Posted by admin on April 12, 2009 under news | 
Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued from Somali pirates by US Navy SEALs. The SEALs who killed 3 of the 4 pirates were given special authorization for the mission by President Obama.
The Associated Press reported that Capt. Phillips’ crew, “who said they had escaped after he offered himself as a hostage, erupted in cheers aboard their ship docked in Mombasa, Kenya. Some waved an American flag and fired flares in celebration.”(Source)
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has become epidemic, and even now the Pirates hold over 200 ships from varoius nations including China, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Taiwan and numerouis others.
Posted by admin on February 17, 2009 under Congress, Economy, Presidency, Science, news |
Buried in the $800 Billion stimulus package is $8 Billion for high speed rail in the United States. It’s the most serious investment in commuter rail service in the nations history.
Additionally President Obama intends to ask for a further $1 Billion a year for high speed rail in his budget request to congress, starting with the 2010 budget.
High speed rail was one of Obama’s campaign pledges, speaking in Indiana during the campaign he said:
“The time is right now for us to start thinking about high-speed rail as an alternative to air transportation connecting all these cities. And think about what a great project that would be in terms of rebuilding America.”(Source)
Despite this campaign pledge apparently Congressional Republicans apparently overlooked the importance of High Speed Rail to the president as they tried to stymie all the major projects that the President was looking for such as building new schools, or modernizing the energy grid.
Senators Snowe and Collins of Maine and Specter of Pennsylvania, Republican moderates who had criticized Obama’s school construction program were more accepting of the rail funds, since the Northeast corridor is a major beneficiary of rail improvements.
Rahm Emanuel said of the rail provision, “the president wanted to have a signature issue in the bill, his commitment for the future.” (Source)
Posted by admin on February 12, 2009 under Crime, Politics, news |
The Seattle Post Intelligencer is reporting that Gil Kerlikowske has been tapped as President Obama’s new drug czar.
Kerlikowske has been chief of police in Seattle since 2000, and has reportedly notified senior staff that he’ll be taking the position of director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy upon confirmation. The drug czar is a cabinet level position, and requires Senate confirmation.
Kerlikowske was the former deputy director for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. As such he was involved in doling out funds for community policing to local agencies. Prior to that he served as the police commissioner for Buffalo, New York. He has apprently been successful as a Chief for some time winning the Attorney General’s Crime Prevention Award when he served as the chief of police of Port St. Lucie, FL and again at Fort Pierce, FL.
Drug reform groups are watching Kerlikowske’s nomination with some hope for improved dialog.
“A less confrontational and reefer madness-driven drug czar is really the best case scenario from a drug policy reform perspective.”-StopTheDrugWar.org
Time will tell if Kerlikowske does in fact get the nod, and win Senate approval, but for people seeking a more sane drug policy there appears to be hope. “My gut instinct is that after several drug czars from hell, a guy from Seattle doesn’t sound so bad.” (Source) says one drug reform blogger at least.
Given the bizarre mandate that Congress saddled the drug czar with any efforts at rapprochement will be difficult. The drug czar is is mandated to oppose any efforts at legalization of anything even if it makes sense medically, (e.g., medical marijuana). [Additional Info]
Hopefully Kerlikowske can find some way to bring sanity to an otherwise insane job.
Posted by admin on December 21, 2008 under Politics, news |
Bush is not going to leave office soon enough for most Americans, but before he goes he’s not quite done screwing up the country. Using a practice called “midnight rules” Bush is cramming through tons of last minute rules changes that have the force of law.
These rules run the gamut of nearly every federal agency. One of those rules could have wide ranging ramifications for every American who uses a pharmacy or visits a doctor or hospital.
Under Bush’s rule medical practitioners and pharmacists may refuse to perform medical practices, prescribe or dispense medication or even provide information, if it in any way conflicts with their religious beliefs. Want to buy a pack of condoms? Better hope the clerk’s not a Catholic.
Need a blood transfusion? Better hope the doctor’s not a Jehovah’s Witness, because they can now legally refuse to give you one.
Of course the big one is abortion. Fundamentalist Christian healthcare providers can now legally refuse to even discuss the options. Even worse anti-choice activists can infiltrate clinics taking any position from receptionist to nurse, then use the Bush ruling to deny service. Previous to the ruling those employees could be fired for that type behavior, but now they’re protected by the force of law.
While Obama can overturn these rulings, they’ll be challenged in court, bogging down the new administration and impeding progress.
