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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302564.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008052719id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302564.html
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The High Price of A Medical Miracle
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A few weeks ago in central Massachusetts, a previously healthy 15-year-old named Alex Hall awoke in the middle of the night because his chest hurt. Initially Alex thought the feeling would pass, but when it continued, his worried parents drove him to a local emergency room. There a blood test suggested that -- incredibly -- he was having a heart attack. An ambulance quickly took Alex to a tertiary care center staffed by pediatric specialists, and as the on-call pediatric cardiologist, I was paged to help out.
Alex's heart probably had been attacked by a virus, making him the latest victim of a small but worrisome epidemic in the area. Over the next two hours, the inflammation spread like wildfire through his heart, and the orderly spikes on Alex's cardiac monitor soon became disorderly seismic waves. "I'm scared," he whispered, looking at the monitor. Soon after, his lungs began filling with fluid and he started gasping for air.
Critically ill with a rare condition, Alex needed the kind of specialized but pricey care that is frequently blamed for busting health-care budgets.
The same week Alex came to the hospital, a team of researchers led by John E. Wennberg at Dartmouth Medical School reported massive state-by-state variations in Medicare spending, with New York and New Jersey spending almost 50 percent more per person than North Dakota and Iowa without, on average, having people live longer as a result. A lot of the discrepancy was chalked up to more intensive inpatient care in high-cost states. Wennberg argues that because health care is paid for in a piecemeal fashion (the more doctors do to people, the more they earn), states with lots of specialists and hospital beds are rewarded for overusing them. Health care, he concludes, is perversely "supply-sensitive."
To some, the Dartmouth data encourage the notion that if the supply of specialists and hospital beds were suddenly cut, doctors might reserve fancy care for patients who really needed it, and thus costs would fall. But as Alex's case suggests, these cost controls will require hard choices -- and, inevitably, haphazard rationing of health care.
As the boy's heart continued to fail, our team realized that the only hope for survival was a machine that would bypass his heart and lungs entirely and deliver oxygen to Alex's brain and body. Called extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, this technology required further escalation: We'd have to send him to another specialized center, at Children's Hospital in Boston.
The resources mobilized to save Alex were staggering. A specialized, fully staffed intensive-care truck from Boston arrived to transport him to the ECMO center, where a team of cardiac experts worked to surgically connect Alex to the device. For eight days, Alex lay connected to the artificial heart and lungs under general anesthesia to buy time for his real organs to recover.
ECMO is very expensive, available only in certain centers and not standard therapy, making it just the kind of care that causes geographic disparity in medical costs. But as reported last year in the journal Circulation, ECMO has been used worldwide in about 700 cases in which even the most advanced resuscitation had failed because of a child's severe heart failure, infection or lung disease. The lead author (who, incidentally, helped care for Alex) wrote that ECMO "rescued one-third of patients in whom death was otherwise certain." In short, the treatment snatched hundreds of children like Alex back from the dead. But no one could tell ahead of time exactly which ones would live.
Critics of American health care sometimes point out that high-cost regions have higher mortality rates and conclude that too much medicine is harmful. But that's like noting that obese people are on diets and deciding that low-calorie foods cause fatness. Centers that offer ECMO, for example, will have the highest costs and highest mortality since they attract the desperately ill. And while life expectancy in the United States supposedly places 42nd among developed countries, it's hard to imagine how a boy like Alex could have survived in such places as Guam or Jordan, which rank ahead.
Of course, America lags behind many countries in providing a basic level of service for all citizens, since we lack universal health care. But for many, the system offers almost unlimited resources, which are often taken for granted. (In the March/April issue of Health Affairs, a former editor at the British Medical Journal whose daughter failed to get proper care in England writes how American health care "can replace a sense of resignation and futility with action and hope.")
Still, the estimated $2 trillion that Americans spend on health can't continue to grow. Indeed, health-care costs may need to come down. But these cuts will never be painless, since they can almost never be targeted only at useless expenditures. We've known this since the 1970s, when the Rand health insurance experiment found that patients cut back equally on both superfluous and necessary visits when asked for small co-payments.
It's unclear whether doctors given limited resources would be any better at rationing care. For now, they can't always tell when ECMO is necessary or futile. The same is true for many other expensive therapies, such as new cancer drugs, organ transplants and innovative psychiatric care. That's why cuts will always be somewhat arbitrary, no matter who's making the decisions: In the end, some people won't get the treatment that may save them.
Alex survived and continues to recover. Because of a minor paperwork error, however, his name remained on a heart transplant wait list, and a transplant coordinator called his home to check on him. You can take him off the list, his dad told the coordinator: Alex was one of the lucky ones.
Darshak Sanghavi is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the author of "A Map of the Child: A Pediatrician's Tour of the Body."
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A few weeks ago in central Massachusetts, a previously healthy 15-year-old named Alex Hall awoke in the middle of the night because his chest hurt. Initially Alex thought the feeling would pass, but when it continued, his worried parents drove him to a local emergency room. There a blood test sug...
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A Scary Diagnosis Hits Home
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The pink marks that appeared last summer on the back of Elizabeth "BB" Blanchard's left calf looked like three slightly raised rows. Neither the teenager nor her parents thought much about it, because they occurred where a stinging caterpillar had left similar marks a few years before. Bug bites are not unusual in Baton Rouge, where the Blanchards live.
At her school physical, BB's pediatrician examined the area, chalked it up to irritation and provided some lotion to soothe it. That didn't have any effect. The rash grew more prominent and spread behind her knee and toward her foot. In September, Blanchard tagged along when her older brother went to the dermatologist. BB's mother, Anne, asked the physician to check her daughter.
The diagnosis that ultimately resulted -- leprosy -- turned the Blanchards' world upside down and rippled through the lives of many people they knew or had contact with. It also raised issues that are often confronted when any contagious disease is diagnosed, particularly one with scary connotations: What precautions should be taken to protect the rights of the affected individual as well as the health of the community? Where can reliable information be found? This case -- from the Blanchards' initial contact with the dermatologist to reactions of friends and teachers -- reveals the steps that have been accomplished in providing treatment and information and in overcoming stigma.
"It was an unusual rash," remembered Courtney Murphy, the dermatologist. "Usually, you are pretty sure when you see a patient. It might be a little bit of eczema, a little bit of psoriasis. But I was not sure exactly what this was, so I suggested taking a biopsy."
Two stitches and 15 minutes later, Murphy sent a tiny tissue sample to the lab. BB, who is an active dancer and competes on the St. Joseph's Academy swim team, was sidelined from activities for a few days while the incision healed. But she otherwise felt great.
But the seemingly innocuous test assumed more importance a few days later, when her father picked up the lab results from the doctor. He called his wife immediately. "I don't want to scare you," Steven Blanchard said, "but they think it could be leprosy."
"Do people still get leprosy?" Anne Blanchard recalls asking. "I was freaking out and about to start crying."
For the Blanchards, some of the answers lay almost literally in their back yard. Baton Rouge is home to the National Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Clinical Center, part of the U.S. Public Health Service. Founded in 1894 as a state leprosarium in nearby Carville, La., the center is considered the premier research and treatment facility in the world for leprosy.
About 300,000 new cases of leprosy are diagnosed annually, according to the World Health Organization. Now known as Hansen's disease, after the Norwegian scientist who discovered the mycobacterium that causes the illness, it affects about 2 million to 3 million people worldwide.
Where it is left untreated, Hansen's disease is a leading cause of disability and devastating deformity. It remains endemic in Bangladesh, India, Brazil and elsewhere.
In the United States, roughly 6,000 people have the disease. One hundred to two hundred new cases are reported annually, and, like BB Blanchard, about two dozen of those new patients have never been beyond U.S. borders. About 60 percent of the new cases are found in California, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York and Texas.
Widely held but inaccurate perceptions of leprosy help fuel the fear and stigma surrounding this biblical disease.
Hansen's disease is infectious but only mildly contagious. About 95 percent of people are thought to be naturally immune to it, according to James Krahenbuhl, director of the Hansen's disease center. The remaining 5 percent who are susceptible must be exposed to the microbe in some way to contract the disease.
How transmission occurs is a mystery. Humans and the armadillo are the only two creatures known to get the disease. No one knows where the microbe hides in nature, although the suspicion is that the leprosy mycobacterium may be airborne like its bacterial cousin, tuberculosis.
Most people think of leprosy as a skin disease. But the rash that BB Blanchard had and the disfiguring lesions often associated with it are just a symptom. The mycobacteria burrow into nerves, where they often remain undetected for years or even decades.
The nerve damage done by the microbes can eventually reduce feeling in fingers and toes. Repeatedly injured because of this limited sensitivity, these digits can slowly resorb, giving the impression of falling off.
Had BB Blanchard's leprosy been diagnosed 60 years ago, her life would likely have taken a far different course. But the drug therapy developed at the Baton Rouge center now effectively treats leprosy, and when the illness is diagnosed early, the terrible complications can be avoided.
Modern public health measures and the ability to get a vast amount of medical information from the Internet are helping to erode the stigma surrounding leprosy and other infectious diseases. The center in Baton Rouge is conducting seminars to better inform the public and the medical community about the disease.
An erroneous report in February by an Arkansas television station shows why that's necessary:
The station aired a story saying that recent cases of leprosy among immigrants from the Marshall Islands could blossom into an epidemic that might affect Americans. The item was later corrected by the television station, which chalked it up to bad information from some local doctors, but not before it was publicized online by the Drudge Report.
The Arkansas Democrat newspaper published a story about the miscommunication and weighed in with an editorial informing readers that the supposed "Great Leprosy Scare of '08 . . . was a rumor/controversy/nonstory."
"I still cannot believe it," BB says of the events of the past nine months.
When the first lab report suggested that she might have leprosy, her mother logged on to the Web. "I looked at every single thing I could find," Anne Blanchard says. "But I didn't tell BB a thing, because we still weren't sure she had the disease."
BB's first biopsy showed classic cell signs of reaction to mycobacterium leprae, but doctors couldn't find any of the disease-causing microbes. That's not unusual for leprosy cases that are diagnosed very early, according to Barbara Stryjewska, the physician who treated BB at the National Hansen's Disease Center.
A second biopsy still didn't find the microbe. "We were baffled and unsure," Anne Blanchard says. The options were to do more biopsies, to simply monitor BB for another six months and then take another biopsy, or to try a month of treatment with the anti-leprosy drugs dapsone and rifampin. If the red rash improved, the diagnosis would be confirmed. The Blanchards mulled the options and decided it was time to tell BB, then 14, that she might have leprosy.
"Mom, how could I ever get that?" BB asked.
The Blanchards opted to try the drug treatment. Anne Blanchard also informed her daughter's dance teacher and swim coach about why BB had been sidelined.
The Hansen's disease center wrote a letter to BB's school explaining that, although she was under treatment for leprosy, she could resume all her usual activities and would not be a risk to anyone else -- standard practice and an attempt to thwart the widely held misconception that leprosy is easily spread.
"I was surprised that the disease was still around," says Linda Harvison, principal of St. Joseph's, an all-girls Catholic high school with 833 students, where BB was just beginning her freshman year.
Harvison sought advice from George Karam, a parent at the school who is an infectious disease specialist at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. Unbeknownst to Harvison, Karam's daughter is a very close friend of BB's. The two had spent a sleepover together at Karam's house just days before BB was officially diagnosed.
"He told me, 'You don't have anything to worry about,' " said Harvison, who then spread that same message to the faculty and staff. "We informed her teachers because people have this image of this horrible contagious disease," Harvison said.
One faculty member expressed some concern. "But once we reassured her," Harvison said, "she was very, very comfortable with it."
BB's friends and classmates also rallied around her. "They were really supportive," she said. "One of my closest friends Googled and read everything about it on the Internet. Then she said, "Ask me anything about it, because I know all about it.' "
That's a far cry from what used to happen when leprosy was diagnosed. It was common practice just decades ago to expel children from school and burn their papers, desks and books in a mistaken effort to prevent spread of the disease. State and local laws required all those with the disease to be treated at the Public Health Service hospital in Carville, La. People with the disease were removed from their families, their children were taken from them and for decades they were even denied the right to vote.
Karam understands the instinct parents have to protect their children. But as an infectious disease physician, he knows it's important to protect those who are ill, too. That means getting as much information as possible before taking action.
By doing that, he says, the school was able to make sound decisions. "In situations like this, if you can get to the right people, then the job becomes much easier," Karam says. As a result, he says, BB "didn't have to go through a lot of stuff that could have made a frightening situation horrific."
Earlier this month, BB finished taking her medication. The marks on her leg are smaller, smoother and have turned from pink to brown -- confirming that the infection was indeed leprosy and that it was getting better. BB developed anemia, a complication of the medications, that left her tired. But that is now gone. She is a bubbly, vivacious 15-year-old, eager to get on with her life.
"At my last doctor's appointment, I told my mom that I am kind of happy I have this," she says. "I learned a lot about this disease and got more educated about it. I also find it really cool that I am part of the 5 percent of the world that is not immune to leprosy. Why me? I don't know. But it has been a really cool experience having a biblical disease."
Now that final exams are over, BB and one of her friends are looking ahead to next year. They're planning a science project on their new favorite subject: leprosy. "This is the perfect thing to educate my school and everyone about it," BB says. "I have really great knowledge about it now."
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Complete Coverage on Hurricane Katrina and Rita including video,photos and blogs. Get up-to-date news on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Rita,news from New Orleans and more.
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Real Archaeologists Don't Wear Fedoras
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After 17 years, Hollywood's most famous archaeologist is back in action. Now grayer and a bit creakier, Indiana Jones is again hacking his way through thick jungles, careering wildly in car chases and scrambling through dark tunnels to snatch a precious artifact from the clutches of an evil empire (Soviet, this time).
And I'm thinking, oh no. Here we go again. Get ready for another long, twisting jump off the cliff of respectability for the image of archaeology.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of pop culture. But I have a problem with the entertainment tail wagging the archaeological dog. As someone who's been involved in archaeology for the past 35 years, I can tell you that Indiana Jones is not the world's most famous fictional archaeologist; he's the world's most famous archaeologist, period. How many people can name another? Whether I'm sitting on a plane, waiting in an office or milling around at a cocktail party, the casual mention that I'm an archaeologist inevitably brings up Indiana Jones. People conjure up images of gold, adventure and narrow escapes from hostile natives. And while "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" will almost certainly break worldwide box office records, it will also spread another wave of viral disinformation about what archaeologists actually do.
I know that the Indiana Jones series is just a campy tribute to the Saturday afternoon serials of the 1930s and the B-movies of the 1950s, but believe me, it totally misrepresents who archaeologists are and what goals we pursue. It's filled with exaggerated and inaccurate nonsense. Even the centerpiece of the new movie -- the "crystal skull" -- is a phony. Archaeologists have long known about this class of rare and bizarre artifacts, purportedly from the pre-Columbian cultures of Central and South America. But in the current issue of Archaeology magazine, Jane McLaren Walsh of the Smithsonian Institution reveals how she and her colleagues discovered the telltale marks of modern drills and sanders on their surface -- and recognized that these supposedly mystical ancient relics were made by profit-hungry forgers to feed the modern black market in antiquities.
Even worse, the picture of the vine-swinging, revolver-toting archaeological treasure hunter is all wrong. Gone are the days when all that mattered was museum-quality treasure, and the "natives" didn't matter at all. Certainly in the age of the great colonial empires, archaeologists were often solitary adventurers who could count on the prestige and power of their nations to claim the ruins and relics of ancient empires for themselves. Even without a fedora and a bullwhip, Lord Elgin shipped the famous Parthenon marbles home to England, Heinrich Schliemann smuggled away Troy's golden treasures, and Howard Carter managed to spirit away precious artifacts from King Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt.
But today, the rules are different, and the professional attitude of archaeologists has changed. In place of loners acting on hunches have come teams of specialists in anthropology and the natural sciences who work closely with local scholars and administrators to excavate and painstakingly document their sites centimeter by centimeter. Individual objects are now less important than contexts; the goal is not to collect exotic or mystical artworks but to fit pieces together to form new ideas about history.
In my own work in Israel, I've traced the early archaeologists' attempts to discover relics that would provide proof of the historical reliability of the Scriptures -- not too different from Indy's search for the biblical Ark of the Covenant. But in the last generation, archaeological teams at sites throughout the Middle East -- working to analyze everything from ancient plant remains to distributions of animal bones to ancient metallurgy and environmental data gathered from satellite imagery -- have begun to understand the social and cultural background to the rise of the biblical tradition. In the process, they've revealed that many of the taken-for-granteds of biblical history, such as the exodus from Egypt, the conquest of the Promised Land by Joshua and even the vast kingdom of David and Solomon, were mostly literary tall tales and exaggerations of the historical reality.
Today, the typical archaeological site is a combination laboratory, field school, campground and open-air classroom, inhabited by professional archaeologists, their students and eager volunteers from all over the world. The dust still rises and the landscapes are often still exotic, but the problems of research, rather than threatening natives and enemy agents, are the main obstacles to archaeological success.
That's why I cringe when I see how the fedora, leather jacket and bullwhip have become recognizable international promotional symbols of archaeology. Many archaeologists have enthusiastically embraced the Hollywood fantasy, borrowing a bit of Indiana Jones's mystique for themselves. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and archaeological czar of the relics and tombs of ancient Egypt, recently raised funds for charity on a U.S. tour by selling autographed copies of his trademark Indiana Jones hat. The National Science Foundation has just put up an Indiana Jones-themed home page, complete with bullwhip and fedora, and the Archaeological Institute of America, a venerable academic organization of classical archaeologists and art historians, has elected Harrison Ford to its board of directors, in tribute to his "significant role in stimulating the public's interest in archaeological exploration." And professor Cornelius Holtorf of the University of Kalmar in Sweden has offered the opinion that "Indiana Jones is no bad thing for science," suggesting that the film series has attracted many students and supporters to real-life archaeological work.
Of course, archaeologists have to reach out to the public to raise funds and gain attention for their efforts, but I'm convinced that there's something misguided and destructive in this academic love affair with IndianaJones. It's not just that the films are harmlessly caricatured visions of old-fashioned archaeology; they are filled with destructive and dangerous stereotypes that undermine American archaeology's changing identity and goals. At a time when our national political debates are centered on our relationships with other cultures, when the question of talking to rather than attacking perceived enemies has become a contentious presidential campaign issue and when claims for the repatriation of looted relics are being seriously addressed by courts and professional archaeological organizations, the thrill-a-minute adventures of Indiana Jones are potentially dangerous and dysfunctional models for both modern archaeology and American behavior in the world.
So let the show go on and watch Indy snatch the crystal skull from the grasp of the evil Soviet agents and return to the jungles of South America to rescue the world from an ancient curse. Fantasy can be a guilty pleasure. But don't confuse it with archaeology. And please don't ever ask me about my fedora and bullwhip again.
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The movies feature destructive and dangerous stereotypes that undermine both archaeology and America.
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Behind the Saffron Robes, a Savvy Politician
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Soon after violence erupted in Tibetan areas in China last March, restless young Tibetan exiles began clamoring for dramatic protests against the Chinese government. The countdown to the Beijing Olympics in August was their chance, they said, to force China to end almost 60 years of oppression in Tibet. People around the world joined in their call for action. But the Dalai Lama continued to urge patience, dialogue and tolerance. An agreement reached by people who are jealous, territorial or angry, he often says, will last only until the next fit of temper.
The Dalai Lama also opposes a boycott of the Olympics and recently reminded Tibetans to forswear violence. Last Wednesday, he even announced that if, by chance, he were invited to the Olympics, he'd be "happy" to attend. And two weeks ago, he led a Buddhist prayer service for the victims of China's massive earthquake.
I've been following the Dalai Lama and his ever more unsettled people in their exile home in Dharmsala, India, for 33 years now, from the foggy summer day when I met him as a teenager to the day after his Nobel Peace Prize was announced in 1989 to our most recent visit in Japan last year. Nearly all his positions come as unexpected to those of us conditioned to politics-as-usual.
When his people understandably cry out in frustration and even rage toward Beijing, the Dalai Lama reminds them that no one can be forced to be reasonable. China, he knows, has a prickly and fearful tradition of responding to the slightest resistance with violence. Gestures of defiance may attract headlines or play well in Hollywood for a few days, but in the long run, opposing a nation 215 times more populous than your own is tantamount to suicide.
At heart, his position is both pragmatic and moral: China and Tibet are neighbors, and their destinies are intertwined. He has taught his followers that throwing stones at a neighbor's window -- or even leading protesters to his front door -- can harm the entire neighborhood for years to come.
Such clear-eyed realism, and such practical applications of monastic principles, are not always what the world wants from the Dalai Lama. When the head of Tibetan Buddhism offers philosophical teachings outside his home in Dharmsala, thousands of foreigners join the monks and ordinary Tibetans day after day in freezing weather amid a crush of bodies. But as soon as he turns his attention to Tibet's political situation, as he does every year on March 10 -- the anniversary of the 1959 uprising during which he fled China -- his audience thins out as his followers from New York, Dusseldorf and Sydney disappear. We don't need another leader in the real world; we want someone who can show us a better one.
It's easy to forget that the Dalai Lama, brought to spiritual power as a 4-year-old boy, has been leading his people longer than any other figure on the world stage -- 68 years and counting. He was dealing with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai 58 years ago, and in 1954, against his people's wishes, he left for a year-long tour through China that included a visit to Beijing. For decades, he has been confronting radicals in China and within his movement. In the early 1970s, when CIA-trained Tibetan fighters continued a guerrilla war against Beijing, he sent them a taped message asking them to lay down their arms. The insurgents obeyed, but a few were so heartbroken that they took their own lives.
In recent months, much of the world has awakened to the Tibetan predicament and decided that now is the moment for a dramatic response. But the Dalai Lama, who has long stressed that what matters is what happens after the Olympics, keeps emphasizing the importance of speaking with the Chinese rather than lashing out. China recently resumed talks with representatives of exiled Tibetans, but the leaders in Beijing remain curiously reluctant to meet with a monk described by President Bill Clinton as "an honest man" and by President Bush as "a man of peace."
With characteristic directness, the Dalai Lama confessed to me more than a decade ago that his policy of maximum concessions -- calling for "autonomy," not full independence from China -- had achieved little, as China continued cracking down on Tibet. But that did not make it a mistaken policy, if only because he was looking to the future. As a pragmatist, he knows that mere gestures of resistance are not going to sway the hard-nosed leaders in Beijing. And as one who feels his people's sorrows as his own, he realizes that violent attacks against, say, Chinese power plants or Chinese-owned businesses will only bring more suffering to Tibetans in Tibet (and to the Chinese as well).
For all the years I've known him, and especially in the last 15 or so, the Dalai Lama has spoken of the importance of working with the Chinese, who will realize in time, he believes, how much they have in common with the Tibetans. I have sometimes thought this a quixotic position or the last hope of a desperate man. But the last time I visited the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, some of the Chinese I saw there were making offerings at the Jokhang Temple in the heart of the old city, seeking out lamas and reading Tibetan texts. And across China, at least until the protests swept through Tibetan areas in March, Tibetan Buddhism had become decidedly hip. If Americans and Europeans and Japanese look to this tradition for a spiritual fulfillment that their own cultures haven't provided, how much more so will many Chinese, who with their newfound prosperity are searching for spiritual richness, too?
During my week with the Dalai Lama in Japan last November, we walked into a conference room in Yokohama, and the 60 or so people awaiting his arrival began to sob. Chairs had been set out for them, but they all threw themselves onto the ground, clustering around the holy man, trying to get his blessing. Every one of the people so anxious to touch him was a Han Chinese, from the People's Republic.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of recent weeks was the petition released by more than two dozen Chinese intellectuals and writers calling on their government to speak to the Dalai Lama, end "suppression" in Tibet and allow an independent body to investigate the recent disturbances. We might have expected Tibetans to risk their lives by making such an appeal. But Chinese?
No one believes that Beijing will change overnight, but as the Dalai Lama often notes, we should be ready when it happens. It's striking that two of his longtime and most loyal champions are Vaclav Havel and Desmond Tutu. One day Havel woke up in prison; weeks later, he was unanimously elected president of Czechoslovakia. One day Tutu woke up to a life of apartheid (though a Nobel laureate, he had not been allowed to vote in all his 62 years); the next, he was free of official racism.
If the Dalai Lama does receive an invitation to the Olympic opening ceremonies, the Chinese can count on at least one monk who will extend a hand of friendship at their coming-out party -- to remind Tibetans, Chinese and the world that they have everything to lose by seeing each other as foes.
Pico Iyer is the author of "The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama."
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The Dalai Lama's moderate positions, especially on Chinese issues, are both pragmatic and moral.
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Let the Veepstakes Begin
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By inviting three of the hot prospects for his running mate to his Sedona, Ariz., ranch for a weekend barbecue-cum-audition, the Republican standard-bearer has given official sanction for journalists and politicians to start calculating who will occupy the second lines on all the ballots come November.
Conventional wisdom is that the objects of this guessing game hold only the briefest of interest to voters. Until the night of the traditional vice presidential debate, they receive almost no coverage in the campaign. Except for Lyndon Johnson in 1960 bringing comfort to Dixie, vice presidential candidates have almost no impact on the election.
In part, it's because everything else at this stage of the race seems so scripted. And it's also that in an era of remarkably close presidential contests, there is always a chance that an inspired -- or disastrous -- choice by the nominee will tip the balance.
I am permanently disqualified from attempting to guess the running mates. The only time I have ever been right was Spiro Agnew, and no one wants to risk a repetition of that calamity.
It was in an interview during the Oregon primary in 1968 that Richard Nixon floated the Maryland governor's name in a typically heavy-handed way, solely to nudge Agnew into an endorsement. Nixon then reminded other reporters at the GOP convention that he had made me the recipient of that leak.
Despite that sordid history, I am as addicted to the speculation as anyone. So, when the McCain campaign announced last week that he would be entertaining former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, my imagination cranked into overdrive.
These are three attractive politicians, young enough to balance McCain in age and geographically distant from his home state of Arizona. Romney earned his credentials by giving McCain his toughest challenge for the presidential nomination. Crist delivered a vital and timely endorsement. And Jindal, the youthful son of Indian immigrants, could be the Republican answer to Barack Obama.
But there are others. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Ohio congressman and Bush administration budget director Rob Portman have their backers. Still, given the low state of the Republican Party, McCain might want to take a bolder leap, bidding for independent votes with someone such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg or another business executive who could reinforce his reformer credentials.
What he probably cannot do is choose someone who would antagonize the conservative core of the party. His choice almost automatically has the inside track on the next nomination.
The guessing on Obama's No. 2 is really all over the lot, with the threshold question being whether the job must be offered to Hillary Clinton in order to keep peace at the convention. That looks like an unlikely partnership, but it would make sense for him to consider one of her prominent supporters, such as Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland or Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.
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With perfect timing, John McCain has signaled the opening of the vice presidential speculation season, just as the last dregs of suspense are being drained from the marathon presidential contest.
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Hope in the Trouble Spots
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A spirit of accommodation suddenly grips some of the world's greatest trouble spots -- in part because Bush is going and a new president is coming. This is a time when regional powers work out basic understandings on their own to prepare for a period in which American attention will turn decisively inward and American power will be uncertain in application and range.
The decision by Israel and Syria to commit publicly to indirect peace talks -- under Turkish mediation and outside U.S.-sponsored channels -- seems to fall into this category. So do the Arab League's (at least temporarily) successful effort to get Lebanon's warring factions to accept a plan for a new government there, and the notable warming between China and Japan this month.
Elsewhere, urban guerrillas allow Iraq's government to take control of problem areas in Baghdad and Basra, North Korea turns over declarations on its nuclear weapons program demanded by the United States as a condition for continuing negotiations, and Pakistan's new civilian government negotiates with and tries to co-opt tribal militias that support al-Qaeda and Taliban forces.
These probes, agreements and rapprochements all have local causes and effects. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, for example, must hope that engaging Syria will boost his collapsing political fortunes at home and undercut the Palestinian radicals of Hamas. North Korea may have finally decided that it will get more from a legacy-hungry Bush than the next U.S. leader. And so on.
But two common denominators run through these odd couplings. First, they buy time while waiting for the U.S. electorate to decide the direction of American power in world affairs. For all its political flaws, current economic weakness and recurring self-flagellation, the United States remains the chief reference point for the world's fears, hopes and power calculations.
Flux in the United States brings flux almost everywhere. By squeezing the Lebanese into accommodating each other with promises for change, Egypt and the Gulf Arab states hedge their bets on a regional confrontation with Iran, the main backer of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.
Given the alternatives available, buying time is not the worst option in most of these cases. Bush should let the Israelis and Syrians play out the string of peacemaking on their own and not insist on getting involved or giving priority to the Palestinian talks he has helped foster.
After all, the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty happened only because the Carter administration's unsteadiness scared Egypt's Anwar Sadat so thoroughly that he traveled to Jerusalem in 1977 to take charge of the process. And the fundamentals of the Israeli-PLO accord of 1993 similarly were not made in the USA.
The second connector -- and one that Bush must keep uppermost in mind -- is that alliances and long-term relationships can be dramatically affected by decisions and actions that are necessarily short-term in nature in his administration's final months. That is particularly true in handling Kosovo's independence and in negotiations with North Korea on dismantling its nuclear weapons program.
The European Union has the greatest interest in keeping Russia from using Kosovo as an open wound to be torn at whenever it suits Moscow's purposes. American support for E.U. leadership in the western Balkans is necessary over the tense summer ahead.
More dependent on U.S. security help than ever, Japan is inwardly fearful that its interests are being overlooked as the United States pursues a nuclear agreement with North Korea and subconsciously elevates China to become the main American interlocutor in Asia. Those twin Japanese anxieties are reinforced by the fact that China hosts the multilateral talks with North Korea that have produced major compromises in Bush's original harsh stand toward Pyongyang.
Accommodation with Pyongyang and Beijing must be handled with great deference for Japan's legitimate concerns. If Washington does settle for half a nuclear loaf, Tokyo may have to conduct its own talks with Pyongyang on bilateral issues. Japan should be sure of having U.S. support and understanding on those questions in advance.
Burma's use of foreign relief supplies is the obvious, urgent exception to the utility of letting other nations buy themselves time and space in a transition period. Time is the enemy in Burma, where delay means massive death. The sidelines are no place for any civilized nation in that ongoing tragedy.
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Standing observantly on the sidelines has never been George W. Bush's intent or forte. But the president needs to master the skill for his twilight months in power.
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Safety Lapses Raised Risks In Trailers for Katrina Victims
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Within days of Hurricane Katrina's landfall in August 2005, frantic officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency ordered nearly $2.7 billion worth of trailers and mobile homes to house the storm's victims, many of them using a single page of specifications.
Just 25 lines spelled out FEMA's requirements, with little mention of the safety of those to be housed. Manufacturers produced trailers with unusual speed. Within months, some residents began complaining about unusual sickness; breathing problems; burning eyes, noses and throats; even deaths.
Today, industry and government experts depict the rushed procurement and construction as key failures that may have triggered a public health catastrophe among the more than 300,000 people, many of them children, who lived in FEMA homes.
Formaldehyde -- an industrial chemical that can cause nasal cancer, may be linked to leukemia, and worsens asthma and respiratory problems -- was present in many of the FEMA housing units in amounts exceeding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended 15-minute exposure limit for workers, the limit at which acute health symptoms begin to appear in sensitive individuals.
Weak government contracting, sloppy private construction, a surge of low-quality wood imports from China and inconsistent regulation all contributed to the crisis, a Washington Post review found. But each of the key players has pointed fingers at others, a chain of blame with a cost that will not be known for years.
Already, 17,000 plaintiffs who lived in FEMA units have alleged damaging health consequences, from respiratory problems to dozens of deaths and cancer cases, in a federal class-action lawsuit naming 64 trailermakers and the federal government. Many of the plaintiffs were drawn from the roughly 350,000 people who unsuccessfully filed claims against the Army Corps of Engineers over the levee breaches that flooded New Orleans.
The CDC reported this month that Hurricane Katrina led to increased complaints of lower-respiratory illnesses among 144 children studied in Mississippi, but it found no difference between those who lived in FEMA housing and those who did not. However, the CDC said the findings could not be generalized beyond the sample, and the agency is conducting a broad, five-year study of the storm's health impact on children across the Gulf Coast area.
"I still can't believe that we bought a billion dollars' worth of product with a 25-line spec. There's not much you can do in 25 lines to protect life safety," said Joseph Hagerman, a Federation of American Scientists expert who is leading a $275 million effort, funded by the Department of Homeland Security, to develop new emergency housing. "There's over 20,000 parts in these homes."
FEMA, for its part, faults manufacturers of the trailers, which are wheeled, and the mobile homes, which usually sit on concrete pads. Some trailermakers used cheaper, substandard wood products in the rush to meet production targets, increasing emissions of the cancer-causing chemical, according to industry officials and analysts.
Companies say that federal guidelines were inconsistent and that they relied on suppliers to deliver quality materials. In turn, wood suppliers blame cheap, high-formaldehyde-emitting plywood imports that flooded the U.S. market during the recent housing boom.
R. David Paulison, who became acting FEMA administrator two weeks after the storm hit the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, acknowledged missteps but said changes are needed far beyond his agency. "We're taking all the darn heat. . . . You would think that I ordered them with extra formaldehyde so they didn't rot or something," he said.
"The manufacturers have been skating by on this thing," he said, noting that many trailers bought by FEMA were on sale to consumers. "This is bigger than FEMA. This is bigger than FEMA," he said, repeating for emphasis.
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Within days of Hurricane Katrina's landfall in August 2005, frantic officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency ordered nearly $2.7 billion worth of trailers and mobile homes to house the storm's victims, many of them using a single page of specifications.
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To Claim Popular Vote, Clinton Is Seeking Wins in Last 3 Primaries
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The effect of such a victory, and the question of whether Clinton hopes to leverage it into the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket or simply leave it as a historical marker -- is less clear. "One hundred percent of her energy is on the popular vote," a senior adviser said. "The only thing she can control is how hard she works and what effort she puts into the remaining three contests. She wants to end this with as many votes as she can."
The pursuit of the popular vote sent Clinton to South Dakota on Friday, then back across the country to Puerto Rico yesterday. It also helps explain the sometimes-contradictory rhetoric she used last week -- on one evening highlighting party unity, and on the next, defiance and determination to continue running hard against Obama.
"Whatever happens, I'll work as hard as I can to elect a Democratic president this fall. The state motto of Kentucky is, 'United we stand, divided we fall,' " Clinton said after Tuesday night's victory. Her address in Louisville was interpreted by some as a sign that she is contemplating her post-campaign stance as Obama moves closer to the requisite number of delegates.
