Tag Archives: news

The Email Backup Strategy Imperative

Posted on December 24, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Email use in business is already at record levels, and increasing fast. It is the most used for of communication between people, overtaking the phone by a long way. Email forms a “corporate memory,” a record of how a company conducts business, narratives on how it’s people behave, and a reference for those coming after. Email also forms core corporate knowledge, with messages passing back and forth on how to conduct business, solve problems or instructing new starters.

Despite all that, an email backup strategy is all too often ignored by many companies. Email has a remarkably low profile on the radar of many businesses despite its importance in the running of it. It’s often viewed as a tool that’s “just there,” and used accordingly.

Roughly two-thirds of American workers use email as part of their job function. They average between 60 and 200 work related emails each day. Add non-work related ones to the mix and you have a lot of traffic.

Despite the importance of the part played by email, the messaging systems alone do very little to help business manage data. The latest email systems have archives, and the ability to interact with archive servers, but still offer little in the way of comprehensive email backup.

For that we need a complete email backup strategy. One that incorporates external storage, effective archiving, indexing, security, compliance and resilience. Most of us are aware of the importance of resilience and server backups, but what about security?

Ask any corporate lawyer what their top business fears are, and they will inevitably mention email. It’s a terrific medium for communication, but can easily be used for other purposes. Any email backups need to be stored securely, and free from tampering. With the amount of proprietary knowledge contained in email, it’s a valuable commodity that would soon find a paying audience if it escaped into the wild.

Not only does business have to abide by statutory retention regulations, they have to be able to retain all that information for their own use. With the amount of business conducted via email, contracts passed and agreed, deals done and prices set, there needs to be a secure but accessible record of every single one.

So the imperative is to have a logical, organized and secure email backup system to preserve the functioning of the business. With email serving as the corporate memory and knowledge, it’s too important a resource to be casual about. When email works, its invaluable, when it doesn’t, it can be disastrous.

Not only can business grind to a halt, but important knowledge, contractual information and proprietary data can be lost. For those in regulated industries, it can also mean sanctions from the authorities if email isn’t available for inspection.

Imagine losing your own memory and how it would affect your daily life. Not knowing how to do aspects of your job, or what appointments you have for the next week. Now multiply that by however many employees your company has. How do you think that would affect how you do business?

Comments Off

Posted in Tech

Tagged , , , , , ,

Political Circus: ‘Rahmbo’ dodges egg

Posted on November 11, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — Politics is serious business — but not all of the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail, there’s always something that gets a laugh. Here are some of the things you might have missed:

Rough crowd

Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel — better known in some political quarters as “Rahmbo” — found himself the target of an incoming egg during a stop Wednesday in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, NBC Chicago reports. The egg missed Emanuel, who is expected to make an official announcement soon that he’s running for mayor — and the egg thrower remained unidentified, the TV station reported.

Not a fan

More trouble for Emanuel: His tenant Rob Halpin — who reportedly refuses to move from a house he’s been renting from Emanuel — said he will run for mayor of the Windy City, according to a column by John Kass in the Chicago Tribune.

Halpin’s refusal to leave could hurt Rahm’s candidacy, too: “Now Emanuel’s campaign is expected to be challenged in the courts, a legal maneuver backed by guys on the South Side who are part of the stop-Rahm movement,” Kass wrote. “And Halpin’s talk of candidacy highlights the argument that Rahm is not a resident.”

Time to build an addition on the house perhaps?

‘Real World’ Rehoboth Beach?

Christine O’Donnell — the Tea Party-backed Republican who came up short in Delaware’s Senate race — appeared Wednesday on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” Now that her schedule is free, O’Donnell said plenty of big opportunities are knocking on her door.

“The offers have been interesting,” she told Leno. “Anything from a book deal to a reality show.”

Notable quotable

“The Pentagon says it doesn’t know who was responsible for launching a missile off the California coast. They don’t know. Meanwhile Sasha and Malia [Obama] can’t believe the awesome new video game they just found in the White House.” — Jimmy Fallon

From the Twitterverse

Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Illinois, tweeted during his trip to South Korea, where negotiations for a U.S.-South Korea free-trade agreement are under way. Roskam may be working on a difficult subject, but he took time out to rib President Obama on his love for the teleprompter:

@PeterRoskam: The Teleprompters arrived safely, awaiting POTUS. #Korea http://plixi.com/p/56169133

Can’t see divorce from my house

In a new People magazine article, Sarah and Todd Palin shoot down tabloid rumors that they are on the verge of a $20 million divorce settlement.

