Fox Mogul Rupert Murdoch Echoes Glenn Beck, Calls Obama a Racist

Is there any doubt whether Murdoch, and his network, have a political agenda?

in reference to:

"SKY NEWS: The Glenn Beck, who you mentioned, has called Barack Obama a racist and he helped organize a protest against him. Others on Fox have likened him to Stalin. Is that defensible? MURDOCH: No, no, no, not Stalin, I don't think. I don't know who that, not one of our people. On the racist thing, that caused a grilling. But he did make a very racist comment. Ahhh ... about, you know, blacks and whites and so on, and which he said in his campaign he would be completely above. And um, that was something which perhaps shouldn't have been said about the President, but if you actually assess what [Beck] was talking about, [Beck] was right."
- Fox Mogul Rupert Murdoch Echoes Glenn Beck, Calls Obama a Racist | Politics | AlterNet (view on Google Sidewiki)

2,266 Veterans Died In 2008 Because They Were Uninsured

Didn't Republicans care about veterans? Not when it comes to providing insurance for those who served their country fighting unnecessary wars they started.

in reference to:

"According to a study released by the Harvard Medical School, 2,266 veterans under the age of 65 died last year as a result of not having health insurance. Researchers emphasize that "that figure is more than 14 times the number of deaths (155) suffered by U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than twice as many as have died (911 as of Oct. 31) since the war began in 2001." The 1.46 million working-age veterans that did not have health insurance last year all experienced reduced access to care as a consequence, leading to "six preventable deaths a day.""
- 2,266 Veterans Died In 2008 Because They Were Uninsured (view on Google Sidewiki)

Outage leaves millions without power in Brazil

Coincidence? On Sunday we heard a 60 Minutes report on how hackers plunged Brazil into darkness. Now 2 days later it happens again. Washington better be paying attention.

in reference to:

"A major electricity outage left tens of millions of people in Brazil's two largest cities of Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro without power on Tuesday night. The national electricity grid operator said 17,000 megawatts of energy had been lost, equivalent to the entire consumption of Sao Paulo State. The electricity operator in the state of Minas Gerais said the outage was caused by a problem with the Itaipu dam which lies on the border between Brazil and Paraguay."
- Outage leaves millions without power in Brazil | Markets | Hot Stocks | Reuters (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google says Murdoch stories can be taken off

Murdoch has apparently become so big that he thinks he blackmail the news industry. We need to send him a message. This is sinister. FOXNews is already a powerful force in politics. Especially within the Republican Party. It is why the President has refused to deal with them. A foreigner like Rupert Murdoch should not have that kind of influence in the news business in America. [I am aware that Murdoch is a U.S. citizen. But this was done solely so that he could purchase FOX.

in reference to:

"Google said on Tuesday, in response to threats by Rupert Murdoch to ban the search engine from listing content from his news empire, that any company could ask to have stories taken off.In an interview in his native Australia, Murdoch accused Google of stealing stories from News Corp. newspapers for the Google News service, and said he might ban them once he introduces charges for the papers' online editions.Google said it was up to individual news organisations to decide whether they wanted their stories listed on Google News, and there were "simple technical standards" that would remove them if they wished."News organisations are in complete control over whether and how much of their content appears in search results," it said said in a statement issued in London."
- AFP: Google says Murdoch stories can be taken off (view on Google Sidewiki)

Michael Steele Hates White People

I wonder what Glenn Beck thinks of RNC Chair after hearing these remarks. Doesn't this show that Steele hates white:
"MARTIN: But your candidates got to talk to them. One of the criticisms I've always had is Republicans -- white Republicans -- have been scared of black folks.

STEELE: You're absolutely right. I mean I've been in the room and they've been scared of me."
- source: http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/michael-steele-says-he-scares-white-rep

Transcript: ABC Interviews President Obama

Read the transcript (see video at this link as well) of ABC's interview of President Obama:

TAPPER: Here's a question a lot of Senate Democrats want to know. You said, when you gave your joint address to Congress, that under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions. This amendment passed Saturday night which not only prohibits abortion coverage in the public option, but also prohibits women who receive subsidies from taking out plans that -- that provide abortion coverage. Does that meet the promise that you set out or does it over reach, does it go too far?