Yet the next day, with renewed vigor, Clinton compared her effort to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan to the abolition of slavery -- a sharp about-face that two advisers said reflects the difficult, emotional nature of this stage of the race for the candidate.
Clinton's sense of urgency about seating the delegates from those states, of course, is also rooted in her desire to move ahead in the popular vote. The Democratic National Committee sanctioned both states for moving their primaries up on the calendar in violation of party rules. Although neither candidate campaigned in Florida, Clinton ran up a big margin over Obama there, and she won the Michigan primary after Obama removed his name from the ballot.
After the two split primaries in Oregon and Kentucky last Tuesday, Obama held a lead of about 400,000 votes, according to various estimates, but counting the raw totals from Florida and Michigan would vault Clinton ahead of him. She hopes to close the gap further with what her campaign expects to be a big win in Puerto Rico's primary next Sunday.
Still, her aides struggled to explain what she hopes the popular-vote victory will yield. On Friday, they beat back rumors that she is negotiating to be Obama's running mate. "Totally false," senior aide Howard Wolfson said of a report that she is in formal talks with the Obama team over conceding. David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, called the same reports "laughable."
Members of the Clinton inner circle said that as the campaign has dragged on, her group of confidantes has grown smaller. One senior adviser normally privy to major decisions said it is unlikely that anyone beyond campaign manager Maggie Williams and attorney Cheryl Mills is having concrete discussions with Clinton about her strategy going forward.
Democratic officials aligned with Clinton continued to say that the race is not over and that she has every right to remain in, despite the long odds.
"Most of the time when you're five runs behind going into the bottom of the ninth, you don't prevail, but I've never seen the Dodgers walk off the field," Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) said. He said he still hopes she will "load the bases, hit a grand slam and then load the bases," but that to do so would require taking the fight well past June.
"If Clinton wins, it won't be until the convention," Sherman said. "It's more likely than not that Obama will wrap this up in June."
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Trailing in delegates while her debt continues to grow, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is aggressively campaigning in the final three contests of the primary season in the hope of seizing a victory in the overall popular vote from Sen. Barack Obama.
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Virginia Is Up For Grabs In Fall
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RICHMOND -- For the first time in decades, Virginia is shaping up as a presidential battleground as advisers to Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama lay plans to compete in the fall for the state's 13 electoral votes.
Aides to McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, and to Obama, the likely Democratic nominee, say they will invest heavily in winning Virginia, which could set the stage for a barrage of television ads, voter registration drives and campaign visits by the candidates.
"I think it is a battleground state," said Rick Davis, McCain's national campaign manager. "I know they are targeting it, and we are certainly targeting it."
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), an early Obama supporter, said, "I know this for sure: Virginians are going to see a lot more of these candidates in person than they have seen in quite some time."
The battle for Virginia could be decisive in determining which candidate wins the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. But there will also be campaigns for the seats held by U.S. Sen. John W. Warner and U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, both Republicans who are retiring. National Democrats, optimistic that they can pick up the Warner and Davis seats, also plan to target three incumbent House Republicans.
"Virginia has changed dramatically over the years, but the question will be, has it changed enough?" said Larry J. Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia.
Virginia has supported a Democratic presidential candidate only once since 1948 -- Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 -- but the recent string of Democratic victories has Republicans vowing to redouble their efforts in the state this year.
Officials in both parties say McCain starts with an edge over Obama in Virginia, a state President Bush carried by 262,000 votes in 2004. A prisoner of war during Vietnam, McCain expects to do well among the state's 800,000 veterans.
But Democrats are emboldened by the state's diversifying demographics, Bush's low approval ratings and statistics showing 131,000 newly registered voters so far this year, nearly half of whom are under 25.
Democrats also think they will have a formidable trio of Obama, Kaine and U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner selling the party's message in Virginia.
As he proved with his 30-point win in the state's Democratic primary Feb. 12, Obama has amassed tens of thousands of loyal supporters in Virginia, a state where African Americans make up 20 percent of the population and residents from increasingly Democratic Northern Virginia account for one in three registered voters.
Mark Warner, a former governor with a reputation as a ferocious competitor, will be the Democratic nominee for Senate. Favored to win his race against either former Republican governor James S. Gilmore III or Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), Warner might campaign with Obama, perhaps boosting the senator's appeal in rural Virginia, where Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton ran strong in the primary.
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RICHMOND -- For the first time in decades, Virginia is shaping up as a presidential battleground as advisers to Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama lay plans to compete in the fall for the state's 13 electoral votes.
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Puerto Rico Is a Key To Obama's Efforts To Reach Hispanics
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2008052519
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"Hóla, Puerto Rico! How's everybody doing today?" Obama shouted to a crowd gathered in Old San Juan, before he led dancing supporters along the seaside battlements for a raucous "caminata," the traditional candidate parade. "I am thankful, I am grateful. . . . If we do well in Puerto Rico, there is no reason I will not be announcing that I am the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America!"
The expected victory by Hillary Rodham Clinton in next Sunday's primary here is unlikely to shift the dynamic of the Democratic race. But Puerto Rico is emerging as a field test of what has become one of the first orders of business for the Obama campaign in its transition to general-election mode: redoubling and rethinking its effort to win over Hispanic voters, a demographic it lost to Clinton and will need against Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Last week, Obama courted Puerto Ricans in central Florida and Cuban Americans in Miami, laying down markers in a pivotal state in which the growing Hispanic vote is trending Democratic. This week, he will head to the Hispanic-heavy swing states of New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada.
The challenge: establishing a connection between Obama, a rookie senator from Illinois new to the national scene, and Hispanic voters, a crucial element of the Democratic coalition who have not yet reached the threshold of familiarity that they need to cast their lot with him. That effort is complicated by the diversity of the Hispanic community, in which the interests of predominantly Mexican Americans in the Southwest can be very different from Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans on the East Coast.
"We recognize we must work very hard . . . to do better with Latino voters in the general election," said Federico Peña, an Obama supporter who served as both transportation and energy secretary in Bill Clinton's administration. "We're just going to have to do much better. We recognize that. The senator recognizes that."
The plan, discussed in a conference call last week among the campaign's top Hispanic supporters, includes immediately ratcheting up Obama's exposure in Spanish-language media; creating a separate fundraising category that contributors can donate to for the purpose of paying for ads in Spanish; registering as many as possible of the 7 million eligible Hispanic Americans not on the rolls; and, in coming weeks, reaching out to Hillary Clinton's major Hispanic backers.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the highest-profile Hispanic supporter in a campaign that lacks a Latino in its inner circle, envisions a greater role for surrogates such as himself who can be "validators" of Obama. While campaigning in Puerto Rico last week, Richardson said, he often invoked comparisons to John F. Kennedy -- a hero among many fellow Catholics in Hispanic communities -- to convince voters that Obama is a "young man of enormous potential."
But much of the revamped outreach will be up to Obama. As disparate and far-flung as the Hispanic electorate is, those who study it say Hispanic voters share a tendency to judge politicians as much on how personally comfortable they feel with them as on the issues. ("We know each other" was President Bush's slogan for Hispanic outreach in 2004, a reference to his ties with the community in Texas.) Obama has had little opportunity to do so.
"The majority of Hispanics are at very best confused or uninformed about who he is," said Jorge Mursuli, executive director of Democracia USA, which registers Hispanic voters. "That's not insurmountable. . . . But in the end, any Hispanic who doesn't know him or have a relationship with him in their mind, that is a vulnerable vote that a Republican can nab."
To make up the gap, Obama will engage in more time-intensive retail politicking, campaigning that has not always come naturally to him, with its undertones of old-style identity politics. "This huge stage [for big rallies] that has allowed so many thousands to feel the excitement has not allowed us to know him," said Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.), an Obama backer. "We have to bring him down off the pedestal, bring him down to the living room and see him."
And, advisers say, he must find a way to tell the story of his life and campaign in a way that reflects commonalities with Hispanic voters: that he was born to a foreigner who came to America seeking a better life, that he was raised partly by grandparents -- on an island, like many Americans of Caribbean descent -- that he has experienced some of the same hurdles as part of a racial minority, and has overcome them by excelling in his education.
"Hispanics are big proponents of improving your life and advancing yourself through education, and that's his life story," said Freddy Balsera, a Florida political consultant who is helping lead Obama's Hispanic outreach in the state. "When he starts explaining that to Hispanic voters, they're going to connect to him."
This is where Puerto Rico comes in, although its residents cannot vote in November. So strong are the links between the island and mainland that reports of Obama's visit here -- whether via relatives or Spanish-language media -- will only help the campaign build a bond that it realizes has been lacking.
"What happens on this island 2,000 miles from New York and Chicago, we all find out about," said Gutierrez, whose family hails from Puerto Rico.
The stakes are great. In the 2006 midterm elections, Hispanic voters made up 6 percent of voters, according to estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center, with higher rates in key swing states such as Florida (10 percent), New Mexico (27 percent) and Nevada and Colorado (both 9 percent.) In 2004, Hispanic voters favored Democrat John F. Kerry in all major states except Florida, where Cuban Americans have tilted the Hispanic vote Republican.
But there are signs Hispanic participation could be much higher this year, in reaction against the recent anti-illegal-immigrant movement, which has unnerved many citizens of Latin American descent, and out of discontent with the war in Iraq and the economy. Mursuli noted that Hispanic turnout in the Democratic primaries had in several states matched general-election turnout in 2004, and said his group is racing ahead with new registrations.
In the primaries, Obama prevailed among Hispanic voters in a few states, such as Virginia and Connecticut, but Clinton (N.Y.) won them easily in most other states. In California, analysts speculated that Obama faced resistance because of "black-brown" tension between African Americans and Latinos there.
The Obama campaign noted Hispanics' greater familiarity with Clinton and her husband, and is confident that it will fare better in contrast with McCain. Obama's advisers say that although McCain supported an overhaul of the immigration system last year, they will highlight the tougher line he took in the primaries and his party's overall tone on the issue. "There are differences, and they can be clarified and magnified," Peña said.
Florida is looming as the biggest battleground. Last week, McCain was in Miami to speak to Cuban Americans and harshly criticized Obama for his call to normalize relations with Cuba.
On Friday, Obama ventured before a Cuban American audience to deliver a speech on Latin America, and the numbers suggest he may make inroads. Democrats recently surpassed Republicans among registered Hispanic voters in the state, a combination of a leftward movement among younger Cubans and of the growing numbers of Puerto Ricans (migrating from the island and from the Northeast) and other Latin Americans. In 1988, Cubans made up an estimated 90 percent of Hispanic voters in the state; now they are fewer than half, according to the Florida polling firm Bendixen & Associates.
Such considerations seemed far off Saturday as Obama marched through Old San Juan in barely controlled chaos. "Obama la esperanza y el futuro . . . Y un amigo presidente porque respeta nuestra gente," blasted the song on the sound truck ("Obama the hope and the future/And a friend president because he respects our people").
Here and there, the candidate broke into a few dance steps. "We have great support here in Puerto Rico," he declared at the end. "The most important support is not the support from the elected officials or support from the powerful -- it's the support from the people, and that is what we have shown here today."
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SAN JUAN, P.R., May 24 -- Sen. Barack Obama swept across this island commonwealth Saturday, a visit that had the markings of a coda to a grueling primary campaign.
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DNC Is Not Duplicating the Fundraising Success of Party's Candidates
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Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) are raising record sums for their presidential bids, and Democrats in the House and Senate enjoy huge cash advantages over their Republican counterparts. But as of the end of April, the DNC had collected $22.8 million this year and had $4.4 left to spend; the Republican National Committee finished April with $57.6 raised and $40.6 million in its accounts.
DNC supporters say several factors have contributed to the shortfall. Among them, they say, are that the protracted race between Obama and Clinton has soaked up funds that would otherwise go the party committee; DNC Chairman Howard Dean's commitment to his "50 State Strategy" has been costly; and that House and Senate Democrats have aggressively pitched donors on efforts to expand their congressional majorities.
Whatever the cause, there is broad agreement that the DNC's cash position will put significant pressure on the party's nominee -- probably Obama -- to raise vast sums quickly for the national committee to compete with Republicans during the late spring and summer.
Hassan Nemazee, a finance co-chair for the Clinton campaign and longtime DNC fundraiser, said that without a nominee, the party's ability to raise money is severely limited.
"People are not going to give until that candidate puts in place an apparatus that allows for people to feel as though there is an institutional memory in place, so they know someone will remember they gave the money," he said.
One longtime party strategist familiar with the inner workings of the DNC went further, acknowledging that although raising money is always "a difficult thing during a primary" for the DNC, "there is serious concern about their complete lack of fundraising success."
DNC spokeswoman Stacie Paxton acknowledged that the lengthy nomination battle has posed problems for the party's fundraising. "Our mission is to elect the president," she said. "Donors to both campaigns have understandably been focused on helping their candidate win the nomination, not giving to the DNC. . . . We're confident our fundraising will take off."
Already, she noted, the party has brokered agreements with Obama and Clinton to create joint fundraising committees that will allow the party to sock away money for the fall campaign. The DNC will also hold a major fundraiser featuring Al Gore and organized by top fundraisers for both candidates at the end of this month in Manhattan.
The extended nomination fight appears certain to carry on at least until the end of the primary season, in early June, and has put the DNC in the unexpected position of carrying the fight to McCain (Ariz.) largely on its own. A high-ranking DNC official who spoke with The Washington Post on the condition he not be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation said he worries that the party's impaired financial condition is leaving it powerless to help define McCain.
"Both campaigns have expressed a desire for us to attack McCain," the official said. "We made a small media buy. But we simply cannot sustain the kind of advertising we need right now. We can't even sustain even a national cable buy for a month."
Financial records reveal that the DNC has spent $638,000 against McCain this year, the vast majority of which -- $600,000 -- was spent on two television ads that ran on national cable networks. The first questioned McCain's assertion that Americans are "better off" than they were eight years ago; the second hit him on the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq for 100 years or more.
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In a banner fundraising year for Democrats, the struggles of the Democratic National Committee to stockpile cash are frustrating party leaders and complicating efforts to define Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
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Obama Accepts Clinton Account of RFK Remark
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"I have learned that, when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make, and I think that is what happened here," Obama (D-Ill.) told Radio Isla in his first public comments about the remark. "Senator Clinton says that she did not intend any offense by it, and I will take her at her word on that."
Clinton (D-N.Y.) told a South Dakota newspaper Friday that history pointed to primary results changing course in the summer, citing her husband's campaign in 1992 and the 1968 race, when, she said, "we all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California." The statement ignited a firestorm, particularly in light of lingering concerns about Obama's safety on the campaign trail. Her aides said she meant only to refer to examples of primary season running into June.
Later, she said the Kennedys had been on her mind since Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's brain tumor was reported. She expressed regret if her comment "was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that."
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 24 -- Sen. Barack Obama told a Puerto Rican radio station Saturday that he takes Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at her word when she said she meant no harm by invoking Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in speaking about the current Democratic presidential race.
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Peeved at Prices? Don't Blame the Dealer
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2008052519
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Every time Sohaila Rezazadeh rings up a sale at her Exxon station on Chain Bridge Road in Oakton, her cash register sends the information to Exxon Mobil's central computers. If she raises the price of gasoline a couple of pennies, chances are that Exxon will raise the wholesale price she pays by the same amount.
Through a password-protected Web portal, Exxon notifies Rezazadeh of wholesale price changes daily. That way the oil giant, which is earning about $3.3 billion a month, fine-tunes the pump prices at the franchise Rezazadeh has owned for 12 years.
Now, however, Rezazadeh says she cannot stay in business. Credit-card fees are eating her profit margins. Exxon, which owns the station land, last week handed Rezazadeh a new lease raising her rent about 30 percent over the next three years. She stuck a copy on the window of her station to show customers who are angry about soaring pump prices. Rezazadeh has told Exxon that she cannot make money with the rent that high. Her territory manager's reply, she said, was simple: When you go, leave us the keys.
Rezazadeh, who fled to the United States from Iran in 1979, is part of the long chain that links motorists with the big oil companies. Major integrated U.S. oil companies -- which produce crude oil, own refineries and sell gasoline -- have been reaping billions of dollars in profit from high oil prices over the past two years, but they are still working to extract every penny they can from the marketing end of the business. Exxon Mobil doesn't break out its earnings from marketing alone, but its 2007 profits in worldwide refining and marketing -- known as the downstream part of the oil business -- reached $9.6 billion, 43 percent of that coming from the United States.
Although Exxon owns and operates few stations anymore -- less than 10 percent of the 12,000 Exxon outlets in the United States -- it uses franchise agreements to maintain tight control over stations that bear its brand. The company dictates everything from the number of pumps to hygiene practices to the placement of food on convenience store shelves. "They monitor everything," Rezazadeh said.
Exxon says it does all this to maintain uniform quality, while recognizing dealer needs. "We recognize . . . that we are in a difficult time with the run-up in crude oil prices," said Ben Soraci, director of U.S. retail sales for Exxon. "Retailers are under a lot of pressure, and they are on the front lines every day with the motorist, who is also feeling a lot of pressure."
Ultimately, Soraci said, "it's in our interest to see them succeed. It's not in our interest to see them hand us the keys."
But some Exxon dealers say the company is trying to squeeze too much out of them.
Like Rezazadeh, Scott Burnham was struggling to cope with low margins and rising rents. On May 9, he closed his station on scenic Knickerbocker Road in Closter, N.J., and abandoned it to Exxon. In March, Exxon had said it would raise his rent by a third over two years. Burnham tried to line up buyers for the franchise, which he purchased for $475,000 just two years ago. But one backed out, saying that the station would lose money no matter how much gasoline it sold.
"Why is the government giving Exxon subsidies and tax breaks when they're making billions of dollars and when they squeeze every dime they can out of every dealer who made that profit for them?" Burnham said.
Soraci said rent increases reflect rising real estate values. "We have excellent real estate out there that is superior to our competition," he said, which allows the dealers to "compete more effectively."
Even some of Exxon's successful and loyal dealers complain. Jerry Daggle owns five Exxon stations in Northern Virginia, and even though they have different competitive conditions and prices, "Exxon magically lets me make about 8 cents a gallon" at each one, he said.
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Washington,DC,Virginia,Maryland business headlines,stock portfolio,markets,economy,mutual funds,personal finance,Dow Jones,S&P 500,NASDAQ quotes,company research tools. Federal Reserve,Bernanke,Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Fuel-Efficient Or Financially Prudent
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Watching television recently, I was amused by a motorist who said that all he could do about soaring gas prices was to close his eyes and pump.
There are some things you actually can do to reduce your costs -- and fuel consumption -- such as driving slower and taking the junk out of your trunk. But Consumer Reports has released a warning about one gas-saving tactic that might end up costing you more money.
If you're thinking of trading in your gas-guzzling vehicle for a more fuel-efficient ride, do the math -- because the savings you're hoping for at the pump might be negated by the price you pay to replace your car.
The high cost of gas is changing the way some people are shopping for a car, according to a survey of Michigan AAA members. Gas mileage was ranked as the No. 1 criterion that auto club AAA members said they would use in deciding their next car purchase. Next came make and model, safety features, performance, seating capacity and technology features.
I understand that paying upward of $4 a gallon is making your heart pump faster, but that pales in comparison to the several thousand dollars you may have to shell out for another car.
"While we support the downsizing trend in principle, we caution consumers to look at their long-term owner costs and not rush to make a change they may later regret," said Jeff Bartlett, deputy auto editor at ConsumerReports.org.
Here's the problem -- at least in the short-term -- with trading in your car for one that's more fuel-efficient. You have to take into consideration several factors, including depreciation and finance charges.
Let's start with depreciation, or the value your car loses over time. If you've had your car for only a few years -- three or less -- it's not worth the savings in gas to trade it in because you take a big hit on its declining value, Bartlett said.
Depreciation makes up about 48 percent of an average owner's total vehicle costs in the first five years of ownership, according to Consumer Reports. Fuel cost averages about 21 percent of your vehicle ownership.
And then there's the finance charge. If you're two or three years into your current loan, you would be trading up to several more years of car payments, plus interest.
Let's look at an example laid out by Consumer Reports. Suppose you have a 2005 Ford Five Hundred SEL V6 sedan that gets 21 miles per gallon. You want to trade it in for a 2008 Toyota Prius hybrid, which gets 44 miles per gallon. The per gallon mileage figures are based on Consumer Reports' fuel-economy test results.
Let's assume you drive about 12,000 miles every year. At $3.75 per gallon (and, of course, this national average might change by the time you read this), you'll pay about $2,000 in gas this year driving the Ford, according to Consumer Reports estimates when it did these calculations. If you owned the Toyota, your fuel bill for the year would be about $1,000.
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Watching television recently, I was amused by a motorist who said that all he could do about soaring gas prices was to close his eyes and pump.
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West African Country Becomes Cocaine Hub
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» This Story:Read +|Watch +
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Suspicious package sits at Fed building for months
Toyota expects to halt production in U.S.
Aerial view of Japan destruction
Truck dangles over ramp; two trapped
Aftermath of blast, Gaza strikes
Elementary class graduate after tsunami
Baking behind bars on Rikers Island
Plea deal nixed in Conn. home invasion case
Police: Teen shot guardians after being grounded
Playing the oil prices money game
Elizabeth Taylor's stand against AIDS
Obama struggles to enter White House
Radioactive water triggers fear in Japan
Buying a new home means paying more
Allied forces crippling Gaddafi's power
Goldman CEO offers no cover for ex-boardmember
Audio: Silence in the tower at DCA
Libya mission gaining; U.S. looks to cede control
Deadly plane crash in Republic of Congo
Strong storms bring wild weather
Watchdog groups want Ukraine zoo closed
Blast at bus station shakes Jerusalem
Japan buries its dead as radiation fears grow
Obama struggles to enter White House
Obama again defends U.S. involvement in Libya
McCain on no-fly zone: "It's been very effective"
U.S. fighter jet crashes in Libya
Obama lauds Chile's transition to democracy
Coalition stops Gaddafi push on rebel stronghold
The Post's Perry Bacon on Obama in Chile
Obama favors Gaddafi stepping down
Palin: 'Overwhelming' to be in Israel
Gates: U.S. will soon yield control in Libya
The Fast Fix - Is Romney winning the base?
Obama: Brazil's democracy example to Arab world
Obama plays soccer with Brazil youth
Obama authorizes military action against Libya
The Post's Forero analyzes Obama's trip to Brazil
Obama: Coalition prepared to act in Libya
Banks boost dividends as Fed loosens leash
Wisc. judge blocks controversial union law
Obama: U.S. ready to enforce sanctions in Libya
Clinton: 'No other choice' in Libya
Westfield and Robinson tie, 1-1
Post Sports Live: Boudreau vs. McPhee - who deserves more credit?
Post Sports Live: Sweet 16 preview
Post Sports Live: Alex Ovechkin's mysterious injury
Post Sports Live, March 22
Georgetown Prep beats Langley, 12-3
Post Sports Live: Verizon Center has Big East feel for NCAA Tourney
Ali asks Iran to free U.S. hikers
JaVale McGee on his first triple-double
Post Sports Live: Mason faces tough road in East region
Post Sports Live: Georgetown's chances rest on Wright's hand
Navy knocks out in-state rival Towson, 14-11
Georgetown draws 5th-seed, faces Princeton this Sunday
Post Sports Live: NCAA Tournament preview
Post Sports Live, March 15
George Mason reacts to first-round matchup with Villanova
Sneak peek: 'History Will Be Made'
North Point claims 4A title
Centennial loses to Milford Mill, 56-44
Toyota expects to halt production in U.S.
Aerial view of Japan destruction
Aftermath of blast, Gaza strikes
Elementary class graduate after tsunami
No Tweeting: A royal wedding etiquette guide
Playing the oil prices money game
Radioactive water triggers fear in Japan
Allied forces crippling Gaddafi's power
Libya mission gaining; U.S. looks to cede control
Deadly plane crash in Republic of Congo
Watchdog groups want Ukraine zoo closed
Blast at bus station shakes Jerusalem
Japan buries its dead as radiation fears grow
Mass protests in Yemen as emergency law imposed
Bomb explodes at Jerusalem bus stop
Obama again defends U.S. involvement in Libya
Missing Va. teacher's body located in Japan
U.S. fighter jet crashes in Libya
Carriages prepared for royal wedding
Japan slowly recovers, mourns dead
Obama lauds Chile's transition to democracy
Coalition stops Gaddafi push on rebel stronghold
The Post's Perry Bacon on Obama in Chile
Truck dangles over ramp; two trapped
Post Today, March 24: U-Md. demands nuclear fallout info
Baking behind bars on Rikers Island
No Tweeting: A royal wedding etiquette guide
Police: Teen shot guardians after being grounded
Elizabeth Taylor's stand against AIDS
Obama struggles to enter White House
Aflac debuts Gilbert Gottfried-less commercial
Strong storms bring wild weather
Elizabeth Taylor's tempestuous love affair
Adorable polar bear twins meet the public
Bomb explodes at Jerusalem bus stop
Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79
Massive shark spotted off Florida coast
Iowa tornado caught on tape
Post Today, March 23: Naming military operations
Circus elephants take a walk through D.C.
Missing Va. teacher's body located in Japan
Footage of crashed U.S. fighter jet
U.S. fighter jet crashes in Libya
Carriages prepared for royal wedding
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Video by Kevin Sullivan/The Washington PostEditor: Jacqueline Refo/washingtonpost.com
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Mini Golf Mantra: The Wackier, the Better
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We speak, of course, of miniature golf (goofy golf, adventure golf or Putt-Putt, if you prefer). Sure, the number of courses has declined over the years, but there's no real threat of the cheery yet maddening game going under. Mini golf is targeted at people 4 to 104, and those in the know fully expect the 4-year-olds to be playing in 100 years.
Marilyn Thomas of Towson, Md., played several rounds of mini golf recently in Rehoboth with her twin 12-year-old boys. It wasn't their first time.
"We come every time we're here," she said. "For us, it's as much a part of the beach as the sand is."
It's a happy ritual for many people in the Washington area, as they hit the beach towns of Maryland this holiday weekend. But as they pick up their putters and pseudo-curse the windmill hole, they might not know that the man who helped give goofy golf its goofiness is an Ocean City resident, still running his empire at 87.
Once upon a time, miniature golf was for rich ladies who were too delicate or too modest to swing a club past their shoulders. Then it became the quintessential everyman's game, with a bargain-basement cost. It offers perhaps the best chance for an 8-year-old to whump dad in competition and an innocent setting for millions of awkward teenage dates.
Mini golf loves anyone who loves it back. And, really, who doesn't love mini golf? Cultural references abound: Bart Simpson was conceived in the castle of a mini golf course, and the Karate Kid and the object of his affection had to push a car down a hill on their way to play a round. Let's face it: Nearly everyone has a mini golf memory.
"Some look at it as a sport, and in Europe they've tried to integrate it as sport, but in America it's a leisure activity," said Steven Hix, executive director of the Fort Worth-based Miniature Golf Association United States. "The wacky scenery and the story line is the trick, not so much the golf."
People who love mini golf seem to love wacky. Shell We Golf in Rehoboth offers straw hats to players navigating holes built around a large pond filled with (real) Hawaiian fish. Giant (fake) animals are the norm at many places; courses in Ocean City have towering dinosaurs, a giraffe and a slightly menacing flamingo. And old-timers can still find courses that don't get any crazier than the loop-the-loop or the windmill. But in the words of one teenage aficionado, that's soooo boooooring!
Mini golf began in Scotland in the mid-19th century, with no thought of wacky. It was simply a cheap knockoff of its more refined cousin, targeted toward women. While men played the real thing, ladies could play 50-yard courses that used bunkers and ponds as obstacles. The first U.S. mini golf course opened in Pinehurst, N.C., in 1916, but it still wasn't very wacky: It was modeled after gardens at the Louvre in Paris and was never opened to the public.
Then came Tom Thumb Golf.
Built on top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tenn., it's fair to say that Tom Thumb brought the wacky. Frieda Carter, the wife of a plumber, used leftover tile, hollow logs and pieces of sewer pipe to create the first unique mini golf course.
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REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. -- In a world in which Grand Theft Auto IV can make $500 million in its first week of existence, how can the most innocent game of all survive?
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A High-Speed Cool-Down
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Before the slide could open to the public yesterday, the park was required to make sure it was safe by running 100 "test cycles" using volunteers of various heights and weights. And so on Thursday, an usually cool day for late May, 22 underdressed friends and family members of Six Flags employees shivered atop a four-story platform, waiting for their chance to get goose pimples in the name of public safety.
Two days before its public debut, the Halfpipe was rife with that new-ride smell of recently welded metal and fresh topsoil, a few tons of which was being pushed into place by a garden tractor even as the volunteers climbed the stairs.
But the slide itself was bolted into place and ready for action: a 40-foot-high trough similar to the halfpipe rigs used by skateboarders for airborne stunts. But this halfpipe is flooded with 100 gallons of water per minute, and riders swoop up and down its face on inflated tubes.
With hard-hatted workers pausing to watch, the first test riders -- two off-duty Six Flags lifeguards in a double tube -- shoved off.
"Oooooh [minor violation of the park's no-profanity rules]!" the lead rider hollered as the bright yellow tube raced down the slope, where speeds can reach 23 mph.
[And as this reporter can attest, the initial plunge is as close to stomach-floating freefall as one is likely to experience on any day that doesn't include a plane crash.]
The pair blasted through the trough of water at the bottom and zoomed up the other side, provoking another shriek as the tube neared the top edge. Then back and forth they went, like a lemon rolling around a bathtub, before coming to a rest in the ankle-deep water.
The verdict of riders coming off the slide was split between those who were sold and those who were cold.
"It was more the cold than the thrill that got me," said Bridget Rafferty, 21, of Annapolis, a friend of a Six Flags accounting intern. "They wanted us to go on it four times. I'm probably good for three."
Her boyfriend, Zack Smicker, 19, of Erie, Pa., was in it for every ride.
On they slid, cycle after cycle, brave and shivering. Staff members at the base of the slide monitored each ride and checked each tube as it came out of the water.
"So far, it's working perfectly," said E.J. Randolph, director of operations.
One thing these pioneer riders quickly demonstrated was the range of amusement-park archetypes that will characterize the Halfpipe riders: the Screamer, the Teeth Gritter, the Bug-Eyed and the Uncontrollable Giggler.
"Did you see her face?" Rachel Sealy, one of the lifeguards, asked as one Screamer progressed loudly down the slide. "She was feeling it."
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If you were one of this weekend's inaugural riders on Tony Hawk's Halfpipe, a GenX water slide opening at Six Flags America in Largo, take a moment before you plunge to thank the test sliders. They took the chill to provide your thrill.
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Parades, Tributes to Honor War Dead
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· NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT Sponsored by the National Park Service and PBS, and featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and musical guests. 8 p.m. West Lawn of the Capitol.
· CONCERT AT WOLF TRAP The performing arts park will hold a free performance at 8 p.m. by the U.S. Marine Band. Fireworks will follow. Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna.
· MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT A historical tribute through song by the National Men's Chorus with organist Paul Skevington, the U.S. Army Chorus and the U.S. Army Brass Quintet. 5 p.m., St. Luke Catholic Church, 7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean. Free. 202-224-7191 or http://www.nationalmenschorus.org.
· MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE Mount Pleasant Baptist Church will dedicate a historical marker in a noon celebration at the church's original location, 13614 Coppermine Rd., Herndon.
· NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY PARADE Marching bands and veterans units from across the country will begin the parade at 2 p.m. at Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue.
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· ROLLING THUNDER PROCESSION Thousands of motorcyclists will assemble at the Pentagon parking lot and depart at noon for the District. A ceremony and musical tributes will begin at 1 p.m. at the Reflecting Pool across from the Lincoln Memorial.
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Getting on Track Tough For Open-Wheel Drivers
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CONCORD, N.C., May 24 -- It was a blessing that Sam Hornish Jr. didn't retake the lead of the 2006 Indianapolis 500 until 150 yards from the finish, zooming past Marco Andretti in the waning seconds to clinch the victory he had dreamed about since childhood.
Had he led the last 10 laps, he confesses now, he'd have been crying so hard he wouldn't have been able to see as he rounded the final turn. As it was, he was so shocked by his victory that he managed to chug the celebratory glass of milk and muddle through his post-race interviews before the emotion fully sank in.
Two years later, Hornish isn't in the lineup for Sunday's Indianapolis 500. Instead he's competing in stock-car racing's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, trying to establish his motorsports credentials anew as a rookie in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series.
One-third of the way through his maiden campaign, Hornish, 28, is learning what the 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner, Juan Pablo Montoya, learned last year: Downshifting from the glamorous open-wheel circuit to stock cars is as challenging as anything he has attempted.
"You have to throw out everything you ever knew about driving Indy cars because it doesn't apply at all to this," said Hornish, a three-time Indy Racing League champion, in an interview in his trackside motor home this week. "It's like playing ice hockey versus field hockey. Similar principles. You're trying to do the same thing. But everything you do is different."
Hornish, who is 34th in the point standings, hasn't finished better than 15th in a NASCAR points race this season. And he has yet to lead a single lap in his No. 77 Dodge. But he's hardly alone among open-wheel veterans who are struggling to adapt to the bulky, boxy stock cars.
Scotland's Dario Franchitti and Canada's Patrick Carpentier also made the leap to NASCAR this season, following the path blazed by Montoya, a former Formula One ace, in 2007. They're idling even further back in the standings.
History might have suggested as much.
Only two drivers have won both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500, the top prize in both forms of racing. But A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti were renaissance men of another era, when neither race had so many cars capable of winning.
Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart made the transition look easy when they jumped from the open-wheel ranks to stock cars in the 1990s, lured to NASCAR by the promise of a job with a front-running team and a more handsome payday.
But the longer a driver spends in one form of racing -- particularly Indy cars and Formula One cars -- the trickier it is to switch to stock cars, according to Ray Evernham, the former crew chief-turned-car owner who led Gordon to three of his four NASCAR championships.
"Jeff was a prodigy, we can't deny that," Evernham says. "But his stepdad always kept Jeff moving in and out of different kinds of racecars. He drove midgets, sprints; cars with wings, cars without wings; on dirt, on pavement. He wasn't a single-seat kind of driver."
For IndyCar veterans such as Hornish, Carpentier and Franchitti, NASCAR presents challenges at every turn -- challenges that are invisible to even the seasoned sports fan's eye.
It starts with the handling characteristics of the stock car itself -- bewildering to drivers accustomed to the more responsive, nimble and precise Indy cars.