“I call Todd on the cell phone [from the grocery checkout] and I say, ‘Todd, you won’t believe this cover!’ And he says, ‘Twenty million? Write me a check,’ ” Palin recounted to the magazine. “He’s good about laughing some of that stuff off.”

The picture you need to see

Someone missed his mark.

In this Getty Images photo, the caption notes, “Obama is moved to the correct spot by South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and his wife, Kim Yoon-Ok, for a photo during the official reception ahead of the G20 Working Dinner on November 11, 2010, at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.”

Headline of the day

“Chuck ‘Loko’ over caffeine” — New York Post story on Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York.

Late-night laughs

Stephen Colbert: “Things are terrible right now so they [congressional Republicans] are planning to make some bold changes. Yes — extending the existing tax cuts will create jobs. Because the only way out of this mess is to keep things exactly as they are.”

Conan O’Brien: “President George W. Bush has not been in the news for a long time. The day I come back on the air after a 10-month absence he returns — with a book.”

Jay Leno: “While in Indonesia, President Obama said he is making progress toward ending people’s misunderstanding about Muslims — like the fact that he isn’t one.”

David Letterman: “Bush says he’s happy and spends a lot of time down there at his ranch in Texas. He’s glad to be out of the Oval Office. And here’s why he’s glad to be out of the Oval Office: because he does not have to think all the time. And I’m thinking, ‘Wait … that was him thinking all the time?’”

Jon Stewart: “I can’t believe that cutting through our national security bureaucracy to find out something that may not have actually happened [the mysterious rocketlike cloud in California] takes longer than an hourlong cable news shift.”

Political Circus: ‘Rahmbo’ dodges egg

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, Video, security, tan

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Political Circus: McCain vs. Seacrest

Posted on November 5, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — Politics is serious business — but not all of the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail, there’s always something that gets a laugh. Here are some of the things you might have missed.

Fightin’ words

Radio host/jack-of-all-trades Ryan Seacrest lashed out on his website at Meghan McCain after she criticized President Obama’s decision to appear on Seacrest’s show before Tuesday’s election.

Seacrest fought back on his nationally syndicated radio show. “She thinks ["On Air with Ryan Seacrest"] is just lowbrow,” he said. “I just want to be clear — it is the lowbrow show she wanted to be on twice to come promote her stuff.”

As he says on “American Idol” — Seacrest out.

Like a scene from ‘Gone with the Wind’

From Friday’s White House pool report from political website The Daily Caller: “At 9:48 POTUS and FLOTUS exited the south Portico and boarded Marine One. POTUS wore no coat over his suit, but FLOTUS wore a fashionable tan or light brown coat. POTUS put his hand on FLOTUS’ back as they walked and looked over at her, appearing to say something. And with that, the first couple was off for southeast Asia.” (The abbreviations stand for “president of the United States” and “first lady of the United States.”)

Watch where you put that hatchet

Former Delaware Senate rivals Chris Coons and Christine O’Donnell took part Thursday in a time-honored tradition in the state by burying the hatchet — literally, The Delaware News Journal reports.

Time to make the coffee

The New York Daily News reports on former President George W. Bush’s daily ritual since leaving the White House, saying his “internal alarm clock” makes him wake up before 5 a.m. And he’s taken on a more domestic role by making coffee for his wife, Laura. When outside, it’s all adventure: “He hits dirt-bike trails around Dallas regularly.”

First chef of New York?

New York governor-elect Andrew Cuomo’s girlfriend — cooking sensation Sandra Lee — won’t be taking on the title of first lady or any official duties, the Daily News reports. Cuomo’s staff says Lee “would never expect any taxpayer dollar to support the contributions she makes nor would she want to burden the state in any way.”

