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Judge rules against Bush in spying lawsuit
Administration argues defending case threatens to reveal state secrets
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge Thursday refused to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the Bush administration’s domestic spying program, rejecting government claims that allowing the case to go forward could expose state secrets and jeopardize the war on terror.
U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker said the warrantless eavesdropping has been so widely reported that there appears to be no danger of spilling secrets.
Dozens of lawsuits alleging that telecommunications companies and the government are illegally intercepting Americans’ communications without warrants have been filed. This is the first time a judge has ruled on the government’s claim of a “state secrets privilege.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13958508/
:)
and did follow up research when it was questioned to back up my point with additional data
try this... check out Figure 6 on page 13
http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p70-88.pdf
I don't know where the $468K figure came from... but above, based on US census data, shows the large discrepancy. Do you dispute that?
The NAACP's leadership is re-evaluating its basic approach to furthering the economic advancement of African Americans. With support waning for social and economic programs for the disadvantaged, a new strategy is necessary." The typical African American family had 60% as much income as a typical White family in 1958, but only 58% as much in 2002. Black unemployment is more than twice the rate for Whites - a greater gap than in 1972. One in nine African Americans cannot find a job. White households had an average net worth of $468,200 in 2001 - more than 6 times the $75,700 average net worth of Black households. At the slow rate that the Black-White poverty gap has been narrowing since 1968, it would take 150 years (i.e., until the year 2152) to close the gap" 1.
http://www.naacp.org/rat/economy/economy_index.html
stunning disconnect
that's an understatement! unbelievable!
so the fanatical left has a ratio of two to one? ROFL!
but I am sure to him he is morally against it...
you are sure? I'm not... in fact I would say his morals have nothing to do with it... the patterns in his behavior say otherwise
Sad you can't respect anyone for having a different moral view than you...
I do respect sincere and honest people with differing views... that does not include Bush
by pandering to the religious right lol
see my post about stolen elections
guess what... Bush didn't really get elected by the majority... he stole both the 2000 and 2004 elections... Bush is all about politics/corruptions/greed/power
how many days in Iraq does that represent?
excellent point... Bush has zero integrity, is a liar, is responsible for tens of thousands of innocent lives, has trashed the geneva convention, our environmental regulations, ripped off the poor to benefit the rich, etc etc...
oh come on... we all know Bush/Rove are playing to the religious right
lol... I can't believe these guys are arguing with you about "representatives" representing the wishes of those who voted for them
sure they can vote their conscious if it's different, but then the people have every right to choose someone different for next term... ultimately, the politicans need to represent the wishes of the people
I also want to add that if the politicians truly feel the people are misinformed, it's their job as leaders to educate and inform their constituents
the polls were national... it's not just California
geez... that "Republic NOT a Democracy" nit picking is so old it's pitiful...
and I notice you didn't comment on how the voters... the people in CA voted for $ for stem cell research.
Polls show most people support it by a margin of 2 to 1....
What’s the public to make of debate?
Polls find stem cell support tracks knowledge of research
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 3:14 a.m. PT May 13, 2005
When scientists, religious leaders and ethical thinkers who have spent years studying the question are nowhere near agreeing on what to do about embryonic stem cell research, what is the average American to make of it all?
The most recent major public opinion on the subject, conducted in late April by The Washington Post and ABC News, found Americans supporting research on stem cells taken from human embryos by 63 percent to 28 percent — more than 2 to 1. Such levels of support have been consistent for nearly two years.
Surveys also consistently show that the more respondents know about the details, the more likely they are to support embryonic cell research, said Matthew Nisbet, an assistant professor of journalism and communication at Ohio State University who studies science, religion and the media.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7808682
he's just pandering to the religious right
it was the voters who did that... it's what the people wanted
Interesting how politics, morals, and science are stirred in the pot here.
people get them confused when their views are largely emotionally based
Israeli troops push into south Lebanon
By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Israeli troops punched into south Lebanon on Wednesday as warplanes flattened buildings including one thought to hold Hezbollah's top leaders, intensifying an offensive despite mounting international pressure and a Lebanese appeal to spare the country further death and devastation.
Hezbollah denied that any of its "leaders or members" died in the strike in the Bourj al-Barajneh district of south Beirut. The explosives did not blast a leadership bunker, but a mosque under construction, the group said in a statement faxed to The Associated Press.
The strike was the most dramatic action on a day that saw Israelis clash with the guerrillas and launch strikes that killed an estimated 40 people.