Stock cars weigh more than twice as much as an Indy car (3,400 pounds to 1,500 pounds) yet generate only about one-third the downforce (1,500 pounds to 4,500 pounds). That means an Indy car will stay planted to the track at 220 mph, while a stock car's rear end skitters around. And learning to slide around turns at nearly 200 mph without slamming into the wall doesn't come easily to drivers who expect precision.
Next, stock-car racers have to figure out the most efficient path, or "line," around each track. In IndyCar, there are usually two options, with the line closest to the bottom of the track invariably the fastest. In NASCAR, drivers experiment with multiple lines, darting high, low and in between in search of speed. And the preferred line changes as tires wear, temperatures rise or the sun ducks behind the clouds.
Then comes the vagaries of the tracks, which are hardly uniform. Each has its own nuances, whether irregular corners or bumps you don't see until you slam into them at top speed. And each track has an optimum spot for braking on every turn.
South Carolina's egg-shaped Darlington Raceway is among NASCAR's more notorious ovals, demanding that drivers brush the wall once per lap to get the maximum speed out the car. Carpentier found its layout so baffling that he could only laugh.
"It's a good way to learn the wall!" Carpentier cracked after his 40th-place finish there earlier this month. "I was lost! I've never been on an oval in my life where you turn twice in the same corner. I was kind of zigzagging on the track, so I don't think the guys enjoyed my presence there."
Finally, NASCAR racing demands a different ethic behind the wheel. Because open-wheel cars don't have fenders, cars rarely make contact. (It can be calamitous if wheels touch.) But in stock-car racing, a certain amount of bumping isn't just acceptable; it's often required to get to the front.
Hornish has tried steering clear of rough-housing, loath to make enemies so early in his career. "But you get to the point," he adds, "where you get tired of being pushed."
Meantime, he's learning the limits of his racecar and hoping that his car owner, Roger Penske, finds no limit to his patience.
"The easier way out is to go back to Indy cars and say, 'I tried that,' but that's not my style," Hornish says. "I'd rather bang my head against the wall for a while and see if I can get it figured out. This is where I want to be. I feel more and more at home every time we go out there."
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Sam Hornish Jr., the 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner, is learning that shifting from the open-wheel circuit to stock cars is as challenging as anything he has attempted.
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U.S. Teams Start Work Of Restoring South Iraq
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"As security conditions stabilize, you have opportunities that weren't there before," said Ryan C. Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. "This is an important part of the country, and there are opportunities for development here."
During a visit to the two provinces Saturday, Crocker expressed optimism about improved security in parts of the country, and he praised Iraqi military operations in recent weeks in the southern port city of Basra, the northern city of Mosul and Sadr City, a vast Shiite district of Baghdad.
"What we've seen in Basra, Baghdad and Mosul is Iraqi forces are leading the operation," Crocker said. "In the case of Sadr City, they have the whole show."
Thousands of Iraqi troops were deployed last week to Sadr City, a stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, to quell clashes that began in late March. The soldiers were deployed after Sadrist leaders and Iraqi government officials reached a cease-fire agreement that included keeping U.S. forces on the sidelines of an Iraqi army incursion into the area.
In Mosul, the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq remains a threat, Crocker said, but has "never been closer to defeat."
The State Department has 29 provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq. The program cost U.S. taxpayers about $1 billion this year. Nineteen of the teams have formed since Crocker became ambassador in March 2007. The teams in Karbala and Najaf will each have about 15 employees.
The contingent in Karbala province, about eight miles east of the city of Karbala, is surrounded by blast walls and guarded by Ugandan security contractors and a small unit of U.S. soldiers. The chief of the Karbala team, Donald J. Cooke, a Foreign Service officer, was among the American diplomats taken hostage in the Iranian capital of Tehran in 1979.
Karbala has been the scene of several large attacks since the war began.
In 2004, more than 100 people were killed and hundreds were injured in a series of bombings targeting pilgrims traveling to the province to commemorate Ashura, a Shiite Islamic period of mourning.
One of the most dramatic attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq also occurred in Karbala. On Jan. 20, 2007, men dressed as American security workers drove several GMC trucks into the province's main government building in downtown Karbala. They killed one soldier and abducted four others who were executed later that day.
In what U.S. and Iraqi officials described as a stunning turnaround, Crocker and several other diplomats visited the provincial headquarters Saturday morning to meet with Karbala's governor, Akeel al-Khazaali.
Khazaali said the government had rid its security forces of militiamen and otherwise cracked down on Shiite extremists.
"This province is now secure," he said.
The governor of Najaf, Assad Sulran Abu Gelal, said he hopes the provincial reconstruction team there is helping to expedite construction of an international airport in the city, which is visited by millions of Shiite pilgrims each spring.
Also Saturday, aides to Sadr accused Iraqi and U.S. troops of violating a cease-fire agreement by rounding up his followers in the Amil neighborhood of southwestern Baghdad. More than 400 worshipers were detained at the Amil Mosque on Friday, according to Salah al-Obaidi, Sadr's chief spokesman.
"The Sadr office in Najaf denounces this act and condemns the desecration of a sacred place," Obaidi said, "and considers it a violation of the agreement . . . and a dangerous step."
Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad, said the detentions took place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Bayaa neighborhood west of Amil after Iraqi forces discovered a weapons cache near the local Sadr office. He said 513 people "of interest" were screened by American and Iraqi troops; 128 people were detained by the Iraqi military, and 41 were detained by U.S. soldiers.
The agreement reached between the Sadrists and the main Shiite bloc in parliament was designed to allow Iraqi troops to enter Sadr City in exchange for avoiding mass detentions of Sadrists, Obaidi said. He added that it was supposed to apply to the entire country, not just Sadr City.
Crocker said Saturday that Sadr's followers, who include members of the powerful Mahdi Army militia, must decide whether "they are going to identify with a militia that is increasingly unpopular" or seek to consolidate their power by participating in provincial elections scheduled for the fall.
"They have some decisions to make, especially in light of recent events," he said, referring to the recent military operations in Basra and Sadr City.
Correspondent Amit R. Paley and special correspondent K.I. Ibrahim in Baghdad contributed to this report.
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NAJAF, Iraq, May 24 -- U.S. officials on Saturday launched local reconstruction teams at two sites in the southern provinces of Karbala and Najaf, saying they intend to take advantage of security gains by repairing the region's ailing infrastructure and boosting economic development.
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'The Whole World Stands Behind You'
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Domestic and foreign donations for relief efforts have reached $3.7 billion, with 15 countries contributing 1,000 tons of aid materials and $72 million as of Wednesday, the state-run New China News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Chinese officials in charge of workplace and environmental safety say teams have identified and dealt with thousands of "hidden dangers," averting secondary disasters such as chemical and radiation leaks in Sichuan province and surrounding areas rocked by the 7.9-magnitude quake.
"So far, no secondary accidents have occurred in the disaster-stricken areas," Wang Dexue, vice minister of the State Administration of Work Safety, said at a news conference in Beijing.
Wang said production has stopped at 279 mines and chemical enterprises, which will need to pass government safety checks before resuming operations. Most of the mines are small, and the total capacity lost by their shutdown is not expected to affect China's overall output of coal.
Rescue teams are working to dig out 24 trapped miners in three mines in the area, Wang said, adding that he does not know whether they are still alive. "We have had the miracle in the past that a miner was found alive after being trapped underground for 21 days," he said. "We absolutely will not give up."
Wang said 176 miners were killed as a result of the earthquake, and 204 are listed as missing.
Overall, the official death toll jumped to 60,560, with 26,221 people listed as missing. "It may further climb to a level of 70,000, 80,000 or more," Wen, the premier, told reporters.
Nearly half the residents of one town, Yingxiu, were killed or are listed as missing. The steeply winding road to Yingxiu had reopened, and on Saturday the town was crawling with members of the People's Armed Police and the People's Liberation Army, provincial health disinfection teams, forensic scientists and civilian volunteers trying to impose order.
On the main street, soldiers lined up with shovels and black body bags at the ready, while bulldozers shoved debris. Teams in white bodysuits combed the town, and visitors -- and their cars -- were sprayed with disinfectant on departure. Soldiers shot some abandoned, hungry dogs to put them out of their misery.
In the late afternoon, two soldiers shouted: "Hurry, hurry! There's going to be an explosion!" They pushed people back before a huge deliberate blast demolished a large building and sent clouds of smoke billowing.
Confusion stalled some recovery efforts. Li Fujin, 42, a credit union employee, rushed up to a soldier and told him: "There are four people buried over there, and there are three safes. Just now, People's Armed Police soldiers were helping us, but they realized they were working in the wrong place, and they left."
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World news headlines from the Washington Post,including international news and opinion from Africa,North/South America,Asia,Europe and Middle East. Features include world weather,news in Spanish,interactive maps,daily Yomiuri and Iraq coverage.
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Wii Fit, Tipping The Scales on Exercise
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Last week, Nintendo launched an unusual product designed for use with its fast-selling game console. Called Wii Fit, the $90 package comes with a game disc and a sturdy, 10-pound platform that users stand on, shifting their weight from side to side to control their in-game characters. The device and its software can also weigh users and calculate body mass.
Nintendo's Wii system is famous for getting people off the couch to play its tennis and bowling games; now the company aims to introduce users to yoga moves, ab crunches and push-ups, all performed atop the new Wii Balance Board, as the platform is called.
Wii Fit has already proved popular in Japan, where it has sold 2 million units since its release last year. Design of the hardware and software was overseen by Shigeru Miyamoto, the famous Nintendo game designer behind many of the company's biggest hits, such as the Mario franchise.
Game companies have a long and mostly unsuccessful history of trying to tie physical activity to video games. The idea goes back at least 25 years, to the heyday of the Atari 2600 game console, which had a similar-in-spirit device called the Joyboard. In more recent years, some games designed for the PlayStation 2 used a special camera to try to "watch" users' movements as they did aerobics programs with the system.
One device on the way, from a company called iToys, aims to motivate kids to move their bodies more in the real world by offering rewards in the virtual world. As they play and move, a pedometer records points that can be redeemed in a virtual world when the device is plugged into a computer. The device, called ME2, is scheduled for release late this summer.
Ben Sawyer, a co-director of Games for Health, a regular conference where software developers discuss and show off game technology that improves health and health care, said there's a lot to like about Wii Fit.
He said he'd like to see school districts eventually adopt the system, in the same way that some school districts have successfully incorporated the popular Dance Dance Revolution games into exercise and weight-loss programs.
That's a long way off for Wii Fit, he observed. After all, even if price weren't an issue, Wiis are still notoriously hard to find. "The biggest strike against it is that there aren't enough Wiis," he said. "People still can't get one."
Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing, said other game developers were already working on games and software that incorporate the Balance Board. She said the company was still trying to meet demand for the Wii, but she would not say when the device would be in ample supply.
There are more than 40 activities packed into the Wii Fit disc, ranging from skiing and hula hoop games to rowing, squat and leg-extension exercises. In keeping with the traditional structure of video games, users can't access every feature on the disc at first: The more you "play," the more activities you unlock.
Heck, if you feel like going for a run, you can even stick the Wii controller in one pocket and jog in place, and off goes your "Mii" avatar on a circuit run around a virtual video-game park, populated with all the avatars that you and your friends have put together on the system.
Never has a game console put itself into your personal business as aggressively as the Wii does shortly after you pop in the Wii Fit disc.
"Did you sleep well?" "Did you have breakfast yet?" Log on in the mornings before work, and you're greeted with a such questions. Skip a few days, and the Wii Fit gently tries to make you feel guilty for being a slacker.
Maybe the Wii doesn't think I'm overweight, but it does seem to regard me as a klutz after I flubbed a few balance-related tests. I'm not sure I like the implications I detect in some of its questions: "Do you feel like your body isn't responding the way you would like it to?" "Do you find yourself tripping when you walk?"
The software is set up so you can also use it to track any exercise you're up to when you're away from the Wii; those worried about privacy can keep their weight fluctuations and workout habits password-protected.
So far, I have yet to break much of a sweat with the Wii Fit. As I contort my torso to follow the directions of the software's mellow yoga instructor guy, he encourages me to "visualize" my "ideal body" as I focus on my breathing and balance.
Wii Fit is interesting, and I look forward to spending some more time with it. But if I were to ever do more than just visualize that ideal body, I think I'd have to start going to the gym again. The real one.
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After all the good times we've had together, it's nice to know my Wii doesn't think I'm fat.
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Convention Rules to Live By
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Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer, and in an election year such as this, the national party conventions will mark the end. But the Democratic convention in Denver and the Republican one in Minneapolis-St. Paul won't be like the old days for members of Congress, who must now live under a tightened regimen of ethics rules. Fortunately, while the House and Senate ethics committees aren't always vigilant about investigating real corruption, they have been cranking out memos (including a new one last week) on what lawmakers can and can't eat, drink and do during the conventions. Here's a cheat sheet:
DO: Attend a party in honor of your state's delegates.
DON'T: Attend a party in your honor.
Let's say you're Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D). Lots of lobbyists want to "pay tribute" to your wise and heroic leadership. You can't attend an event "honoring Harry Reid." But you can attend an event honoring, say, "Nevada convention delegates," of which you are one. Got it?
DO: Snag pigs in a blanket and bacon-wrapped-somethings from a tray at a party.
DON'T: Sit down to eat a meal on a plate with a fork and knife.
Hill members and their staffs are already familiar with these sometimes confusing culinary rules. As the House ethics memo points out, you may attend "receptions at which the food served is limited to hors d'oeuvres, beverages and similar food of a nominal value." Sit-down dinners are verboten. Yes, it can be hard sometimes to stand with a drink in one hand and a plate of food in the other, and consume it all without spilling on yourself, especially if a dipping sauce is involved. But you just can't sit down and eat your meal with silverware. That would corrupt the democratic process.
DO: Attend a Colorado Rockies game in a skybox paid for by the city of Denver.
DON'T: Attend a game in a skybox paid for by a lobbyist.
The Rockies are bad this year, so you might want to avoid this scenario altogether. But if you must head to Coors Field, you can take tickets -- or pretty much any other gift -- as long as it's paid for by "any unit of state, local or federal government." The key is that the government really has to pay for the tickets and can't just serve as a conduit from some other donor. And, yes, you can sit down to eat your hot dog at the ballgame.
DO: Accept $49 worth of fried Twinkies at a Minnesota fair.
DON'T: Accept $51 worth (or die of a heart attack).
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Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer, and in an election year such as this, the national party conventions will mark the end. But the Democratic convention in Denver and the Republican one in Minneapolis-St. Paul won't be like the old days for members of Congress, who must now live under...
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'Recount': Still Too Close for Comfort
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There's something especially satisfying about a can't-miss proposition that doesn't -- partly because so many hugely ballyhooed "sure things" instead land with ignominious splats. A splat is precisely what does not happen with HBO's "Recount," an electrifying slapstick tragedy about a mad moment in American politics, a moment that must never happen again but easily could.
An estimable assemblage of talents come together to revisit the bangs and whimpers that brought the 2000 presidential election to a herky-jerky, ludicrous close and installed George W. Bush rather than Al Gore in the White House. It was a flash that went by in a blur, so stupefyingly surrealistic that it seemed it couldn't really be happening. But it was, it really was, and the results still reverberate.
Placed under a figurative high-def microscope and examined studiously but at a riveting pace, "Recount" recounts in brisk and crisp docudrama style how Gore was pushed aside even after winning the national popular vote -- a defeat marked by bungling, bumbling and seemingly malicious mischief in the state of Florida. The film is a clarifying cautionary tale that concedes both that full clarification is probably impossible and that cautionary warnings could well go unheeded as early as November.
There are so many lessons to be learned, but there is so little precedent for the proverbial powers that be actually learning them.
Here was a pivotal, crucial event in the life of the country and yet, the film ruefully relates, it was handled with all the finesse and expertise of the Keystone Kops working for Barnum & Bailey. At the end, Bush honcho James Baker declares that all's well and that "the system works," and what's obviously lacking is a voice from the throng shouting out a rhetorical, "You call that working ?!"
If the mess in Florida had been resolved with as much skill and savvy as went into the making of the movie, the world might be a different place today -- presumably a better one, although no one can say for sure.
Little or nothing is ever accomplished by games of what-if, but it's hard to resist speculating how history, and not just political history, might have been different since the year 2000 with regard to such monumental events as the reaction to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11; response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina; and the war in Iraq, including whether there would have been one and whether a single American life would have been lost.
Writer Danny Strong tells the story with enviable skill and artful urgency. He makes such a good case for the seriousness of the situation -- even though it is laced with self-satirizing farce -- that some viewers might want to ask him, "Where were you eight years ago?" The film would have had a perhaps more practical, tangible effect if done closer to the time of the imbroglio depicted.
One obvious problem with that kind of theorizing is that it's not Strong's job -- nor that of director Jay Roach (who, appropriately or not, also did the three nutty "Austin Powers" pictures) -- to write a prescription for reform or even to help fix whatever is broken. The filmmakers put the story up there on the screen, with its alternately hideous and hilarious details skillfully articulated, and they certainly cast megawatts of illuminating light, but it's up to the audience what to do with it.
The filmmakers' first-and-foremost responsibility is provocatively, meaningfully and troublingly fulfilled: Entertain the viewing audience and give it something to think about, although even just thinking about it, much less reliving it, might strike some people as simply too punishingly dismal.
The story is told not through the eyes of either Bush or Gore (barely glimpsed as portrayed by actors, but portrayed by themselves in intermingled news footage) but through those of Ron Klain, a Gore campaign worker who formerly served as the vice president's chief of staff. This was one of the filmmakers' inspired strokes, partly because Klain is depicted not as a wildly passionate Gore adorer but instead as a man caught up in a rogue wave that he then tries to navigate.
When we first meet Klain, in fact, he is chafing at what he considers an inadequate and insulting job offer that Gore, through an intermediary, has offered him. Klain considers it slim reward for years of faithful service. It's thus somehow more dramatic, and ironic, when Klain finds himself in charge of the desperate effort to get Florida votes recounted, a measure prompted by a tremendous number of irregularities in the final tally and one that he and others felt could very well put Gore in the White House.
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There's something especially satisfying about a can't-miss proposition that doesn't -- partly because so many hugely ballyhooed "sure things" instead land with ignominious splats. A splat is precisely what does not happen with HBO's "Recount," an electrifying slapstick tragedy about a mad moment ...
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Firefighters Find Water Gushing From Vacant House
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The sun shone brightly yesterday and not a drop of rain had fallen, but in a kind of hydraulic mystery, water was rising inside a Northeast Washington house and streaming out a door.
D.C. firefighters were flagged down and alerted to the unexplained flow from the basement of the unoccupied house in the 600 block of 49th Street.
They solved the mystery: Basement piping had been removed, Battalion Fire Chief William Flint said.
Why it was gone was not clear, and who took it was not known.
But it was missing, and the basement was like a swimming pool filling from the bottom, Flint said. The water, perhaps three feet deep, was "pretty well gushing out" a lower-level door, he said.
The firefighters cleared the blocked basement drain and shut off the water to the house at the outdoor meter, emptying the water from the basement, Flint said.
Crews from gas, water and electric utilities were called in, and the premises were made safe, Flint said.
The basement piping appeared to be a mixture of copper and steel, he said.
In recent months, the rising price of copper has been blamed for thefts of piping and electric wire. But Flint said it was not possible to say whether hope of resale, mere mischief or other reasons had led to the severing of the pipes.
It was not clear how long the water had been flowing from the house, but several residents of the area reached last night said they had noticed nothing amiss yesterday.
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The sun shone brightly yesterday and not a drop of rain had fallen, but in a kind of hydraulic mystery, water was rising inside a Northeast Washington house and streaming out a door.
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Loan Programs Will Leave Some Students Behind
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How bad is the student loan market, really? That depends on who you are.
Traditional, dependent students, with creditworthy families, should find enough money for school year 2008-09 without much trouble, although they will probably pay higher fees than they did last year.
Independent students with modest credit histories and no co-signer will have a harder time, especially if they are starting their freshman year.
Students attending for-profit career schools and some community colleges may have to scramble.
Parents with minor delinquencies will be allowed to borrow through the federal program, but those caught in the foreclosure trap will be shut out.
About 70 private and nonprofit lenders -- including one-third of the top 100 -- have quit offering government-insured loans through the Federal Family Education Loan Program, or FFEL. FFEL includes Stafford loans (for students) and PLUS loans (for parents). The lenders can't raise all the money they need to keep their programs going at a profit because of the turmoil in credit markets. A new federal program is stepping into the breach, but it won't help everyone.
About 1,990 lenders remain in the market, a few big but most of them small. College financial aid officers will expand the list of banks and other sources they work with. The aid office should be your first call when you are rounding up money. Schools need to find you a loan so that you can pay the tuition.
Still, some families who typically borrow through FFEL -- especially parent loans -- are going to be squeezed out, says Mark Kantrowitz of FinAid.org, a leading site for information on scholarships and loans.
The government also runs a Direct Loan Program. It lets parents and students borrow directly from the Education Department, bypassing the banks. About 1,100 schools already participate in Direct Loan. Because of the failures in the private market, about 350 have newly applied to join. If your school offers this option, all students can borrow the maximum allowed.
It's borrowers in the private, FFEL market who might face rejection. Here's who is at risk:
· Students with low credit scores -- lower than 650 or even 700 (out of a maximum 850). They probably have too much credit card debt or several missed payments. Last year, they could get a loan. Not this year.
· New borrowers. They stand last in line. Lenders with limited funds will first use the money to get current borrowers through school. If they graduate, they're more likely to repay their loans.
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How bad is the student loan market, really? That depends on who you are.
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The Wisdom In Talking
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When Bush accused "some" -- including Obama, Bush aides explained -- of "the false comfort of appeasement," McCain echoed this slander.
"What does he want to talk about with [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad?" McCain asked, fumbling to link Obama to the Iranian president's hateful words. Soon, a GOP talking point was born.
Lost in the rhetoric was the question America deserves to have answered: Why should we engage with Iran?
In short, not talking to Iran has failed. Miserably.
Bush engages in self-deception arguing that not engaging Iran has worked. In fact, Iran has grown stronger: continuing to master the nuclear fuel cycle; arming militias in Iraq and Lebanon; bolstering extremist anti-Israeli proxies. It has embraced Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and spends lavishly to rebuild Afghanistan, gaining influence across the region.
Instead of backing Bush's toxic rhetoric, McCain should have called George H.W. Bush's secretary of state, James Baker. After years of stonewalling, the administration grudgingly tested the Baker-Hamilton report's recommendation and opened talks with Iran -- albeit low-level dialogue restricted to the subject of Iraq. Is James Baker an appeaser, too?
While the president attacks political opponents from the Knesset, responsible members of his own administration meet face to face with Iranians. Yes, Ahmadinejad's words often are abhorrent, and often Iran has played a poisonous role in Middle East politics. But when our ambassador to Iraq meets with his Iranian counterpart, he isn't courting "the false comfort of appeasement" -- he is facing the reality that Iran exerts influence in Iraq. That's why Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have called for engaging Iran. Appeasers all? Nonsense.
Direct negotiations may be the only means short of war that can persuade Iran to forgo its nuclear capability. Given that a nuclear Iran would menace Israel, drive oil prices up past today's record highs and possibly spark a regional arms race, shouldn't we be doing all we can to avoid that conflagration?
Opponents of dialogue often quip that talking isn't a strategy. Walking away isn't a strategy, either. McCain says that "there's only one thing worse than the United States exercising the military option, that is, a nuclear-armed Iran." But for all his professed reluctance, when McCain disavows diplomacy, he is stacking the deck in favor of war.
What might we achieve by talking with Iran? Some say our engagement to date has not been productive -- but a less half-hearted and less conditional approach might well break the stalemate. We won't know until we try.
Dialogue helps us isolate Ahmadinejad rather than empowering him to isolate us. More important, even if we fail to reach an agreement, engaging Iran will spark three conversations likely to strengthen our position.
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As President Bush commemorated Israel's 60th anniversary by attacking Barack Obama from overseas, here at home he found an all-too-frequent ally: John McCain.
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Let Us Remember Them
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· Save an extra $50 on any purchase over $500 with a newspaper advertisement for teak, wicker or wrought-iron patio furniture.
· Get $40 off plus free delivery and interest-free financing on the purchase of treadmills, ellipticals and home gym equipment.
· Enjoy storewide savings and values through Monday, and get an extra 10 to 15 percent off with your shopping card or pass if you buy dress shirts, pleated or flat-front casual pants, handbags and cosmetics cases, camis, tanks and tees.
· Indulge in a sidewalk sale at a Virginia shopping area that features 110 premium outlet stores . . . all because this is Memorial Day weekend.
Yes, here comes Memorial Day, another day off the job and the official beginning of the summer cookout season. The time to gas up the car, hit the road and go somewhere fun.
But, boo, this year there's a spoilsport in our midst -- an interloper out to ruin our shopping, barbecuing and traveling pleasures: price.
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Have I got news for you! In honor of this weekend's great occasion, you can:
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Clinton Sorry For Remark About RFK Assassination
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Clinton was asked during a meeting with the editorial board of the Argus Leader newspaper in Sioux Falls, S.D., about continuing to run despite long odds of winning the nomination. She said that while the media and Obama's campaign have urged her to withdraw, "historically, that makes no sense."
"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right?" she continued. "We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California."
Her advisers quickly explained that Clinton merely intended to note that this was not the first primary campaign to stretch into the summer, not to suggest that Obama might be assassinated. Clinton later apologized to the Kennedy family while speaking to reporters, saying she did not mean to offend anyone.
But in a campaign where Obama's safety has been a subtext and in which critics have blamed Clinton for exacerbating racial tensions, her words added a new element of tension to the Democratic contest. Obama began receiving Secret Service protection about 18 months before the general election because homeland security officials were concerned about potential threats against him.
Obama campaign officials quickly called the comments out of bounds. "Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign," spokesman Bill Burton said. Clinton's comments came just days after Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the only survivor of four brothers, found out he has a malignant brain tumor.
Robert Kennedy's son, Robert Jr., has endorsed Clinton, and in a statement through her campaign, he said: "It is clear from the context that Hillary was invoking a familiar political circumstance in order to support her decision to stay in the race through June. . . . I understand how highly charged the atmosphere is, but I think it is a mistake for people to take offense."
The incident served to further undercut rumors that the two campaigns are engaged in private talks about forming a joint ticket. Advisers on both sides said that any such discussions probably would come as part of a longer process after the final primaries, on June 3. Howard Wolfson, a top Clinton strategist, described the reports of talks as "totally false," a sentiment Obama strategist Dan Pfeiffer echoed. "Entirely not true," he said.
A report in Time magazine said that former president Bill Clinton is driving the effort to secure a slot for his wife on the ticket, and Clinton campaign aides said it would not be the first time that he has ventured out on his own.
Hillary Clinton's reference to the shooting of Robert Kennedy on June 6, 1968, after he had just won the California primary, hardened feelings in the Obama campaign once more, following a brief thaw as it appeared that Clinton would seek to unite the party in the final weeks of the campaign. Her allusion came on the heels of two other comments over the past few days that the Obama campaign described as off-putting: her reference to the Michigan and Florida delegations as similar to the fraudulent elections in Zimbabwe, and her comparison of that dispute to the ballot recount in the 2000 presidential election.
The Clinton campaign sent out a full transcript of her conversation with the South Dakota paper, and its executive editor, Randell Beck, also issued a statement saying that "the context of the question and answer with Sen. Clinton was whether her continued candidacy jeopardized party unity this close to the Democratic convention. Her reference to Mr. Kennedy's assassination appeared to focus on the timeline of his primary candidacy and not the assassination itself."
But even her advisers did not try to defend the reference, and by 5 p.m. she had apologized.
"Earlier today I was discussing the Democratic primary history, and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Senator Kennedy waged in California in June 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June," Clinton said.
"That's a historic fact. The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator [Edward] Kennedy and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that, whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to, and I'm honored to hold Senator [Robert] Kennedy's seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the entire Kennedy family."
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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday invoked the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in explaining her decision to remain in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, comments that drew criticism from aides to Sen. Barack Obama and cooled speculation that the two may form a...
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Clinton Makes RFK Assassination Remark
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» This Story:Read +|Watch +
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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton quickly apologized after citing the June 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy as a reason to remain in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination despite increasingly long odds. Video by AP
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McCain's Medical Records Indicate He Is Cancer-Free, Generally Healthy
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FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz., May 23 -- As he sought the presidency twice over the last decade, Sen. John McCain has been the object of unusually aggressive medical care by a large team of doctors, who on Friday released thousands of pages of records that document he has been cancer-free for almost eight years.
The extraordinary release of what the campaign described as "every single piece of paper" in McCain's medical records for the last eight years is an attempt to confront concerns about the 71-year-old Arizona senator's fitness to serve as president and questions about his age. He would be the oldest president ever elected to a first term.
"Senator McCain wanted to be very transparent," said Nick Muzin, a Washington doctor who is serving as a medical adviser to the campaign. "He wanted to dispel any notions that he is in any way unfit to be president. There are no surprises in the medical records."
The campaign also made available three of McCain's doctors at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, the Arizona campus of the famous hospital with its headquarters in Rochester, Minn.
The records detail the five-hour operation in August 2000 to remove the most severe of McCain's four cases of melanoma, efforts to reduce the facial puffiness the surgery produced, and the strategy of dermatological hypervigilance that followed.
Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that is rapidly fatal if it spreads to distant organs, such as the lungs and brain. Physicians now examine the senator's skin every three or four months. He has had more than a dozen patches of abnormal skin cut out or chemically destroyed this decade.
McCain's doctors have also paid meticulous attention to complaints unrelated to his skin. He has been treated for kidney and bladder stones, undergone surgery for an enlarged prostate and been evaluated several times for dizziness originating in the inner ear. He has also had four colonoscopies, two exercise stress tests and innumerable CAT scans and blood analyses.
The records, numbered at 1,173 pieces of paper by a McCain campaign official, shed light on why the 2000 surgery was more extensive than what is normally done for melanoma that has not spread beyond the deepest layers of skin.
In a meeting attended by McCain, his wife, Cindy, and an unidentified "physician friend," Mayo Clinic ear, nose and throat surgeon Michael L. Hinni described how he was going to remove a large oval piece of tissue from the left side of the senator's face. He told them "it seems feasible to use this incision to remove all of the lymph nodes in his neck that are at risk, as he is going to incur the morbidity [damage] of the incision" anyway.
A "sentinel" lymph node -- located by injecting the melanoma with blue dye before surgery -- proved to be cancer-free. Nevertheless, a total of 38 lymph nodes, along with a portion of the parotid salivary gland, were removed.
The large opening in McCain's face was filled with a flap of skin that was cut from behind his ear.
The records suggest that McCain was concerned about his appearance after the surgery, complaining several times the scar was "thick" and visible and that his face appeared swollen. He underwent a minor operation to minimize the scar and later wore a face mask designed to put pressure on the scar to help it heal.
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FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz., May 23 -- As he sought the presidency twice over the last decade, Sen. John McCain has been the object of unusually aggressive medical care by a large team of doctors, who on Friday released thousands of pages of records that document he has been cancer-free for almost eigh...
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Cindy McCain Reported Income Exceeding $6 Million in 2006
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The McCain campaign released a two-page summary of her 2006 tax return late Friday afternoon before the Memorial Day weekend, just two weeks after Cindy McCain adamantly said she would never release them. Much of the return is missing, especially an itemized look at real estate earnings, royalties, partnerships and trusts.
The summary does not give an overall picture of Cindy McCain's net worth, but it does offer a glimpse into why McCain has been ranked as the 17th wealthiest member of Congress. The McCains have long maintained separate finances, and his income does not explain the family's outward wealth, with multiple homes and a picturesque Sedona ranch.
Her returns also show just how much the McCain family stands to gain from the Arizona senator's pledge to make permanent President Bush's tax cuts, which he voted against.
"She's pretty rich," said Leonard Burman, a former Treasury official at the Urban Institute, who is the director of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. "She would do well under Senator McCain's plan."
According to the summary, Cindy McCain earned $299,418 in wages and salary in 2006, much of which is taxed now at 35 percent but would be taxed at 39.6 percent if the Bush tax cuts lapse as scheduled in 2011.
The bulk of her income -- $4.55 million -- came from trusts, real estate rentals, partnerships and other passive ventures. The campaign did not release her Schedule E, which would have detailed them.
The McCain campaign did not release details of her tax deductions, but they totaled $569,737, a relatively small amount on income topping $6 million. Burman said that indicates a small amount of charitable giving from her personal wealth, since about half that deduction is probably for Arizona's 4.54 percent income tax. The John and Cindy McCain Foundation donated $78,250 in 2007 to nonprofits to which the couple are connected through their children.
She reported household employment tax payments of $24,162, indicating a staff of household help earning nearly $170,000.
For all their appeals to struggling Americans, the top three remaining presidential contenders are wealthy. Obama's income peaked last year at $4.2 million, mostly from profits on his best-selling books. Hillary and Bill Clinton took in $20.4 million last year, much of it from the former president's speaking career.
Cindy McCain had been resolute in keeping her finances private. Earlier this month, she sat down with Ann Curry of NBC's "Today Show" and refused to budge on releasing her tax returns.
"You know, my husband and I have been married 28 years, and we have filed separate tax returns for 28 years. This is a privacy issue. My husband is the candidate," she told Curry.
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Cindy McCain, the wife of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, reported an income of more than $6 million in 2006, most of it from real estate, trusts and other unearned income from the wealth spun off of her family beer empire, tax returns show.
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Tipping-Point Shock
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Even with high gas prices causing financial hardship for many Americans, most motorists still plan to stick to the roads at least until pump prices climb another dollar, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The poll found that nearly six in 10 Americans say that near-record gasoline prices are a hardship, but only 11 percent said that soaring prices would curtail their driving habits in the coming weeks. Three in 10 said they might skip a summer road trip.
The average price that drivers said would compel them to significantly cut back on their driving was $4.38 a gallon. In the western United States, where gasoline prices are typically higher than in the rest of the country, the average respondent said the price would have to hit $5.12 a gallon.
In fact, the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) yesterday reported that gasoline consumption last week was up 2.6 percent from the same week a year earlier, slightly higher than the trend so far this year.
Oil companies and analysts have long debated where the tipping point is for gasoline -- the price that would cause a significant drop in consumption or prompt motorists to opt for autos with better gasoline mileage.
Oil companies refuse to divulge their internal estimates of that price, which are competitively sensitive. But a senior executive from one of the nation's top five gasoline marketers said last month that his company's estimate used to be $3 a gallon. With the nationwide price of unleaded regular 22 cents higher than that and little impact so far on gasoline consumption, the company's forecasters have been working on a new estimate.