Notable quotable

“Tuesday night, voters completely rejected the efforts of a charismatic African-American. … Rick Fox is off ‘Dancing with the Stars.’” — NBC’s Jay Leno

The picture you need to see

From Getty Images: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton receives a Hongi (Maori greeting) during a welcome ceremony at New Zealand’s Parliament on Thursday.

Headline of the day

From Reuters:“Putin to Bush: My dog bigger than yours”

Late-night laughs

David Letterman: “[Sarah Palin] says she wants limited government. … Does she mean fewer elected officials? Or few elected officials who will resign in the middle of their term? I think limited government will be perfect for her limited abilities.”

Jon Stewart mocking the White House press corps: “Uh, Mr. President, Tom Patterson, UPI. Do you suck? Quick follow-up: do you suck so bad you don’t even know how sucky you are? I would like your answer in the form of ‘you suck.’”

Jimmy Fallon: “In his new book, George W. Bush says he considered dropping Dick Cheney from the 2004 ticket because he wanted to demonstrate he was in charge — not Cheney. But then Cheney nixed the idea, so it went back to normal. He didn’t do it.”

Political Circus: McCain vs. Seacrest

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, Video, tan

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Campaign Circus: Ben Stein calls Miller a ‘clown’

Posted on October 25, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — As Election Day gets closer, the rhetoric gets more intense, interesting and, shall we say, passionate. Here are some things you might have missed.

Miller? Miller? Miller?

Ben Stein — famous for his role in the ’80s movie classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and his political/economic commentary — took to the pages of the Alaska Dispatch to blast Tea Party-backed Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller, calling him a “dangerous, stupid clown.”

Tell us how you really feel

Frank Caprio, the Democrat running to become Rhode Island’s next governor, did not hold back his anger when it was reported that President Obama would not endorse him. He said in a radio interview, “He can take his endorsement and really shove it as far as I’m concerned.”

Obama needs “correction”

Gov. Joe Manchin, the Democrat running for West Virginia’s Senate seat, issued a stern warning for the president when asked whether he should be re-elected, saying “Things have got to change.”

The magic of Photoshop

A new television ad is under fire for a photo of Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Michigan, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The problem? Schauer’s campaign says his rival, Republican Tim Walberg, Photoshopped two people out of the photo making it appear as though the Democrat and Pelosi were arm-in-arm.

Photo of the day: Harry Reid’s dance moves

If Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid fails to win re-election, he may have a backup plan: as a contestant on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.”

“Big Pimpin” for Obama in 2012

The New York Post reports that Obama’s strategists are eyeing rapper Jay-Z to campaign for the president as 2012 approaches. The targeted demographic: the youth and minority vote.

The Boss opens his wallet

Bruce Springsteen has decided to jump into the 2010 race by donating $2,400 to a fellow rocker taking the political plunge: John Hall, a former member of the band Orleans.

You know you’ve made it when …

“Saturday Night Live” parodies you. The latest person to feel the love is New York gubernatorial candidate Jimmy McMillan, running for the “Rent Is Too Damn High” party. Actor Keenan Thompson gets two gloves up from critics.

Campaign Circus: Ben Stein calls Miller a ‘clown’

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, tan

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

O’Donnell attacks then stumbles in debate

Posted on October 14, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Newark, Delaware (CNN) — A feistyChristine O’Donnell attacked her Democratic opponent but also stumbled in Wednesday’s debate with Chris Coons in their election battle for Delaware’s U.S. Senate held for nearly four decades by Vice President Joe Biden.

O’Donnell, the Tea Party backed candidate who upset the mainstream Republican favorite in the primary, appeared nervous at the start but quickly went on the attack, accusing Coons of raising taxes and offering a “rubber stamp” to Obama administration policies if elected.

“My opponent wants to go to Washington and rubber-stamp the spending bills” that she said are hurting the nation and Delaware.

Later, O’Donnell said, a vote for Coons would cost the average Delawarean $10,000 “instantly” in tax hikes and energy reform costs.

Coons emphasized his experience as New Castle County executive but also attacked O’Donnell, calling some of her positions extreme and accusing her of lying about his record in campaign messaging.

