponents. In Virginia the race between Republican George Allen and Democrat Jim Webb is close.
Cnn 9-29. Democratic hopes are rising because of rising support for them in the suburbs. In addition, another House seat has suddenly opened up: Rep. Mark Foley of Florida (R.) has resigned because he sent emails to a sixteen year old former pageboy that were “sick, sick, sick.” The boy forwarded the emails to a “Congressional source.”
California
In California Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger now has a double digit lead over his Democratic opponent, Phil Angelides. This is because he has supported raising the minimum wage to $8.00 an hour, new legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and is friendly to gays. Angelides is trying to tie Schwarzenegger to Bush in public perception.
Florida
In Florida the main issue in the gubernatorial race is the increase in hurricane insurance from $1300 a year to $4700 a year.
[This increase is rational not only for the insurance companies but the public interest, since global warming is going to raise the sea level and produce more intense hurricanes. People should be discouraged from living in high risk areas of Florida. ]
Iraq
NYTimes 9-24, A portion of the National Intelligence estimate of April, 2006 was leaked to the press, revealing that in the opinion of US intelligence professionals the Iraq War, far from discouraging terrorism, has stimulating and increased it. It has aided the growth of a new generation of Islamic radicals world wide.
CNN 9-24. Gen. Peter Schoomacher, head of the Army, saying that men and equipment are wearing out and that many billions more must be sent to replace them, refused to sign off on the Army budget. Five hundred billion dollars has been spent already, and counting.
[Michael Ware, an Australian, is the chief correspondent for CNN on the ground in Iraq. When he is on camera, watch his eyes. This man is seeing horrible sights every day and he looks continually horrified.] 9-28 He warned that the hope of help from Iraqi security forces is a “mirage.” They are part of the problem, not its solution.
CNN 9-28. Al Qaida in Iraq announced that 4000 jihadis from abroad had died in Iraq so far.
In his new book, State of Denial, Bob Woodward of the Washington Post said that American forces in Iraq are being attacked on average once every fifteen minutes. The situation is worse and will probably get even worse in 2007. He says the Bush Administration is resorting to secrecy by classifying the bad news and denying it in public.
A majority (about two-thirds) of Iraqis want the US to withdraw from Iraqi right away. So does about the same proportion of Americans.
Since the war began, 515 Americans working for private contractors have been killed in Iraq.
CNN 9-29. The Woodward book also says that the White House now is divided and dysfunctional on the issue of the Iraq War. Rumsfeld is so hostile to Condoleeza Rice that the President had to instruct him to answer her calls. There is also a deep division between Rumsfeld and Colin Powell.
US News
Detainee Legislation
This week was spent debating new legislation in the Senate for the interrogation and trial of illegal enemy combatants. The Supreme Court has ruled that the current practices are unconstitutional. Although a group of Senators, led by John McCain, demanded major reforms, the compromise with the Administration was disappointing to Democrats, many Republicans, and the liberal press. Several commentators on CNN and PBS said that the new legislation would also be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The issues will have to be reconsidered by Congress. One commentator said that the results of this week of debate marked a low point in American democracy.
NYTimes 9-28. Objections to the new legislation:
1. The President can label even a legal resident of the US as an “enemy combatant,” who can be arrested and detained indefinitely with no appeal.
2. Torture. The President can decide in secret which “abusive interrogation methods” are permissible. “Coerced” evidence is acceptable if a US judge says so.
3. Habeas corpus (first recognized in 1215 in the Magna Carta) is abrogated: detainees have no right to challenge their imprisonment.
4. Protests against secret evidence are restricted.
NYTimes 9-29 Thirty two Democratic Senators, including all Presidential hopefuls, voted against this legislation. Sen. Lieberman voted for it. This was the last act of Congress before adjournng to campaign for reelection in November.
Report on the FDA
The Institute of Medicine of the US Academy of Sciences has completed a sharply critical report on the Federal Drug Administration. It said that consumers should be wary of recently approved drugs.
The report called the culture of the FDA “dysfunctional,” since the organization is rife with internal squabbles and hobbled by under-financing, poor management, and outdated regulations.
It recommended that new drugs during their first two years on the market should display a safety warning and advertisements for them should be restricted.
Senate Races
NYTimes 9-28. Democrats are now somewhat hopeful of taking over the Senate as well as the House. Lieberman is leading Lamont by 10 points in Connecticut but in Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey is leading Rick Santorum by 10 points, and Democrats DeWine in Ohio and Cardin in Maryland are leading their opponents. In Virginia the race between Republican George Allen and Democrat Jim Webb is close.
Cnn 9-29. Democratic hopes are rising because of rising support for them in the suburbs. In addition, another House seat has suddenly opened up: Rep. Mark Foley of Florida (R.) has resigned because he sent emails to a sixteen year old former pageboy that were “sick, sick, sick.” The boy forwarded the emails to a “Congressional source.”
California
In California Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger now has a double digit lead over his Democratic opponent, Phil Angelides. This is because he has supported raising the minimum wage to $8.00 an hour, new legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and is friendly to gays. Angelides is trying to tie Schwarzenegger to Bush in public perception.
Florida
In Florida the main issue in the gubernatorial race is the increase in hurricane insurance from $1300 a year to $4700 a year.
[This increase is rational not only for the insurance companies but the public interest, since global warming is going to raise the sea level and produce more intense hurricanes. People should be discouraged from living in high risk areas of Florida. ]
posted by THE FLASHLIGHT at 3:20 PM
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