"People used to think the tipping point was $3 a gallon. It wasn't," says Frank Verrastro, senior energy associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a former executive at a large independent oil refining company. "People at the bottom end of the income scale are making other choices. The ones with discretionary income are upset but are buying the gasoline along with their lattes."
The poll shows that the 44 percent jump in pump prices since January has left Americans generally unhappy and four in 10 of them angry.
"To have the CEO of Exxon say we're going to make this profit and that's just too bad for you, that's just blatant. It goes back to the days when the robber barons were around," says Dave Grafton, a retired Baltimore math teacher who lives in Catonsville, Md. But Grafton says that he and his wife still plan to drive to Maine at the end of the summer. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," he said. If gasoline prices top $4 a gallon, however, he said he will reconsider.
The Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone May 17-21 among a random national sample of 1,007 adults. Results from the full sample have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The surprisingly resilient consumption of gasoline is explained by two factors. First, though prices are just shy of the modern inflation-adjusted peak set in March 1981, Americans' incomes have risen over the past quarter-century. The share of the U.S. household budget devoted to gasoline and oil spending fluctuated between 3.4 percent and 3.6 percent throughout the 1960s, rose to 5 percent in 1981 after the two oil price shocks of the 1970s, then fell back to an all-time low of 2.1 percent in 1998. Last year, it was up to 3.8 percent.
Second, Americans regard most of their driving as essential, not discretionary. With the development of suburbs and exurbs, where there is little public transportation and shopping is done at distant stores or malls, people need cars for almost every outing.
Mary Benavides of Fresno, Calif., who drives a Ford truck, said that she has to drive six miles to get to the nearest store. Jack Jones, a financial counselor in Berkeley, said he drives 36 miles each way to get to work in San Francisco.
Still, some motorists are feeling the pinch, and many are reducing other purchases or not making certain trips. Benavides said that she used to visit her daughter, who lives about 40 miles away, every three days. Now she goes once a week. Jones said he had stopped cruising around in his BMW convertible on the weekends.
Ann Gastineau of Wilmington, Ind., said she used to drive 10 miles or more across town to parks or malls about three or four times a week. Not anymore. "Now we walk around the neighborhood," she said. "I try not to drive if I can help it."
In the poll, 43 percent of those responding, including more than half of those in households with annual incomes under $75,000, said they were paying for gasoline by trimming other expenditures. Twenty-two percent said they were saving less money in order to pay more for motor fuel.
When gasoline prices rocketed after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and then again last summer, the growth in U.S. gasoline demand slowed slightly, said Tancred Lidderdale, an analyst with EIA. But, he added, the effect of higher prices was "overwhelmed" by growth in income, population and employment. "We wouldn't say that conservation is going to be our knight in shining armor in the next month," he said.
"It will take a sustained higher price for people to rethink" their behavior, said Verrastro, of CSIS.
High prices were on the agenda yesterday in the House of Representatives, which approved by a 284-to-141 margin legislation that would make gasoline price gouging a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in jail and $150 million in fines.
The poll found that a third of Americans blame the oil companies for high prices. Yesterday the Joint Economic Committee held a hearing on whether to break up the major oil companies. Thanks to a series of mergers, the five biggest oil refiners now control 55 percent of U.S. market, up from a third in 1993, the committee chairman, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), asserted.
"Even as oil prices are dropping, gas prices are going through the roof," Schumer said. "My instinct tells me that a reconsideration of oil company mergers in the last two decades may be in order."
Michael A. Salinger, director of the bureau of economics at the Federal Trade Commission, replied that the structure of the industry had not played any significant role in the rise in prices. "I know this is a tough sell, but I don't think people realize how lucky they've been to have had prices as low as they've been" during the period since the 1981 price peak, he said.
Gastineau, the Indiana woman who took part in the Post-ABC survey, certainly wasn't feeling lucky. "It's kind of taken me aback," she said of the recent surge in prices. "In the last couple of days it's gone up like 40 cents. Hello? Because Memorial Day weekend is coming? They're trying to squeeze every penny out of us, and it's just not right."
Polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.
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Even with high gas prices causing financial hardship for many Americans, most motorists still plan to stick to the roads at least until pump prices climb another dollar, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
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No Charges for Two Marines in Deaths of Afghans
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RALEIGH, N.C., May 23 -- Two Marine officers in a unit accused of killing as many as 19 Afghan civilians in 2007 will not face criminal charges, but will be subjected to administrative actions, the military said Friday.
Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command, decided not to bring charges after reviewing the findings of a special tribunal that heard more than three weeks of testimony in January at Camp Lejeune.
The tribunal examined allegations that as many as 19 Afghan civilians died when the unit of Marines Special Operations troops opened fire, after a car bomb targeted their convoy in March 2007 in Nangahar province.
The Marines said Helland determined the Marines in the convoy "acted appropriately and in accordance with the rules of engagement and tactics, techniques and procedures in place at the time in response to a complex attack."
The Marines, however, said "administrative, manning and training issues" related to the incident were uncovered by the court's investigation. Those unspecified issues have been forwarded to the commander of the Marine Corps's special operations command for action.
The Corps said Maj. Fred C. Galvin, 38, the company's commander; Capt. Vincent J. Noble, 29, a platoon leader; and a third officer, Capt. Robert Olsen, will face administrative actions. It was not immediately clear what those actions might be.
It was the first Marine Corps Court of Inquiry in more than 50 years. The panel, composed of two colonels and a lieutenant colonel, considered only the actions of Galvin and Noble.
"Obviously, I am delighted about the findings," said civilian attorney Knox Nunnally, who represented Noble before the Court of Inquiry.
Citing witness accounts, Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission concluded that the Marines fired indiscriminately at vehicles and pedestrians in six locations on a 10-mile stretch of road. Nearly a dozen Marines told the court that they heard gunfire after the bombing and called the unit's fire a disciplined response to a well-planned ambush.
An Army investigation later concluded that 50 people were injured and 19 were killed. The brigade commander in charge of regular forces in the province publicly apologized for the shootings, saying he was ashamed of what had happened.
But a week later, the Marine Corps commandant, Gen. James T. Conway, said the Army officer should not have apologized because an investigation into what occurred was still ongoing.
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Get Washington DC,Virginia,Maryland and national news. Get the latest/breaking news,featuring national security,science and courts. Read news headlines from the nation and from The Washington Post. Visit www.washingtonpost.com/nation today.
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Families Find Solace In Pentagon Site
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Jonathan Fisher walked slowly, searching for a name yesterday morning among the stainless steel benches laid out in perfect rows along the Pentagon's west wall.
His feet crunched on the gravel as he stepped around concrete basins and the pipes that will create pools of flowing water under each bench at the Pentagon Memorial. He bent to peer at the names etched on the benches. Then he spotted Gerald P. Fisher.
"I finally found it," he told his wife.
His father, known to friends and family as Geep, was a defense contractor for Booz Allen and Hamilton working at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The Potomac man was among the 184 killed when terrorists flew a hijacked American Airlines jet into the building, passing directly over the spot where Jonathan Fisher now stood.
Fisher rubbed his hands slowly on the granite slab laid atop the steel bench. He sat on the bench, gingerly at first. Five feet away from him, a kneeling construction worker cut steel bolts with a power saw. But Fisher, lost in thought, seemed not to notice the racket.
"This is the place where my father died," said Fisher, 36, of McLean. "Seeing there is some place we can go to, a place to draw strength from, even though it's very upsetting to come to this place, it's very comforting."
The Pentagon Memorial is to be dedicated Sept. 11, the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Yesterday, at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, Fisher was among more than a dozen family members of victims gathered at the site, dabbing tears and snapping pictures as they toured the memorial park.
Construction crews are rushing to complete the work, working seven-day weeks now to make up for time lost to recent rains.
"We're going to make sure it's done and done right and done on time," said Chris Hartzler, senior project manager for Balfour Beatty, the contractor. "This project has a lot of meaning for everyone on the job."
The 184 benches, each honoring a victim, are in varying states of completion. On the southern side of the two-acre park, where the benches for the youngest victims will be, concrete basins sit atop footings. In the memorial's midsection, stainless steel benches have been installed atop the basins. The benches on the northern side, where Fisher's father is honored, have already been fitted with granite tops.
Workers are connecting pipes and jets that will stream water through each basin, keeping the pool of water underneath each bench perpetually moving. Lights are being installed to shine through the pools, illuminating the base of each bench. Workers will be testing the elaborate water works in coming weeks.
Reflecting the urgency of the schedule, workers continued preparing the site even as family members wandered through. A crew with a forklift lowered a 1,200-pound stainless steel bench onto a cart, where it would be delivered to its spot. Another team drilled 10-inch deep holes into a concrete basin to anchor a bench in place.
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Jonathan Fisher walked slowly, searching for a name yesterday morning among the stainless steel benches laid out in perfect rows along the Pentagon's west wall.
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Family Members Visit Pentagon Memorial
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2008052419
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» This Story:Read +|Watch +
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Suspicious package sits at Fed building for months
Toyota expects to halt production in U.S.
Aerial view of Japan destruction
Truck dangles over ramp; two trapped
Aftermath of blast, Gaza strikes
Elementary class graduate after tsunami
Baking behind bars on Rikers Island
Plea deal nixed in Conn. home invasion case
Police: Teen shot guardians after being grounded
Playing the oil prices money game
Elizabeth Taylor's stand against AIDS
Obama struggles to enter White House
Radioactive water triggers fear in Japan
Buying a new home means paying more
Allied forces crippling Gaddafi's power
Goldman CEO offers no cover for ex-boardmember
Audio: Silence in the tower at DCA
Libya mission gaining; U.S. looks to cede control
Deadly plane crash in Republic of Congo
Strong storms bring wild weather
Watchdog groups want Ukraine zoo closed
Blast at bus station shakes Jerusalem
Japan buries its dead as radiation fears grow
Obama struggles to enter White House
Obama again defends U.S. involvement in Libya
McCain on no-fly zone: "It's been very effective"
U.S. fighter jet crashes in Libya
Obama lauds Chile's transition to democracy
Coalition stops Gaddafi push on rebel stronghold
The Post's Perry Bacon on Obama in Chile
Obama favors Gaddafi stepping down
Palin: 'Overwhelming' to be in Israel
Gates: U.S. will soon yield control in Libya
The Fast Fix - Is Romney winning the base?
Obama: Brazil's democracy example to Arab world
Obama plays soccer with Brazil youth
Obama authorizes military action against Libya
The Post's Forero analyzes Obama's trip to Brazil
Obama: Coalition prepared to act in Libya
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Wisc. judge blocks controversial union law
Obama: U.S. ready to enforce sanctions in Libya
Clinton: 'No other choice' in Libya
Westfield and Robinson tie, 1-1
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Navy knocks out in-state rival Towson, 14-11
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Radioactive water triggers fear in Japan
Allied forces crippling Gaddafi's power
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Blast at bus station shakes Jerusalem
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Obama again defends U.S. involvement in Libya
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Obama struggles to enter White House
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Circus elephants take a walk through D.C.
Missing Va. teacher's body located in Japan
Footage of crashed U.S. fighter jet
U.S. fighter jet crashes in Libya
Carriages prepared for royal wedding
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The Pentagon Memorial is to be dedicated on Sept. 11, the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks. At the start of the Memorial Day weekend, Wendy Ploger was among more than a dozen family members of victims gathered at the site.Video: Preston Keres/Washington PostEditor: Anna Uhls/washingtonpost.com
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Blu-ray Awaits Its Spoils
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Blu-ray may have won the format war, but it hasn't won over many consumers.
Now was supposed to be the boom time for the young video technology, pitched as a high-definition replacement for the DVD. In January, consumer electronics company Toshiba dropped support of rival format HD DVD, ending a competition over which technology would take root in living rooms.
Both technologies were designed to take advantage of the picture resolutions offered by new, high-definition TV sets with a level of image quality that the standard DVD is not capable of producing. The new players for both technologies can also play DVDs, and each format uses media that looks like the same silver discs movie fans have been popping into their DVD players for years. But both require users to upgrade their movie collections and buy the more expensive new discs if they want to enjoy the benefits.
Though neither Blu-ray nor HD DVD thrived last year, analysts pinned the low sales on consumers who were reluctant to spend money on a new technology that might turn out to be the loser in the competition.
But even without competition, Blu-ray is still struggling, according to some recent sales figures. According to research firm NPD Group, sales of Blu-ray players dropped 40 percent from January to February. The next month, sales rose 2 percent.
Blu-ray Disc Association spokesman Andy Parsons said the NPD numbers are misleading because they demonstrate a weakness in player availability, not in consumer interest. No manufacturer or retailer anticipated a quick, decisive end to the format war, so none had a deep supply of the players on hand when it became clear that Blu-ray had won, he said.
"There was a sudden increase in demand when there was a sudden decrease in supply," he said.
Brian Lucas, a spokesman for Best Buy, agreed. "When the format war ended, we didn't do as much promotion around [Blu-ray] as we would've liked," Lucas said. "We didn't want to send people into stores where there wouldn't be players." Lucas said that player supply has been improving.
Other research doesn't make the coming months look much more promising for the young format. A recent Harris Poll found that only 9 percent of consumers who don't own a Blu-ray player have an interest in buying one during the next year.
"I think people are price sensitive," said Joan Barten Kline, vice president of the interactive media and entertainment division at Harris, who said she thinks the number of buyers will be below that 9 percent figure. In any case, she is among those buyers. She recently went shopping for a movie player and found Blu-rays selling at about $400 and DVD players selling at under $100. She opted for the DVD.
Michael Gartenberg, a consumer electronics industry analyst with research firm Jupiter, said that the new format should be selling faster by now but "Blu-ray has not come up with a compelling message for the mainstream consumer."
"During the course of the battle, consumers lost interest in both formats," he said
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This is your source for news on personal technology. Find info and reviews on the newest technology that affects your life. Read our latest features on new tech gadgets.
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Response to Quake Prompts Burst of Acclaim for Leaders
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The idea, based on what the agency said was a flood of Internet messages, might have seemed premature outside the Communist Party's Central Propaganda Bureau, which controls what the agency reports. But it reflected official enthusiasm over an unmistakable burst of popularity for China's top leaders and widespread applause for their on-the-scene encouragement to quake victims and rescue teams digging through the rubble.
The party's propaganda mandarins have done their part, ordering television and newspaper editors to focus on rescue efforts and the mobilization of solidarity. But many of the country's 1.3 billion people also have seemed genuinely moved to respond to the crisis, coming together behind the government and volunteering money, goods and time.
"Patriotism has risen to its highest level in the face of the earthquake," said Kang Xiaoguang, a sociologist at Renmin University in Beijing who monitors public opinion. "Chinese people are of one heart in combating the disaster."
Xie Liping, 28, a saleswoman in Beijing, said she and her family have discussed the government's performance nightly over the past week and concluded that things have improved markedly from past crises. "They really did a great job," she said.
For the moment, at least, the May 12 quake also has relieved pressure from abroad. Before the disaster, governments and human rights groups were criticizing China's record in Tibet, its response to humanitarian concerns in Sudan's Darfur region and its unwillingness to push the military junta in Burma to accept foreign aid workers following Tropical Cyclone Nargis. But the foreign complaints, which seemed to be building in advance of the Beijing Olympics, have been drowned out by condolences and offers of help to earthquake victims.
The question now has become whether Hu and his lieutenants can make the glow last. The heroic rescue operations documented by photographers have largely halted, giving way to the long, thankless business of burying bodies and bulldozing ruins. With millions of peasants living in tents -- and no prospect of them returning home anytime soon -- the challenge for the party has only begun.
As a result, it is too early to assess the impact of the initial response on China's political evolution, according to Zhang Ming, a political scientist at People's University in Beijing.
"There are two kinds of possibilities, long-term and short-term, that determine whether the earthquake will be a turning point in the Chinese government's reform efforts," Zhang said. "Will the government only focus on the disaster temporarily, and then return to normal for everything else? Or will the government make some reforms as a result of the earthquake?"
When a devastating earthquake struck Mexico in 1985, the government's poor performance played an important role in loosening the Institutional Revolutionary Party's long grip on power. Mexicans were particularly outraged that the army stood by, guarding against looting, while victims died in the ruins.
In China, however, the Communist Party has so far been seen reacting swiftly and decisively. The People's Liberation Army has been particularly visible in rescue and relief operations, flying in supplies by helicopter and marching up mountain trails where roads were cut off by landslides.
The soldiers' role, following a widely reported relief operation during severe ice storms last winter, may soften the resentment still felt by some Chinese over the army's bloody suppression of the 1989 student protests in Tiananmen Square. But it was the Communist Party's role in deploying vast government resources and mobilizing official and unofficial volunteer groups for quake relief that left the most vivid impression among the public.
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BEIJING, May 23 -- The official New China News Agency reported the other day that people around the world are suggesting that President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao deserve a Nobel Prize for their handling of the Sichuan earthquake.
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FCC May Be Near Decision on Merger Of Sirius and XM
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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin said yesterday that the agency could reach a decision on the proposed merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Holdings by the end of June.
For XM and Sirius, the FCC's scrutiny is the last regulatory hurdle in the way of the long-delayed proposed merger of the nation's only two satellite radio providers. The deal has drawn criticism from consumer groups and federal and state lawmakers who say consolidation of the satellite radio industry would leave consumers with fewer choices and, possibly, higher prices.
At a news conference, Martin said that a decision on the merger isn't on the agenda of the agency's open monthly meeting for June, but he added: "I still think the commission could act by the end of the second quarter."
Earlier in the week, Sens. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) sent a letter to Martin saying that if the merger is approved, the agency should require the combined company to return some of the radio spectrum it occupies so it can be reallocated to competitors. They also called on the FCC to require that the merged company make its service open to all manufacturers of satellite radio players. They are among dozens of lawmakers who have criticized the merger and pressured Martin to reject it or approve it with strict conditions.
"We are concerned that this merger could possibly undermine competition and harm the consumer if certain conditions are not applied," Snowe and McCaskill said in the letter.
Public interest groups have asked the FCC to impose other conditions, as well, such as allowing customers to buy certain channels rather than the entire service and promising not to raise prices for the combined programming package for at least three years.
XM, of the District, and Sirius, based in New York, successfully argued against antitrust concerns raised by the Justice Department, saying they must compete not just with each other, but with a broad variety of entertainment options, including iPods, terrestrial radio and Internet radio. The department approved the merger in March.
The FCC almost always moves in step with the Justice Department on merger decisions. It is, however, in an awkward position: Lawmakers such as John D. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat and chairman of the House Commerce Committee, have raised concerns about the merger, and the FCC granted spectrum licenses to XM and Sirius in 1997 with the condition that they never merge.
Separately, Martin said yesterday that the FCC would hold a hearing June 12 on the penalties that wireless carriers charge customers who cancel their cellphone contracts before they are due. The hearing would include wireless carriers and such public interest groups as Consumers Union and AARP, he said.
Carriers such as Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint Nextel routinely charge customers $150 to $200 for canceling their services early, which has sparked several lawsuits.
Early termination fees were among the five most common complaints by cellphone users, who filed 20,300 service-related complaints in 2007, according to the FCC.
Martin said he supported a "national framework" to regulate the early termination fees and has been meeting lately with a major wireless carrier on the issue. He didn't say, however, whether such a policy would protect wireless carriers from litigation in state courts, something the carriers have been pushing.
The industry is starting to respond to the demands of consumers. Tomorrow, AT&T will begin a gradual payment plan for customers who cancel their contracts early. Instead of paying their $175 fee upfront, the subscriber will pay $5 each month for the remaining months on the contract.
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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin said yesterday that the agency could reach a decision on the proposed merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Holdings by the end of June.
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For a Winning Tradition, Little Is Lost on Programs
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass., May 23 -- Steven Brooks orally committed to play lacrosse for the University of Denver during his postgraduate year at Bridgton Academy in Maine in 2003. A few months later, however, Syracuse's coaches heard about Brooks, recruited him (his commitment to Denver was non-binding) and offered him a scholarship.
Brooks is a fifth-year senior and starting midfielder for Syracuse (14-2). He enters a national semifinal against Virginia (14-3) on Saturday at noon with 27 goals, a team-high for midfielders.
"When Syracuse came through I said: 'Are you kidding me? I'd love to go there,' " Brooks said. "It's an opportunity to win a national championship, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. You can't compare that."
Brooks's decision epitomizes the plight of up-and-coming programs. Denver has made the NCAA tournament twice in three years. Syracuse, however, is one of four programs that have combined to win every national title since 1992. The others are Johns Hopkins, Princeton and Virginia.
Those four have been so dominant that a first-time champion has not been crowned since Princeton won its first title in 1992.
Lacrosse at the grass-roots and high school levels continues to grow nationwide. Among the 16 teams that made the NCAA tournament were players from 26 states and the District. There also were about 15 players from Canada and one from Australia. And there is a chance another first-time champion will win this weekend: Top-ranked Duke has not won an NCAA title but is considered the best team in the nation.
Yet a title for the Blue Devils (18-1) would underscore further how hard it is to break the hold of the game's top four.
Five Duke players are taking advantage of a fifth year granted to them by the NCAA following false accusations of rape that led to the cancellation of the Blue Devils' 2006 season.
The players are leading scorer Matt Danowski; starting goalkeeper Dan Loftus; starting defenders Tony McDevitt and Nick O'Hara; and starting shortstick defender Michael Ward.
"Whether it's fortunately or unfortunately, the lacrosse culture is that some of the schools with more resources and more tradition, whether it's resources for coaching staffs or budgets or travel or the glamour of the campuses, a lot of those programs continue to flourish," Duke Coach John Danowski said.
"It's really pretty amazing and pretty unique. And a very difficult thing to crack into."
Georgetown's program has been trying to break into the upper echelon since it hired Dave Urick from Hobart College for the 1991 season. Then, the Hoyas did not have scholarships, nor a full-time assistant coach.
These days, the Hoyas have a full complement of scholarships and two full-time assistants. Their roster includes 24 high school all-Americans; by way of comparison, defending national champion Johns Hopkins has 20.
The Hoyas, however, did not make the NCAA tournament this year -- ending a run of 11 consecutive trips -- and have been to the Final Four once under Urick, in 1999.
"Success breeds success," Urick said. "Those programs are able to attract very good players. They all have facilities that are very attractive to young student-athletes and the education. You can't go wrong at any of them."
Urick also pointed to the longevity among assistant coaches at the top four programs. Each has at least one assistant who has been on the staff for multiple national championships.
Ultimately, though, players such as Brooks realize the biggest attraction of playing in college is to be part of the semifinal weekend, where the large crowds -- more than 44,000 tickets have been sold to this year's Final Four -- are a sharp contrast from early-season games in cold weather that draw several hundred fans.
Brooks was lightly recruited for soccer and lacrosse at Libertyville (Ill.) High. He played both sports at Bridgton, and initially, he missed a chance to impress Syracuse's lacrosse coaches during a series of fall scrimmages because he was playing soccer.
In the spring, Bridgton's coaches alerted Syracuse's staff to Brooks's potential. The move paid off.
This year, Brooks scored the winning goal in overtime against Johns Hopkins on March 15, tied a game against Georgetown on March 9 with a goal with two seconds left in regulation and also sent the regular season game against Virginia into overtime with a goal with 28 seconds left in regulation.
Brooks's motivation for winning a national title was more than just the obvious. He lost his mother to cancer while he was in high school and he said he gave his national championship ring from the 2004 team to his father, a retired FBI agent.
"I dedicated the game to my dad, because I told him hopefully I'd get another before I left," Brooks said. "He wears [the ring] a lot, but he takes good care of it.
"Everybody wants to go to a team that can win the national championship. And that's what drew me to Syracuse."
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Syracuse, Johns Hopkins and Virginia, all national semifinalists this year, have combined with Princeton to win every national title since 1992, a trend which helps them add top prospects.
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Star Power, Rabid Fans Brighten NHL's Big Stage
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When the Stanley Cup finals begin tonight, the NHL will have one of its most anticipated matchups in years, one the league hopes will revive minuscule television ratings and serve as a potential first step toward moving the sport closer to North America's "Big Three."
Indeed, the best-of-seven series between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins has it all, from star players and rabid fan followings to compelling story lines that figure to appeal to diehard and casual fans alike.
The youthful Penguins are led by Sidney Crosby, the reigning MVP, and Evgeni Malkin, an MVP hopeful, plus a cast of stars-in-the-making. The experienced Red Wings counter with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, two of hockey's most dynamic forwards, and Nicklas Lidstrom, winner of five of the past six Norris Trophies as the league's best defenseman.
"I cannot recall more stars in a final since 1987 when Edmonton had five of the best, but they were all on one team," said Mike "Doc" Emrick, who will call the games for Versus and NBC. "All those guys -- [Wayne] Gretzky, [Jari] Curry, [Mark] Messier and [Paul] Coffey -- are all in the Hall of Fame now. But this time we have the stars divided out on [both] teams. I think the hockey gods are smiling so wide we can count their missing teeth."
Dubbed "Hockeytown USA", Detroit ranked third among U.S.-based teams in attendance at venerable Joe Louis Arena during the regular season, while the Penguins played to 100 percent capacity at cozy Mellon Arena.
There are plenty of interesting plots, too. Among them:
· Crosby, the most talked about player since four-time Stanley Cup champion Gretzky, is taking his first run at putting his name on the hallowed silver trophy.
· The Red Wings, who are the closest thing the NHL has to a dynasty these days, will be making their 23rd finals appearance and are aiming for their fourth Cup since 1997.
· The Penguins won back-to-back Cups in 1991 and 1992 but are less than two years removed from financial turmoil that threatened the franchise's future in Steeltown.
"Crosby has been the key to the NHL's hopes of rejuvenating the league, so it's an ideal situation to have him in the final," Toronto-based sports business lawyer Jeffrey Citron said. "It puts him on the big stage. All sports dream of having the marquee guys in the final. . . .
"I'm a lot more excited about watching Crosby and Malkin and [Marc-Andre] Fleury and [Marian] Hossa against the established Red Wings, who are close to being dynasty with their consistency through the years. If the league can sustain [its optimism] in years when they have less popular teams in the final, then you have a better case to say there's been a renaissance, and they can look forward to better days."
It has been several years since the NHL has been able to boast about its crowning event.
The sport, by most accounts, is in its best shape since 1994, when the New York Rangers won the Cup. The collective bargaining agreement forged during a costly season-long lockout three years ago has brought financial stability to many markets. League-wide revenue is up and rule changes, also borne out of the lockout, have allowed the stars to shine once again by cutting down on obstruction.
However, the league's TV numbers remain unimpressive by most standards, though ratings have improved in recent weeks. Versus says the conference finals were the most watched since 2002, when Detroit beat the Carolina Hurricanes, and Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final between the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers was the highest-rated hockey game on cable television in the past five years (1.7 household rating or 2,345,834 viewers) and the network's most-watched telecast ever. NBC also reported increases.
The past three finals -- Tampa Bay-Calgary (2004), Carolina-Edmonton (2006) and Anaheim-Ottawa (2007) -- lacked the sizzle, star power and wide-ranging fan appeal.
"But Pittsburgh-Detroit final is different than having Ottawa playing against Anaheim," said Sam Flood, NBC's NHL producer. "Just [the] markets alone and the passion of hockey [and having] two American cities makes a difference."
With Crosby, Malkin and an emerging goaltending star in Fleury, the Penguins are making the first of what many expect to be several championship runs. But there's a feeling in the Penguins' locker room and front office that this is a tremendous opportunity. The roster includes 12 pending unrestricted free agents, including trade deadline addition Hossa, and keeping the team together could prove too expensive in the salary-cap era.
"With the big trade at the deadline, bringing in Hossa, [Pascal Dupuis], Hal Gill, we all got the message that this better be our time," Penguins winger Ryan Malone said.
As for the Red Wings, they are hoping the experience of veterans such as Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom and Chris Osgood and others will be enough to outweigh the Penguins' youthful exuberance.
"Obviously, they've got a group of kids there that are as dynamic as anybody, and there's nothing wrong with being young. I think if you look at the '80s, the Oilers, they were all young when they won it," said Red Wings right wing Dallas Drake. "But I think we'll rely on our older guys that have been there to have a calming influence on us, and that's kind of how we approach things every game."
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The Stanley Cup finals between the Red Wings and the Penguins has it all: star players, rabid fans and compelling story lines.
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On the Texas Borderline, A Solid, if Invisible, Wall
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Under a lavender canopy of jacaranda blossoms within sight of the embattled frontier, Luis Peña imagines an unintended and comical use for the future border wall.
"If anything, it will be a new sport. People will pole-vault," says the biology student with thick black hair. He kicks up a long leg and shouts, "¡Salto con garacho!" ("a high leap to garacho music"). Cue the Mexican violins!
Laughter erupts from his fellow nature lovers from the Gorgas Science Society. They are here, after all, to chant "Don't fence us in" in protest of the 60-foot-high wall that will slice straight past their border-side campus -- which combines the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College -- and right through the Rio Grande Valley borderlands.
I laugh weakly. I'm feeling dejected. Jokes about pole-vaulting, about lizards doomed by the wall, aren't what I expected when I trucked down to the very tip of my home state. I'd expected indignation about the border wall. I expected people to take it as personally as I did, like a slap at my identity, my South Texas culture, the Mexicanness in my Americanness.
I imagine my ancestors felt the same way oh so long ago, in 1848, after the newly drawn border cut through their lands, marooning them in a netherworld with Mexico on one side, the United States on the other. In the 21st-century version of that alienation, the new border wall may transform once-private lands into a de facto DMZ complete with spotlights and armed patrols.
Land, you see, is everything to us. Our culture is tied to the land. It is passed down as our inheritance, as my father did for me and my siblings, fulfilling his long-held pledge. In these borderlands, the fates of families like mine have hinged on the land. And so my instincts insist this wall is not just about illegal border-crossers, not just about Mexicans. It is, in a deeply historic way, about people like me, people whose identity was forged in generations of struggle over land.
Peña invites me to see a campus monument marking the old war between Mexican and gringo: an old cannon standing erect along the Rio Grande. Check it out, he says. "This might be your last chance before the wall goes up." The cannon sits on the wrong side of the planned wall.
Peña and I stroll through the campus, with its buildings of somber desert browns and reds and its sky-blue tile domes of Spanish-Moorish influence. This once was Fort Texas (later renamed Fort Brown), erected in 1846 when the United States charged the original southern border at the Nueces River and invaded Mexico to push the frontier 123 miles south to the much-coveted Rio Grande. What once was Mexico suddenly became the United States.
As we walk toward the river, it's jarring to see the bullet-riddled walls of the campus's buildings -- a reminder of the old border battles. "All of this is battleground," says Peña, his playfulness quieting to philosophical musing. "These are bloody grounds."
"They fought for it," he says of the United States. "But it's 'the enemy' that's left," he adds ironically.
First, in that original war of conquest, the Mexican was the enemy. Then, it was the newly minted U.S. citizens, the Texas Mexicans, branded as bandits when they rebelled against colonial subjugation after their families were annexed with the territory.
The war might have ended, but people like us, like Peña and I, still are regarded as the enemy by some.
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Under a lavender canopy of jacaranda blossoms within sight of the embattled frontier, Luis Peña imagines an unintended and comical use for the future border wall.
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Car Linked to Shots Collides With 2 Vehicles; 5 Injured
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Five people, including a baby and a 6-year-old boy, were injured last night in a three-car crash on Southern Avenue SE that was linked to the investigation of an earlier shooting, authorities said.
The most seriously injured of the five appeared to be a woman thrown from one of the cars, said Alan Etter, a spokesman for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
Authorities said none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.
In a statement issued late last night, police linked the crash to a report of gunfire about 20 minutes earlier near First Street and Mississippi Avenue SE.
Police who went there found no shooting victims but were told that a car had fled the scene. In a preliminary report, police said someone in the car might have attempted a drive-by shooting. During the attempt, police said, shots were apparently fired at the car, hitting an occupant.
As the wounded occupant was being dropped off at Greater Southeast Community Hospital, the car, described as a burgundy Buick, was spotted by plainclothes police. They were in an unmarked vehicle searching for the car.
Police said in the report that one officer got out of the unmarked car and detained the wounded man, who was later taken to a hospital. The other followed the Buick, according to the report.
Police said the officer who was following the car was "keeping tabs on it," while he alerted uniformed officers by radio.
Before the other officers could arrive and stop the car, police said, it ran a red light and collided with the two other cars.
Etter said the woman who was ejected had been in one car with the infant, who was younger than 1. He said an adult and the 6-year-old boy were in the other car. All were taken to hospitals, he said, along with the driver of the Buick. The avenue was closed for a time.
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Five people, including a baby and a 6-year-old boy, were injured last night in a three-car crash on Southern Avenue SE that was linked to the investigation of an earlier shooting, authorities said.
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Voting on D.C. Commemorative Quarter Opens
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The District launched online voting yesterday for the local figure whose likeness will appear on the city's commemorative quarter, despite the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts' criticism that the designs are too cluttered.
Residents have until June 18 to vote for scientist Benjamin Banneker, abolitionist Frederick Douglass or musician Duke Ellington, said Stephanie Scott, secretary of the District of Columbia. The quarter is set for a January release.
The commission said in letter to the U.S. Mint yesterday that the quarters are too small for an elaborate design and "requested that the design alternatives be reworked."
The commission, along with the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, advises the Mint on the quarters. The Mint conveys the information to the jurisdictions.
But the only minor change implemented in one of the D.C. designs is based on the coinage committee's recommendation, Scott said.
She said the fine arts panel had asked for a head-and-shoulder bust to simplify the designs, which include a desk, a piano and a surveyor's instrument. A head-and-shoulder bust is not acceptable to the Mint, she said, because it might result in double-headed coins.
She said it is important to have Douglass's desk in the design, for instance, because the desk is still on display in the District.
Besides, it was too late to go back to the drawing board, Scott said. The District, she said, received only one year to design and choose its quarter for the series. States receive two years, she added.
The fine arts panel "emphasized its role in advising on the design, rather than selecting among the alternative themes, all of which they considered to be meritorious."
Fine arts panel members told the Mint "that the complexity of all three alternatives would be difficult to appreciate at the scale of a quarter."
In a May 15 meeting, the commission also recommended design options for quarters of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The District and the Northern Mariana Islands are the two jurisdictions that did not win the commission's support.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said this week that a Mint official assured her that the Mint "will respect the procedures and choices of the District that comply with the rules when selecting a coin design."
In a statement she issued, Norton expressed concern about the coinage committee's recommendation of Benjamin Banneker, objecting to the idea that the committee and not District residents might have a greater say in the decision.
The Mint has already rejected the District's slogan of "Taxation Without Representation" for the coin.
"D.C. residents will have an opportunity to express their views on the city's choice for the person who should be on the quarter during the comment period beginning later this week and finishing in late June," Norton said.