Both candidates framed the election as a clear choice for voters, with Coons taking mainstream Democratic stances on economic policy, health care and other issues, while O’Donnell backed Republican positions such as tax cuts and spending cuts to balance the budget.

The most serious problem for either candidate came when O’Donnell was asked to cite any specific recent Supreme Court rulings that she opposed.

“Oh gosh, give me a specific one,” she said, and when told the question required her come up with cases, O’Donnell responded, “I’m sorry,” and promised to put the information up later on her website.

Coons quickly referred to the Citizens United ruling in January in which the court lifted some limits on corporate contributions to campaign spending.

In a pattern throughout the debate, O’Donnell made broad statements that attacked Coons on various mainstream Democratic stances, sometimes with personal references to his political record and what she called a family business.

Offered the chance to respond, Coons several times expressed exasperation, saying at one point: “A fascinating question that really makes no sense. What’s she talking about?”

The debate produced a few humorous moments, such as when Coons said O’Donnell’s well-publicized statements from a decade earlier that she dabbled in witchcraft and questioned evolution theory were distractions instead of a substantive campaign issue.

“You’re just jealous that you weren’t on ‘Saturday Night Live’,” O’Donnell said, referring to the comedy show’s satirical skit about her.

“I’m dying to see who’s going to play me,” Coons responded with a smile.

O’Donnell scored a major upset last month when she defeated Rep. Mike Castle to win Delaware’s GOP Senate nomination.

She had support from the Tea Party Express, a major endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, as well as the strong anti-establishment and anti-incumbent feelings among voters this year in topping Castle, a moderate Republican who served nine terms in the House and eight years as governor before that.

Since O’Donnell’s primary victory, she has had to deal with controversial and colorful comments she made about a decade ago when she was a spokeswoman for conservative causes.

Her first campaign commercial began with O’Donnell declaring, “I am not a witch” in response to her statement years ago on the program “Politically Incorrect” that she “dabbled in witchcraft.”

She acknowledged in an interview with CNN that the resurfaced clips have forced her to reinvent herself in the final weeks of the campaign.

“I haven’t been embarrassed. And I’m not saying that I’m proud,” O’Donnell told CNN’s Jim Acosta last week. “I’ve matured in my faith. I’ve matured in my policies. Today you have a forty-something woman running for office, not a 20-year-old. So that’s a big difference.”

The debate at the University of Delaware in Newark was co-moderated by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and by longtime Delaware news anchor Nancy Karibjanian of Delaware First Media.

Results of a CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday showed Coons with a 19-point lead over O’Donnell. However, O’Donnell enjoys a lead in campaign cash, which is one reason both President Barack Obama and Biden are coming to Delaware on Friday to help Coons raise money.

O’Donnell, 41, ran unsuccessfully for Senate twice before, in 2006 and 2008. Since winning the primary, she’s had to deal with controversies involving unpaid income taxes and allegations of misusing campaign donations, as well as attacks from Democrats and some Republicans, including Karl Rove, on her qualifications.

Coons, the 47-year-old executive of New Castle County, the state’s most populous county, faced no serious opposition in the Democratic primary.

While he is running his first statewide campaign, Coons is neither a political novice nor a party outsider. In 1988, Coons served as a policy researcher for the failed Senate campaign of then-Lt. Gov. S.B. Woo.

He went on to earn a degree from Yale Law School, as well as a master’s in ethics from Yale Divinity School.

The winner in November will fill out the remaining four years of Biden’s final term in the Senate. Biden stepped down from his seat after his election in November 2008 as vice president.

Former Biden aide Ted Kaufman was named as an interim replacement, and did not seek a full term.

CNN’s Tom Cohen, Paul Steinhauser, Jim Acosta, and Bonnie Kapp contributed to this report.

O’Donnell attacks then stumbles in debate

Comments Off

Posted in Health, News, tan

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Obama focus of KY Senate debate

Posted on October 3, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — President Barack Obama was a central theme of a televised debate Sunday between Kentucky’s two U.S. Senate candidates.

Rand Paul, the Tea Party backed Republican who beat a mainstream GOP opponent in the primary, accused Democratic nominee Jack Conway of hewing to Obama’s agenda at the risk of the nation’s economic stability.

