Tag Archives: news

Obama promises new jobs initiatives

Posted on September 3, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — President Obama went on the offensive Friday on the politically critical issue of job creation, promising to lay out a broad package of ideas next week and slamming Senate Republicans for blocking passage of his administration’s small business aid legislation.

Obama renewed his call for the languishing bill in the wake of Friday’s release of new unemployment figures. The jobless rate, according to the Labor Department, rose from 9.5 percent to 9.6 percent in August.

The economy lost a total of 54,000 jobs last month. Most of the losses, however, came from the public sector as the government cut 114,000 temporary census workers. Private businesses added 67,000 jobs to their payrolls.

August was the eighth straight month that businesses added jobs, following nearly two straight years of job losses. So far this year businesses have added 763,000 workers to payrolls.

“That’s positive news,” Obama said at the White House, flanked by his top economic advisers. It “reflects steps we’ve already taken to break the back of this recession.”

Video: Bernanke on ‘too big to fail’ problem

Video: Good time to buy a house?

RELATED TOPICS

But he warned, “There’s no quick fix to the worst recession we’ve experienced since the Great Depression.”

Senate Republicans, he said, were responsible for a “needless delay” in the passage of legislation designed to increase bank loans to small businesses. Specifically, the measure would set up a $30 billion lending fund to help community banks offer small businesses credit. It also would provide tax breaks to small businesses that invest in new equipment and hire unemployed workers.

The House of Representatives passed a similar bill in June. Republican opposition has focused, among other things, on the cost of the measure.

Republicans lashed back at the president, blaming him for what most observers still characterize as a weak recovery.

“Today’s jobs report is a clear demonstration that the American economy still has a long way to go,” said Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House minority whip.

“The policies being pursued by the White House and Democrat leaders in Washington continue to create uncertainty and fear that is inhibiting productivity, innovation and job creation.”

In a statement, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said, “With 54,000 more Americans finding themselves out of work this month and unemployment rising to 9.6 percent, President Obama’s ‘Recovery Summer’ has ended right where it began, with Americans continuing to lose their jobs and unable to find new ones.”

Obama defended his decision to push the “Recovery Summer” theme.

“I don’t regret the notion that we are moving forward … because of the steps that we’ve taken,” he told reporters. “The key point I’m making right now is that the economy is moving in a positive direction. … We just have to speed it up.”

Christina Romer, head of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, said the “Recovery Summer” theme was chosen to reflect that a large number of projects funded by the $862 billion stimulus act came to fruition — a fact reflected in an uptick in the number of construction jobs.

Republicans have criticized the stimulus package for adding to the national debt while failing to boost economic growth sufficiently.

CNN’s Paul Steinhauser and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report.

Obama promises new jobs initiatives

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, Video, economy

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Political comeback for Blagojevich?

Posted on August 22, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Sunday that he is not ruling out a return to politics once the legal process against him winds down.

The disgraced governor, who is accused of corruption for trying to sell President Barack Obama’s former senate seat, said he is certain he will be acquitted and then would consider a political comeback

A jury that considered the case this month was hung on all but one count, finding Blagojevich guilty of making false statements to the FBI. He now faces a retrial.

“My adult life was serving the people as a congressman, as a governor. It’s what I know,” Blagojevich said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I’m not ruling myself out as coming back, because I will be vindicated in this case. I’m significantly closer to vindication than I ever was.”

The former governor said the fact that he didn’t present a defense in the first trial and was not found guilty on the corruption charges showed that the government lacked the evidence that he did anything wrong.

In the second trial, Blagojevich said he would mount a defense that would include calling players such as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Sens. Harry Reid and Robert Menendez to the stand.

“I’m ready for Round 2,” he said.

Political comeback for Blagojevich?

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, tan

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

Waters to address ethics charges

Posted on August 13, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, who is under investigation by the House ethics committee, will personally plead her case to reporters in a 10 a.m. news conference on Capitol Hill Friday.

The 10-term congresswoman is alleged to have helped steer federal bailout money to a bank in which her husband had a financial stake.

In an appearance on the Tom Joyner Morning Show on Tuesday, Water said she has not been given due process and that she “will not be a sacrificial lamb for anyone.”