Residents can vote online at http://www.dc.gov/quarter.
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The District launched online voting yesterday for the local figure whose likeness will appear on the city's commemorative quarter, despite the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts' criticism that the designs are too cluttered.
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Deputy Mayor Chided by Council
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Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration, under the legislation that put him in charge of the schools, was required to name a team of evaluators in September 2007 to study how the new structure affects student achievement over time. The study will examine changes initiated by School Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, including the introduction of new business operations, teacher hiring and training procedures and plans to close and reorganize about 50 schools.
But council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) questioned whether the researchers, nominated in April, would be able to produce a credible report by September. Because researchers are starting so late, he said, they would have to rely on the school system's data rather than their own research. The time frame "is a source of extreme concern," Gray said. "I don't even know if we can guarantee that the data was gathered in an appropriate way."
"We missed our deadline. That was an oversight on our part," Reinoso said. "We think we can move forward rigorously and vigorously."
Reinoso is trying to hire Kenneth Wong, chairman of the Brown University School of Education, and Frederick Hess, director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute. Reinoso said both have extensively studied mayoral takeover in other cities.
Wong said the extensive experience he and Hess have in studying school systems under mayoral authority "will allow us to bring ourselves up to speed rather quickly."
"We are committed to make sure we'll have the most accurate data," Wong said. "Our general position is that we want to make the research available to everybody so they can form their opinions on mayoral takeover."
In an interview, Gray said the evaluation would cost $750,000 over five years. He expressed concern that the study would be paid for by an organization called the Public Education Fund.
He said the fund is run by Sara Lasner, who previously worked for Fenty. Members of the fund's board include Joel I. Klein, chancellor of the New York City public schools; and Ben Soto, who was treasurer of Fenty's mayoral campaign.
"I still don't understand why they went the route they went -- why they're funding it this way," Gray said.
"This is an independent evaluation. It shouldn't be funded by a private entity." With public dollars, the evaluation "would be more transparent," he said.
Gray, at the hearing, also questioned how impartial the evaluators would be, given that Wong testified in favor of the D.C. mayoral takeover legislation and that Hess wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post last September praising Rhee.
Reinoso said the two have been critical of how some cities have implemented mayoral takeover of schools and would bring a "skeptical eye" to their research.
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D.C. Council members at a hearing yesterday criticized Deputy Mayor Victor Reinoso for a seven-month delay in naming independent researchers to conduct a required long-term evaluation of the school system's new governance.
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More Anti-Lobbyist Than Thou
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This is, as we suspect both candidates know, a silly exercise. Lobbyists are a symptom of a larger problem that can't be fixed by turning them into political pariahs. The real problem is the distorting influence on public policy of moneyed interests; lobbyists are merely a particularly efficient delivery vehicle for the money that candidates need to satisfy their fundraising habits. The most effective cure would be to free lawmakers of this addiction by providing for public financing of campaigns, a solution that is, admittedly, a long way off.
In the meantime, then, does it make sense to reject, as Mr. Obama has in this campaign but did not previously, contributions from lobbyists? Is there really a difference between a lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company who bundles $100,000 in contributions for a candidate and the non-lobbyist CEO of the same company who puts together a fundraiser that brings in the same amount? It's hard to see how the candidate is less indebted to a "special interest" in one situation than in the other.
Similarly, why is it acceptable for a lobbyist to work for the campaign -- but only, as the Obama campaign would have it, on a volunteer basis? If the lobbyist's secret goal is to insinuate himself or herself into the campaign's good graces and then push the client's agenda, volunteering would, if anything, be more nefarious. Are some lobbyists -- for favored causes? for unions? -- more equal, or at least less odious, than others?
It's helpful to remember that the Constitution contemplates lobbyists; the First Amendment protects "the right . . . to petition the government for a redress of grievances." In today's Washington, the people, Republican and Democrat, who are most skilled at getting people elected tend to spend the off-years applying the same set of skills to getting legislation passed or regulations written -- and, yes, lobbying some of the very people whom they helped get elected. No matter who wins, it's likely that some of the people staffing the next administration will have been lobbyists. It's no accident that Mr. Obama dropped a line from his stump speech declaring that lobbyists "will not get a job in my White House." At bottom, an administration's policies, pro- or anti-industry, are determined by the president, not by lobbyists who may or may not be brought on board.
The activities of lobbyists do need to be disclosed and regulated -- and, as it happens, both Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain have impressive records on this score. As an Illinois state senator, Mr. Obama helped pass a far-reaching measure to tighten lobbying rules. Mr. McCain's focus on the activities of Jack Abramoff did more to reveal the dark side of lobbying than any previous congressional investigation. Both senators worked to pass a lobbying reform bill that cracked down on the kind of lavish, lobbyist-funded trips that were an Abramoff specialty; the measure will, when it is finally implemented, require lobbyists to disclose the contributions they bundle for lawmakers. Why not hold a serious conversation about what more should be done -- such as stricter recusal rules, as Mr. Obama has suggested, for lobbyists who go to work for the executive branch, or longer cooling-off periods for those heading through the revolving door. That would be more useful than the current program of cheap shots.
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The McCain and Obama campaigns' tit for tat sheds little light on the real problem.
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McCain Releases Medical Records
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Katz is an associate professor (adjunct) at the Yale School of Public Health, and director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. He is the founder and president of the non-profit Turn the Tide Foundation, devoted to reversing trends in obesity and related chronic disease. He has authored 11 books; writes a monthly nutrition column for O, the Oprah Magazine, a weekly health column for the New York Times Syndicate and a daily blog for Prevention Magazine; and is a medical consulting to ABC News.
washingtonpost.com: What would treatment be like were Sen. McCain's cancer to recur, and how would it potentially impact his performance as president?
Dr. David Katz: If melanoma were to show up in a new spot, it would be resected (removed with minor surgery). Because the senator is being screened carefully, it will likely be caught early -- and the surgery should be curative.
The bigger worry is a recurrence of the prior melanoma -- that would signify a metastatic condition, very refractory to treatment. But at eight years out from his last surgery, the risk of that is below 10 percent.
Dallas: What about what McCain's medical disclosure may not be telling us? His temper reminds me a great deal of my grandparents -- who, disturbed by their declining memory and thought, lashed out at family and friends about the slightest thing.
Dr. David Katz: I think this is an excellent point. No matter our health, our faculties do decline with age. I too have noticed some very subtle indications that Sen. McCain's wit may show some signs of his age.
The significance of that is for you to decide. There is, perhaps, a trade-off between the mental acuity of youth, and the wisdom of age.
By the way, I do have a political opinion, but I'm trying to keep it out of the way for purposes of this discussion and walk the middle path!
Helena, Mont.: Were you able to see the actual records, or are you just going by what reporters have said are in the records?
Dr. David Katz: Sen. McCain's medical record is a chart 1,700 pages long; I have not reviewed that. I have access to much the same information as you, so my contributions here are more about interpretation of information than they are about privileged information.
New York: The Post printed a comment about Sen. McCain having no long-term affects from being a prisoner of war. Is that even necessary to discuss? Are we not hyperanalyzing to the extreme in today's world? How about the hundreds of thousands of World War II prisoners of war who lived productive lives, whether they did or did not have psychological scars? Are we becoming a nation of over analytical wimps?
Dr. David Katz: There's a nice living to be made as an over-analytical wimp!...
But be that as it may- the psychological trauma of war is very significant, and far more prevalent than we tend to acknowledge. So scrutiny of this issue makes sense. But because Sen. McCain has served in the U.S. Senate for years -- a job that requires many of the same aptitudes as the presidency, and perhaps an even greater ability to work and play well with others -- I would agree that in this case going to his remote past to look for concerns does seem to be dredging.
San Francisco: What's the typical life expectancy of a man McCain's age, and how would it be affected by the abuse he suffered as a POW? What's the likelihood of Alzheimer's disease or other mental decline? At 72, McCain would be the oldest person to ever become president. Reagan's mental health declined in his second term.
Dr. David Katz: Average life span for men in the U.S. is roughly 75. The fact that Senator McCain is a senator, has money, influence, and privilege; a family; excellent medical care -- all mitigate in his favor. These are factors that would, all things being equal, tend to extend his life expectancy. His past traumas, and the melanoma, would mitigate the other way -- lowering his life expectancy.
Either way, it's worth noting that were Sen. McCain to live the average male life expectancy in the U.S., he would not survive his first term.
Columbia, Md.: Was there any mention of the large mass on the left side of his face? I've never seen mention of it; photogs seem to shoot McCain from the right, and I have to wonder what he's hiding. The mass wasn't there during the last campaign.
Dr. David Katz: To my knowledge, this disfiguration is a consequence of exploratory surgery at the time of his most advanced melanoma. I have not examined the senator, but images I have seen suggest to me this disfiguration has been stable for several years at least.
washingtonpost.com: As a long-term smoker who recently quit, what sorts of health concerns could there be for Sen. Obama in the next four to eight years?
Dr. David Katz: The risks of heart disease and emphysema start to drop off almost immediately with smoking cessation, so these risks are lower now that the senator has quit. The risk of lung cancer will remain elevated for some years, but this is not a risk likely to manifest for decades anyway. Sen. Obama's age is a defense of his health, just as Sen. McCain's is a vulnerability.
Dallas: On the issue of health records for a presidential candidate, do you think if the voters had known that FDR was so feeble and sickly that they would not have given him a fourth term? Also, JFK's health records show that he had some problems, and that his medications might have altered his mental capacity. Any truth to that? Overall, isn't it best to let voters know about the health of their candidates so they can judge if each can serve their term?
Dr. David Katz: This, to me, seems the central question: who should know what about the health of a presidential candidate? We could argue that everyone should know everything -- but if that is so, why not generalize? Aren't passengers entitled to know the health record of every pilot of every plane we fly in? After all, we're putting our lives in that person's hands.
Our society seems to have embraced the principle that the President of the United States is a uniquely public property. The trouble is, the person occupying that position is still a person -- and perhaps entitled to some privacy as such.
My view is this: as with any job description, the POTUS position should make explicit the information that must be disclosed. Candidates could then decide in advance if they are comfortable with standing that naked in front of a crowd. If no, they don't have to run.
I think the requirement for transparency should extend to relevant information likely to impact suitability for the job. It should stop short of salacious curiosity- a realm into which we sojourn all too readily. Actuaries could do a good job of drawing the dividing line.
As for FDR's last term -- his health might well have been a factor, and perhaps should have been.
Bethesda, Md.: Speaking of smoking, pictures from the '70s show McCain with cigarettes. Is there any information about how long he smoked and when he quit?
Dr. David Katz: In between answering questions, I'm looking to see if I can get this information; I don't have it readily available.
Seattle: Does McCain melanoma make him more predisposed to other types of cancer, such as colon or prostate cancer? Also, what indications of such health problems would show up in his records that would not be readily apparent?
Dr. David Katz: To some degree, yes, although the association is indirect. His record shows he has, in fact, had colonic polyps.
With regard to cancers we can screen for effectively, the senator is in good shape since he is getting very meticulous medical attention. But we don't have screening tests for all varieties of cancer, so in some cases there would be no warning until the disease were found. The senator is free of any cancer at this time according to his medical record.
Stamford, Conn.: Re: Life expectancy -- you replied to San Francisco that average life expectancy for men is 75, but isn't that life expectancy at birth, whereas the relevant issue is "what is his further life expectancy at his present age"? As a historian who works with demographic data, I know there can be a significant difference between life expectancy at birth and life expectancy at a given age; I would expect a 72-year-old man in the present-day U.S. to have a further life expectancy of more than three years.
Dr. David Katz: Very good point -- I am giving brief and simple answers. But life expectancy is projected from birth, and that average is brought down by people who die very young. The years of expected survival at a given age vary from that figure.
See if you can track down a good source for the average years of remaining life for a 72-year-old male in the U.S., and fill us in!
Seattle: Seventeen hundred pages, three hours, no doctors and only five reporters? What sort of analytic review can you do on medical records under those circumstances?
Dr. David Katz:1173 pages, actually, I think. It's a lot of pages in any event.
Very limited -- but note that medical records include a lot of daily progress notes that don't alter the big picture. The key points of a very extensive medical record can often be summarized pretty readily. The main items are: what conditions has the senator had, what treatments has he received, what conditions does he have now, and what risk factors does he have for major chronic diseases? Most of this information is now on display.
Rolla, Mo.: I'm afraid the McCain age issue will boil down to those who think he's doddering old fool and those who think it's no issue whatsoever. What are the real issues, if any, for an otherwise healthy 72- to 80-year-old man in the office of presidency?
Dr. David Katz: With regard to health-- yours, mine, or Sen. McCain's -- there is what we know for sure, and what we project. Those projections are based on probabilities. I am 45, but could be struck by lightening tomorrow while the Senator lives to be 110. It's just not very likely...
Age is one of the most potent and universal predictors of health outcomes, since it catches up with us all eventually. Age does make survival a consideration; McCain would have to live to be 80 to get through two terms, for instance. A long way from impossible, but not a guarantee even for someone in good health with good luck. Age, on average, slows mental acuity, reduces memory, reduces daily tolerance for hours of work, dims vision, reduces auditory acuity -- and so on. It is certainly a relevant consideration. The question for everyone is: how relevant, as compared to other salient considerations?
Harrisburg, Pa.: The office of president appears to place much stress on a person. Does John McCain appear physically prepared to endure the possibility of great stress?
Dr. David Katz: I would simply remind everyone that serving as a US Senator, and running for president, are not exactly a walk in the park- and he seems to be able to tolerate those activities.
From a distance, it appears to me that running for president is more stressful than being president -- although we'd have to ask Carter, Clinton and the Bush's to know for sure.
Annapolis, Md.: Is it standard practice to release medical records during a presidential campaign? Do most candidates just release them to the media, or do they control access and copying? What was the reason for the controlled access in McCain's situation?
Dr. David Katz: Medical records are privileged information, and I do not believe there is any official requirement for release unique to a presidential campaign. The Senator realized, however, that not releasing his records was a potential liability. So he chose to release them, but in a manner carefully controlled by his people.
As per an earlier reply, I believe we need, and should have, standard and official health reporting requirements for any presidential candidate so the playing field is level, and there are no surprises.
Anonymous: Does John McCain have any lingering health issues from his imprisonment in Vietnam? Hopefully he has healed from them all. I ask because it obviously was a physically traumatic experience and I believe he suffered broken bones from the crash and the overall experience. Did he regain full function once the bones healed and he recovered from any malnutrition? This is not a question for you, but especially if John McCain becomes president, I believe the government of Vietnam should offer an apology for this mistreatment.
Dr. David Katz: I would again invoke his long service in the Senate and note that the rigors of service as a senator, and as president, are similar if not the same. So I think we already have evidence that the relevant health concerns are new ones -- such as the melanoma -- rather than residues of old traumas.
Absurd Farce?: Let me get this straight: A dozen or so reporters hand-chosen by the McCain campaign are getting a few hours of access to 400 pages of doctor scribbles and medication names? In fact, the organization that brought a doctor to the medical record viewing in 2000 hasn't even been allowed back in. Why don't news outlets protest the whole silly exercise, and simply say that as a profession, the job is to inform the public, and that means bringing in some actual experts who can evaluate these documents -- and if they can't do that, then sorry, they can't report that McCain opened up his medical records. Why is that so hard to do?
Dr. David Katz: A valid point. Again, I think we should establish standard medical reporting requirements for a presidential candidate. At present, we don't have any- so what the Senator is disclosing is entirely at his discretion.
That said, there are relatively few, salient elements in a lengthy medical record -- and those items are being disclosed. So unless there is willful deceit going on, I think we are getting a reasonable bird's eye view of the Senator's health.
Seattle: How do you detect mental-status changes, like Alzheimer's, at an early onset? That's a deal-breaker for a lot of people of McCain's age; if we can't tell when he goes senile, how can we hold him accountable for being senile?
Dr. David Katz: There is standardized cognitive testing to detect very early stages of dementia, or "senility." But in the portion of the Senator's record made public, this is not included. Mental status and cognitive testing could be a standard requirement in the medical evaluation of any presidential candidate- then we'd know. At present, it is not. So we will be taking our chances...
Washington: Would a victim of physical torture like McCain normally have received a mental health examination by the military upon release from captivity? Are these records included in the dump?
Dr. David Katz: I don't know the standard military protocol in this situation. But even if included, it would be years out of date. No, this is not included in the information made public.
Fairfax, Va.: Because Sen McCain is well into his 70s, should we be worried about "senior moments," or not? It could be problematic in someone with so much responsibility.
Dr. David Katz: The reason we even have the term "senior moment" is because we've all recognized that memory tends to become a bit less reliable as we age, even if we age well. Yes, it could be problematic. But again, it's worth noting that Sen. McCain is, in fact, Sen. McCain -- and is functioning in that rather high-responsibility job.
Bethesda, Md.: "Running for president is more stressful than being president." Perhaps, but the campaign process, even this time, doesn't last as long. Look at before-and-after pictures for the past few presidents, and it sure looks like the job ages people more than just the passage of time.
Dr. David Katz: Yes -- in fact, the rigors of both may add up and accelerate aging. I agree that a presidency appears to add more than its fair share of gray hairs to the presidential head!
The interplay between the rigors of the job and age is a relevant concern; hence this topic and dialogue.
Washington: Is McCain going to let any insurance company doctors evaluate his medical records? Is he going to let anybody with any medical skills evaluate his records?
Dr. David Katz: To my knowledge, for the moment, what you see is what we get.
Dr. David Katz: Good dialogue, folks; thanks for letting me join in. More questions than answers, but at least we're all thinking!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.
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McCain Rejects Pastor's Backing Over Remarks
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The Arizona Republican's decision to distance himself from Hagee came after months of mounting criticism, particularly from Roman Catholics, over his acceptance of Hagee's endorsement in late February. Hagee has called the Catholic Church a "false religious system" and a "false cult system" and has suggested that the church played a role in the Holocaust.
Hagee, 68, is one of the country's best-known Christian television evangelists and is known for his fervent support of Israel. But he has a conflicted relationship with Jewish organizations. He spearheaded a group called Christians United for Israel, but not all Jewish groups embrace him, because he does not support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are also leery of his support because he has suggested that their "rebellion" against "Jehovah" has caused much of their suffering, including the Holocaust.
This week, a new controversy over his preaching began when a video started circulating of a sermon, delivered in the late 1990s, in which Hagee calls Hitler a "hunter," a reference to the Book of Jeremiah, which quotes God saying he "will restore" the Jews "to the land I gave to their forefathers."
"Then God sent a hunter. A hunter is someone with a gun and he forces you. Hitler was a hunter," Hagee says in the sermon. "And the Bible says -- Jeremiah writing -- 'They shall hunt them from every mountain and from every hill out of the holes of the rocks,' meaning there's no place to hide. And that will be offensive to some people but don't let your heart be offended. I didn't write it, Jeremiah wrote it. It was the truth and it is the truth. How did it happen? Because God allowed it to happen. Why did it happen? Because God said my top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel."
When asked what McCain thought of the remarks, spokesman Tucker Bounds responded with an e-mail from the candidate denouncing Hagee. "Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them," McCain said. "I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well."
Speaking to reporters later, McCain said: "I just think that the statement is crazy and unacceptable," adding that while "Pastor Hagee is entitled to his views," he does not want to be affiliated with them.
Mindful of the controversy that ensnarled Sen. Barack Obama, his possible opponent in the November election, McCain tried to draw a distinction between his link to Hagee and Obama's ties to the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., who was the pastor for many years of the church Obama attends in Chicago. Wright's incendiary remarks about the U.S. government have dogged the Democratic front-runner for months.
"I have said I do not believe Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright's extreme views," McCain said in the statement. "But let me also be clear, Reverend Hagee was not and is not my pastor or spiritual advisor, and I did not attend his church for twenty years." He added: "I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do again today."
At a campaign rally in February, McCain said he was "pleased to have the endorsement" of Hagee. The next day, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights publicly chastised the candidate and demanded that he reject the endorsement. But McCain refused, despite comments Hagee has made about Catholicism, and his implication that Hurricane Katrina represented divine retribution because a gay pride parade had been planned in New Orleans for that week.
Initially, after learning about Hagee's comments, McCain said that just because he accepts -- or seeks -- someone's endorsement does not mean he endorses that person's views. McCain later said that he repudiated Hagee's views, but continued to say that he accepted and was proud of the endorsement.
Hagee issued his own statement Thursday, saying that he was withdrawing his endorsement to prevent any further damage to the presumptive GOP nominee's candidacy.
"I am tired of these baseless attacks and fear that they have become a distraction in what should be a national debate about important issues," he said in a statement.
McCain also received the endorsement of another controversial television evangelist in late February, the Rev. Rod Parsley of Ohio, whose sermons have been called anti-Muslim. In one sermon, posted on YouTube, Parsley described what he said is "our historical conflict with Islam," adding that "America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed."
Asked about the two preachers Thursday, he said: "I've never been to Pastor Hagee's church or Pastor Parsley's church," adding: "I received their endorsement, which doesn't mean I endorse their views."
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STOCKTON, Calif., May 22 -- Sen. John McCain on Thursday repudiated the presidential endorsement of the Rev. John Hagee after learning about a sermon in which the megachurch pastor from San Antonio declared that God allowed the rise of Adolf Hitler because it resulted in returning Israel to the J...
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Obama as You've Never Known Him!
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· That he was mentored in high school by a member of the Soviet-controlled Communist Party.
· That he launched his Illinois state Senate campaign in the home of a terrorist and a killer.
· That while serving as a state senator, he was a member of a socialist front group.
· That his affiliations are so dodgy that he would have trouble getting a government security clearance.
· That there is reason to doubt his "loyalty to the United States."
These and many other implausible accusations were offered by a group of conservatives yesterday -- including a living relic from the House Committee on Un-American Activities -- in a Capitol Hill basement. The charges ranged from the absurd to the merely questionable, but anybody who watched the Swift Boat campaign of 2004 make John Kerry look like a war criminal knows that's not the point.
The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy took a blow with Hillary Clinton's collapse. But it is regrouping, and finding plenty of sinister things to say about Obama -- even if he didn't trade cattle futures.
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Here are some things we can look forward to learning about Barack Obama:
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Schools Fell While Other Buildings Held
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One floor above her, fifth-graders Sang Xingpeng, the class troublemaker, and Peng Xinyin, the tall girl who loved to sing, were enjoying their midday break.
Outside, third-grader Zhou Yang was running late, busy playing with friends and chasing bees.
This, according to teachers, parents and students interviewed, was the scene at Fuxin No. 2 Primary School a few minutes before 2:28 p.m. on May 12 -- when a massive earthquake ripped through China's Sichuan province in the country's worst natural disaster in 30 years. By the end of the day, 127 of the school's 320 students would die, buried in a mess of concrete chunks and flying glass.
Since the quake, parents' grief has turned to anger.
Why, they ask, did the school collapse when other nearby buildings, including government offices, the teachers' dormitory and even an old classroom building housing pet rabbits, withstood the quake?
The same question is being asked all over Sichuan, as residents have started to notice that, on street after street, schools collapsed while most government buildings did not. In Mianzhu county, a quarter of the 43 primary and secondary schools caved in, leaving more than 1,000 students dead, while the gleaming government complex remained fully operational and is now a staging area for emergency rescue and cleanup operations.
In total, nearly 7,000 schools have been reported destroyed in Sichuan by the quake; that figure could rise as reconstruction crews reach the hardest-hit areas.
China's leaders have launched an investigation into why so many schools collapsed. Jiang Weixin, the minister of housing and urban-rural construction, said this week that authorities "cannot rule out the possibility that there may have been shoddy work and inferior materials during the construction" of some school buildings.
On Thursday, Mianzhu county announced that it would form a special committee to investigate the construction of the school in Fuxin. The principal, Wang Weiyong, asked parents to be patient and wait for experts to assess what happened here. But Liu Bo, a deputy director of the Mianzhu Education Bureau, said in an interview that he had already gone through the documentation regarding the school's annual inspections and that he believed it was perfectly safe.
"What happened isn't the result of a dangerous building," Liu said. "This tragedy is the result of a natural disaster."
Parents who have lost their children say the truth is in the rubble.
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MIANZHU, China -- The day the earthquake hit was supposed to be a special one for Ding Yao. Her hair done up in pigtails, she was sitting in the front of a fourth-grade classroom, waiting for the teacher to hand out prizes to students who had the highest scores on a math test. She wasn't sure, bu...
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In Iraq, a Surge in U.S. Airstrikes
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"The city looks like a bucket of Legos dumped out on the ground," the 26-year-old pilot said. "It's brown Legos, no color. It's really dense and hard to pick things out because everything looks the same."
He uses a powerful lens to zoom in on tiny silhouettes, trying to identify people with "hostile intent" among hundreds of ordinary citizens in Baghdad.
In recent weeks, Katzenberger and other pilots have dramatically increased their use of helicopter-fired missiles against enemy fighters, often in densely populated areas. Since late March, the military has fired more than 200 Hellfire missiles in the capital, compared with just six missiles fired in the previous three months.
The military says the tactic has saved the lives of ground troops and prevented attacks, but the strikes have also killed and wounded civilians, provoking criticism from Iraqis.
On Wednesday, eight people, including two children, were killed when a U.S. helicopter opened fire on a group of Iraqis traveling to a U.S. detention center to greet a man who was being released from custody, Iraqi officials said.
The U.S. military said in a statement that it had targeted men linked to a suicide bombing network. "Unfortunately, two children were killed when the other occupants of the vehicle, in which they were riding, exhibited hostile intent," the statement said.
U.S. officials say they go to great lengths to avoid harming civilians in airstrikes.
"It's not Hollywood and it's not 110 percent perfect," said Col. Timothy J. Edens, the commander of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, of the accuracy of his unit's strikes. "It is as precise as very hardworking soldiers and commanders can make it. These criminals do not operate in a clean battle space. It is occupied by civilians, law-abiding Iraqis."
Those civilians include people like Zahara Fadhil, a 10-year-old girl with a tiny frame and long brown hair. Relatives said she was wounded by a missile on April 20 at approximately 8 p.m. in Baghdad's Shiite enclave of Sadr City. The U.S. military said it fired a Hellfire missile in Zahara's neighborhood at that time, targeting men who were seen loading rockets into a sedan.
Her face drained of color and her legs scarred by shrapnel, Zahara spoke haltingly when asked what she thought of U.S. troops.
"They kill people," she said. Lying in bed, she gasped for air before continuing. "They should leave Iraq now."
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Washington Post coverage of the American occupation of Iraq, the country's path to democracy and tensions between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
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Senate Passes $165 Billion Measure to Pay for Wars
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The war funding measure, which passed 70 to 26, will be twinned with the domestic spending package and sent to the House for final approval after Congress's Memorial Day recess. Senators stripped the package of all language that mandated troop withdrawals and sought to govern the conduct of the Iraq war, which had been in a previous version approved by the House.
But the separate domestic spending package served notice to the White House that in an election year, lawmakers from both parties will demand coupling Iraq war funds with priorities at home. In total, the bill would cost more than $250 billion over 10 years, including $51 billion for the veterans' education benefits alone.
"I have spent many days in the United States Senate, and I don't know of any days I will cherish more than this one," said retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), one of the original co-sponsors of the new G.I. Bill.
The 75 to 22 vote on the domestic measure surprised even its advocates and showed clearly the impact of the looming November election on Republican unity. Senate Republicans who face reelection abandoned Bush first, followed by other Republicans. Twenty-five Senate Republicans, more than half the total, joined 48 Democrats and two independents to ensure the bill's passage.
It was the day's second clear rebuke of Bush, who has promised to veto any measure that adds domestic spending to his $108 billion request to fund the war. Large numbers of Republican senators also joined Democrats yesterday in overriding Bush's veto of the $307 billion farm bill.
The White House opposed the expanded G.I. Bill, concerned that the price tag is too high and that the generous benefits could entice service members to leave the overburdened military rather than reenlist. Republicans and Democrats urged Bush to back off from his veto threat.
"I hope the president observes what he sees here and gives us a pat on the back instead of a veto with his pen," said Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) one of five military veterans in the Senate -- three Democrats, two Republicans -- who gathered to hail the bill's passage.
The White House showed no sign of that. "There's a long way to go in this process, and fortunately it takes two houses of Congress to send a bill to the president," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "Our position hasn't changed: This is the wrong way to consider domestic spending, and Congress should not go down this path."
The Senate measure extends unemployment benefits for 13 weeks, funds levee construction around New Orleans, and guarantees that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive education benefits equal to the tuition at the most expensive state universities.
It provides additional funds for the Food and Drug Administration, the 2010 census, federal prisons, local law enforcement agencies, heating assistance for the poor and many other domestic priorities. It also blocks the administration from implementing regulations that would limit access to the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Although parts of the amendment have always enjoyed bipartisan support, the measure has taken on the weight of the presidential campaign in recent weeks. McCain (Ariz.) had opposed the domestic spending and advocated a slimmed-down version of the G.I. Bill, adopting the administration's argument that the original version -- by Sens. James Webb (D-Va.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) -- would deplete the military.
In so doing, McCain went against virtually every veterans organization, from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion to the more partisan VoteVets.org, which has aired blistering advertisements against him.
McCain did not interrupt his campaign schedule to vote yesterday, a decision that drew criticism. His Democratic rivals, Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), did vote.
"I respect Senator John McCain's service to our country," Obama said. "But I can't understand why he would line up behind the president in opposition to this G.I. Bill. I can't believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans."
McCain blasted back, questioning Obama's knowledge of veterans issues and his commitment to national security.
"I take a backseat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans. And I will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did," he said in a lengthy statement.
The fate of the Senate package is unclear. The legislation would probably gain majority support in the House if Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) put it to a vote. But it has serious problems in her fractious Democratic caucus.
Antiwar liberals oppose any funds for the war, especially if they are not accompanied by binding language to bring combat forces home. The original House version of the bill included no war funds, because Republicans refused to vote for the money, saying they had been left out of negotiations.
Conservative "blue dog" Democrats insist that a new entitlement, such as the G.I. Bill, be fully funded with spending cuts or tax increases. The House-passed version funded the veterans' benefits with a 0.5 percent tax increase on incomes exceeding $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for couples.
"There's a long way to go in this process, and now that Congress' cynical strategy has failed, it is time for the Congress to send a bill to the President that he can sign," White House budget director Jim Nussle said in a statement.
But House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) predicted that early next month, Congress will send Bush a war funding bill with Webb's veterans' education package as its centerpiece.
"Count on it," Emanuel said.
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The Senate yesterday approved $165 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan well into the next presidency, but in a break with President Bush and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, it also approved billions of dollars in domestic spending that includes a ge...
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There's Something in the Air, Other Than Another Ball Headed for the Fence
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Ever since baseball returned from its strike in 1995, the game's aesthetics have been out of whack. For 13 seasons, home runs have been out of control, while scoring ranged from high to ridiculous. The game's traditional statistics, based on more than a century of broadly accepted standards about what constituted sensible balance between offense and defense, were tortured and, in the case of many landmark numbers, rendered obsolete.
Now -- in a Roger Clemens minute, in a Barry Bonds blink -- the problem may be fixed.
This spring, for the second straight year, home run totals, like the game's conspicuous muscles, have shrunk dramatically. Last season's 8 percent drop in home runs was welcomed, but with caution. Would the tater barrage simply resume? But now, in the wake of the Mitchell report, home runs have fallen this spring by another 10.4 percent.
Suddenly, a sport that produced 5,386 home runs in 2006 is on pace for 4,442 this year -- a 17.5 percent drop, or a loss of almost 1,000 home runs in just two seasons.
If the current trend continues, baseball might return to the levels at which many students of the game think the sport has been healthiest and most pleasing: an average of a bit more than nine runs and slightly less than two home runs per game.
This season, major league teams have scored 8.98 runs per game. Since 1871, there have been 1,750,230 runs in the majors, an average of 9.11 per game. Warm weather, when fly balls carry farther, might bring the game almost exactly back to its long-term scoring trend.
"That's good news. No, it's great," said the Nationals' Randy St. Claire, chuckling because he's a pitching coach.
"Just say that guys look like ballplayers again, like they looked when I was growing up, not like musclemen," said St. Claire, 47.
If the arrival of the Steroid Age was gradual, arriving full-blown in the late '90s, then peaking with 5,693 homers in the insane season of 2000, when 47 players hit at least 30 homers, then its reversal might come quite quickly. This spring, only 24 players are on pace for at least 30 home runs.
"A 'cold spring' doesn't account for an almost 20 percent drop in home runs in two years," Orioles President Andy MacPhail said. "It's foolish not to think there's some correlation to more drug testing and all the [legal] attention [on steroids]. There are still people out there trying to cheat. There will always be people who try to get around the rules one way or another. But there are not as many now."
We'll have to let the season play out before victory is declared. Nevertheless, last year was the first season since 1997 when baseball had fewer than 5,000 homers. And to find a season with a home run pace comparable to the first 50 games of 2008, you must go back to 1993 -- before the strike, before "Chicks Dig the Long Ball," before the game turned its eyes away from steroid use and practically condoned any abuse of chemistry.
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Home run production has declined significantly since 2006. If the trend continues, this year's total would decrease by nearly 1,000.
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Neighbors Ally Against U.S. Project
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The criticism, in a communique issued after a visit to Beijing by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, illustrated the increasingly close strategic ties between Russia and China, neighboring giants that were adversaries for decades.
"Both sides believe that the creation of global defense systems and their deployment in some regions of the world . . . do not help maintain strategic balance and stability, and hamper international efforts in arms control and nuclear nonproliferation," the communique said.
The State Department and White House noted that both nations had voiced similar objections before. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the United States would continue to work with Medvedev on the issue as it had worked with his predecessor, Vladimir Putin, who is now prime minister.
The joint communique was seen as a boost to Medvedev on his first trip abroad since taking over from Putin. During his one-day stay in Beijing, Medvedev and President Hu Jintao of China also signed a $1 billion deal for construction of a uranium enrichment plant and supply of uranium for China's fast-growing nuclear power industry.
As president, Putin opposed the Bush administration's plan to post elements of an antimissile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, saying the system could peer into Russia's airspace and be used against its missiles.
The Bush administration has said that the system would protect against what it calls "rogue nations" -- meaning adversaries such as Iran -- and repeatedly offered to cooperate with Russia in the deployments.
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BEIJING, May 23 -- China and Russia expressed clear-cut opposition Friday to U.S. plans for a worldwide missile defense system, saying the Bush administration's project undermines stability and nuclear nonproliferation efforts.