“I think this election really is about the president’s agenda,” Paul said. “Do you support the president’s agenda or do you not support it? I think his agenda’s wrong for America. I will stand up against President Obama’s agenda. And I think that’s what people in Kentucky want.”

Conway, the state’s attorney general, said that while he agreed with some Obama policies including health care reform, he would be an independent voice looking out for Kentucky.

Asked about his campaign ads and reported comments depicting Paul as “crazy,” Conway said: “I’m not saying Dr. Paul is crazy. I think some of his ideas are out of the mainstream and they’re out of touch with the values of normal Kentuckians.”

The debate moderated by “FOX News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace included accusations by Paul that Conway flip-flopped on some issues, first backing and now questioning cap-and-trade energy legislation and the expiration of some Bush-era tax cuts.

Video: Obama: ‘We cannot sit this out’

RELATED TOPICS

Conway denied changing positions but made clear that he now was firmly in the moderate camp on some hot-button issues, for example insisting that all the tax cuts should be extended.

Obama wants to extend the tax cuts for the 98 percent of the country earning up to $200,000 individually or $250,000 as families, while returning to higher tax rates of the 1990s for the 2 percent making more money.

Republicans, along with some Democrats — including Conway — say all the tax cuts should be extended as the economy slowly recovers from the recession.

Conway accused Paul of being out of touch with Kentuckians by advocating policies that he said were out of the 1930s. He repeatedly cited Paul’s past suggestion of a $2,000 deductible for Medicare coverage and reducing the federal role in mine safety regulations as examples.

Polls show Conway may be starting to erode a big lead by Paul in the race to fill the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Jim Bunning, a Hall of Fame baseball pitcher. The other senator– Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — holds the party’s highest post in the chamber.

Paul, an eye surgeon, is the son of Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.

Obama focus of KY Senate debate

Comments Off

Posted in Health, News, Politics, Video, economy, tan

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Welcome to the world of hashtag politics — or #politics

Posted on September 27, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — When a scuffle broke out at a candidate forum in Nevada last week between supporters of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican rival Sharron Angle, the fight didn’t end after tempers cooled. It simply moved over to the social media website Twitter, where the war of words in this nasty race continued.

One of Angle’s campaign managers, Jordan Gehrke, posted a tweet, a short message on Twitter, that accused Reid supporters of starting the fight. “Check out the video here of Reidbots screaming and heckling,” the tweet said.

The message included a link to a video that appears to show audience members at the forum shouting down Angle. That same tweet also included a hashtag — #dumpreid — made by attaching the # symbol to the message “dumpreid.” Twitter users who clicked on the #dumpreid link were taken to a feed of anti-Reid tweets.

Welcome to the new media world of hashtag politics, where the character attack is compressed into 140 characters — the website’s limit for tweets — and instantly blasted out to a campaign’s long list of “followers.”

“It was inevitable that negative politics would transform itself into social media. That’s exactly what’s happened,” said Larry Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

You don’t even need a complete sentence to change a campaign — just a phrase can change a campaign.
–Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics

“You don’t even need a complete sentence to change a campaign — just a phrase can change a campaign,” Sabato added.

Why pay for an attack ad when you can post a free attack tweet?

One recent Reid attack tweet — “Sharron Angle’s mocks health coverage for ‘autism’” — includes a link to a video that shows the Republican Senate candidate attacking mandates in the new health care law. Is it the tweet or the video that went viral? Answer: both.

Another Angle tweet, “Harry Reid’s plan to save the Nevada economy: coked-up stimulus monkeys,” was both acidic and inventive. Not only did it mock the real use of stimulus money to study the effects of illicit drugs on primates. The buzzworthy phrase “coked-up stimulus monkeys” was picked up by political writers across the country.

Campaign staffers are throwing mud via Twitter too. A tweet from an Angle campaign staffer refers to Reid’s handlers as “13 y/o girls.” And on it goes.

Video: Campaign Twitter wars

Video: Voters in a fighting mood

RELATED TOPICS

Michael Patrick Leahy, a Tea Party activist and co-creator of the hashtag #TCOT (or Top Conservatives on Twitter) said, “I think we’re about to enter a new era of American political history.”