OBAMA: You know, I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill. And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions.

And I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test -- that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but, on the other hand, that we're not restricting women's insurance choices, because one of the pledges I made in that same speech was to say that if you're happy and satisfied with the insurance that you have, that it's not going to change.

So, you know, this is going to be a complex set of negotiations. I'm confident that we can actually arrive at this place where neither side feels that it's being betrayed. But it's going to take some time.

TAPPER: Do you think that amendment is status quo or does it lean a little bit in one direction or the other?

OBAMA: I think that there are strong feelings on both sides. And what that tells me is that there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we're not changing the status quo. And that's the goal. The goal here is to make sure that people who have health insurance have greater stability and security, people who don't have health insurance get the ability to buy it affordably and that we're driving down costs.

And, you know, I think everybody understands that there's going to be work to be done on the Senate side. It's not going to match up perfectly with the House side. But obviously, it was a historic night for the House. We've never been this far. And I'm very confident that my colleagues in the Senate are going to say to themselves that we've got to get this done.

Brian Ross: "The system Failed" with Hasan

ABC reporter, Brian Ross, appeared on Cspan today. He spoke on Major Hasan and how the Fort Hood killer said he put his religious above the United States. Ross detailed Hasan made contacts with a al Qaeda recruiter, who was an imam at a Virginia Mosque. The ABC reporter said there was plenty of warnings that were essentially ignored by the military.

Video: Train Comes Within Inches Of Drunk Woman

This video shows a drunk woman falling in front of a train in Boston. Another example of what happens when you drink too much.

Obama's Afghan Plan: About 40K More Troops

This could be floated to gauge the response of the public and media. The truth is the President has no clue on what to do in Afghanistan. The irony will be that if he decides to run for reelection in 2012, a candidate will use our presence in Afghanistan against Obama. Just as he did against Bush as it relates to Iraq. Sending troops to their deaths is no substitute for a strategy.

in reference to:

"Editor's note, 9:57 p.m. EDT: The White House has issued the following response to this story, attributed to White House National Security Advisor James Jones: "Reports that President Obama has made a decision about Afghanistan are absolutely false. He has not received final options for his consideration, he has not reviewed those options with his national security team, and he has not made any decisions about resources. Any reports to the contrary are completely untrue and come from uninformed sources." Tonight, after months of conferences with top advisors, President Obama has settled on a new strategy for Afghanistan. CBS News correspondent David Martin reports that the president will send a lot more troops and plans to keep a large force there, long term. The president still has more meetings scheduled on Afghanistan, but informed sources tell CBS News he intends to give Gen. Stanley McChrystal most, if not all, the additional troops he is asking for."
- Obama's Afghan Plan: About 40K More Troops - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Sarah Palin Suggests Coin Conspiracy In Wisconsin Speech

It seems the Hatepublicans try to outdue each other to see who is more conspiratorial. The allegations become more outlandish each time. But then again, aren't there still millions in this country that believe 9-11 was an inside job? When you mix ignorance with hard times this is what you get.

in reference to:

"Sarah Palin didn't allow press at her speech Friday at a Wisconsin Right to Life fundraising banquet, and attendees were barred from bringing cell phones, cameras, laptops, or recording devices of any kind. But Politico managed to get a few reporters in to hear the former Alaska governor again raise the specter of death panels and claim an anti-Christian conspiracy in the redesign of U.S. coins. While Palin didn't use the phrase "death panels," she implied that rationed care would lead to elderly or disabled people being denied care to save money. "What may they feel about an elderly person who doesn't have a whole lot of productive years left," Palin asked the audience of about 5,000. (Tickets were $30 each.) "In order to save government money, government health care has to be rationed... [so] then this elderly person that perhaps could be seen as costing taxpayers to pay for a non-productive life? Do you think our elderly will be first in line for limited health care?""
- Sarah Palin Suggests Coin Conspiracy In Wisconsin Speech (view on Google Sidewiki)