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Farm-Bill Veto Overridden Despite Glitch
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With an overwhelming 82 to 13 vote, the Senate yesterday completed the override of President Bush's veto of a comprehensive farm bill, shrugging off Republican concerns about an embarrassing legislative glitch to make the $307 billion bill the law of the land.
House GOP leaders continued to grumble that Democrats had violated the Constitution by pressing forward with the veto override after they discovered that a whole section of the bill on trade policy had been inadvertently dropped from the version vetoed Wednesday.
But Democratic leaders said they had court precedent and constitutional scholars on their side. "The veto override will have the force of law," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Pelosi added that her original response upon learning of the mistake had been "uncustomarily crude."
Senate Republican leaders appeared unconcerned. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) were among the 35 Republicans who joined in the most significant legislative rebuff of Bush's presidency.
"By overturning the president's veto, we are making substantial investments in nutrition programs to help millions of families afford healthy food, in help for farmers hit by disaster and to protect our nation's natural resources," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
Lawmakers said they would take up the farm law's trade section as a separate bill and pass it after their Memorial Day break.
An enrolling clerk dropped the section, which includes international food aid programs, as the measure was being sent to the White House. The glitch gave Republican leaders, who were badly divided by the bill itself, a chance to unite around a new cause. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) took to the floor to call for an ethics committee investigation, which was voted down on party lines.
House Democratic leaders did push the entire farm bill back through the House again yesterday, in case they decide to start the process over again. But that appeared doubtful after the Senate's action.
Citing the Supreme Court's 192 decision in Field v. Clark, House parliamentarian John Sullivan released a statement yesterday saying that "the law that would result from a bicameral override of the President's veto on H.R. 2419 would be the text that was presented to the President on parchment, notwithstanding its omission of the congressionally intended [trade] title."
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With an overwhelming 82 to 13 vote, the Senate yesterday completed the override of President Bush's veto of a comprehensive farm bill, shrugging off Republican concerns about an embarrassing legislative glitch to make the $307 billion bill the law of the land.
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Candidates' Fundraising Disputes May Be Heard
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There may soon be a referee to hear disputes about election rules in the 2008 race for president.
The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration yesterday approved the nominations of three new members to the Federal Election Commission.
Action on the nominees had been stalled for months because Democrats objected to one of President Bush's choices for the six-member panel. That left the FEC without a quorum and incapable of ruling on a series of complaints about fundraising by various presidential candidates.
"This vote comes not a moment too soon," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the committee chairman. "It is unconscionable that in the middle of a presidential election year, with campaign committees spending millions of dollars, that we don't have our federal election watchdog in place."
The three nominees whose names will now go to the full Senate for approval are:
Cynthia L. Bauerly of Minnesota for appointment to a term expiring April 30, 2011, for the seat held by Robert D. Lenhard; Caroline C. Hunter of Florida for appointment to a term expiring April 30, 2013, for the seat held by Michael E. Toner; and Donald F. McGahn of the District for appointment to a term expiring April 30, 2009, for the seat held by David M. Mason.
The name of a fourth nominee, Steven T. Walther, was previously reported to the floor.
The nominee who had sparked the impasse, Hans von Spakovsky, withdrew his name from consideration last week, and Bush yesterday announced plans to nominate Matthew S. Petersen of Utah, the current chief counsel for the minority on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.
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Latest news on the US federal government. Information and analysis of federal legislation, government contracts and regulations. Search for government job openings, career information and federal employee benefits news.
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More Than 100 Post Journalists Take Buyout
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A number of familiar bylines will leave for good or no longer appear regularly in the paper, including those of military affairs reporter Thomas E. Ricks; feature writers Linton Weeks and Peter Carlson; health reporter Laura Sessions Stepp; science reporter Rick Weiss; the husband-and-wife foreign correspondent team of John Ward Anderson and Molly Moore; critics Stephen Hunter, Desson Thomson and Tim Page; Federal Diary columnist Stephen Barr; Weekend writers Richard Harrington and Eve Zibart; and Metro reporters Sue Anne Pressley Montes and Yolanda Woodlee.
Political dean David Broder took the package but will remain on contract; his column will continue to appear in The Post. Sports columnist and ESPN personality Tony Kornheiser also took the offer, but his most recent full-length column in The Post appeared in 2005. Since then, his presence has been largely limited to printed excerpts from his daily Talking Points video, which is planned to continue.
The list includes a number of Pulitzer Prize winners, including Ricks, Broder and Hunter.
"I realized about a year ago I no longer had to be the film critic," said Hunter, a successful novelist who has a book coming out in September and commutes from Baltimore. "Part of it was New York Avenue fatigue, part of it was movie fatigue, part of it was CGI fatigue," he said, referring to digitally rendered movie special effects. "I'm doing what The Post would not do: I'm firing myself for being too old."
In addition, a number of Post editors who are less-known to the outside world will leave, including Deborah Heard, the Style section's top editor, and Michael Keegan, who runs the News Art department. Other key editors leaving are Maralee Schwartz and Tony Reid from the Business section; Home editor Belle Elving; Travel editor K.C. Summers; Book World editor Marie Arana; and from the Style section, editors John Pancake, Peter Kaufman, Lynne Duke and Rose Jacobius, the longtime night editor and legendary headline writer.
Post employees from non-newsroom departments took the packages, as well, though no numbers were given.
The early retirement packages, or buyouts, were offered to staff members who were at least 50 years old and had at least five years of Post experience. Many will leave by the end of the month; some will stay on until the end of the year, including columnist and veteran foreign correspondent Nora Boustany. The deadline for accepting a buyout was May 15; yesterday was the end of the period staffers had to change their minds. More than 200 newsroom employees were eligible.
In exchange for leaving, employees will get a lump-sum payment based on their years of experience. The oldest and longest-serving Post employees can receive the equivalent of two years' salary and begin receiving their pensions immediately.
This is the third round of buyouts The Post has offered in the past five years. The first came in 2003, the second in 2006. Post newsroom employment peaked at 908 in 2003; there are now about 780 full-time-equivalent newsroom workers. After the buyouts, that number will be about 700.
The Post will take the opportunity to restructure its newsroom in ways that may not be apparent to readers.
"There is no plan right now to eliminate sections of the paper" or to reduce the frequency of their publication, Managing Editor Philip Bennett said yesterday. The buyouts will affect "chiefly how we organize our coverage -- more how we do things than what we do," he said. Bennett called the buyouts a "very, very difficult and painful process."
Steadily declining circulation and advertising revenue over the past two decades have led newspapers to reduce staff sizes through buyouts and layoffs, the latter of which The Post has avoided.
In 1999, for instance, the newspaper division of The Post Co. reported $157 million in operating income. By 2007, that number had fallen to $66 million. Daily average circulation of The Post peaked at 832,232 in 1993. It stands at 638,300.
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More than 100 Washington Post reporters, editors, photographers, artists and other journalists will take early retirement packages offered by the company as a way to cut costs, reducing the newsroom staff by at least 10 percent.
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Carolyn Hax Live: Not a Dog Person, Not a Kid Person, Rude Questions and New Haven Pizza
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Carolyn was online Friday, May 23 taking your questions and comments about her current advice column and any other questions you might have about the strange train we call life. Her answers may appear online or in an upcoming column.
Got more to say? Check out Carolyn's **brand new** discussion group, Hax-Philes. Comments submitted to the chat may be used in the discussion group.
San Diego, Calif.: You are incredibly wrong in your advice to the father of the bride. On the one hand, you want everyone benefited in a will to avoid causing pain. But it's okay for a daughter to publicly insult her father? Something tells me that this girl has been planning to settle her grudge against her father for a long time. She needs to grow up, not he, and realize that divorces aren't directed at children. They are directed at spouses. Unless Dad abused her or Mom, he should walk her down the aisle. Then he should throw her under the bus.
Carolyn Hax: Well, wait a minute. The daughter didn't write to me. If she did, and I thought she had petty or vengeful reasons for choosing her brother over her father, or if she admitted to an intent to "publicly insult" her father, I would have been happy to give her an earful about that idea.
But she didn't. The friend of the father wrote to me, and what she described was a grown man pitying himself and pressuring the bride when the only adult item on his menu was to deal with it.
Remorseful Gossip Girl: I was recently in a social setting with some people that I don't know that well yet, and the conversation partly involved gossip about common acquaintances that weren't there. Somebody repeated a rumor she'd heard about person X, a rumor that I know to be true. I confirmed it and shared some details that I knew about it because I thought it was an amusing story and I probably had some stupid high-schoolish idea that gossip was a good way of bonding. As soon as I did, though, I wished I hadn't. This information being out probably isn't going to hurt person X in any way, but it wasn't any of my business and not my place to share it. (And sharing it probably didn't make me look good in the group's eyes, either.) I don't usually gossip, and now I remember why. I feel terrible. Is there any way to rectify the situation? Should I contact person X, own up, and apologize? Or is reminding myself that I'm never going to do that again going to have to be enough?
Carolyn Hax: Yeah, I don't think there's any road to absolution for you here. If it wasn't harmful, then you can't argue that your friend has a need to know, and so you've got little to balance out the awkwardness--for-her--of her knowing. Bias disclosure, I have zero interest in knowing what people say about me behind my back.
Perfect timing for you to settle a debate between me and my BF.
We have just reached the stage in our relationship where we no longer feel the need to "impress" each other. For me, this means I feel comfortable hanging out in jeans and a sweatshirt. For him, this means he has become very lax about hygiene and grooming.
Sometimes, he stinks. I have told him this. I have told him I don't like going out in public when he hasn't showered in 48 hours. I have told him it affects my desire for sex. He responds that this is his normal routine (he works from home, and most of his friends are single men), and that at this point he should be allowed to feel comfortable around me.
He says this isn't a respect/control issue, but I'm beginning to disagree. I'm wondering whether it would be overkill to call this a deal-breaker?
Carolyn Hax: There is a line between "comfortable" and "offensive." Since the hygiene issue is a charged on for you, try this. We all know it's important to be candid in a relationship. Likewise, we all know that sometimes we say stupid things. But does anyone really want a mate who says, at every instance of vocalized stupidity, "Wow, what a stupid thing to say"? There is a line where candor crosses from intimacy to hostility.
Where that line is, though, isn't fixed. It's wherever you and he choose to draw it.
I could argue that your boyfriend's insistence on public reeking meets any definition of hostility, because it sounds as if it does. However, since that's debatable, anything built on it would be debatable, too.
So I'll use the fact that -you- see it as hostility. That means he's willing to continue a behavior that is easy to change, that he knows is upsetting you, that also involves passing on a no-brainer opportunity to do something nice for you, and yet he won't. Them's your facts. Do what your gut says.
Washington, D.C.: I just received a wedding invitation from my ex-boyfriend. Our semi-serious relationship ended about three years ago on very bad terms (he cheated), and although our personal and professional circles overlap considerably, we generally avoid one another. I'm much happier without him in my life.
I cannot fathom why he invited me to the wedding and of course will not be attending, but my Southern upbringing says that I have to send a gift for being invited. Do I? And, more importantly, would it be inappropriate to send knives?
I should note that I'm not sure whether his fiancee even knows we dated.
Carolyn Hax: Just decline, you don't have to send a thing. Satisfy your upbringing with a congratulatory card sent after the event.
Not a Dog Person: This is a serious question. I am not a dog person, proudly I am no longer terrified of dogs but I just do not like them. I know I have a strong bias so I need advice. Our neighbors have a dog and they let her wander about our yards. The dog is a lab and loves attention, kids and play. The dog will come up on our deck while we eat, chew on my kids' toys, shoes etc.
When I brought this up to the neighbors they suggested I not leave toys in the yard, shoes on the deck and ignore the dog when it begged for food. They explained that labs were social and the dog was just being neighborly.
I need to know from some dog people what fair limits would be. Obviously, I think the dog should never be in my yard but that may be extreme.
Carolyn Hax: The dog should never be in your yard.
How you handle this as a neighbor is a little less black-and-white, because they are 100 percent responsible for containing their dog on their property. Since they're not taking that responsibility, obviously, that most likely means they don't see it as their responsibility.
And when you're dealing with people who see no problem letting their lives spill all over yours, when you've made it clear you don't want their spillage, then you have an issue. Charge hard at them, and non-responsibility-takers are the most likely to start blaming you. Fun stuff.
So here's where I'd go with it. Tell them you realize their dog is friendly, but you would appreciate it if they kept her off your property. It's on them to figure out how. If they hem and haw or just ignore you, ask again, and suggest a fence. Kind words are all you've got before you get to laws, so use them liberally--but not weakly. You have no obligation to budge, not even out of neighborly flexibility. So let your phrasing reflect that: You certainly don't want to be a pest, but you've chosen not to have a dog yourself for a reason, and so having someone else's dog around defeats that purpose.
If they say no again, then you're at the crossroads: legal remedy, get used to the dog, or spend money you'd rather not spend on your own fence to keep the peace? That's a choice I can't make for you, but that's what it'll come to. Obviously I hope it doesn't.
Falls Church, Va.: A woman I used to work with and I have been hooking up recently after she broke up with her boyfriend. It is just sex, and her boyfriend is trying to win her back. She is torn. I am 100% honest with her that it's just physical. She is confused and thinks about going back to him, but still wants to see me. I feel I am doing nothin wrong here. Am I obliged to not sleep with her?
Carolyn Hax: What do you think: Ten years from now, a proud moment in your history, or not?
Older Mom: C'mon -- I thought your answer to the older mom (38 at her child's birth) was a little hard on the bystanders. It's not "rude and deeply personal" to say, at the park or something, "Oh, is that your grandson? What a cutie! How old is he?" or something to that effect. People ask me, in the same passing way, whether I'm my son's mom all the time, as a prelude to asking the usual questions about him. The fact that I'm 30 and my son is 2 doesn't make the question any less "personal"; it just means that I'm not over-sensitive about this.
Carolyn Hax: Ah, but they're asking if you're the -mom.- Which is still personal, frankly--people really do need to figure out that their curiosity is not grounds in itself for asking a question of a stranger--but it at least takes the edge off the rudeness. If you're just trying to make polite conversation, then make it polite. Such as, "What a cutie. What brings you out on this nice/cold/warm/rainy day?" What does it matter what the relationship is? I say this as a skeptic of ridiculous sensitivities--people really do need to ask themselves occasionally whether their "usual questions" are rude. So many of them are.
West Coast: Do you think all couples eventually run out of things to talk about? I've noticed that conversation between my lifetime partner and myself runs dry so quickly these days. We mostly just talk in puns and inside jokes, but nothing real like we used to. Is this an inevitable fate of partnership, or is there a way to learn how to boost our communication skills? I keep having a complex that we are already one of those old couples who eat dinner in restaurants and don't talk at all.
Carolyn Hax: Do stuff together that can become a conversation topic. Reading the same book or newspaper story, watching the same movie or TV series, following a team, doing a regular volunteer gig, all these things are fuel for different levels of conversation, along with some nice time together. Sometimes it's going to be, "Do you think they'll re-sign X?" and some of it will be about your most deeply held beliefs. You won't have the getting-to-know-you motor to drive your dialogue the way you used to, but you'll have the ongoing-connection motor, which you've probably used with friends and family--without questioning it--for years.
New York, N.Y.: I have no problem with sleeping with many women. None. The only guilt I feel is sin and I go to confession and try to stop, but, I just love the "chase" too much. I want to get married (I'm 40) when I find the right girl. I want a sweet, innocent girl who actually says "no" to me. I know you think I am a rat, but women have made it far to easy to sleep with them... at least in NYC.
Carolyn Hax: Actually, you do have a problem with sleeping with many women, other than sin, but you just haven't figured it out yet. You see a woman as a lesser being than you are, whose value is diminished by sex where yours isn't. So, any woman who has a sharp mind and values herself won't have much to do with you, and so that means you're choosing as a life partner from the pool of women who aren't sharp and/or don't think much of themselves.
You may want to dismiss this as an oversimplification, which it might be, but I also might be right, and you'll be the one who gets to find out. Enjoy.
re smelly boyfriend: Carolyn, when the verschtinking boyfriend goes out without showering, he is not just grossing out his GF or his supposedly-uncaring single guy friends, he is grossing out everybody downwind. This means he feels he doesn't have to impress anybody. Ugh. Can we suggest deodorant? If he were a teen guy, he would be the Axe marketer's ideal target.
Carolyn Hax: That's why I said I could probably argue it was hostility without getting into the issue of relativity. He's flipping off everyone he sits next to, stands in line with, rides with in a packed elevator ...
Rockville, Md.: I really really hope you can answer my question as I only have a few hours to change someone's mind.
My wife and I and our very young kids are supposed to travel six hours in the car tomorrow to see an elderly relative. My wife feels obligated to go to see this relative because of this relative's age and that the relative wants to see the kids. My wife has been working almost every weekend since Christmas and is exhausted. She was late twice to work this month which is unheard of. I told her we could go see this relative later this summer and that she should use this weekend to get caught up on some much needed rest and some much needed time with our kids. She says the relative would be disappointed if we didn't go. She's very insistent although I can tell that the thought of extra sleep and not driving two of the three days off appeals to her. I'm thinking of calling this relative to explain the situation and have her call my wife and tell her not to come and to get some rest. What do you think of this? Obviously, I would want it to be on the low down as I don't want my wife or any other family members thinking I'm trying to keep her away. She is just in huge need of rest. I'd really appreciate your input! Thanks.
Carolyn Hax: Is it absolutely impossible for the relative to travel to you?
For not a dog person: I have a bias, too. My life revolves around dogs. I have three of my own, run a rescue group, foster, transport, spend thousands of dollars a year on meds and vets for dog I'm trying to help, let my dogs sleep on my bed, have never taken a vacation that didn't include them... You get the picture. Bona fide dog fanatic. And even I think you're 100 percent correct. Your neighbor's dog doesn't belong in your yard. If I were your neighbor and one of mine had ever inadvertently gotten out and gone to your house, I'd be apologizing like crazy even before I knew you weren't a dog person. You've overcome a fear but still don't want to be around dogs, and that's absolutely your right. Your neighbors are jerks and make the responsible pet owners look bad.
New York: My girlfriend of 4 years just told me she "needs to take a break", and needs to "be alone for a while." Although I'm totally crushed, I do understand. The past year has been one of great changes and challenges for her, a year that has brought a rush of successes and disappointments, and a whole lot of "firsts" in her life. So I empathize with her being emotionally drained, excited, and maybe a bit uncertain of what she really wants.
Compounding the problem - her ex husband will not ever leave her alone. The entire time I have been with her this man has been on the periphery - he harasses her at work, he hounds her via email, phone calls and texts. He even found out where she lived and went over to the house uninvited and tried to get into her house. He has recently threatened to find out where she lives now, and to come "get her."
My question is what do I do? How much time do I give her before checking in on her, and trying to get back together and try to make this work? I am all for giving her the time and space she needs to figure things out, but at the same time I love her immensely, and I don't want to just let a good thing die without some real effort and communication. Then again, I don't want to be like her hounding, harassing ex who can't just move on, and let her be in peace.
I feel awful all around, and I am asking for some perspective and help understanding the best way to move forward.
Carolyn Hax: She really, really, really needs to be alone for a while. She asked for this, so you have to grant it, period.
It's better for you in the long run, too, if that helps. If you do cave and check in on her, and you do try to get her back, even if you succeed it'll be just another pressure situation for her, and so it won't work. You're talking about "effort and communication," but she has communicated. So, now, make the effort to set your agenda aside.
Rockville, MD (again): Yes. This relative hasn't left her hometown in over 30 years. Refuses to leave. I just believe if she really knew how much my wife needed this weekend she'd understand. But, my wife would never say a word. Thanks again for your valuable advice!
Carolyn Hax: Actually, I wasn't going to throw this out there, because it's going to sound so judgment-laden, but ... your wife doesn't need this weekend, your kids do. Your wife is worn out, but she's an adult who makes her choices--as is the elderly relative, apparently. The kids are the ones who didn't choose their mom or her career or her recent schedule. They get dibs on mama's time. They get the fruits of her one possible weekend of sleep.
Rude Questions: Carolyn - I love you. But really, sometimes you can just be so prickly. While I get that I'm not someone who is personally bugged by people asking me somewhat personal questions, I can't help but feel like people just sometimes need to get over themselves. We live in a society and we interact. A person with a child tends to be related to that child. I don't think I should have to make sure to strip my casual comments/questions of any inference of a relationship. Kudos to those who automatically think/talk that way - but the thought of expending those mental gymnastics on the off chance someone can't just a grip is really exhausting.
Carolyn Hax: Point taken, but I actually am not personally bugged by most questions, either. It is the pervasive, persistent distress that people have aired in this forum over the years that has converted me. I'm not advising people to tiptoe through every situation, and I even said in that post that oversensitivity is a problem in itself.
However, I don't see how anyone suffers if we all run our "standard" questions through a rude-o-meter. Once. Check your need to know against the net effect of everyone's need to know on everyone else over a lifetime. Sure, your friendly inquiry may be well-meaning, even harmless in itself. But you have to consider what that inquiry would feel like if you got it 80, 200 times a year--because that's the position some people are in.
Idle curiosity used to have an invisible lid on it, but when society undertook a purge of a lot of needless shame that had accumulated over the years, it also blew that lid off with it. And so people don't stop themselves from asking just about anything, when in fact it would be to everyone's benefit if they did.
Again--don't tiptoe. Just think hard, once, about the kind of things you do ask, of whom, and whether you have any business asking them, and whether you could be just as friendly and interested if you backed off a bit on the details. I'm urging mindfulness, not launching a social censorship campaign.
Columbia, S.C.: One tip for the person with dog troubles: most cities have ordinances about dogs barking, running loose, etc. If it is a nuisance, you can call the appropriate office in your city - usually they'll start by issuing a ticket (at least they do here). Often that's an effective enough warning for the dog owner to take steps to control their dogs. (And, this is anonymous, too.)
Carolyn Hax: If it's already an issue between the neighbors, they'll probably know who blew the whistle, but I did forget that of course a loose dog can be seen and therefore reported by just about anyone. Thanks.
New Haven tips?: Carolyn, my husband and I are going to New Haven this weekend to surprise my friend at graduation. I'm not able to go to the luncheon for her program (limited tickets + last minute decision), so we'll need a place to eat lunch. Where would you recommend? (My husband is kind of a picky eater, so would prefer something simple and typically New Haven vs. an ethnic kind of place.) Thanks!
Carolyn Hax: There are two spots right on Crown St. Louie's Lunch, the famous bare-bones burger joint (no ketchup served, but you won't miss it), and Bar, right across the street from Louie's, which has the great New Haven-style pizza without the schlep to Wooster St. But that's all each of them serves--burger at one, pizza (and one kind of salad) the other. If you want actual menu items, email me--tellme@washpost.com
re: Rockville, Md: What a great spouse. Seriously. That's the way things should be -- two people balancing each other out, worrying about the other's health/happiness. It's the little things.
Carolyn Hax: Yeah. Here's an other-side suggestion for them, FWIW:
For New York: I read a clear threat from the ex-husband in the letter about the girlfriend who needs some space. I think it was an oversight for you not to recommend that, before leaving her alone, the guy make sure she isn't in some danger. The ex is trying to get into her house against her wishes and saying he is going to "get her"??!! Should she be thinking about a restraining order? Should her boyfriend be so blase about this scary behavior director toward the person he loves and is about to leave alone with minimal check-ins?
Carolyn Hax: You're right. I had it in mind to ask if she had reported the ex to the police yet, and by mistake I hit send before I got there. Thanks for the catch.
Speaking of dog people: Sort of a related question...
I was attacked by a dog at a very young age and have a fear of them. The smaller ones don't bother me but the bigger ones do. As a result, I'm not so much a dog person. I don't care if other people are but for me not so much. I've gotten a bit of flack from some dog people here and there but was recently informed by a close friend that I should be cautious of saying it. Most people are "dog people" and to meet someone who's not is...well weird. My friend had a point. When I unknowingly tell "dog people" I don't like dogs the response is defensive.
For what it's worth, I also loathe Swiss cheese, cantaloupe, honeydew, and Mexican food.
Are these distastes something I shouldn't be sharing with others?
Carolyn Hax: If there's no point to sharing them, no, but if it's part of a larger story, conversation or decision about where to eat, then it's relevant and there's no need to stop yourself just because someone might love Swiss cheese. Your hatred of Mexican food doesn't reflect on anyone but you; people who love some food that you hate have no need to get defensive, unless you're perpetuating a myth or stereotype, in which case I think you do need to expect someone to correct you--gently I hope.
Which brings us to dogs. Unless you're saying nasty things about all dogs, based on your one experience, the dog-lovers who give you a hard time are actually out of line. They may love dogs, but you don't have to.
As I said, your only obligation is to refrain from judging all based on one, from perpetuating myths/stereotypes, or, too add one more, from saying anything just to tweak dog-lovers because you have a bad history with them. Civility demands that both parties live and let live.
Carolyn Hax: Oops--I forgot to post the other advice re Rockville situation, distracted by the stalking ex reminder. Coming in a second ...
Re Rockville -- I think he's infantilizing his wife!: Here's how that husband can HELP: Asking if she'd rather stay home; offering to play the heavy if she does; suggesting alternatives -- like HE takes the kids and she rests, or even that they all go but that he take on primary care of kids/elderly relative while wife sleeps in.
What he's suggesting is PATRONIZING, underhanded and dismissive. Manipulate the relative into canceling and then lie to the wife? and this is a GOOD idea??
The impulse -- to support wife and have her recognize and prioritize her own needs as well as others -- -is- a good thing. His proposed plan of action: AWFUL.
Carolyn Hax: Thanks. One more:
For Rockville, Md.: Eh, we all do things we might not want to do out of a sense of family obligation, and I think that's actually a good thing. Your wife is an adult, and she's made her decision. Go and try to enjoy it as much as possible.
If this is a bigger issue - as in, your wife can't say no EVER - then talk to her about that. But if it's just this one weekend, I don't see how it's a huge deal.
Help: So MIL thinks I don't like her and don't like to spend time around her. The truth is I love her and I know I am really lucky that my husband's family is so great. True, they do things that annoy me but no more than hubby does and I am married to him.
I am kind of a social idiot and I don't always know how to act around people. I know other people take my actions to mean things they don't. Like when I send my husband to her house for the weekend for the kids, it is because I need time off, not because I don't want to see them. I told them this several times, but they didn't seem to believe me.
They recently cut short a trip to visit us and told me it was because I didn't want them to be around. How do I know if they are kidding with me when they say I don't want them around, or if I really need to convince them I actually like them?
Carolyn Hax: Hm. If you're a "social idiot," you might not be the only one in this scenario. Who keeps saying, "X doesn't want us around," and means it? Maybe she is joking, but it's an awfully loaded joke.
What does your husband say about all this?
also for New York: I'm also wondering if the ex has threatened the current bf, to the girlfriend, or threatened to hurt girlfriend if she doesn't get rid of current bf, and whether she's protecting herself and/or current bf by throwing him out. I know this is totally reading in and turning this into an episode of CSI or something, but he should ask before he goes.
Carolyn Hax: Idunno, there have been enough reminders in the news that these cases aren't just the realm of fiction. Thanks.
Tired wife visiting elderly relative: I can appreciate that the husband is trying to carve a little time out for his wife to rest, but in that situation I'd just want him to support my decision to go, especially if I were really running on empty. Instead of making her expend what little energy she has fighting with him to go, it'd be great if he figured out exactly what had to be done to make this trip happen with as little impact on his wife as possible, and then do it. Tell the wife to lay down and then pack all the kids' stuff, tidy up the house, load the car, get the snacks and then pay attention all weekend to whatever needs to be done so that she can be with the elderly person and her kids.
Maybe she's afraid of the frailty of this person or that if this visit gets put off it won't happen at all and she'd feel guilty. Whatever her reasons, they're important to her. Make it happen.
Carolyn Hax: If they go, this is the way to go. Thanks.
Another dog question: My brother, sister-in-law, and 20 month old nephew are spending the night with us tomorrow night and they are bring their two dogs. We just bought a new house, have no fence around our yard, and two cats who would rather not share their home with canines. However, I couldn't bring myself to say no, mainly because I wasn't exactly asked if it was OK, just told it would be so. My husband is less than thrilled to say the least. It's not that we don't like dogs, we just don't want any and especially none in our home. Can I recant my acceptance of their doggie self invite?
Carolyn Hax: You can call and say you're stressing about the dogs, apologize for not having the backbone/presence of mind to object upfront, and ask whether there are alternatives--kennel there, kennel here, pet-sitter there ...? Obviously it was wrong of them not to ask you explicitly if it was okay to bring the dogs, and you certainly had every right to say no to them whether they were clear about asking or not. However, now that you have essentially said yes, you're the one who needs to be flexible/grovelly in retracting the yes, either partially or fully, if that's what you decide to do.
re: New Haven: But the schlep to Wooster Street is so worth it! I mean, if I were the one going to NH? I'd call ahead to Sally's. Or Pepe's, but really Sally's. I'd order 7 tomato and mozz pies. I'd eat one outside with the compadres (or alone, whatever, more for me) if it's nice. The rest get buckled behind a seat belt and taken home for the freezer. Because Baltimore pizza sucks.
Stop looking at me like that. I'm not crazy.
Carolyn Hax: Heh. Never once got through with a call to Sally's, but maybe you have the magic somehow. And I'm in the Sally's camp. Besides, it opens at 5, right? BTW, if you're going to get six spares to take home, get the half-baked.
But, that said, I think Bar is that good or else I wouldn't have suggested it.
Rockville here: FWIW, I am a stay at home dad. My wife and I decided that since she can make more money than me and that paying for daycare would just eat up any check I would make it'd be much more prudent for me to stay home. (even if she didn't work the OT she'd still make more than me so she's not working it to pay the bills, it's just the nature of her job) So, while she is working all the time, so am I. We don't have much family or backup childcare so I am with the kids pretty much 24/7. And I did ask her if she'd rather not go. She shrugged and said we had to. She always says this as a sense of obligation. Anyway, just wanted to clear up any question about my part in all this. I can see that assumptions are still made about men but I've gotten used to it.
Carolyn Hax: Now now. You got called a great spouse, too, and that's up against only one assumption (remark that you should take over the child care).
I would like to use this as an opportunity to reintroduce the issue of your kids. How about this as a talking point w/your wife: Do they need mellow time with both parents, sans a 12-hour round trip, more than the relative needs the visit? Or will the lesson about caring for extended family be a good one for them right now? In other words, which duty needs the family's attention most right now? One conversation, not prolonged, don't make anyone fight anyone--just lay it out there. Then accept the result and make it work.
NO: Is it just me or do so many of these dilemmas stem from an unwillingness to utter the simple word "no?"
dogs: Carolyn, what if, instead of not liking dogs, it's children you don't like? Is that a whole different story, or are people similarly out of line for getting defensive if I mention in passing that I don't really like kids? (I would never say anything about a particular kid, of course.)
Carolyn Hax: I think so. As with a dislike of dogs, cats, or turkey and Swiss, it's best kept to yourself unless relevant, but if you speak your mind in an appropriate context, it really is your business and your prerogative to find kids obnoxious.
What isn't okay, since you didn't ask, is to give people dirty looks just because their kids are acting like kids and you don't like kids. If you're in an R-rated movie or four-star restaurant, okay, but in general we all have to have realistic expectations of each other, whether we like each other or not.
Syracuse, N.Y.: A close friend of 20+ years has suddenly and inexplicably stopped communicating with me. I've initiated the last three visits with her, and each time, she's been cold and distant. So, about 3 months ago, I decided to back off and give her some "space". I am baffled by her behavior, but don't want to impose myself on her. It may or may not be relevant that her coldness toward me started soon after I learned I was pregnant. I am hurt and surprised that she has not once called or emailed to see how I'm doing. My baby is due in a month. Do I send her a birth announcement, like I'm planning to do with all my other friends? Or respect the fact that she is apparently no longer interested in in maintaining our friendship?
Carolyn Hax: It probably is relevant, but you can't assume, of course; who knows, she may be baffled/hurt/surprised that you haven't asked whether she's okay.
I would lean toward respecting the fact that she's not interested in seeing you, but with one tweak: If you haven't tried to get this all out in the open, you need to. It looks like you took the three chilly visits as final without saying, "What's going on?" And 20+ years are worth at least a what's-going-on.
Be careful, though, about going in upset about her not checking on her pregnancy. If something happened to give her the impression that you were caught up in your news and not being sensitive to her, then having your dukes up about what a bad friend she has been wouldn't help.
for the kid-hater: and, unlike dogs or cats, everyone -WAS- once a child... so it seems a bit harsh to dislike an entire class (group? age cohort?) because they lack your preferred social skills. They'll gain them, eventually, and more so if the adults around them can model them. By, oh, I don't know, treating them with kindness or tolerating their presence or things like that...
Carolyn Hax: Obviously you have to accept the fact of them, as well as having been one, and I'll even throw in that when you get old these kids you resented in a restaurant will likely be charged with your care.
But if you're not a kid person, you're not a kid person. You don't -have- to like them.
Anonymous: Really? Even if their kids are acting like really ill-mannered kids? I can't shoot a dirty look to the woman in the post office who lets her four children scream at the top of their lungs while she stands idly by and pretends not to notice? Or, more likely, who doesn't notice because she's used to the incessant shrieking? If anything, maybe my dirty look reminds her that just because she's learned to tune them out, the rest of us haven't.
Carolyn Hax: I said "kids are acting like kids" for a reason. There's a pretty wide range there; not all of them have the same maturity or self-control as others their age, and so won't seem as well-behaved as your niece was, yours were, whatever. If the parents are trying, then consider suspending the eye-roll. If they aren't, then, sure, glare away.
Anonymous: At what point does "kids acting like kids" become "this is worthy of some sort of reaction" begin? For instance, am I justified in at least trying to get the attention of someone whose kid is on their back, screaming in a tantrum-like manner for no apparent particular physical reason (i.e., does not appear to be hurt, was not just almost-murdered, just seems to be having a meltdown) in a public area and the parent is clearly doing nothing about it whatsoever to get them to either remove the kid from he situation or otherwise try to get the kid to knock it off? (To be fair, I'm a bit more sympathetic to parents who are obviously trying, but failing, to quiet their tantruming kids.)
At what point does "kids will be kids" end and my right as a human being to keep semi-intact eardrums begin?
Carolyn Hax: This is a great example. A parent who is trying to break a kid of a tantrum habit is told to stop giving the kid any attention for it. So while I don't appreciate, as a member of the public, being an unwilling and unwitting extra in the public drama of helping raise someone else's kid (and, if it were my own kid, I would hope to be able to remove said kid to a more out-of-the-way place for this tantrum and ignoring to then occur), it's also possible the parent can't leave--waiting for someone, has other kids there, etc. And so, back to today's theme, at least try to save a foray into this family's business as a last resort, not a first. That's all I'm saying.