Leahy’s “Tweeps” (Twitter slang for his followers) who click on #TCOT are transported to a virtual Tea Party, a nonstop feed where visitors tweet back and forth on the latest news in the conservative movement.

Leary’s website, tcotreport.com, ranks the top conservatives by number of followers on Twitter.

One of those “top conservatives,” former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has more than 250,000 followers on Twitter. Her tweets go out not only to her legions of fans, but also to the nation’s top political journalists, who are following Palin’s every tweet.

“She can just put out a tweet and generate headlines in the traditional media,” Sabato said.

Those journalists, many of whom are also prolific Twitter users, often “retweet” or redistribute Palin’s tweets to their own lists of followers.

“The retweeting is how it really gets out there,” Sabato added, noting that last weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the first debate in the epic 1960 presidential race between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

#timeshavechanged

Welcome to the world of hashtag politics — or #politics

Comments Off

Posted in Health, News, Politics, Video, economy, tan

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

5 things to watch in today’s primaries

Posted on September 14, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — Tuesday’s round of primaries in seven states and Washington, D.C., is the last big event in the run-up to November’s midterm elections. Hawaii holds the last nominating contest of this election cycle on Saturday.

Here are five things to watch for in Tuesday’s races:

Ugliness in Delaware: The Tea Party Express poured money into the insurgent campaign of Christine O’Donnell. She is challenging longtime congressman and former Gov. Mike Castle, who is backed by the party establishment, in Delaware’s Republican Senate primary. In some of the most vicious campaigning seen so far this year, Castle supporters have attacked O’Donnell, accusing her of defaulting on personal bills and not paying income taxes — which she denies — and calling her “delusional.”

Establishment Republicans think they have a shot at picking up Vice President Biden’s old Senate seat if Castle, a former governor, is their candidate, but don’t stand a chance if O’Donnell wins the primary. But O’Donnell, who’s been endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, says the attacks have backfired and only intensified support around her.

The state GOP chairman said he had received death threats because of his support of Castle and had moved his family out of their home. O’Donnell condemned the threats.

CNN’s Jessica Yellin reports on the Delaware GOP Senate race

Not as ugly to the north: Palin also endorsed a candidate in New Hampshire’s GOP Senate primary but finds herself opposite other leading conservatives.

Palin is backing former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, whom she calls a “granite grizzly” in a robo-call that she recorded for the candidate. But other conservatives — including local Tea Party groups, influential Sen. Jim DeMint and the state’s largest newspaper, the Manchester Union Leader — are backing Ayotte’s opponent, Manchester attorney Ovide Lamontagne, who was the party’s nominee for governor in 1996.

Ayotte was encouraged to get into the race by national Republicans and has been the frontrunner in the seven-candidate field. But recent polls show Lamontagne closing the gap.

On Monday, Joseph McQuaid, the conservative publisher of the Union Leader, blasted outsider influence on the race. In a front-page editorial, McQuaid wrote that Lamontagne “has rallied New Hampshire grassroots conservatives while Ayotte has attracted the big-name, let’s-be-moderate types who want a candidate who will move to the squishy middle in November.”

CNN’s Paul Steinhauser previews the New Hampshire GOP Senate primary

Rangel’s toughest fight: Rep. Charlie Rangel has represented New York’s 15th Congressional District for 40 years, but with a trial on ethics violations pending in the House, the 80-year-old congressman has attracted five challengers hoping to unseat him.

Rangel is expected to stand trial later this month on allegations of income tax and financial disclosure violations and that he used his influence to solicit donations for a college policy center which bears his name. The accusations forced him to step down from his post as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

Among those challenging Rangel are state Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV, son of the scandal-plagued former congressman whom Rangel unseated in 1970.

CNN’s Mary Snow reports on Rangel’s biggest challenge

Mayor’s race has national implications: First-term Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty’s tough re-election fight could carry implications for the national debate over education reform.

Fenty was elected in 2006 partly because of his promises to fix the district’s ailing schools. He brought in an aggressive reformer as his schools chancellor, who closed schools and fired hundreds of teachers.