She also said she was not guilty of any violations and wants to go on trial.

Video: Waters denies allegations

Video: Rangel: ‘Not asking for leniency’

On Friday, Waters is expected to read a prepared statement and also answer questions.

The House ethics committee released a report Monday detailing three counts against Waters and rejected her request for the charges to be dismissed.

The 71-year-old Waters has been pushing the ethics panel to set a trial date before the midterm elections in November.

But she said Tuesday in the radio interview she doesn’t expect that request to be granted.

“That’s one of the issues of not having due process. When in the heck are you going to set up this hearing? We are on break and we don’t think it’s going to be before the November election,” she said.

Waters, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, helped arrange a meeting in September, 2008, between Massachusetts-based OneUnited Bank and Treasury Department officials, according to ethics investigators.

OneUnited Bank ultimately received $12 million in bailout funds.

According to the report, Waters’ husband owned almost 4,000 shares of OneUnited stock at the time of the meeting. The shares had declined in value from more than $350,000 in June to $175,000 at the end of September — the height of the Wall Street financial crisis.

Waters, according to a separate preliminary report, called then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson “and requested that Treasury Department officials meet with representatives from the National Bankers Association,” an organization representing more than 100 minority-owned banks.

“A meeting was in fact granted, however, the discussion at the meeting focused on a single bank — OneUnited. Rep. Waters’ husband had been a board member of the bank from 2004 to 2008 and, at the time of the meeting, was a stock holder of the bank,” the report said.

But Waters reiterated Tuesday that “the meeting was set up for NBA — for all the minority bankers. Just like you have a representative for the chamber of commerce or for the Realtors, etc., that’s what the meeting was for.”

The report also states that Waters approached Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, to say that she was “in a predicament because her husband had been involved in the bank, but ‘OneUnited people’ were coming to her for help.”

Waters, “according to [Frank] … knew she should say no, but it bothered her. It was clear to [Frank] that this was a ‘conflict of interest problem.’”

Frank’s advice to Waters, the report states, was to ‘stay out of it.’”

In the Tom Joyner Show interview Tuesday, Waters admitted she had spoken to Frank, but described the circumstances much differently than the report.

“I didn’t go to him for advice. I went to him and told him, ‘These are your constituents. They are headquartered in your district and they are now trying to find TARP. We’re representing the National Bankers Association,’” Waters said.

“So then I said, ‘Perhaps you need to take a look at this’ and he said, ‘Fine. Don’t worry. You don’t have anything to do with this. I will take care of it.’ And, as a result of that, he started to work on it.” she said.

The report released Monday stated that Waters “agreed to refrain from advocating on behalf of OneUnited,” but failed to instruct her chief of staff, Mikael Moore, from doing so.

Following the September 9 meeting between Treasury and National Bankers Association officials, Moore “was actively involved in assisting OneUnited representatives with their request for capital from Treasury and crafting legislation to authorize Treasury to grant the request” for financial assistance, the report said.

“Reasonable” people could construe Moore’s “continued involvement in assisting OneUnited as the dispensing of special favors or privileges to OneUnited,” the report concluded.

Waters refuted that allegation as well Tuesday.

“If you’re going to wrap this all around creating these violations because I failed to supervise my staff, it doesn’t hold water, they don’t have any proof of that and I maintain that I want to go to trial or whatever they want to call it — adjudicatory hearing — because I think I don’t deserve this,” she said.

Waters is the second high-ranking Democrat now facing a public ethics trial this fall. New York Rep. Charlie Rangel, the former chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, has been accused of 13 violations of House rules involving alleged financial wrongdoing and harming the credibility of Congress.

The prospect of inquiries into the two high-profile Democrats has compounded the fears of congressional Democrats nervous about their prospects in mid-term elections in November.

The growing likelihood of trials for Waters and Rangel also adds the explosive element of race to the political equation. Both representatives are leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, and OneUnited Bank is one of the largest minority-owned banks in America.

Waters alluded to race Tuesday on Joyner’s show, which is broadcast over the Internet on BlackAmericaWeb.com.