Upon Observing Today's Chat..:...I think the only topic more likely than kids and dogs to rile folks up is discussing the relative merits of Yankee fans vs. Red Sox Nation.
Carolyn Hax: Or Pepe's and Sally's.
Washington, D.C.: Ooh. Today is fun. Dog people, kid people, non dog people, non kid people! Here's a fun one: how do I translate to people that my desire not to have children does not mean that I hate children, and that, I do in fact like them, just not enough to want them and give up the things I would have to give up to have them. I guess this makes me a selfish person, or a non-nurturing person, but not a non-kid person.
Carolyn Hax: It makes you a clearheaded person. You know what suits you, and you are honoring that. The response should be applause, period. Not judgments, not raised eyebrows, not, "You'll change your mind someday!!!," not anyone else's hard-earned and I'm sure 24-carat wisdom, no matter how tempting it may be to share it.
Now I've done it--I said "should."
quick question : I told my best friend in January that I could fly from my grad school in Europe to go to his summer wedding in California, and be a bridesmaid. Now I am deeper in debt because of the bad euro-dollar exchange rate, and I am still supporting a partner who still hasn't found a job here (tough economy). I just told him that I can't afford to come to the wedding now, but I still feel horrible that I didn't forecast this money drought sooner. What can I do to make it up to him?
Carolyn Hax: Stay friends. That's the beauty of being good to people --if you just screw up here and there, even if it's big, you can amortize it over the duration of the friendship.
intrigued, Chicago: Both "what to do when other kids misbehave in public" and the "how to figure out if you're asking someone a nosy question they're tired of answering" topics would be good fodder for the discussion group, in my opinion.
Carolyn Hax: Alright then. We'll shift this over to the group. Look for it in next week's posts. Thanks!
RE: Kids shrieking in the post office: Am I a total jerk for having no problem about addressing kids directly when their parents cannot/will not? I have, on more than one occasion, said to a child, "sweetheart, please keep your voice down." If you're mean about it, of course it's a problem, but if you're acting as a firm, but kind adult, then I think it's ok.
Am I wrong to do this? I don't have a problem with people correcting my child if it's done respectfully. It takes a village, and all that.
Carolyn Hax: If you do it in the spirit you say, I think you're right to do this--and in fact parents who have a clue will welcome it.
That of course leaves you to deal with the wrath of parents sans clue, but that's probably what you were dealing with already, just in a different form.
Maryland: I thought I didn't want kids. It turns out I just didn't want kids with the abusive boyfriend, but at the time I couldn't admit how horrible he was.
Now I'm married to a great guy and we've got a little boy... and I have to endure a ton of mockery from people who heard me say I didn't want them. I feel like I've done a major disservice to all the women who really, really don't want them.
Oh, by the way, if the kid haters could stop glaring at me WHILE I AM REMOVING THE SCREAMER, I'd appreciate it, we're leaving the scene of the crime as fast as we can. Instead of glaring, hold the door for me so I can wrestle the stroller, the diaper bag, and the screamer out faster...
Carolyn Hax: I'm sorry. I hope the people who knew the real reason (probably before you did) are cutting you a little more slack.
Jersey shore: My husband and I have been very fortunate to purchase a comfortable beach house as a second home. The only problem is that I get multiple requests, from both sides of our families, to use it free. I have no problem letting our parents use it, because they have been respectful and left it in good condition, but my brother and husband's brother have both spend time there and left their messes behind. In light of this, I would just rather not have to deal with the problem of different people and their levels of responsibility, and just not let people, other than our parents, use the house. My husband thinks that we should be more generous, and let them use the house while stipulating that they should pay for a professional cleaning service to clean it once they leave. I think it's more of a hassle than it's worth. Are we required to let family use our house for free, and if so, under what conditions. (I also see no need to make a pattern of subsidizing their vacations for them -- upkeep takes money, and all these people using it does increase the wear and tear on the place).
Carolyn Hax: First, I think you should codify the cleaning requirement. Have a contract with a service, and make anyone who uses the house pay upfront for the service.
Second, yes, you can tell everyone no. But you have to be ready to measure wear and tear on the house against wear and tear on the family bonds. If you're being used, that's also wear and tear, certainly; I'm suggesting only that you factor all these things in.
Third, your husband wants to be generous, so maybe a compromise would be that each wearing-and-tearing family member can use the house once a year. Explain that you need to do this to get a handle on all the traffic through the house.
I have been looking to end a relationship of just under a year. Though a great friend for years prior to dating, after a fair amount of communication, I feel we are simply emotionally incompatible. However, the pain I will cause and the uneasiness of the task are holding me back from actually breaking it off. You have clearly stated that it is a trouble sign if you place another's happiness over your own, yet I still delay. Any other words to kick me into action?
Carolyn Hax: The longer you delay, the worse you're making it for the other person. Really. Pull the plug.
Carolyn Hax: Speaking of ... apologies to Elizabeth, and bye to all. Thanks, have a great weekend and type to you next Friday.
Carolyn Hax: Two good afterthoughts on the Rockville issue, before I go:
Re: Rockville, MD: If he doesn't want to go because he's been stuck at home alone with the kids 24/7 and wants a nice relaxed family weekend instead of a hectic one with the in-laws, he should say so. Pretending he's canceling the weekend "for her" when it's not just for her isn't cool.
I think he does have the right to say "I don't want to do this" and decide to stay home, though you'd hope it wouldn't come to that.
Oh, and as a SAHM, it's not something your spouse can make you do -- if he doesn't like being a SAHD he should say that too -- putting it all on her isn't fair.
It sounds like they need to sit down and talk.
Washington, D.C.: It's fine to check the Rockville stay at home dad for his gender assumptions, but I have to say he has a point. As the children's primary care giver, his wife is asking him to do the care giving all the time by not taking time for herself. This doesn't sound like a one-time weekend thing and it's not fair for her to over commit/extend at everyone else's (kids, his, hers) expense. I do think he's actually concerned for her and wants her to rest and has her best interests at heart, but I would also ask him if he has some resentment simmering over a long-term situation that should be talked about versus controlled. E.G. calling the relative to get the result he wants. Then again, this could just be about what he says it is on face value. Just typing out loud ...
Carolyn Hax: What do you think I'm doing?
Thanks, and bye for real.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Carolyn takes your questions and comments about her column and any other questions you might have about the strange train we call life.
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Suzanne Tobin: Welcome, comics fans to another edition of "Comics: Meet the Artist." Today you get a two-fer. Scott Hilburn, of "The Argyle Sweater," the second of three strips we're trying out while "Doonesbury" is on vacation, as well as local boy made good Richard Thompson, creator of "Poor Richard's Almanac" that is seen in the Style section Saturdays, as well as "Cul de Sac," which is carried in The Post Magazine on Sundays. Welcome to you both and thanks for joining us live online.
Bethesda, Md.: Richard Thompson: How do you have time to be the best cartoonist in The Washington Post and also be a British folk legend? Ms. Tobin: thank you for Keith Knight. Please find a place for him in the comics.
Richard Thompson: No, here it is. I just use time-management techniques and multitask really well. I also find time to grow prize-winning orchids and to run a mink ranch.
Richard Thompson: I think I accidentally deleted a question about my other career as a British folk-rock legend. Sorry! But yes, my other career as a British folk-rock legend keeps me busy!
Philadelphia: Scott, are you familiar with Thatcher Longstreth, the noted late Philadelphia business, political, and civic booster who made argyle socks his trademark? If only he had made argyle sweaters his trademark, who knows where he could have gone.
Scott Hilburn: Can't say that I've heard of Mr. Longstreth. Sounds like he had pretty good taste though.
ComicsDC: Tom Heintjes, editor of Hogan's Alley, handicapped the NCS strip award race this way yesterday:
"NOMINEES FOR THE NEWSPAPER STRIP DIVISION AWARD: Paul Gilligan ("Pooch Cafe"), Jim Meddick ("Monty") and Richard Thompson ("Cul de Sac"). Three great strips by respected veterans --a very tough field that exemplifies some of the best work on the comics page today. SHOULD WIN: Meddick produces a strip that every other cartoonist loves, and it has completely transcended its roots as a spin-off of a toy. While "Cul de Sac" and first-time nominee Thompson will win much hardware in years to come, the strip is probably too new to win, without even a full year under its belt. Still, its inclusion among the nominees demonstrates the respect it has already earned. WILL WIN: Who needs a robot? Meddick wins this award for the first time, an overdue honor."
Richard, as someone who's got less than a year under his belt, do you have some underhanded method of influencing the voting so you can take home the prize?
Richard Thompson: I'm relying on my enormous personal charm, which is how I got this far. Seriously, I'm trying not to think about the award part. And thanks for reminding me.
And when I see Tom H. I'm going to give him such a pinch.
Washington: You are two wild and crazy cartoonists, you are at a convention, you are in New Orleans (what happens in N'orleans stays there because you won't remember it the next day), and you are spending your time chatting with Washington Post readers. What is wrong with this picture?
Scott Hilburn: Ha. I wish I were in New Orleans. I originally had intended to be there but after a bit of a mix up it was too late to make the proper arrangements. So, I'm stuck here in Dallas. By the way, good luck Richard!
Richard Thompson: I'm in New Orleans, and I don't see anything wrong with this picture. But it's early yet! I just got here last night after a 26-hour train ride. Ask me again in two days.
Washington: Why doesn't The Post carry the daily version of "Cul de Sac," and what can we do to make them do so?
Richard Thompson: Scream bloody murder, and direct your complaints to the Comics Editor, whose e-mail I forget. comics@washpost.com, I think.
Suzanne Tobin: That is indeed the e-mail. Do write often. Those higher up the food chain listen to you much more than they listen to me.
Dallas: Hey, Scott, why haven't you posted anything on your blog since the strip debuted?
Scott Hilburn: I'm working on it, I promise. My Web guy (Darren if you're reading, listen up) is supposed to be revamping my site a bit. Hopefully in the next week or so...
ComicsDC: So Richard, how was the 36-hour train ride. Did you wear your tuxedo the whole time in a valiant attempt to show people what train travel could be again, if they'd just raise their standards?
Richard Thompson: It was only a 26-hour ride, so it was a piece of cake. Actually it was kinda fun, though along about the 14th hour it all became a blur.
ComicsDC: Ms. Tobin, how did you convince The Post to send you to New Orleans to chat with Mr. Thompson, a cartoonist who lives 10 miles from The Post's main building?
Suzanne Tobin: Ha! I'm here on my own dime, you silly reader. I only can afford to do it every two years, but you would not believe the deals these guys get on the most awesome hotels! We're in the Ritz Carlton this time, and probably paying a third of the rack rate. So what's not to love?
Darnestown, Md.: Scott, what possessed you to call your cartoon "The Argyle Sweater"?
Scott Hilburn: "For Better or For Worse" already was taken.
Seriously, there's no significance to it. I thought it sounded quirky, and when I was looking to purchase a domain name, it was available. You'd be surprised at how difficult it is to find an unused domain name.
Silver Spring, Md.: Hi, Scott. Can you tell us a little about your road to syndication? How many different ideas got rejected before you got one accepted? Thanks.
Scott Hilburn: I submitted one other strip years ago - it was awful. (Some might say the same about my current one, ha.) Anyhow, I started with my own site and a submission to each of the syndicates, then used Comics Sherpa. After about a month and a half, I was invited to move over to GoComics, and about a month or so after that I was offered a full-scale syndication contract.
ComicsDC: Are the gathered cartoonists making any efforts to improve New Orleans (beyond liquor purchases?) I'm thinking you could offer to paint your characters on abandoned buildings to spruce them up ... stuff like that.
Richard Thompson: Yes, they're volunteering for Habitat for Humanity this morning.
Manassas, Va.: Hi Scott. I think that "Argyle" is great and unique, but I was wondering how are you handling all the comparisons to Larson's "Far Side"? Has it helped or hurt in marketing?
Scott Hilburn: I'd imagine it's helped mostly. Larson's been absent from the funny pages for about 15 years now and it has left an incredible void in the hearts of many readers, including myself. I get a lot of heartfelt e-mails that love seeing that influence in my comic. As my editor told me, people miss "The Far Side" and there's a thirst for that kind of humor.
As for how I'm handling it, I'm flattered by a lot of the comparisons -- but as many people will agree, no one wever ill be able to replace Mr. Larson.
Baltimore: I just graduated from art school (MICA) with a major in Illustration, and I just want to say that I'm a huge "Cul de Sac" fan and also your other work for The Post. I have a piece clipped from the paper of yours stuck above my drawing board that was about the "creative process" where the cartoonist procrastinates and hallucinates, and finally in the last couple panels his head sort of explodes and he actually produces a strip. ... I find it immensely comforting that a professional whom I admire might go through that stuff too! What is your actual working rhythm like? And do you keep a sketchbook of ideas?
Richard Thompson: Thanks and congratulations! The drawing you're talking about was one I did for The Post's Studio page, and it's called something like 20 Steps to Drawing a Funny Cartoon. Sadly, it's a pretty accurate description of my work process. Usually ideas come when you least expect them, and I usually try to keep them buzzing around in my head, hoping they'll collide and produce some interesting new idea. I do keep notebooks, those little moleskin things, but I forget to write things down in them in a timely manner, so I rely more on memory. This is not a working method I recommend.
But my feeling about ideas is that ideas are easy -- they're everywhere, they're underfoot, and you just gotta recognize them. The hard part is knowing what to do with them once you've got them pinned to your page. Does that make sense?
Dallas: My question is for Richard. What's your favorite newly syndicated single panel cartoon? Thanks.
Richard Thompson: That would be "The Argyle Sweater" by some guy whose name escapes me.
This question would be for Scott. What's your favorite new comic strip featuring little kids who never shut up?
Scott Hilburn: Hmmm... Favorite strip with little kids that never shut up. "Peanuts"? Or "Cul De Sac" :)
Dulles, Va.: So, Richard, does this train ride mean that you're afraid to fly?
Richard Thompson: I'm not a happy flier, but I'll do it if I hafta. It also means I didn't plan my trip very well, and the train was cheaper than the plane.
ComicsDC: For Scott Hilburn: How did you start "Argyle Sweater"? Was it a college panel? How many papers do you have?
Scott Hilburn: Upon my launch, my syndicate said I had about 130 clients total -- that includes online clients also.
As for how I started my comic -- first I created my own Web site to display my work, and then about a week later, after getting some advice from Mike Witmer creator of the comics "Pinkerton" and "44 Union Avenue" -- I started displaying my work on Comics Sherpa, an amateur comics site run by GoComics, a sister company to Universal Press Syndicate.
Yay! Richard Thompson!: Richard Thompson is a comic genius, and I swear I'm not his relative!
Did you start a daily strip? And if so, where can one find it? Why isn't it in The Washington Post? Sheesh.
"The Argyle Sweater" has been the best of the three trial strips so far -- very reminiscent of "The Far Side," but in a good way.
Richard Thompson: Thank you, not-related-to-me stranger! Yes, "Cul de Sac" started as a daily way back in September. You can find it online at gocomics.com.
Vienna, Va.: What is the best thing about being a cartoonist? What is the worst?
Richard Thompson: The best thing is that you get to be a cartoonist and draw funny cartoons for the cartoon-loving masses; the worst thing is the hours it takes to get all your freaking cartoons finished.
Scott Hilburn: The best thing? The perks and notoriety obviously. I often am given free meals at certain distinguished restaurants because having cartoonists as patrons is good for business.
McLean, Va.: Richard, are you planning for any more action finger puppets in the near future? My Obama action finger puppet fell apart.
Richard Thompson: I should publish them on sturdy cardboard or something so they'll take the abuse.
And I hate to admit it, but those often enough are the product of me failing to come up with a better idea, or a better idea falling apart. Or I just wanna draw Hillary.
Cube Farm: Hi, Scott. Do you know of any other cartoonists who have gone from an online presence to a print syndication contract?
Scott Hilburn: Quite a few, actually. The "Brevity" guys started on online at Sherpa, I think; Brian Anderson of "Dog Eat Doug" started there as well.
I'm not sure, but didn't "Pearls" start off being an online-only offering? I can't remember...
"Diesel Sweeties" started online, too.
Comicville: Do you two guys know each other?
Scott Hilburn: We live together.
Richard Thompson: We do, but strangely we've never met. I just see that things are missing from the fridge, and I figure "Scott's been here."
Fanland: Richard, I've noticed your "Almanac" hasn't been in the Saturday Style section every week like it used.to be. Are you phasing it out now that you have the daily gig?
Richard Thompson: No, I just took a couple of weeks off so I could get ahead in the strip (hah!) and go to New Orleans. I'd hate to lose the "Almanac," as it works a part of my brain that's different from the part that does the strip. And really, the "Almanac" is a dream job.
ComicsDC: Scott's disqualified himself from this one, but what's the best thing at the NCS con so far? Besides the hotel rate.
Richard Thompson: Doing this chat!
Also the food, and something they call a "Hurricane." But it's early yet, and I haven't prowled around too much yet. But having dinner with a bunch of cartoonists I hadn't met except via e-mail was a lotta fun.
Springfield, Va.: What do you two think about all the doom-and-gloom predictions for print newspapers? Do you feel like there is a time they will only be available electronically? How does that affect your craft?
Richard Thompson: It's not the best of times for newspapers and no one knows what comes next. I know several cartoonists -- editorial cartoonist mostly -- who joke about expanding into buggy whips and celluloid collars, just so they have something to fall back on. I can't say it affects my craft as such; I draw in ink on paper, with a dip pen (no eyeshade or sleeve garters). So craft-wise I'm pretty backward already.
Scott Hilburn: I suppose the way we read news is changing quite a bit, and I'd say that at some point, print may go away completely -- but my guess is that, that's decades and not years away.
Maybe I'm optimistic, though. Or naive.
Indianapolis: Richard -- you're the most talented cartoonist working today (I understand you're also charming and good-looking). Can you give us a bit of information about your artistic career prior to "Cul De Sac"? Who are some of the cartoonists you most admire, and how do you feel they have influenced your work?
Richard Thompson: Shucks, folks, I'm speechless.
Okay, no I'm not. I worked as a freelance illustrator/cartoonist for twenty-some years and still do. I do work for The Post, for Smithsonian Magazine, the New Yorker, U.S. News & World Report and such like magazines. There's an almost endless list of cartoonists I admire, and it updates daily, hourly even. But my pantheon always includes Walt Kelly, Ronald Searle, Pat Oliphant, and jeez, don't get me started. I just like the works of those who, when I look at it, it makes me want to draw.
Greenbelt, Md.: Do either of you still have a day job? If not, what did you used to do before you became world-famous syndicated cartoonists?
Richard Thompson: My day job is illustration and doing the "Almanac." And one of the first pieces of advice my editor Lee Salem gave me was, keep your day job.
Scott Hilburn: I still have my day job. I'm a Flash developer for a telecom company. I got the same advice.
Harrisburg, Pa.: Okay, how much money did the newer comics gather to bribe "Doonesbury" to go on vacation?
Suzanne Tobin: This is an excellent question! Scott?
Scott Hilburn: We all got together and the best we could collectively come up with was about $36 dollars.
TGIF: How far ahead do you have to submit your comics?
Scott Hilburn: I can't remember if it's four weeks for dailies and six for Sundays or if it's 6 weeks for dailies and eight weeks for Sundays...
Richard Thompson: I'm about two or three weeks ahead on dailies and five or six on Sundays. I know I'm behind.
Washington: Softball question for Richard -- you've actually won NCS awards in the past, right? For what? I'm thinking it wasn't animation, although I can see some similarities to Bill Plympton's work.
Richard Thompson: I won two, back in '96, for Magazine Illustration and for Newspaper Illustration. I never yet have tried animation, though that could change, but thanks for the comparison to Plympton. Doesn't he do just greatest stuff? I chatted with him once for about fifteen minutes at a gallery thing up in New York, but I didn't know it was him till later. He's very tall, for an animator.
Brooklyn, N.Y.: Scott, do the online cartoonists get together virtually like the print ones? Do you have any online cartoons you'd recommend to a fan?
Scott Hilburn: Yes they do. In fact many of them have communities where they get together. Talltalefeatures.com is a new site that has several cartoonists who get together with readers. The creators of "Pinkerton," "Imagine This," "SuperFogeys," "Legend of Bill," "Stewart" and "Dog Eat Doug" all are part of that community. They also get together behind the scenes with each other over e-mail.
Baltimore: Yes, that has the ring of truth to it unfortunately! It's sort of like having to sift for something that works, instead of completely coming up with something out of thin air. It seems like it all springs out of influences and life ... so really coming up with an idea is actually more like editing away to some degree ... though maybe that's just where I'm at still. I know you've done the standalone pieces in the Style section longer than the strip, how is it to go back and forth now doing both? Had you always wanted to do something more narrative with characters, etc.? Do you prefer one over the other?
Richard Thompson: It's kinda figuring that each idea has its own internal logic, and figuring out the logic of a cartoon is the trick. Although, even applying the word "logic" to a cartoon is a little laughable.
I hadn't really wanted to do anything as narrative as "Cul de Sac" until Washington Post Magazine editor Tom Shroder talked me into it. It's all different than doing the "Almanac," as it deals with the logic of the characters. Once you know your cast and can anticipate their actions, you almost can let it run on its own. In short, you start hearing voices, and they dictate the action to you.
Gaithersburg, Md.: Scott, you do a panel without recurring characters and Richard, you do a strip with one family of characters. What was your thinking behind those choices?
Scott Hilburn: I think cartoonists tend to be better at one or the other. I think it was the late Arnold Wagner who compared the two to stand-up versus sitcom.
Panels are gag-centric, while strips are character and plot driven. Some people can do both -- Glenn McCoy is probably the best example, generally speaking, I think most cartoonists excel at one.
Richard Thompson: As I mentioned, Tom Shroder kinda talked me into doing "Cul de Sac," and once I tried it I found I liked dealing with my characters. Casting is the hard part.
Argyle, Va: Scott, How long on average does it take to come up with a gag and draw the panel? Are you using pen and ink still too?
Scott Hilburn: I use rapidograph pens and a light box.
Sometimes a gag hits me out of nowhere (rarely), but most of the time I sit in silence for a few hours brainstorming my ideas -- so, it varies.
Nice town, by the way.
Centreville, Va.: Scott, what is this day job of yours? Is it related to art?
Scott Hilburn: Uh oh. Is this my boss?
Washington: Richard Thompson, I'm a huge fan! You had me with "Poor Richard's Almanac," now I receive the daily "Cul" by e-mail because (ahem) The Post does not carry it. Thanks for all the laughs. There's just not enough zaniness in the world!
Richard Thompson: I thank you, and I'm adding an (ahem), too.
ComicsDC: Richard, to be a D.C. area cartoonist, shouldn't you have had a more striking name than Thompson like Galifianakis or Telnaes or Wuerker? Have you overcome this lack through the dint of hard work, or did you take your wife's name when you married because yours was Mxylplztk?
Richard Thompson: I'm just happy I have a name I can spell.
Capital City: Do you ever riff on your families and friends? Do they mind?
Richard Thompson: Oh yeah, some, but I try to disguise it and they never seem to mind. No one character is ever drawn from one person, so it's never too obvious or too legally actionable.
Scott Hilburn: Rarely. Once in a while I get an idea based on a real life experience, but rarely.
Virginia: According to the NCS Web site, Sandra Boynton is getting the lifetime achievement award. How cool is that?
Richard Thompson: Hippo Birdy Two Ewes!
Alcova Heights, Va.: Hey, Richard, have you considered a collection of your finger puppets and other cutouts, on good paper like the Dover paper doll books?
Richard Thompson: Sure, maybe with little clothes and accessories and pieces of furniture that you could collect and trade with your friends. I'll suggest it to Andrews & McMeel, my syndicate's publishing arm.
Suzanne Tobin: We're out of time, folks. Thanks to both my guests for joining me today. Good luck at the Reuben Awards tomorrow night, Richard! And Scott, hope to see you among the nominees for best panel in the years to come!
Scott Hilburn: Thanks everyone. Feel free to e-mail me with any other questions.
Richard Thompson: Can I just use this opportunity to say that there'll be a book of "Cul de Sac" cartoons, including all of the first six or seven months of dailies and Sundays and many from the earlier Post Magazine, published this September?
Suzanne Tobin: Yes you may! Keep up the good work!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join Washington Post Comics page editor Suzanne Tobin at the National Cartoonists Society convention in New Orleans for a discussion with Scott Hilburn, creator of "The Argyle Sweater," and Richard Thompson, creator of creator of "Cul de Sac."
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The Local Delegation: Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
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Rep. Van Hollen has been a U.S. congressman serving Southern Maryland since 2002. He is the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Before his election to the U.S. Congress, Rep. Van Hollen served 12 years in the Maryland General Assembly.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: I'm very pleased to join you today. I look forward to trying to answer as many questions as I can.
Lyme, Conn.: Is there anything the Ways and Means Committee can do that would make the administration more accountable on its spending on the war?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: The committees are working on a number of fronts to hold the administration accountable. The oversight committee had hearings yesterday on the misexpenditures of funds on the war. The Ways and Means committee has looked at ways to try to pay for the GI Bill of Rights for veterans returning from the war, and we identified ways to do that. In fact last week on the House floor we past legislation to provide for that bill of rights and asked the Americans who are doing the best to help share in the sacrifice by levying a tax of one half of one percent on couples with incomes over $1 million. We also are conduction hearings in other committees to hold the administration responsible, and the House passed legislation in the past two weeks to attach conditions to the Iraq funds. I'd be happy to go into those later, but the Senate unfortunately stripped them from the bill.
Wheaton, Md.: When you ran against Morella, you said in a debate that you'd get federal funds for the Purple Line. It has been four years. Where are the funds?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: We have succeeded in getting the Congress to pass legislation that places the Purple Line on what is known as the "new start" list. That makes it eligible for federal funding once the state of Maryland makes a determination on how they're going to proceed. The state of Maryland currently is conducting hearings on an environmental impact statement that was performed to assess various options for the Purple Line. We are awaiting their conclusions; whatever they are, it is important that we also protect the hiker-biker trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring. I look forward to continuing to work with the State of Maryland and Montgomery County to build a purple line that also protects that trail, and will continue to pursue federal funds once the state completes its process.
Chevy Chase, Md.: I was wondering if you ever would consider running for Senator? I someday would like to run for your seat and was hoping you might be able to give me a timetable on when you might be giving it up (hopefully to move to the Senate but maybe governor?)?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: Well, right now I am focused 100 percent on my current responsibilities as the representative for Maryland's 8th District. I would consider other opportunities, if they were to arrive in the future.
Bethesda, Md.: How many hours have you spent working for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee since you have taken that post? Why didn't you mention you were seeking that post before the last election? How much more Metro money would we have gotten if you had spent all your time trying to get funding for us instead of working for the campaigns of other would-be congressmen?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: Well, I wasn't seeking the post of DCCC chairman -- I didn't ask or campaign for it. The speaker asked if I would take on those responsibilities, and I thought it would be important toward advancing our efforts to move the country in a new direction by passing important legislation.
Germantown, Md.: With all due respect, please don't let the position as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee turn you into just another salesman for the Democrats. We need people downtown who can work together and be able to admit that "their side" does not have all he right answers.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: I agree with you -- it is important that we make every effort to work together to get things done. We have been able to pass important legislation in the first 18 months of the new Congress, including lobbying and ethics reform, legislation to reduce the cost of college by halving the interest rates on federally backed student loans, increasing the minimum wage, passing a bill to finally boost CAFE standards, and most recently a bipartisan effort to enact an economic stimulus package. All of these examples are bipartisan success stories. I hope we'll be able to achieve similar successes in the days ahead. Unfortunately, on many important issues, the Senate Republicans have blocked important legislation -- for example, our efforts to eliminate subsidies for the oil and gas industries to invest in renewable energy, as well as legislation to try to stabilize the housing market in the current crisis.
Takoma Park, Md.: As a constituent, I want to urge you to declare your preference as a superdelegate on June 4 if not sooner. As an Obama supporter I like Speaker Pelosi's formulation, but it's your conscience and your vote, of course.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: Because of my responsibilities with the DCCC I have not made an endorsement in the presidential contest to date. That is because I have worked with both campaigns to try to expand the Democratic majority in the Congress. However, once all the caucuses and primaries are completed on June 3 I do intend to take a position shortly thereafter. For months I have shared the view of Speaker Pelosi and publicly stated that it would be a big mistake for the superdelegates to veto or overturn the judgment of the elected delegates. I think such a veto would cause a huge rupture in the party and make it hard for us to elect a Democratic president in November.
Helena, Mont.: I know that Maryland is your constituency, but as a Democrat, let me thank you for your work on the DCCC. How many open Republican seats do you think the Democrats have a good chance of taking this year? How many from Republican incumbents?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: There are 31 open Republican seats. Of those, Democrats have a good chance in at least half. In addition to the open seats, we have strong Democratic challengers in about 35 seats across the country.
Mount Rainier, Md.: Rep. Van Hollen, as DCCC chair, how do you see the farm bill playing in the general election this fall? In a time when families are facing the triple whammy of falling home prices, rising gas prices and rising food prices, how does one reconcile this huge spending push by Congress?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: This question requires a fairly lengthy answer, so I apologize in advance.
The farm bill is a mixed bag. It has some very good elements and some provisions I disagree with. On the positive side, it greatly expands nutrition programs to help provide for healthier diets and lifestyles, including more fresh food as part of student lunch programs. It also expands food stamp programs and eligibility for food stamp programs at a time when many Americans are being squeezed by higher food prices. Another positive element is the expansion of land conservation efforts and programs to protect water quality. A prime example are the funds we have dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay watershed cleanup effort. The bill doubles the amount of federal funds to the cleanup effort, which is a much-need boost given that we are falling short of our bay cleanup goals.
On the other side of the ledger, the farm bill still includes too many subsidies for farming interests that don't need them. I opposed the size of those subsidies, however -- and this is an important point -- the subsidies in the bill are significantly reduced from the status quo, much lower than the existing subsidies. If this bill hadn't passed, we would be facing the much higher subsidies put into farm bills many years ago. So while I'm not satisfied with the extent of the reform in this bill, it does move us in a better direction.
Gaithersburg, Md.: What do you intend to do to change Maryland's policy to issue driver's licenses to people who are in this country illegally? What do you intend to do to support a crackdown on illegal aliens with regard to voter registration?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: Well, I support the governor's decision with respect to driving licenses. As for the latter part of the question, obviously we want to protect the integrity of the voting process and ensure that those who are voting are entitled to. There has been no evidence of voter fraud in Maryland, and as we take steps in this area, we must ensure that we don't disenfranchise citizens who are entitled to vote by erecting unnecessary obstacles. We must strike the right balance here.
Philadelphia: Do you believe the Christian Coalition and similar type religious organizations that almost always support Republicans will make the gay marriage ruling in California an issue to frighten people into voting Republican -- because obviously allowing their gay neighbors to marry threatens the stability of their own marriages? How will Democrats counteract this Republican strategy?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: I'm not sure what strategy the Republicans will deploy this November regarding some of the hot-button social issues. What I do know is that the American people are much more focused on the economic squeeze millions of them are facing. The American people are focused on the high cost of gasoline, the housing crisis, the high cost of health insurance and many other bread-and-butter issues. Therefore I believe the Republicans will be unsuccessful if they embark on a polarizing strategy that seeks to divide Americans on hot-button social issues.
Germantown, Md.: Are we any closer on a permanent dedicated source of funding for Metro? Given transportation costs, many commuters are looking toward Metro and adding to the burden of an already-struggling system.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: That's an excellent point. The House has passed legislation to establish dedicated funds to WMATA. The federal funds are contingent on the states of Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia providing dedicated sources of funds as well. Those jurisdictions have established such funds. This important legislation is being blocked in the Senate by Republicans who have placed what's known as a hold on the bill, and who have threatened to filibuster if it is brought up for consideration.
We'll continue to push for its enactment, and if unsuccessful this year we hope that following the November elections we'll have the votes needed to get it done.
Chevy Chase, Md.: Where does Rep. Van Hollen see House climate legislation going for the remainder of this session? Specifically, does he support legislation addressing the Waxman-Markey-Inslee principles or passing companion legislation to the Boxer-Warner-Lieberman cap-and-trade bill, etc.? Is he working to make climate and energy policy a major focus of November's House elections?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: Yes on all counts. I am a signatory to the so-called Waxman-Inslee principles, and I'm also a co-sponsor of Waxman's Safe Climate Act and also support Sen. Boxer's legislation. We must take swift action on this urgent matter by enacting comprehensive cap-and-trade legislation. The time is way overdue for moving on this matter and it should become a key issue in the presidential elections. We are very focused on this issue in the congressional elections.
Arlington, Va.: What are your plans to gut the Second Amendment in the upcoming term?
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: In response to the Virginia Tech shootings, and other similar incidents around the country, Congress adopted -- on a bipartisan basis -- legislation to require that information regarding a doctor's finding that an individual has mental illness must be included as part of the background check database to ensure that such individuals do not get their hands on guns. I'm sorry if you think actions like that constitute gutting the Second Amendment.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen: I appreciate the opportunity to take questions online and I look forward to joining you again at a future date. It is a great privilege to represent the people of Maryland's 8th District.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland's 8th District discusses his work and goals during this session of Congress, and the recent successes and general election prospects of the Democratic National Campaign Committee
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Morning Mix: Sheen-Richards War Reignites
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Headlines: Oprah going vegan for 21 days... Secretary denies breaking up Shania Twain's marriage... TomKat asks kids' store to respect their privacy... Adam Sandler and wife expecting second child... Michael Douglas lobbies Capitol Hill for nuclear-free future... Robert Redford engaged to longtime girlfriend... Harrison Ford rips seat of his pants at movie premiere... Naomi Campbell bursts into tears aboard Diddy's yacht in Cannes... Yeardley Smith (aka Lisa Simpson) files for divorce... Amy Winehouse wins songwriting prize; (hearts) her husband... Madonna to show film at Michael Moore's film festival... Michael Lohan wants to re-open divorce case... Juliette Lewis shows off bikini bod.
Crime Watch: Wesley Snipes will remain free while awaiting appeal on tax charges.
Rumor Mill: Rep calls Usher and Tameka Foster split rumors "100 percent not true"... Vince Vaughn disapproves of John Mayer for Jennifer Aniston.
Say What? "I hope you and your worthless retarded father get cancer and join your stupid mom." -- An alleged text message from Charlie Sheen to ex Denise Richards
By Liz | May 23, 2008; 7:54 AM ET | Category: Daily Mix Previous: Catching Up With John Schneider | Next: 'Lost': Questions That Must Be Answered in the Season Finale
Keep up with the latest Celebritology scoops with an easy-to-use widget.