Officials: U.S. Aware of Hasan Efforts to Contact al Qaeda

This is becoming a major scandal. If it turns the government knew of this guy's ties to al Qaeda and did nothing about it, heads will role. Dozens of Americans could have died because of this 9-11-type incompetence. And why are there so many unwilling to call this act of terror. There is more concern about hurting the feelings of Muslims than accounting for the loss of all those lives. I smell a cover up in the works.

in reference to:

"U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan tried to make contact with people linked to al Qaeda. It is not known whether the intelligence agencies informed the Army that one of its officers was seeking to connect with suspected al Qaeda figures, the officials said. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) said the CIA had, so far, refused to brief the intelligence committees on what, if any, knowledge they had about Hasan's efforts. CIA director Leon Panetta and the Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, have been asked by Congress "to preserve" all documents and intelligence files that relate to Hasan, according to the lawmaker. Hoekstra said he is "absolutely furious" that the house intel committee has been refused an intelligence briefing by the DNI or CIA on Hasan's attempt to reach out to al Qaeda, as first reported by ABC News."
- Fort Hood Shooter Tried to Contact al Qaeda Terrorists, Officials Say - ABC News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Chavez: War Coming in South America

This guy is a problem. We can't afford to ignore him. If the U.S. government isn't careful we could end up with another missile crisis in Latin America. I hope the CIA is in the process of working to overthrow this dictator.

in reference to:

"President Hugo Chavez on Sunday ordered Venezuela's military to prepare for a possible armed conflict with Colombia, saying his country's soldiers should be ready if the United States attempts to provoke a war between the South American neighbors. Chavez said Venezuela could end up going to war with Colombia as tensions between them rise, and he warned that if a conflict broke out "it could extend throughout the whole continent." "The best way to avoid war is preparing for it," Chavez told military officers during his weekly television and radio program. Venezuela's socialist leader has also cited a recent deal between Bogota and Washington giving U.S. troops greater access to military bases as a threat to regional stability."
- Chavez: War Coming in South America - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

60 Minutes: America Unprepared for a Cyber Attack

This report on the threat from cyber terror is the most frightening 60 Minutes story ever. And it sounds to me like the important issue facing America, apart from our disastrous economy. This could be the next 9-11. That's how serious it is. And why did it take 60 Minutes to sound the alarm. Do not trust the government to protect us. They do nothing but fail us. Demand something be done. We need a new agency set up to fight terrorism, including cyber. This is very serious. Take action/prepare now or wake up in the middle of winter without electricity or heat.

Much of it was still theory, but we were told that before too long it might be possible for a hacker with a computer to disable critical infrastructure in a major city and disrupt essential services, to steal millions of dollars from banks all over the world, infiltrate defense systems, extort millions from public companies, and even sabotage our weapons systems.

Today it's not only possible, all of that has actually happened, plus a lot more we don't even know about.

It's why President Obama has made cyber war defense a top national priority and why some people are already saying that the next big war is less likely to begin with a bang than a blackout.

"Can you imagine your life without electric power?" Retired Admiral Mike McConnell asked correspondent Steve Kroft.

[...]"Do you believe our adversaries have the capability of bringing down a power grid?" Kroft asked.

"I do," McConnell replied.

Asked if the U.S. is prepared for such an attack, McConnell told Kroft, "No. The United States is not prepared for such an attack."

[...]President Obama didn't say which country had been plunged into darkness, but a half a dozen sources in the military, intelligence, and private security communities have told us the president was referring to Brazil.

Several prominent intelligence sources confirmed that there were a series of cyber attacks in Brazil: one north of Rio de Janeiro in January 2005 that affected three cities and tens of thousands of people, and another, much larger event beginning on Sept. 26, 2007.