“The OCE [Office of Congressional Ethics] is poorly constructed. You don’t know who is charging you with what or brought a claim against you or who brought the information to the OCE… of all the information claimed or accusations brought to them, they think that African-Americans are the only ones who they move further with investigation on,” she said.

CNN’s Alan Silverleib contributed to this report

Waters to address ethics charges

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, Video

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Former Sen. Ted Stevens remembered

Posted on August 10, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — Former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska was killed in a plane crash Monday. Stevens served more time in the U.S. Senate than any Republican in history.

Colleagues from his Senate days and others who knew him remembered Stevens on Tuesday, as news of his death was confirmed.

President Barack Obama

“A decorated World War II veteran, Senator Ted Stevens devoted his career to serving the people of Alaska and fighting for our men and women in uniform. Michelle and I extend our condolences to the entire Stevens family and to the families of those who perished alongside Senator Stevens in this terrible accident.”

President George H.W. Bush

“Barbara and I mourn the tragic loss of Senator Ted Stevens, a respected friend of longstanding, and send our most sincere condolences to his family. Ted Stevens loved the Senate; he loved Alaska; and he loved his family — and he will be dearly missed.”

Gov. Sean Parnell, (R) Alaska

“Senator Ted Stevens fought hard for our future in Alaska. He was larger than life. Ted was a lion who retreated before nothing. He was a devoted husband… a loving father. His impact on Alaska will live on in future generations.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, (R) Alaska

“(Monday) night, Alaska lost a hero and I lost a dear friend. The thought of losing Ted Stevens, a man who was known to business and community leaders, Native chiefs and everyday Alaskans as ‘Uncle Ted,’ is too difficult to fathom. His entire life was dedicated to public service — from his days as a pilot in World War II to his four decades of service in the United States Senate. He truly was the greatest of the ‘Greatest Generation.’ The love and respect that Alaskans of all persuasions feel toward Ted Stevens is on a par with what the American people felt towards leaders such as John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ronald Reagan. Ted had the vision of a John Kennedy that Alaskans are an exceptional people who would achieve great things in his lifetime; the compassion of a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in devoting his life to alleviating the Third World conditions that plagued Alaska’s Native people; and the unwavering strength of a Ronald Reagan whether fighting for the men and women of our military or for Alaska’s right to develop ANWR and its abundant natural resources.”

Sen. Mark Begich, (D) Alaska

“Alaska has lost one of its greatest statesmen and a true pioneer of our state with the passing of Senator Ted Sevens. Over his four decades of public service in the U.S. Senate, Senator Stevens was a forceful advocate for Alaska who helped transform our state in the challenging years after statehood. Senator Stevens’ many contributions to Alaska are enormous and his legacy of fierce devotion to Alaska will be long-lasting.”

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden

“We at NASA are deeply saddened by today’s news that former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and others were killed in a plane crash in Alaska that also injured former NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe and his son, Kevin. As a longtime supporter of NASA, Sen. Stevens made lasting contributions to our agency and our country. We at NASA mourn his loss and send our deepest condolences to his family, as well as the families and friends of all who perished in the accident. We also send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Sean, Kevin, and other survivors of the crash. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) Kentucky/Minority Leader

“It is with deep sadness that Elaine and I note the passing of a friend and former colleague, Senator Ted Stevens. In the history of our country, no one man has done more for one state than Ted Stevens. His commitment to the people of Alaska and his nation spanned decades, and he left a lasting mark on both. From his early military service as a pilot in World War II, to his involvement in the statehood of ‘The Last Frontier,’ to his fierce support and defense of our nation’s military, Ted Stevens was always there, fighting for what he believed in, and usually winning. He was a force to be reckoned with, and we will miss him greatly.”

Sen. Daniel Inouye, (D) Hawaii

“Irene and I are deeply saddened by the tragic death of our dear friend, and my brother, Ted Stevens. Our friendship was a very special one. When it came to policy, we disagreed more often than we agreed, but we were never disagreeable with one another. We were always positive and forthright. Senator Stevens and I worked together to ensure that the small non-contiguous states of Hawaii and Alaska were not forgotten by the lower 48 and to ensure that the nation awoke to the importance of the Pacific for our economy and international relations. I will never forget him.”