Israel broadcast warnings into south Lebanon telling civilians to leave the region, a possible prelude to a larger Israeli ground operation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060719/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_israel;_ylt=ApQCWKXcbRPFXjW.sjvDsyWs0NUE;...
me either!
smart kid
Rift between U.S., EU emerges on Israel
By THOMAS WAGNER, Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM - A rift is emerging between the European Union and the United States over whether Israel should cease its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas.
The Europeans fear mounting civilian casualties will play into the hands of militants and weaken Lebanon's democratically elected government. The Bush administration, while noting these concerns, is giving Israel a tacit green light to take the time it needs to neutralize the Shiite militant group.
The mixed message could help Israel in its mission to destroy Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Lebanon and stop the guerrillas' deadly rocket fire on Israel. But Islamic hard-liners and terrorist groups could be long-term winners, using the vivid television imagery of the death and destruction in Lebanon to win popularity and promote their jihads.
The United States, the country that holds the most sway with Israel, has said the Jewish state has the right to defend itself and that a "meaningful" cease-fire is needed — presumably one which includes the disarming of Hezbollah.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said the administration opposed a return to the situation before the outbreak of violence. "A cease-fire that would leave intact a terrorist infrastructure is unacceptable," he said.
By contrast, the EU has called for a cease-fire now and said Israel's "disproportionate" use of force is not only threatening Lebanon's democratic government but providing the fuel that extremist groups such as Hezbollah need to win public support.
After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Wednesday, Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, condemned the July 12 Hezbollah raid that led to Israel's offensive and urged the guerrillas to immediately release the two soldiers they captured.
But he also called for a cease-fire and said diplomatic efforts to end the crisis should continue.
Asked if Israel's attacks in Lebanon were disproportionate, Solana said that if people think the offensive is causing "more suffering on the people than is necessary in order to obtain an objective," it could make it harder win their "hearts and minds" in the "battle against terrorists."
However, Livni said Israel's offensive is not just a reaction to Hezbollah's raid, but a response to the broad threat of Hezbollah to Israel's security. From that perspective, she said, Israel's air strikes on Lebanon are proportionate.
Israel is betting that its campaign will deliver a decisive blow not only to Hezbollah, but to radical Islamic forces throughout the region. So far, though, the widespread Israeli air strikes appear to have only increased the credibility and popularity of Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah in the Middle East.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has discussed the crisis by telephone with Olmert and Solana. But Rice, who had been expected to visit the region this weekend, has refrained from setting a date — leading some to speculate that the U.S. wanted to give Israel more time to pursue its offensive.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bush's top overseas ally, joined the American president on Wednesday in insisting that Hezbollah free the soldiers and stop firing rockets at Israel before asking Israel to stop its offensive.
But other European nations backed Solana.
French President Jacques Chirac called the Mideast fighting a "dramatic situation that deeply worries us." He urged Hezbollah to release the Israeli soldiers and to stop hitting Israel with missiles. But he also asked the Israelis to stop deadly bombings in Lebanon.
In Moscow, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov expressed concern that "the war in the Middle East is escalating" and tacitly criticized Israel's use of force, saying, "It is particularly painful to witness the destruction of the civilian infrastructure of Lebanon."
http://www.yahoo.com/s/350569
Bush vetoes stem cell bill as promised
By MARY DALRYMPLE, Associated Press Writer
<< jerk >>
WASHINGTON - President Bush cast the first veto of his presidency Wednesday, saying legislation easing limits on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research "crosses a moral boundary."
"This bill would support the taking of innocent human life in the hope of finding medical benefits for others," Bush said at a White House event where he was surrounded by 18 families who "adopted" frozen embryos not used by other couples, and then used those leftover embryos to have children.
"Each of these children was still adopted while still an embryo and has been blessed with a chance to grow, to grow up in a loving family. These boys and girls are not spare parts," he said.
The veto came a day after the Senate defied Bush and approved the legislation, 63-37, four votes short of the two-thirds margin needed to override. White House officials and Republican congressional leaders claimed it was unlikely that Congress could override the veto.
Bush's support was the strongest in the House, which was expected to take up the veto as early as later Wednesday.
"We will go back and sustain his veto this afternoon," veto supporter Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa., told reporters at the White House after the event. "We had 52 votes to spare when it passed and I predict the House will sustain that veto."
Bush has supported federally funded research on only those stem cell lines created before Aug. 9, 2001, the date of his speech to the nation on the subject.
The president vetoed the measure shortly after it came to his desk. His position was politically popular among conservative Republicans, and it was sure to be an issue in the midterm congressional elections.
Announcing the veto, Bush was surrounded in the East Room by so-called "snowflake" families, those with children born through embryo donation.