While the schools still lag behind national averages, test scores have improved. But Chancellor Michelle Rhee has drawn the enmity of local and national teachers’ unions — and that, in part, has the incumbent trailing D.C. City Council Chairman Vincent Gray in polls just before the vote.

Education reform advocates fear that a Fenty loss will dissuade politicians across the country from pursuing similar aggressive efforts.

CNN’s Kate Bolduan looks at the D.C. mayor’s race

Other races

• In New York, Tea Party-backed Carl Paladino is challenging party favorite Rick Lazio in the GOP governor’s race. The winner will face Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

• In Wisconsin, there are competitive races in the Republican gubernatorial and Senate primaries.

• The Republican gubernatorial primary is the top race in Maryland.

• The Democratic primary in Massachusetts’ 10th Congressional District got national attention over the weekend when Norfolk District Attorney Bill Keating, who is facing state Sen. Rob O’Leary, chased down a purse snatcher from a restaurant.

For the latest primary news, go to CNN’s Political Ticker

5 things to watch in today’s primaries

Comments Off

Posted in Education, News, Politics, tan

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

600: Perils of a presidential pen pal

Posted on September 11, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — Not long before he took office, President Barack Obama said something I am sure he now regrets. “There are a lot of people who seem to think they know how to run this country. I hope they’ll let me hear from them.” At least I think I remember him saying something like that. Anyway, it was a huge mistake, because I have now written 600 letters to the White House. One every day since he was inaugurated. It started as a joke. I thought the idea of sending armchair advice to the Leader of the Free World was funny and my first letter was really little more than congratulations.

Read the first letter

But after I posted letters on the “AC360″ blog for 10 days, a lot of readers liked them, so I extended the string to the first month. Then the first 100 days. Then 200. And now, I have written enough to fill two books. And yes, I am aware that this can look like either dedication or mental illness, depending on your point of view.

Most of the letters are funny, or at least they make me laugh. Like the one I wrote about his fancy new presidential limo.

Mr. President, How’s the 6,000-pound beast?

But plenty are serious, too. I’ve written about swine flu, Haiti, the Middle East, the wars and of course the economy. I’ve taken the president to task now and then; for example, when he wrote to the big guy in North Korea instead of me, his dedicated pen pal.

Wait a minute, Mr. Postman

I’ve written about my own personal struggles and triumphs, such as being trapped in Indianapolis, Indiana, by a blizzard while my beloved Saints played the Colts in the Super Bowl.

Trapped in Indiana

Sometimes I depart from my regular fare to share events in my life that have shaped my views, like a long story about when I first encountered racism as a child.

When I discovered racism

Grinding out so many full-length letters has not always been easy, especially in our increasingly shorthand, e-mailing, texting world; OMG LOL. After all, I do have a day job. Many nights, long after the Washington newsmakers are asleep and my family is, too, I sit in the darkness of our living room typing away while the dog snoozes at my feet. Happens on the road in hotels, too. I mean, without the dog, of course.

I considered actually mailing the letters at the start, but decided that if I had to keep up with stamps, envelopes and figuring out how to print on the road I’d give up. Plus, he’s a very hi-tech president, so online posting seems adequate. Although who knows? Despite regular invitations for him to call, write back or come by to play air hockey, he’s never responded.

But plenty of readers have. Some have been complimentary, like C.A. Mortenson. “You know every time I get my mind set on something you guys come along and make me re-think things. Thanks.” Or Mary MacElveen “Your letter is by far one of THE most thought-provoking and powerful letters I have read in a long time.” Or Moneca, “Amen, Mr. Foreman. Amen.” It always makes me vaguely uncomfortable when someone calls me Mr. Foreman, btw. I prefer just Tom.

At least, I prefer Tom to what some obviously want to call me. Like Mariah from Texas. “Are you crazy?” Or Helen when she finally found something she agreed with, presumably after a lot of reading. “CNN should find a better job for you. That is the first letter you wrote that makes sense.” That made me laugh, because I’ve felt that way about other writers sometimes.

Many readers have urged me to keep on, and others have begged me to stop. I appreciate them all. I have probably been most touched by people who simply express a heartfelt connection over the miles, like when I wrote about Michael Jackson’s death and Windy responded, “Thank you for such a nice letter, I feel the same way.” And I’m flattered when someone reposts a favorite, such as the letter I wrote about rebuilding New Orleans.