Sen. Orrin Hatch, (R) Utah

“Today, America lost a legend, a patriot and a gentle warrior who never stopped fighting for his beloved state of Alaska or for what he believed in. Ted Stevens is irreplaceable — his fierce loyalty and spirit remain unrivalled in the United States Senate. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will always live on.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina

“I’m very sad to hear of the passing of former Senator Ted Stevens. Senator Stevens was a decorated World War II veteran, and he was truly loved by the people of Alaska. As the longest serving Republican senator in history, he lived a life of incredible accomplishment. He will be greatly missed.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman, (I) Connecticut

“America has lost a great patriot; the state of Alaska has lost a founding father; and I have lost a dear friend. I am deeply saddened by Ted’s death. I knew him for many years as a valued friend, a neighbor and a colleague. We shared many great experiences and I am grateful for all of the wisdom he offered me personally. I treasure the example he set in his career of devoted service to this country in the United States Army Air Force, the United States Senate, and through the many important causes that he championed for the state of Alaska and throughout our country. We, his colleagues and his friends, were particularly blessed with the opportunity to have learned from Ted, who was always doggedly determined to serve the best interests of the people and state that he loved so much. Our occasional differences on legislative issues never adversely affected our abiding friendship. Ted was a giant of the United States Senate, and at a time of extreme political polarization, he inspired a spirit of bipartisanship by reaching across the aisle.”

Sen. Mary Landrieu, (D) Louisiana

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of my former colleague and friend, Senator Ted Stevens. Ted was a skilled legislator who mastered the art of principled compromise for the betterment of Alaska and the nation.

“I took a trip to Alaska with Ted in 2007 and quickly found his fingerprints in every corner of the state — from Alaska’s largest cities to the most remote Native villages. Ted always said, ‘To hell with politics. Do what is best for Alaska.’ He never apologized for fighting for his state, and Alaska is better for it today. Ted’s work continues to touch the lives of millions of Americans through his strong support for our military, revolutionizing the nation’s fishing industry, his establishment of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and his persistent efforts to achieve American energy independence.”

Michael Steele, RNC Chairman

“It is with deep regret that I learned of former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens’ tragic death in (Monday) night’s plane crash in Alaska. Our sympathies go out to the Stevens family and all who have lost a loved one. Senator Stevens had a long and active career serving the people of Alaska in the United States Senate and was revered for his unparalleled effectiveness at fighting for his home state interests. He was a colleague and friend to many in the Senate but he was a champion for the people of Alaska. He will be missed.”

Rep. Dave Obey, (D) Wisconsin

“Ted Stevens and I agreed on issues about once a century, but I always enjoyed and appreciated working with him because you always knew exactly where he stood. There was no guile about him. He devoted his life to the State of Alaska, which he dearly loved, and fought for it every day of his life with conviction and passion.”

Sen. John Cornyn, (R) Texas

“This is a sad day for the state of Alaska and our entire nation. When I came to the Senate in 2002, Ted Stevens was already one of the longest serving Republican senators in history. His public service began with his military service in World War II and ended more than 60 years later. He was a dedicated, passionate and faithful public servant for the people of Alaska. But the role he cherished the most was that of husband, father and grandfather.”

Ken Salazar, secretary of the Interior

“Senator Stevens was a friend and colleague. From his courage in World War II, his work for Alaska statehood and his time at the Department of the Interior to his years of leadership in the U.S. Senate, Senator Stevens left behind a lifetime of service. We have lost a dedicated public servant for our country, the United States Senate, and Alaska.”