That one in the state of Espirito Santo affected more than three million people in dozens of cities over a two-day period, causing major disruptions. In Vitoria, the world's largest iron ore producer had seven plants knocked offline, costing the company $7 million. It is not clear who did it or what the motive was.

But the people who do these sorts of things are no longer teenagers making mischief. They're now likely to be highly trained soldiers with the Chinese army or part of an organized crime group in Russia, Europe or the Americas.

"They can disrupt critical infrastructure, wipe databases. We know they can rob banks. So, it's a much bigger and more serious threat," explained Jim Lewis, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Lewis led a group that prepared a major report on cyber security for President Obama.

"What was it that made the government begin to take this seriously?" Kroft asked.

"In 2007 we probably had our electronic Pearl Harbor. It was an espionage Pearl Harbor," Lewis said. "Some unknown foreign power, and honestly, we don't know who it is, broke into the Department of Defense, to the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, probably the Department of Energy, probably NASA. They broke into all of the high tech agencies, all of the military agencies, and downloaded terabytes of information."

How much is a terabyte?

"The Library of Congress, which has millions of volumes, is about 12 terabytes. So, we probably lost the equivalent of a Library of Congress worth of government information in 2007," Lewis explained.

"All stolen by foreign countries?" Kroft asked.

"Yeah. This was a serious attack. And that's really what made people wake up and say, 'Hey, we've got to get a grip on this,'" Lewis said.

Richmond Gang Rape 911 Caller Speaks: Margarita Vargas Heard About Attack, Reported It

This young lady deserves a medal or financial reward (crimestoppers-type). At the very least law enforcement should provide protection for her to prevent retaliation.

in reference to:

"A 15-year-old girl who was raped, robbed and beaten by multiple attackers outside of her high school homecoming dance was found by police after 18-year-old Margarita Vargas, undaunted by pressure to keep quiet, called 911. Vargas called police after her brother-in-law told her about an attack at Richmond High School in Richmond, Calif. CBS: "I was watching a movie, and my brother-in-law came in and he told me 'I don't know what to do, because there is a girl back there and she has been raped. I'm scared,'" 18-year-old Margarita Vargas said. "I'm like 'We should call the cops because that's the right thing to do.' I didn't think about it twice." Relaying what she knew, Vargas called police without even witnessing the crime. She arrived after police and saw the victim being taken away. Vargas told CNN that she was proud of herself. Referring to a culture of silence, Vargas told CNN that there's a common saying around Richmond "snitches get stitches.""
- Richmond Gang Rape 911 Caller Speaks: Margarita Vargas Heard About Attack, Reported It (view on Google Sidewiki)

New Video on Madeleine McCann Case

This video on the Madeleine McCann was released recently. It is my view that the parents are responsible for the child's death. The result of an accidental overdosing of Madeleine to keep her asleep while the couple dined out. Watch this earlier video (here) and see the obvious guilty giveaway when the father grabs his ear after being asked a question.

Examiner:
"Madeleine McCann has been missing since May of 2007 but her parents are still fighting for answers. The McCann family is preparing a new round of interviews aimed at renewing interest in the search of their daughter Madeleine.

The McCann's said they were encouraged by the Jaycee Dugard story. Dugard was recently found after being kidnapped from California 18 years ago.

Madeleine McCann was taken from her hotel room in Portugal as her parents, Kate and Gerry had dinner in the resorts restaurant. The McCann's were once considered suspects in the case but no evidence linked them to their daughters disappearance. The case is now considered a kidnapping.

Kate McCann is hopeful that a new round of tv exposure will remind people of Madeleine and some one will come forward with new information. Kate McCann has one simple message to anyone who might have information on the disappearance of her daughter. "If you stay quiet you are as guilty as those who took her."'

Transcript: 'This Week' (11-8-09): General George Casey

"'This Week' Transcript with Chief of Staff of the Army General George Casey, RNC Chairman Michael Steele and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine." Excerpt below:

STEPHANOPOULOS: And let me begin by offering our condolences to you and all of the families at Fort Hood. I know you just returned...

CASEY: Thank you very much.