"They remind us of what is lost when embryos are destroyed in the name of research. The remind us that we all begin our lives as a small collection of cells. And they remind us that in our zeal for new treatments and cures, America must never abandon our fundamental morals," Bush said.
He said the bill would have crossed a line and "once crossed, we would find it impossible to turn back."
At the same time, Bush announced he had signed another bill, passed unanimously in the House and Senate, that would pre-emptively ban "fetal farming," the prospect of raising and aborting fetuses for scientific research.
Moments after Bush spoke, the vetoed legislation was returned to Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., was quick to criticize the president's veto.
"I am pro-life, but I disagree with the president's decision to veto the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act," said Frist. "Given the potential of this research and the limitations of the existing lines eligible for federally funded research, I think additional lines should be made available."
Said Bush: "As science brings us every closer to unlocking the secrets of human biology, it also offers temptations to manipulate human life and violate human dignity. Our conscience in history as a nation demand that we resist this temptation.
"America was founded on the principle that we are all created equal and endowed by our creator with the right to life," he added. "We can advance the cause of science while upholding this founding promise. We can harness the promise of technology without becoming slaves to technology. And we can ensure that science serves the cause of humanity, instead of the other way around."
Pleadings from celebrities, a former first lady and fellow Republicans had failed to t move Bush. He acted after two days of often wrenching emotional debate in Congress, punctuated by stories of personal and family suffering, that had cast lawmakers into the intersection of politics, morality and science.
Strong majorities in the House and Senate joined sentiments with most Americans in passing the bill, which would have lifted restriction currently limiting federally funded research to stem cell lines created before Aug. 9, 2001.
"I expect that the House will sustain the president's veto," said House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in advance of Bush's action.
Disappointed lawmakers said they intended to keep pushing to lift the restrictions.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (news, bio, voting record), R-Utah said in advance that the veto "sets back embryonic stem cell research another year or so."
The Senate voted 63-37 on Tuesday, four votes short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a veto. The House last year fell 50 votes short of a veto-proof margin when it passed the same bill, 238-194.
Bush had made 141 veto threats during his time in office, and the Republicans controlling Congress typically respond by changing bills to his liking.
Bush's stand against embryonic stem cell research is popular among conservative Republicans whom the party will rely on in the congressional elections this fall. Many of those opponents are the same voters who have felt alienated by Bush's actions to increase legal immigration, and the veto could bring them back into the fold.
Although many in the religious right are passionately opposed to embryonic stem cell research, most Americans support it, and Bush risks alienating that majority in the critical midterm year.
___
On the Net:
Information on the bills, H.R. 810, S. 3504 and S. 2754, may be found at http://thomas.loc.gov
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060719/ap_on_go_pr_wh/stem_cells;_ylt=AtYhb9cW1nYMVocUqseyei.VVdgA;_ylu...
ROFL!
Spinning a Bad Report Card
By JOHN TIERNEY
Published: July 18, 2006
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/opinion/18tierney.html?th&emc=th
NYT select article... my take on it...
basically it says that private and public schools are neck in neck on student test scores... except that private schools spend about half as much
President Bush personally blocked Justice Department lawyers from pursuing an internal probe of the warrantless eavesdropping program
must be nice to be king
"Hey, global-warming doubters: Come to Alaska
Sitka, Alaska—Among the spectacular beauty of the glacier fields in Alaska, it is a discomfort to think of the impact of global warming.
Here is some stunning evidence: The glaciers are melting as much in five years as they did in 100 years in the previous century. These wonders will still be around in the next few generations, but how much longer is a scientific guess."
See article
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/mashekblog/archive/060717/hey_globalwarming_doubters_com.htm
#msg12078111
you're the one who is too lazy to copy the link while you are copying and pasting the article
exactly.
the date a statement was made can make a big difference in how to interpret it... and the source can also make a difference... there are some people who simply aren't worth reading or listening to becaues time and again their material has been shown to be inaccurate (to put it nicely)
you would be right :)
IMO it's common courtesy to provide links/references to articles one pastes... it's just a pet pieve of mine... and I feel those who don't do it as a matter of habit are trying to hide something
for happiness check out the PEACE board
thanks for the link... I could live without the newsmax popups lol
yeap... weird but ok... not great
lol "attributed to"?
no date, no link... no credibility
some of the data does go back father than 100 years... they are getting older data from drilling in artic ice... it's kind of like how tree rings can tell about rain/weather from hundreds of years ago...
only now?
just because some are just now awakening to it doesn't mean others didn't see it years ago