Dennis DeConcini, former senator (D) Arizona

DeConcini said he had been contacted by Stevens’ staff to see whether he wanted to go on a trip to China with other former senators in November. “I said yes,” DeConcini said, “and I wrote him a note about it; I said, ‘Thanks for thinking of us, we look forward to seeing you.’” DeConcini said only three days ago he got back a handwritten note from Stevens, saying, “I look forward to seeing you. I’m on my way to a fishing trip in Alaska, I’ll call you when I get back.” DeConcini told CNN’s Rick Sanchez he had dinner with Stevens in April. He praised Stevens for being helpful to Arizona’s veterans and Native Americans. “I’m always indebted to him,” DeConcini said. When asked how Stevens was in April, DeConcini said, “He seemed to be doing relatively well, considering all the tragedies and difficulties he’d been through.” DeConcini said he talked to Stevens not long after charges had been dismissed against him. “He said, ‘Well, those things take a toll on you, Dennis.’ And I said, yeah, I know what you mean.” DeConcini called Stevens a “tough guy. He was a strong man. He believed in his state. Sometimes he went overboard when it came to the ‘Bridge to No Place,’ but I saw the clinics he built for the veterans and Native Americans. …

“We used to kid him. We said they’re going to rename that state ‘Stevens,’ you’ve done so much for ‘em.”

Bob Francis, former NTSB vice chair

“Sen. Stevens was probably the biggest advocate in the Senate for aviation safety. And he basically volunteered the state of Alaska for the test program for the next generation of air traffic control. He was enormously knowledgeable. You can see by the amount of activity that is associated with him in Alaska. But he was always not only in the vanguard of aviation safety in Alaska but nationally.”

Sarah Palin, (R) former Alaskan governor

“It’s with great sadness that Todd and I hear the reports coming in of Senator Ted Stevens’ passing in the plane crash near Dillingham. In our land of towering mountains and larger than life characters, none were larger than the man who in 2000 was voted ‘Alaskan of the Century.’ This decorated World War II pilot was a warrior and a true champion of Alaska. In 40 years of service in the U.S. Senate, he fought tenaciously for Alaska’s future. Alaskans know how much we owe to Senator Stevens, but all Americans owe him a debt of gratitude for his leadership on many issues, including the crucial energy issues that fuel American prosperity. Two years ago, he sat at my kitchen table over a salmon lunch, and we talked about our long anticipated Alaska natural gas pipeline and our mutual commitment to have the Last Frontier’s rich resources contribute to America’s quest for energy independence. Our senator was also known for spearheading efforts to ensure equality in education, and his Title IX legislation allowed girls to be on a level playing field in the athletic arena.”

Jack Gerard, president and CEO American Petroleum Institute

“We are saddened (Tuesday) by the news that former Senator Ted Stevens has died in a plane crash. Ted Stevens loved Alaska and cared deeply about his constituents. He understood the importance of the oil and natural gas industry, and he worked tirelessly to help secure a stronger energy future for Alaskans and all Americans.

Former Sen. Ted Stevens remembered

Comments Off

Posted in Education, News, Politics, economy

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Judge overturns California’s ban on same-sex marriage

Posted on August 4, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — A federal judge in California on Wednesday struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, ruling that voter-approved Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution — handing supporters of gay rights a major victory in a case that both sides say is sure to wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 136-page opinion, issued by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco, is an initial step in what will likely be a lengthy fight over California’s Proposition 8, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

At stake in the trial was whether California’s ban on same-sex marriage violates gay couples’ rights to equal protection and due process, as protected by the U.S. Constitution.

The high-profile case is being watched closely by both supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage, as many say it is destined to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. If it does, the case could result in a landmark decision on whether people in the United States are allowed to marry people of the same sex.

Video: ‘Today we eliminate discrimination’

Video: ‘This is just the first document’

Video: Same-sex marriage ban overturned

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in five U.S. states and in the District of Columbia, while civil unions are permitted in New Jersey. The five states are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa and New Hampshire.

“Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples,” Walker, who was appointed to the federal bench by former President Ronald Reagan, wrote in his opinion.

“Race restrictions on marital partners were once common in most states but are now seen as archaic, shameful or even bizarre,” he added. “Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.”

In a separate order, Walker also granted supporters of Proposition 8 a temporary stay, which stops his decision from taking immediate effect. They had argued, prior to his ruling, that same-sex marriages would be performed soon after his decision and could be complicated by rulings and appeals farther down the legal road.

LINKS

PDF: Ruling on Proposition 8

Reaction to the ruling

iReport.com: Your reaction

RELATED TOPICS

Walker gave both sides in the case until Friday to submit their responses to the order.