STEPHANOPOULOS: ... from there. And you were able to spend some time with the wounded. What were you able to learn about what they saw and what they did when the shooting broke out?

CASEY: I'll tell you that my trip there on Friday with secretary of the army, John McHugh, was at once gut-wrenching and uplifting. And in talking to the wounded soldiers and in talking to the medical providers and soldiers who are at the site, I came away with what a horrific experience it was for them.

But also I was uplifted by the -- by what they did for each other. And when you talk to the wounded soldiers, the one thing that they all stress was how -- was their reaction, and their reaction in support of each other.

STEPHANOPOULOS: It was immediate.

CASEY: It was immediate. And just stories like medics who were next -- in another building next door at a graduation, their graduation, running from the building toward the crime scene in their caps and gowns, ripping them off as they went so they could get there to support their fellow soldiers.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's also get to the latest on the investigation. It's my understanding that Army investigators have concluded that Major Hasan was the only gunman?

CASEY: That is where they are now. But I don't -- I mean, I don't -- I think as the investigation continues, other things could evolve. But I think that is where they are today.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you believe it was the only gunman right -- at least for right now, not conclusive, are you confident that he acted alone, that there were no other co-conspirators?

CASEY: George, I can't comment on the ongoing investigation. And those facts will come out over time here. We need to let the investigation take its course. And as I said, that will evolve over the coming days and weeks here.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But do you have any better understanding of why the first reports suggested there were two or three attackers?

CASEY: My understanding from being down there and talking to the investigators and General Cone was there were two or three soldiers that were seen running from the area, and people assumed that they were running from the police. And they just checked them out and have since decided that they weren't part of this.

Transcript: 'Face The Nation' (11-8-09)

Senators Lindsey Graham and Jack Reed appeared on Face The Nation. Read the complete transcript. Excerpt below:

REED: I believe we’re going to pass health care reform. I believe we must do this because it’s essential to not just the quality of life, here, but our economic success in the future.

Senator Reid, Harry Reid , has introduced a public option. There’s strong support there. But we are far from the end of the debate in the Senate. It will take time. It will be careful, thorough and deliberate. I hope that a public option is part of the final bill.

SCHIEFFER: But, candidly, right now, you don’t have the votes in the Senate for that. Am I not correct in saying that?

REED: I think there’s a discussion about, as Senator Snowe suggested, a trigger to the public option. Senator Reid has suggested an opt-out by the states. There is a debate, or an active debate, about how the public option might come about.

But, overwhelming, 60 percent of the American public want a public option. And I think we should be listening to them as much as listening to ourselves.

SCHIEFFER: Well, let’s get the take from Senator Graham. Senator Graham, your friend the independent Democrat Joe Lieberman, on this broadcast last Sunday, said no health care reform legislation is better than health care reform with the public option.

Where do you think this is going in the Senate?

GRAHAM: Well, let’s start with the House bill. The House bill is dead on arrival in the Senate. Just look at how it passed. It passed 220-215. It passed by two votes. You had 40 -- 39 Democrats vote against the bill. They come from red states, moderate Democrats from swing districts.

They bailed out on this bill. It was a bill written by liberals for liberals. And people like Joe Lieberman are not going to get anywhere near the House bill. It cuts Medicare about $500 billion. It’s over $1 trillion in new spending. It does have the public option. So the House bill is a non-starter in the Senate.

SCHIEFFER: Senator Lieberman also said, on that, that, if it came to filibustering to keep that bill from passing in the Senate, he’d join in that. Would you also be planning to do that if it looks like the public option thing’s going to pass? GRAHAM: And let me tell you why Joe feels that way and I do. I think the public option will destroy private health care. Nobody in this country in the insurance business can compete with a government- sponsored plan, where the government writes the benefits and politicians will never raise the premiums. It will be a death blow to private choice.

And all of these bills depend on reducing Medicare $400 to $500 billion over 10 years. Seniors are not going to like that. That’s unnecessary. So I just think the construct out of the House and what exists in the Senate is not going to pass. And I hope and pray it doesn’t because it would be a disaster for the economy and health care.