Where is the safe house?

I made a few simple rules for myself. First, I don’t pick sides. I can offer analysis, ideas and general observations, but not conclusions beyond the common sense kind. Second, I try to be encouraging. Third, I respect the presidency. Although I write in a familiar tone, I never refer to President Obama (nor would I refer to any president) as “my friend,” or “pal.”

“How long are you going to do this?”

That’s the question so many people ask, and the honest answer is, “I don’t know.” Every time I reach a milestone like this one, I think I should call it quits. But I enjoy the process, heaven knows I need the practice writing and I don’t want to disappoint the people who now count on these letters every day, including my mother. So on it goes. I have considered doing it for the rest of my life. I know it’s not exactly the Lewis and Clark journals, but such letters, written concurrently with the events of our world, are an unusual historic record if nothing else.

I will almost certainly continue through the next presidential election in 2012. And I’d hate to abandon the current president during the critical changeover from first term to second should he win, and if the White House passes into other hands … well, why should the next president get a break?

600: Perils of a presidential pen pal

Comments Off

Posted in News, Tech, economy

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Rubio: ‘I represent the things I stand for’

Posted on September 8, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Miami, Florida (CNN) — For Marco Rubio, life was simpler when it was tea time all the time.

When he was gunning for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Florida, the former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives aggressively courted the state’s conservative Tea Party activists. That strategy worked. Rubio was suddenly a Tea Party favorite. His stunning rise in the polls forced Florida’s more moderate governor, Charlie Crist, to bolt the GOP primary to run as an independent.

But the race is now more complicated, with Rubio competing in a three-way battle royal against both Crist and the Democratic nominee, South Florida Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Rubio’s grass-roots campaign has put together a team of high-powered Washington and Texas-based GOP consultants. Over the summer, this son of Cuban exiles distanced himself from Tea Partiers on one of the conservative movement’s key issues, Arizona’s tough anti-illegal immigration law.

“The original law allowed for racial profiling. I don’t think they intended that. I don’t believe they did. But the original language in that law allowed for racial and ethnic profiling. And they changed that, to their credit, a week later. They passed a bill that changed that,” Rubio said.

Still, Rubio doesn’t want even the amended Arizona legislation to become the law of the land. “I don’t think the Arizona bill should serve as a model for the rest of the country,” he added.

Video: Marco Rubio’s changing message?

RELATED TOPICS

In an interview with CNN, Rubio blamed both parties for the nation’s problems and said he plans to be his own man if elected to the Senate. “I represent the things I stand for,” Rubio said.

Tea Party activists in Florida still support Rubio. But one of the movement’s leaders, South Florida Tea Party Chairman Everett Wilkinson, says he will be watching Rubio’s moves closely. “When you send a politician to Washington, you’re always worried whether you’re going to get the same guy back,” Wilkinson said.

One of the biggest worries among Tea Partiers is that Rubio will be another Scott Brown. The Massachusetts Republican had the backing of the Tea Party in his race to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. But as a senator, Brown has shown his own independent streak and has voted on occasion with the Democrats. Not to fear, says Rubio, who is set to speak at a Tea Party rally in Florida later this month.

But the 39-year-old Republican nominee has good reason to consider a move to the political middle in this swing state. Crist’s new ads tout the governor as a fresh independent voice, forcing both Rubio and Meek to defend their respective political bases.

That’s created a fascinating sideshow in this three-ring political circus: an alliance of sorts between the Tea Party-backed Rubio and Meek. Nearly every day, both the Rubio and Meek campaigns send out e-mails blasting Crist. One of Meek’s e-mails showcases a recent newspaper editorial in Florida that slammed Crist as a “campaign chameleon.”

“Charlie Crist is trying to be indefinable in this race. And that has an expiration date on it. And that date has come and passed,” Meek said in an interview with CNN. Crist declined to be interviewed for this story.

“I think people deserve to know what the next U.S. senator from Florida is going to be about,” Rubio said. “The last thing we need in Florida is a political opportunist.”

Rubio: ‘I represent the things I stand for’

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, Video, tan

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,