Elated supporters of same-sex marriage gathered to celebrate the judge’s opinion in the Castro district of San Francisco. After speeches and songs, they began a march to city hall. People waved rainbow flags and U.S. flags, and carried signs that read, “We all deserve the freedom to marry,” and “Separate is Unequal.” Similar rallies unfolded in cities across California — including Los Angeles and San Diego.

“For our entire lives, our government and the law have treated us as unequal. This decision to ensure that our constitutional rights are as protected as everyone else’s makes us incredibly proud of our country,” said Kristin Perry, a plaintiff.

Perry and Sandy Stier, along with Jeffrey Zarrillo and Paul Katami, are the two couples at the heart of the case, which if appealed would go next to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before possibly heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Opponents of same-sex marriage have said their best bet lies with higher courts, and vowed to appeal the federal judge’s ruling.

In a national survey, conducted by Gallup in May, 53 percent of respondents said same-sex marriages should not be recognized by law, while 44 percent said they should.

Proposition 8 is part of a long line of seesaw rulings, court cases, debates and protests over the controversial issue of same-sex marriage. It passed in California with some 52 percent of the vote in November 2008.

“Big surprise! We expected nothing different from Judge Vaughn Walker, after the biased way he conducted this trial,” said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. “With a stroke of his pen, Judge Walker has overruled the votes and values of 7 million Californians who voted for marriage as one man and one woman.”

Judge overturns California’s ban on same-sex marriage

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, Video

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

Cheney out of intensive care after heart surgery last month

Posted on August 1, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney remains hospitalized after heart surgery last month but is out of the intensive care unit and could return home this week, his daughter said Sunday.

Liz Cheney said on “Fox News Sunday” that her father planned to resume fly-fishing and hunting after the operation more than three weeks ago in which doctors implanted a small pump in his heart.

Cheney has a history of heart problems, including five heart attacks, and the procedure he underwent is used in severe cases that require a mechanical pump to keep the circulation going, said Dr. Tim Gardner, former president of the American Heart Association.

Gardner was not involved in Cheney’s treatment.

Cheney suffered his first heart attack in 1978 at age 37. He also suffered heart attacks in 1984 and 1988, and underwent a quadruple bypass surgery to unblock his arteries.

Shortly after Cheney was elected vice president in November 2000, he had a fourth heart attack and received a stent to open an artery.

In February, Cheney suffered his fifth heart attack.

Cheney out of intensive care after heart surgery last month

Comments Off

Posted in News

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

Midterms put focus on Afghan draw-down

Posted on August 1, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — Less than a year from the scheduled start of withdrawing some troops from Afghanistan, opinions remain varied about exactly what will happen when the transition begins at the end of June 2011.

The Obama administration has made clear some troops — no one can say how many — will start withdrawing by next July from stable areas where Afghan forces can provide security.

However, questions over how to measure success and whether the almost 9-year-old war is worth the continuing U.S. investment in lives and resources are gaining prominence as congressional midterm elections approach in November.

In interviews with military and political leaders broadcast Sunday, scenarios presented on what happens next year ranged from guarded optimism to serious concern. While most views followed expected party talking points, all appeared grounded in the common belief that success is vital even as they differed on what it would be.

On CNN’s “State of the Union,” Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan defended the planned troop drawdown next year as a necessary part of strategy.

Video: Levin: ‘Mixed picture’ in Afghanistan

RELATED TOPICS

“That date is very visible now,” Levin said, adding: “It’s critical that that date was set to show that it isn’t a blank check, it’s not an open-ended commitment of American troops in the same numbers that we’re going to have there.”

Already, he said, the Afghan army is taking over some aspects of security, which gives a psychological boost to the local population while denying the Taliban insurgents of a propaganda tool.

“When their own people see that, it is going to make a difference,” Levin said. “And when the Taliban sees that they are not able now to just paint this as … a lot of foreign troops present in Afghanistan, but now it’s their own Afghan army, a popular, respected army, that they are taking on more and more during this next year, that that is going to make a difference. That’s a real nightmare for the Taliban to be up against an Afghan-led effort.