Transcript: 'FOX News Sunday' (11-8-09)

Senator Joe Lieberman appeared on FOX News Sunday. Read the complete Transcript. Excerpt below:

WALLACE: Congressman Van Hollen, what’s the message from the vote last night? The House, for the first time in history, passing a major overhaul of health care reform, but with only one Republican voting for it and 39 Democrats voting against it?

VAN HOLLEN: Well, the message was clear. It’s time to begin to fix what has been a broken health care system for millions of Americans. Between the year 2000 and 2008, we saw premiums double for Americans during that period of time.

Insurance company profits were over 400 percent. So we’ve had a great system for insurance companies. They get to say no to you based on your pre-existing condition. They get to dig into the fine print of your insurance policy when you need it the most and say you’re not covered. They’ve enjoyed an antitrust exemption that we eliminated.

So this is a message to the American people. It’s time to bring down your costs, which will allow more people to afford health insurance.

WALLACE: Congressman Pence, what’s the message from last night? And what about those Democrats from conservative districts who ended up voting for the bill? Are you going to make them pay in the next election?

PENCE: Well, Chris, I think the message from last night is that the Democrats didn’t get the message in August or last Tuesday.

I think from this past summer we saw the American people express overwhelming opposition to a government takeover of health care. They attended town hall meetings, rallies across the country, and then this last Tuesday.

I mean, the historic reversals that Democrats saw in just 12 months in New Jersey and Virginia, again, was an effort by the American people to send a message to this party that they’re tired of the borrowing, the spending, the bailouts, the takeovers.

But last night on a narrow partisan vote the Democrats put their liberal, big government agenda ahead of the American people.

WALLACE: So are you going to go after those conservative Democrats, moderate Democrats, in Republican-leaning districts who voted for this bill?

PENCE: Well, look. I don’t -- I don’t know if it’s about -- I think the American people are deeply frustrated with a liberal establishment in Washington, D.C. that is ignoring their will.

Nancy Pelosi last night said that they were answering the call of history. Well, I -- I’ve got to tell you, if Democrats keep ignoring the American people, their party’s going to be history in about a year.

WALLACE: Congressman Van Hollen, I’d like you, first of all, to respond to that, but also -- yes, you did pass a bill, but the Senate is considering a very different bill, with a very different public option, and very different taxes -- a number of measures.

So how much have you really moved the process forward?

VAN HOLLEN: Well, first, just in response, the message from the last election was loud and clear. The American people were tired of us pushing big issues under the rug, not dealing with the major challenges...

WALLACE: You’re talking about 2008 or 2009?

VAN HOLLEN: I’m talking about 2008 election, the 2008 elections, when President Obama and the larger majority went into Congress. You know, with all due respect to Mike and his party, when President Bush -- and they had a lock on the Congress.

They did nothing about these issues, these rising costs, the fact that insurance companies could essentially abuse consumers. They did nothing about it.

And people back in 2008 said it’s time to step up on some of these issues. And that’s what we did last night.

And I would point out that in terms of the elections last Tuesday, there were only two races in the country where what we’re doing in Congress at the federal level was at the center of debate, and those were the two congressional races. Both members of Congress won. Both of them voted yes last night on health care reform, so...

Video: Warship Built from Twin Towers’ Remains

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Health Care Passes House

The Republican lies and distortions failed. The Senate should also likely pass similar reforms.

in reference to:

"In a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation Saturday night to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous. The 220-215 vote cleared the way for the Senate to begin debate on the issue that has come to overshadow all others in Congress. A triumphant Speaker Nancy Pelosi likened the legislation to the passage of Social Security in 1935 and Medicare 30 years later. "It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have access to affordable health care when they need it," said Rep. John Dingell, the 83-year-old Michigan lawmaker who has introduced national health insurance in every Congress since succeeding his father in 1955."
- Health Care Passes House (view on Google Sidewiki)