On the same program, however, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina worried that the Afghan forces and central government may not be ready to assume the necessary responsibilities within a year.

“[G]enerally speaking, this time next summer, we’re still going to be engaged in one hell of a fight,” Graham told CNN. “We’re going to need every troop we have today, I think, still in Afghanistan next year.”

According to Graham, it will be clear by the end of this year where things stand in Afghanistan.

“If, by December, we’re not showing some progress, we’re in trouble,” he said. “And the question is: what is progress? Without some benchmarks and measurements, it’s going to be hard to sell to the American people a continued involvement in Afghanistan.”

Other Republicans are harsher critics of President Barack Obama’s war strategy, saying that any withdrawal date — regardless of intention — provides a strategic and psychological boost to the enemy.

” … (W)e don’t tell the enemy when it is that we’re going to essentially wave that white flag and say we’re leaving,” former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“No, we’re in it to win it. And if we’re not, then the American public needs to know that, too,” Palin said.

Palin acknowledged the nation was tiring of the war that started in October 2001 in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks that year.

“We want to know that if we’re engaged in such activity where we are protecting our own country, we’re helping to protect our allies, we had better be in it for … the long haul,” Palin said. “But we had better be in it to win it or, no, we’re not going to keep supporting this idea of sending innocents, our young men and women, America’s finest, over there for some futile effort.”

In an interview with CBS conducted last week and broadcast Sunday, Obama insisted the mission to prevent terrorists from operating out of Afghanistan was worth the current deployment, including 30,000 additional U.S. troops he ordered in last year to increase the eventual total to about 100,000.

“If I didn’t think that it was important for our national security to finish the job in Afghanistan, then I would pull them all out today,” the president said.

Top military officials emphasized that the draw-down date is part of a strategy, with the actual number of troops withdrawn depending on conditions on the ground. Asked about remarks last month by Vice President Joe Biden that the figure could be “as few as a couple of thousand” troops, Defense Secretary Robert Gates seemed to agree.

“My personal opinion is that drawdowns early on will be of fairly limited numbers, and as we are successful, we’ll probably accelerate,” Gates said on the ABC program “This Week.” But, again, it will depend on the conditions on the ground.”

At the same time, Gates emphasized that it was crucial for the United States to demonstrate a long-term commitment in order to ensure the trust and cooperation of Afghanistan.

“We need to re-emphasize the message that we are not leaving Afghanistan in July 2011,” he said. “We are beginning a process… and the pace will be set by conditions on the ground.”

He welcomed the prognostication by critics that the Taliban fighters will simply hunker down until next July in order to strike after U.S. troops start leaving, saying: “We will be there with a lot of troops.”

The purpose is to ensure stability in order to turn over control to the Afghan government and people, not to embark on nationwide reconstruction, Gates said.

U.S. efforts will focus on “those civilian efforts and governance that help us in our security objectives,” he said.

Adm. Mike Mullen, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the main goal is to prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for al Qaeda.

Even though CIA Director Leon Panetta has said only 50 to 100 al Qaeda figures remain in Afghanistan, Mullen made clear that a hard fight remains to enable the Afghan government to defeat Taliban insurgents who harbored al Qaeda in the past.

“We’re at a point now where over the course of the next 12 months, it really is going to, I think, tell the tale which way this is going to go,” Mullen said, later adding: “Certainly the longterm goal is to make sure that, with respect to the population in Afghanistan, that there’s a governance structure that treats its people well. … But to say exactly how that’s going to look and what specifics would be involved, I think it’s just way too early.”

Influential Democrats, meanwhile, signaled the growing impatience in their ranks for a war effort that continues to inflict an economic and human toll.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the ABC program that she hopes that next year’s withdrawal brings home more than the “couple of thousand” troops Biden had predicted.

At the same time, Pelosi acknowledged “it’s not going to be turn out the lights and let’s all go home in one day.”

Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts told CNN that Obama was determined to bring the conflict to a new phase that allows a U.S. drawdown.

“He is also determined not to undermine his own effort and not to undermine the military effort on the ground, and the sacrifice that our troops have made,” Kerry said. “The president is not going to suddenly pull the rug out from under the very efforts that we’ve all been engaged in over these years. That would be folly. And I don’t see him doing that.”

Graham, who has sided with Democrats on some issues, expressed concern that some anti-war elements of both the political left and right could undermine the war effort.

“You know what I worry most about: an unholy alliance between the right and the left,” Graham said. “That there are some Republicans who are not going to take a, you know, do-or-die attitude for Obama’s war. There are some Republicans that want to make this Obama’s war. … There will be some Republicans saying you can’t win because of the July 2011 withdrawal date, he’s made it impossible for us to win, so why should we throw good money after bad?”

Graham added that liberals could also refuse to back the president’s plans in Afghanistan.

“You’ve got people on the left who are mad with the president because he is doing exactly what [former President George W.] Bush did and we’re in a war we can’t win,” Graham said, adding: “My concern is that, for different reasons, they join forces and we lose the ability to hold this thing together.”

Midterms put focus on Afghan draw-down

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics, Video, security

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Rangel, Waters, and the perils of Democrats ‘draining the swamp’

Posted on August 1, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

By

Patrik Jonsson,

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

House details 13 violations against Rep. Charles Rangel

Posted on July 30, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

By

Gail Russell Chaddock,

Comments Off

Posted in News, Politics

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

Mullen: WikiLeaks may have blood on hands

Posted on July 29, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — The top U.S. military officer said Thursday that Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, was risking lives to make a political point by publishing thousands of military reports from Afghanistan.

“Mr. Assange can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing, but the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family,” Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a news conference at the Pentagon.

In equally stern comments and at the same session, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said the massive leak will have significant impact on troops and allies, giving away techniques and procedures.

“The battlefield consequences of the release of these documents are potentially severe and dangerous for our troops, our allies and Afghan partners, and may well damage our relationships and reputation in that key part of the world,” Gates said. “Intelligence sources and methods, as well as military tactics, techniques and procedures will become known to our adversaries.”

Gates said the United States has been contacted by Afghanistan, Pakistan and “other governments” concerned about the leak. One of the lasting impacts, he said, is rebuilding trust that the U.S. military can keep secrets secret.

Assange has refused to say where his whistle-blower website got about 91,000 United States documents about the war. Some 76,000 of them were posted on the site Sunday in what has been called the biggest leak since the Pentagon Papers about the Vietnam War.

“I spent most of my life in the intelligence business, where the sacrosanct principle is protecting your sources. And that involves your sources trusting you to protect them and to protect their identities,” Gates said. “That is one of the worst aspects of this, as far as I’m concerned. Will people trust us? Will people’s whose lives are on the line trust us to keep their identities secret? Will other governments trust us to keep their documents and their intelligence secret?”

Gates said he called the FBI director to partner with the Pentagon in investigating the leak.

The defense secretary said the Pentagon is also reviewing procedures for handling classified information, which could affect the flow of valuable information to troops.

“In the wake of this incident, it will be a real challenge to strike the right balance between security and providing our frontline troops the information they need,” Gates said. “We want those soldiers in a forward operating base to have all the information they possibly can have that impacts on their own security but also being able to accomplish their mission.”

Perhaps surprisingly, the defense secretary said it was “only very recently” that he was made aware of the magnitude of the number of documents” that had been leaked. One of the main suspects in the current document leak investigation, according to military officials, had been arrested back in the spring and eventually charged with downloading thousands of documents and a video of a 2007 airstrike in Iraq that was published earlier this year by WikiLeaks.

Gates said the defense department did not know how many more documents were out there.

“The reality is, at this point, we don’t know how many more there are out there … it could be a substantial additional number of documents, and we have no idea what their content is, either,” he said.

For those put at risk by the documents, the defense secretary said the U.S. has a “moral obligation” to protect those whose names appear in the documents.

WikiLeaks’ founder has said the organization held back thousands of documents in order to redact information that could put people at risk. But CNN’s own review of documents found instances of names of informants and those who cooperated against the Taliban, as well as names of suspected insurgents who were being watched.

Mullen: WikiLeaks may have blood on hands

Comments Off

Posted in News, Tech, Video, security

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