If you have tips, ideas for stories or general suggestions, let us know.
Uggh- a vegan diet. I'm sure if you had a chef preparing all of your foods it would be good, but for me? Nope. not to much. I'd rather weigh 5-10 lbs over.
Michelle Williams looks super cute in that pic. That's one girl that has stayed away from drama.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 23, 2008 8:54 AM
Are there two people who are more useless and talentless than Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards? Really. I want to know.
Posted by: ex cap | May 23, 2008 9:06 AM
Seriously, do Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen realize that they have two children together and perhaps having a public feud isn't that great for them? Apparently huring the other one is more impt. I also LOVE the comment about his prositute tranny infested sperm - the same sperm that made her two children. Stay classy.
Posted by: Betty | May 23, 2008 9:08 AM
ex cap, I submit Paris Hilton and Dina Lohan.
Posted by: michael | May 23, 2008 9:10 AM
I'm sure it was very traumatic for Naomi to admit her number that's close to her real age.
Posted by: Lisa1 | May 23, 2008 9:11 AM
Just a quick note to Liz Kelly. Thank you, thank you for the picture (in yesterday's chat) of Daniel Craig. Everytime that 'burned into my retina' photo of Andy Garcia sneaks back into my brain, I am going to focus on Daniel's photo. That is what a man should look like on the beach - and I should know.
Posted by: BeachGirl | May 23, 2008 9:28 AM
from the Charlie Sheen fiasco....
"Denise seems to be denying the existence of [the] e-mail. This goes beyond a he-said-she-said. We have an offer from a [live] TV show. They will bring a computer expert to diagnose the e-mail and to verify it was sent by her e-mail address and to verify it was neither altered nor edited. Computer DNA - it is conclusive."
you know - Charlie - just because Maury Pauvich is branching out doesnt mean you should believe everything he says.
Posted by: Quintilus Varus | May 23, 2008 9:33 AM
Sorry - for those of you may have forgotten to bookmark it, Daniel (after that photo, I feel we are on a first name basis) on the beach can be found at:
Posted by: BeachGirl | May 23, 2008 9:35 AM
I don't get Juliette Lewis. Mediocre actress, fingernails-on-chalkboard voice (enunciate, damn you!) and frankly, kinda ugly. Plus, much as men should have some chest hair, women should have some curves. I see nothing in that bikini shot that measures up to any standard of beauty. Can someone explain the appeal?
Posted by: WDC | May 23, 2008 9:37 AM
You know what else I hate? Women who bleach their hair blond, but leave their eyebrows black. I'm looking at you, Michelle Williams.
Posted by: WDC | May 23, 2008 9:38 AM
I've never liked Michelle Williams, and I despised that horrible yellow Oscar dress that everyone loved, but she just gets cuter and cuter.
I've also learned to love Juliette Lewis. She's awkward and goofy and edgy and cute. No beauty, but cool.
Posted by: atb | May 23, 2008 9:44 AM
Are there two people who are more useless and talentless than Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards? Really. I want to know.
Posted by: ex cap | May 23, 2008 9:06 AM ------------------------------------------- My submission: Heidi & Spencer. And Lauren Conrad. Ah, hell anyone that has appeared on "The Hills", "Laguna Beach", etc...
Posted by: beaker | May 23, 2008 9:46 AM
the part of Juliette Lewis' body below the rail appears to be a different size than the upper half of her body, like it is two photos sliced together (I'm not describing this well) look at it and tell me I am not nuts... It's the hip on the right side that doesn't line up with the upper body above the rail...
Posted by: if you look closely | May 23, 2008 10:01 AM
I thought the same thing when I saw the photo of Juliette. I don't think it was spliced though, I think its a combination of the camera angle and the way she is twisting her body.
Posted by: michael | May 23, 2008 10:04 AM
I can't believe I'm saying this, but yay for Oprah!
Posted by: julia | May 23, 2008 10:05 AM
Robert Redford is 71, his fiancee is 52, and his oldest daughter is 48. So he not only gets a new near-wife, his daughter gets a sister. Bonus!
I always thought Juliette Lewis was kinda strange, but she makes me laugh on all those vh1 "I Love the 80s" (etc.) shows.
And there's something about Yeardley Smith (I remember her on "Herman's Head") getting a divorce that makes me sad. Maybe it's the idea of hearing Lisa Simpson's voice saying "irreconcilable differences."
Posted by: td | May 23, 2008 10:07 AM
Oh, man. The Juliette Lewis comments are claiming she's a whackotologist. WTF? I guess I have to hate her now.
I grew up in Clearwater, where all those kooks lived. I was friends with with singer Melanie's daughters (CRAZY girls), and they were whackotologists and gave HUGE piles of money to them. If was creepy to see the uniformed masses walking through the downtown. It was not unlike those sexy prairie princesses of FLDS.
Posted by: atb | May 23, 2008 10:08 AM
The comments on the Juliette Lewis page are hilarious. Here's a sampling:
"she could save a boatload of puppies being mailed to cruella deville while offering me platters of minty three musketters bars wrapped in bagillion dollar bills and i still wouldn't like her. sorry."
"freak flags: fly 'em if you got 'em."
Posted by: still | May 23, 2008 10:21 AM
I also like this JL comment there: "She's sellin crazy and I'm lookin to buy!"
Posted by: td, wishing for minty three musketters [sic] | May 23, 2008 10:29 AM
can someone post the charlie/denise stuff, I keep getting dropped everytime I try to click over...
I can't look away from the train wreck!
Posted by: Anonymous | May 23, 2008 10:33 AM
If Charlie Sheen did indeed send that text, he wins the prize for stupidest celebrity ever.
Posted by: still | May 23, 2008 10:40 AM
Thank you, beach girl. I have a new screen saver. Yum!
I guess there's really no hope that Oprah's going to go away, is there? She's so tiring.
Friday shout-out to the Swayze - keep fighting, we love you!
Posted by: jaybbub | May 23, 2008 10:44 AM
(If true) I think Charlie's text would still tie with Alec Baldwin's voice mail rant (selfish pig, anyone?) for Stupidest Celebrity (Stunt) Ever.
And my heartfelt thanks to Liz Kelly, champion of the everywoman everywhere for posting the Daniel Craig pic yesterday. You made my day over and over and over again! Like BeachGirl, I decided to bookmark that gift that keeps on giving.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend, everyone!
Posted by: methinks | May 23, 2008 10:46 AM
OK that's funny, methinks. I was just going to say that jaybub needs to leave the country -- like Alec Baldwin (!) once threatened to do -- if she has any hope of escaping The Oprah. Do all roads lead to the Baldwins?
Posted by: td | May 23, 2008 10:53 AM
I'm sorry, methinks, but I have to disagree. Creating evidence showing that you wish your ex and her father would get cancer is way more stupid than calling your daughter a selfish pig.
Posted by: still | May 23, 2008 10:54 AM
Nice try, Marie-Anne...no mistress ever admits to breaking up a marriage. notice that she doesn't deny the affair? just that it's not HER fault. ha! no, i'm sure they were unhappy to begin with. but you didn't help!
and charlie sheen is indeed channeling alec baldwin for that text message! what a class act!
Posted by: wats | May 23, 2008 10:56 AM
Sorry, I meant to say that Oprah is "tiresome", not "tiring". I have no personal knowledge of her tiring-ness.
Posted by: jaybbub | May 23, 2008 10:58 AM
atb: "I grew up in Clearwater, where all those kooks lived."
Thats hilarious! My sister lives in Clearwater and has told all her children that if the "whackotologists" come near the car, they will reach in and kidnap them. When we visit, the kids always lock the car door...
Posted by: Osteph | May 23, 2008 11:12 AM
Won't someone *please* hand Naomi Campbell a phone and tell her, "Yo, fatty, carm down"?
Posted by: byoolin | May 23, 2008 11:41 AM
Hey, I think I saw Sasquatch again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya_uGXZcMfA
Posted by: byoolin | May 23, 2008 11:42 AM
BYOOLIN! Yay! Breaking the "yo fatty" barrier for today.
Posted by: jaybbub | May 23, 2008 11:51 AM
"Harrison Ford rips seat of his pants at movie premiere... "
not that anyone ever asked it, but that photo probably answers the "boxers or briefs" question....
Posted by: b | May 23, 2008 11:53 AM
"Harrison Ford rips seat of his pants at movie premiere... "
not that anyone ever asked it, but that photo probably answers the "boxers or briefs" question....
Posted by: b | May 23, 2008 11:53 AM
----------- Yes, and that way-too-closeup reveals that boxers are likely out, as is waxing (at least recently)
Posted by: hairylegs ford | May 23, 2008 11:59 AM
Juliette Lewis, how long have you been a 12 year old boy? There's a body that would look better covered with hair.
Posted by: epony | May 23, 2008 11:59 AM
whackotologist? never heard of it. is there a link to info about this? nothing shows up on a google. just curious in case i ever go to clearwater....
Posted by: b | May 23, 2008 12:03 PM
I'd care about Suri Cruise's privacy if she were making her own purchases. I highly doubt she is.
Note to Tom: whether you spent $2,000 or $230,000 at Petit Tresor, you've spent more on Suri's clothes than I have for my two kids in the past two years.
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | May 23, 2008 12:07 PM
Yep, that was me, on my way to a salon to get my back waxed.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 23, 2008 12:18 PM
It was more interesting to watch the Tim Russert breaking wind news video that to read about Naomi Campbell, or most of the other celebrities today.
Liz, thank you for finding the Tim Russert breaking wind news video and alerting Gene to it.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 23, 2008 12:22 PM
OMG. A celebrity engagement where the bridge ISN'T PREGNANT!!!! (And isn't likely to be, given that she's 52!) Stop the presses!
Juliette Lewis -- cool, a celeb without fake boobs.
Michelle Williams is just adorable. And good for her for keeping her private life, private.
Posted by: Californian | May 23, 2008 1:17 PM
I'm definitely in the wrong line of work. The not other woman in the Shania Twain divorce can be retired at 37?
Posted by: alex | May 23, 2008 1:40 PM
Yep, that was me, on my way to a salon to get my back waxed.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 23, 2008 12:18 PM
Glad to see you were willing to keep up your end of the deal Sas.
Posted by: jes | May 23, 2008 1:41 PM
I know it's silly to try to determine the "Stupidest Celebrity (Stunt) Ever" but seriously, I think a man (Baldwin) actually calling his own flesh and blood a "selfish pig" on voice mail is at least as bad as a man (Sheen) leaving a text for his ex-wife saying he hoped she and her father got cancer. It's the flesh and blood aspect to Baldwin's tirade that gets me. She's his daughter! At least Denise & her father aren't Sheen's blood relatives. A minor distinction but a distinction nevertheless.
Posted by: methinks | May 23, 2008 1:43 PM
Whoa, Madonna -- girl, back away from the plastic surgery and Botox! Does this face even move?: http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20201911_9,00.html
If you look closely, you can see that, indeed, Crazy Amy's fingernails are still filthy from having crawled out from underneath wherever she's been: http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20201911_12,00.html
Posted by: Californian | May 23, 2008 1:53 PM
Baldwin displayed a serious lack of self control coupled with great immaturity and insesitivity to leave a voice mail message like that for his young daughter, regardless of the provocation.
And Denise Richards may not be related to Charlie Sheen by blood, but she is still the mother of his children. Then again, he's not noted for self-control and treating women well. (So, why DO women keep falling for him. At least John Mayer is civil, right?)
Posted by: alex | May 23, 2008 1:56 PM
Can we take up a collection to buy a cheeseburger for Juliette Lewis? That's one bony little body.
Posted by: Angela | May 23, 2008 2:08 PM
"At least John Mayer is civil, right?"
Yep. John Mayer charges $10 up front.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 23, 2008 2:09 PM
Did Harrison Ford rip the seat of his pants by ripping too much gas?
Posted by: Sasquatch, not having a Tim Russert moment | May 23, 2008 2:10 PM
BTW, I have enjoyed watching the Russert video. Nothing says "fun" like watching a bag of wind, break.
Posted by: methinks | May 23, 2008 2:25 PM
Posted by: For b | May 23, 2008 3:56 PM
Juliette Lewis needs to eat a sandwich. Two, perhaps.
Posted by: Sappho | May 23, 2008 4:08 PM
I guess Sasquatch will be at the Sasquatch Festival this weekend. Sightings will abound.
Posted by: alex | May 23, 2008 4:44 PM
I'll be there if I can hitch a ride with a compassionate driver. I've cleaned up a bit so I won't scare potential rides. That's a major reason why I got my back waxed. But if Death Cab pulls over and offers me a ride, you'll excuse me if I pass on their offer.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 23, 2008 5:33 PM
Ok, I was taking a well deserved vacation day on Friday, but was there seriously an argument over whether Alec Baldwin or Charlie Sheen is the biggest d*ck? To paraphrase Jon Stewart, they are equally d*ckish.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 27, 2008 9:29 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
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Washingtonpost.com blogger Liz Kelly dishes on the latest happenings in entertainment, celebrity, and Hollywood news.
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The songwriter Buzzy Linhart said, "You've got to have friends." Indisputable. But 5,000 friends? Questionable.
The seeming excessiveness is part of the reason the social-networking site Facebook caps the number of friends any person can gather at that lofty figure. Yet when the popular Silicon Valley blog TechCrunch posted recently that Facebook was about to end the limit, the item garnered a lot of attention and even some excitement. The report turned out to be a false alarm -- Facebook maintains a 5,000-friend ceiling, a company spokesman said, and has no plans to raise the limit.
But the episode evoked a lot of questions about the nature of "friendship" when it comes to sites like Facebook and MySpace. How many friends is too many? And how friendly do you have to be with someone to become an online friend?
Although Facebook doesn't want to dictate rules of friending behavior to its users, the company is explicit in stating that the purpose of maintaining a list is not to see whose friend belt has the most notches. The point is to keep in closer contact with those who are already in one's social circle. The average Facebook user has about 105 mutually accepted friends, and fewer than a thousand people are bumping against the company-imposed limit.
But some of those who have reached that number insist that it's meager. Jeff Pulver, an entrepreneur and technology consultant who often spends 12 hours a day on Facebook for work and play, despises the restriction. When someone asks to be added to Pulver's cohort, he or she gets a message reading, "Jeff has too many friends," a phrase that doesn't compute with Pulver. "Who am I to say no to friendship?" Pulver says. He has a waiting list of 500 would-be friends. Worse, when someone he wants as a Facebook friend asks in, he must kick someone else out to make room.
In contrast, MySpace users never have to say no; the philosophy is different there. "At MySpace, the term 'friend' goes beyond 'people I know in the world,' " says Steve Pearman, the company's senior vice president for product strategy. In addition to people they know -- you know, the kind of buddies you'd accompany to a rock concert -- MySpacers routinely add rock stars and other celebrities to their friend lists.
(Facebook allows well-known people to gather large communities by establishing separate profiles where people can sign up to be fans. But saying that you're a fan of Barack Obama or Amy Winehouse isn't the same as including them among your friends.) Comedian Dane Cook had 2,372,807 MySpace friends as of last week, and would have a more successful film career if his friends turned out to see his movies. Pearman says MySpace has no problem with profiles that aren't human. The MySpace exec has even surprised himself by friending a potato. Let me repeat: a potato. This particular russet, by the way, has 2,965 friends.
Maybe by now you're getting the idea that a friend at Facebook or MySpace is not necessarily the same as a real friend, the kind who brings you chicken soup when you're sick and posts multiple favorable reviews about your book on Amazon. In addition to 20 or 30 genuine BFFs, you might have someone you met at a conference, the kid sitting behind you in Spanish class, someone who wants access to you as a customer, or a guitar player in a local band with whom you will never exchange a word. "Instead of 'friend,' it might be better to say, 'I'm linked to you,' " says Clay Shirky, author of "Here Comes Everybody," a book about social networking.
But such online linking has deep social implications, and as one's friend list grows, so do problems. People judge each other by whom they list as friends. Inevitably, human noise finds its way into a collection of friends because people tend to cave in and agree to friendship when asked by someone they barely know or don't know at all. In real life, we are spared the explicitness of a bald request to be a friend, but there's no such luck online -- even ignoring someone's friend request doesn't gloss over the fact that you're rejecting him or her. "It's socially awkward, and very hard to draw the line," says Danah Boyd, a researcher at the School of Information at the University of California at Berkeley.
But if you don't draw that line, your list will fill up with semi-strangers, and you'll be less likely to share personal information you want your real friends to see. (Facebook offers a way to classify your friend list to let certain clusters see different things, but it's a pain to go through your list and categorize people.) And making those distinctions is easier said than done. "You know what it's like when you're figuring out who to invite to your wedding -- the one day of your life that people will remember, and you have to pick who's in or out?" Shirky says. "Facebook is like that every day."
Not surprisingly, hand-wringing about dealing with all these online friends is the province of a generation that grew up in the physical world. People under 25 seem to have painlessly adapted to these new rules, however unwritten. "Kids have gotten over this," Boyd says. "As a teenager, you can't reject your friends at school, but you won't wind up having 5,000 friends, either." Even on the no-limits MySpace, the average is 180 or so. And that includes potatoes.
Steven Levy, a senior editor at Newsweek, can be reached atsteven.levy@newsweek.com.
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'For All This, People Have Died?'
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BEIRUT, May 22 -- Under the gaze of the statue of Riyadh al-Solh, one of the founders of modern Lebanon, there were scenes of reconciliation in Beirut on Thursday. Roads were reopened, cars returned to parking lots overgrown with weeds, and Hezbollah's workers finished dismantling the downtown site of their 18-month-long protest, planting flowers, directing traffic and piling glistening barbed wire in coils 10 feet high.
But the relief that met the announcement Wednesday of a deal to end Lebanon's worst crisis in a generation had given way, a day later, to anger that the confrontation had lasted so long. There was resentment toward communal leaders, some endowed with near-feudal powers, who often seemed to stage-manage the crisis until it descended into a paroxysm of violence nearly two weeks ago. Shaded by the statue, others asked why -- in civil wars in 1958 and 1975 and in the conflict now -- the country had to resort to violence to resolve changes in the fragile sectarian balance of 18 religious communities that Solh helped craft in 1943.
"In five days, everything is finished? You must ask why in five days, all this was resolved directly. Why did we have to go through all this?" asked Nicholas Dagher, the 42-year-old owner of a downtown bookstore, Libraire du Liban. "For all this, people have died? For what? For nothing. We have lost so much time for nothing."
The agreement was reached in five days of negotiations in Qatar between the Hezbollah-led opposition and the government and its allies. In the end, the deal met the very demands that the Shiite movement had made at the start of the crisis -- veto power in the cabinet and what it called a government of national unity. The important question of Hezbollah's formidable arsenal was left to future talks.
With the accord, Lebanon began trying to reconstitute what had looked more and more like a failed state. Parliament was to convene Sunday to elect Gen. Michel Suleiman, the army commander, as president, filling a post vacant since November. A little hesitantly, life returned to downtown Beirut.
Workers deployed by Hezbollah, wearing yellow caps, the color identified with the movement, planted roses, shrubs and trees in the once-manicured gardens the group's protesters had dwelled in since 2006, a cosmetic touch to a scarred city. Others repaired lights under Solh's statue, stacked bags of fertilizer and trimmed olive trees.
"We're going to bring this place back exactly the way it was," said Abu Mohammed Fahs, as he directed the dozen or so workers. "Perhaps even better."
As he talked, another Hezbollah official arrived with a bag full of yellow shirts.
"Come on, guys!" Fahs said. "Let's put on the yellow!"
In the street beside them, Hezbollah's men directed traffic alongside policemen in gray camouflage they had derided as a state-organized militia weeks ago.
Near the government headquarters known as the Serail, the workers removed barbed wire from purple bougainvillea. Others hauled away concrete barricades, one bearing the slogan "Death to Israel."
Under Solh's statue, one traffic light still worked. Fittingly, it blinked yellow.
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BEIRUT, May 22 -- Under the gaze of the statue of Riyadh al-Solh, one of the founders of modern Lebanon, there were scenes of reconciliation in Beirut on Thursday. Roads were reopened, cars returned to parking lots overgrown with weeds, and Hezbollah's workers finished dismantling the downtown si...
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Ducklings Die in Pool Drain At American Indian Museum
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At first, there were 10 ducklings. After a horrifying few moments, there were only five.
On Saturday afternoon on the Mall, passersby watched as a mother duck and her offspring paddled in a series of man-made pools outside the National Museum of the American Indian. The five ducklings died when they were pulled into a drain, even as guards and maintenance workers rushed to save them.
It was not the first time. A museum spokeswoman said ducklings have died in the fountain machinery four or five times since the museum opened in September 2004. In the latest case, equipment installed to protect wildlife appeared to have failed, she said.
"Nobody wants to see any sort of wildlife killed," spokeswoman Leonda Levchuk said. The incident was especially painful for the museum because it occurred at a busy hour and in an area full of visitors, she said. "We hate to see when visitors actually witness them kind of being sucked away."
Levchuk said the incident occurred about 1 p.m. Saturday in a pool on the north side of the museum, at Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Water cascades onto a series of boulders and flows into pools and waterfalls meant to simulate Tiber Creek, a waterway that once ran through the area.
In one area, the lowest pool in a waterfall drains into a water-filtration system. The ducklings were swimming in that area when the current pulled them toward a drain, Levchuk said.
The drains had been covered with protective gratings last year after young birds were killed in a similar manner, Levchuk said. On Saturday, she said, the grates might have been loosened by the flow of water, allowing the ducklings to slip through.
Ellin Crane, a tour company employee accompanying a group of Australian visitors on the Mall, said that a member of the group had described the scene to her later Saturday.
"The children were standing there oohing and aahing" at the site of the ducks paddling along placidly, Crane said in a telephone interview. "And that's when they were sucked into the filtration system."
The tourist said the children had cried when the ducklings were caught in the filter, adding that the incident was "devastating."
After the ducklings disappeared, Levchuk said, guards called museum maintenance workers, who responded within 15 minutes. The workers waded into the fountain and retrieved the five remaining ducklings unharmed.
Levchuk said yesterday that the museum will add netting around the grates as a temporary safety measure. A better grate will be added next week, she said, and other safety measures will be installed at a drain closer to the museum's entrance.
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Preschool for Needy Opens Its Arms Wider
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Bright Beginnings, an educational day-care center for homeless and low-income children in the District, is expanding its program of free and reliable evening child care.
The celebrated preschool program, which is designed to help end chronic homelessness in the District, enrolls about 186 children in an old schoolhouse just north of Capitol Hill.
The center piloted an evening care program in 2005, staying open from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. to accommodate parents who work late shifts. Now, through a $550,000 grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation, the evening program is expanding to serve more families. The grant, announced this week, will also fund an outreach effort to tell parents in homeless shelters and transitional housing about the expansion.
"It allows them to have a safe haven for their children while they hopefully become self-sufficient in the work world," said Betty Jo Gaines, the center's executive director.
Auyana Felder raises 3-year-old Mankaure alone while working the evening shift as a security guard at a museum. Every afternoon, Felder takes him to Bright Beginnings, where she said he is mastering the alphabet, learning his colors and starting to read books.
"Life would be so hard without this school," said Felder, 25. "I'm grateful. It's a good school. They teach kids the ABCs, 1-2-3s. If your child has a problem, they attend to it."
In addition to providing day care and preschool education, Bright Beginnings has a psychologist, speech therapist and occupational therapist on staff.
"It's not babysitting," said Ralph F. Boyd Jr., chairman of the Freddie Mac Foundation. "It's active, attentive care for children."
By freeing up parents to earn an income, Bright Beginnings helps families' transition into permanent housing, Boyd said.
"Dr. Gaines has a way of talking about this in a very casual way, but what they're doing is enormously transformative for these children and their families," Boyd said.
Carolyn Cousins was so impressed with the care given to her five children that she signed on at Bright Beginnings as a parent aide.
"They have been nothing but supportive of whatever I needed to do," said Cousins, 34, of Northeast Washington. "It's really great that I can involve myself with the program."
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Bright Beginnings, an educational day-care center for homeless and low-income children in the District, is expanding its program of free and reliable evening child care.
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Some People Would Die To Wind Up at This Museum
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You know the names: Jesse James, Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger . . .
And the men who chased them. Wild Bill Hickok. Wyatt Earp. Eliot Ness. J. Edgar Hoover.
The prisons where their kind were locked up: Rikers. Attica. Leavenworth. Alcatraz.
And the ways they died: Bullets. Ropes. Firing squad. Electric chair. Gas chamber. Lethal injection.
These are the stories at the heart of the District's newest tourist attraction, the National Museum of Crime & Punishment, which opens today on Seventh Street NW in Gallery Place. The for-profit museum -- admission is $17.95 -- gives an eerie gloss to these true-life tales of cops and robbers, almost as if you're walking through a high-toned coffee-table book.
John Dillinger's Ford getaway car, for instance, is displayed like a crown jewel in the front window, a place of honor for one of the rewards of a life of crime. There's a re-creation of Capone's jail cell, complete with a plush bedspread, a polished wood desk, fringed lamps and a cabinet radio. And there's the gray Royal Stetson worn by "Crazy Joe" Gallo on April 7, 1972, as he was gunned down at Umberto's Clam House in New York.
Willie Sutton, the bank robber, once gave an interview to Reader's Digest. The television schedule is packed with series about crime. So it is understandable that the museum's founders think this is an idea that will grab the public.
Still, they have walked -- can we say a thin blue line? -- to give those who solved crimes equal treatment with those who committed them. And the museum seems to relish the criminals' often brutal deaths. "50 Slugs Kill Barrow and Moll in Ambush," reads the newspaper headline in one exhibit. And in a section on Depression-era gangsters, for instance, bold type emphasizes that "bad guys got what was coming to them." Punishment tools going back to Colonial-era stocks are also on exhibit. And the retail store is called "The Cop Shop," not the Mob Shop.
John Morgan, the founder and owner, says the idea for the museum came to him a few years ago when he visited Alcatraz, the famed California penitentiary. The organizers hope 700,000 people will buy tickets the first year, comparable to the 786,000 people who visited the free Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery across the street in 2007. That's almost the same as the average annual attendance (roughly 670,000) at the International Spy Museum over the past six years.
Morgan, an attorney from Orlando and creator of amusement centers, has joined with John Walsh, host of "America's Most Wanted," to show off criminals and crime fighters. The museum has five galleries, plus a studio for tapings of "America's Most Wanted." And some of the information included in the exhibits is drawn from research done by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which Walsh and his wife co-founded.
But there is fanciful stuff, too. Morgan couldn't resist showing the 1934 beige Ford sedan, complete with 167 bullet holes, used in the 1967 movie "Bonnie and Clyde."
The split between entertainment and education over the 28,000-square-foot facility is most vivid in the area that re-creates a murder investigation from crime scene to autopsy.
In the gallery leading up to the "corpse," the visitor surveys the scene of the slaying, pushes buttons to illuminate the evidence and looks at all the crime-solving kits that the professionals use. Then the visitor uses interactive screens to examine a footprint left at the scene, dental records, body fluids and wounds, just like a medical examiner from "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
Throughout the three-story building, the museum presents a number of interactive displays. You can learn how to crack a safe, watch clips of famous movies such as "The French Connection" and take an electronic quiz to see if the movie squared with reality. In a simulator, you can learn how to drive police vehicles. Then you can stand in a police station lineup or step into an Old West jail cell.
That's where the simulated experience stops. There are no pretend executions.
The National Museum of Crime & Punishment, 575 Seventh St. NW. Admission is $17.95 for adults. Hours are 9 a.m. -7 p.m. for the summer. For information: http://www.crimemuseum.org.
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Get style news headlines from The Washington Post, including entertainment news, comics, horoscopes, crossword, TV, Dear Abby. arts/theater, Sunday Source and weekend section. Washington Post columnists, movie/book reviews, Carolyn Hax, Tom Shales.
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Dalaro And the Deep Blue Sea
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Nearly 20 years ago, during a long bicycle trip through Europe, a friend and I happened upon a small coastal town that was too alluring not to stop in. We were about 25 miles southeast of Stockholm, pedaling north from Copenhagen to meet up with a friend.
There wasn't much to the town, really; I remember a cobalt blue bay with several small islands dotting the horizon, a ragged shoreline and a few of the simple yet stately cottages that line the back roads of Sweden.
As we looked for a place to pull over for a rest, we saw an inconspicuous sign featuring a drawing of a house and a single word beneath it: "Vandrarhem." We had unwittingly ridden to the door of a waterfront youth hostel. The decision, it seemed, had been made for us: Our friend in the capital would have to wait a couple of days.
We had stumbled upon Dalaro, gateway to the Stockholm archipelago, historical defender of the Crown from seafaring Russians and, for more than 100 years, a summer retreat for fortunate Stockholmers. I can't recall what we did there, but I've remembered it ever since as one of my favorite spots in a country I came to know quite well.
So when my brother and sister-in-law asked if I could join them for a vacation in Sweden, how could I say no? For several summers they had rented a house near Stockholm, in a quiet town on the Baltic Sea.
You can guess the rest. My brother, Chip, had found Dalaro by chance, as I had. Unlike me, he had the good sense to keep going back.
The More Things Change . . .
A few weeks later, not long after Midsummer's Day, I was back in the land of cloudberries and cardamom buns, lolling on the deck of the rental house, watching as the near-midnight sun performed a slow-motion light show across the darkening bay. A clan of ducks commuted along the shallows in V-formation. Come mornings, we came to see, they evidently were permitted a free-swim period, with each doing its own thing before falling into line once again.
Some vacationers did pretty much the same thing. A middle-aged couple strode to the water's edge in the mornings, stripped out of their robes and dived in. The nudists next door? Not really. In Sweden, it's just an invigorating, sensible way to start a summer day.
You could spend a lot of time -- all of it highly useful, of course -- pondering these phenomena. But we had pressing business to tend to. In my long absence, my sister-in-law said, Dalaro had changed. I had to check out the main street.
Sure enough, there it was, in the center of town: a newish bakery, complete with warm cinnamon rolls, blond wood tables, fancy sandwiches and even something called Dalaro bread, a seemingly good-for-you affair. To my brother and me, this was a major development, like a skyscraper might be to others. And so it came to be that we felt morally obligated to walk there every morning for some serious carbo-loading. You know, to support small business.
The modern conveniences and contrivances had arrived, if only in a typically understated Swedish sense. There were boutiques and at least one art gallery, though it never seemed to be open. Things change. After all, it had been nearly 20 years.
I knew that the youth hostel must be gone. Location, location, location: Some laws of real estate are immutable, even in famously left-leaning Sweden. It surely didn't make sense that a $15-a-night refuge for the young and restless would command such prime property. Okay, fine. After all, I didn't need it any longer.
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The calm and the view of Sweden's coastal town of Dalaro is a popular destination for Stockholm's city dwellers.
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A Hushed Oasis Of Art in the Desert
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The 60- to 100-foot-long murals in the California desert town of Twentynine Palms sneak up on you like a rattlesnake behind a barrel cactus. Often invisible from the main drag, they cover the sides of auto-parts shops and Christian bookstores, or simply appear as your eyes follow a ball of tumbleweed across a deserted road or handball court.
Dubbed the "Oasis of Murals" by the Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce, the vivid outdoor canvases tell the stories of the hardy souls -- miners, Chemeheuvi Indians, bighorn sheep -- who settled on this patch of desert on the northeastern edge of Joshua Tree National Park.
In this sleepy town of 27,000, finding touristy activities requires some creativity, thus our scavenger hunt for the 18 murals. During a weekend visit, my husband and I also enjoyed digging into Jack Daniel's-glazed salmon and baby back ribs slow-cooked on an outdoor grill at the Rib Company and taking a Geology 101 tour of the 7,000-year-old palm oasis that gives the town its name. We also liked the throwback prices: $5 double features at Smith's Ranch Drive-In (now playing: "Street Kings" and "The Ruins") and $2.50 bowling at the Bowladium, a 16-lane alley and cocktail lounge.
In the end, though, it was the silence, interrupted only by the occasional hoot of a great horned owl or the whispered dash of a roadrunner, that captivated us, leaving me calm and unknotted. It made up for the treeless landscape that so closely matches Iraq's desert conditions that the local Marine Corps base requires units to train here before leaving for the Middle East.
The stillness also was inescapable. It enveloped us while reading by the fire in our cottage at Roughley Manor; navigating the rows of kale in the 29 Palms Inn's garden as the sun's rays danced on distant blue-gray hills; and soaking up the views of the Coachella Valley from the top of Ryan Mountain south of town.
"At night out here it's so quiet you can hear the air hissing in your ears," said Bill Souder, a retired aerospace engineer who lives in nearby Yucca Valley and is part of a group preparing to open an observatory at the park's edge.
The facility, which will open later this year, will feature amateur telescope sites, a model solar system and a sun circle modeled after the calendar used by Southwestern Indian tribes.
Twentynine Palms' universe is expanding.
About 150 miles east of Los Angeles, Twentynine Palms is home to the largest visitors center in the 780,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park, which is known for its squat, spiky-limbed trees, steep rock walls and the Oasis of Mara, a palm-fringed lagoon created thousands of years ago by an active fault line. The town also claims one of the country's largest Marine Corps bases, which sprawls to the north. You can sense the military presence in the large number of barbershops and furniture rental stores scattered throughout the area.
The town's most influential citizen was James Luckie, a physician who advised World War I veterans suffering from tuberculosis and mustard-gas poisoning to relocate here for the dry climate. Luckie is honored in one of the Oasis murals, as are a mining settlement known as the Dirty Sock Camp and the founders of the town's first roller rink
Other towns adjacent to the park along Highway 62, such as Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley, offer more shopping and culture than Twentynine Palms. But most people eventually find their way here, if only to grab maps from the visitors center, take an easy half-mile walk around the Oasis of Mara or replenish their liquids. In the spring, daytime temperatures average 80 to 90 degrees, but they often hit triple digits in July and August. Few businesses, though, close for more than a week or two in the scorching summer.
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Dubbed the "Oasis of Murals," Twentynine Palms gives a new meaning to the phrase "California dreaming."
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What's the Deal?
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· La Dolce Vita Wine Tours has discounted two fall tours by $400 per person. The Rioja Roundup trip is $2,395 per person, including taxes. The Sept. 8-13 vacation starts in Valladolid, Spain, and includes land transportation, tastings at 10 wineries, meals and lodging. The Sicilian Saunter is $2,595 per person double after discount, including taxes. The Sept. 21-27 hiking tour of Sicily includes meals, lodging, sightseeing and tastings at several wine estates. Airfare is extra. Info: 888-746-0022, http://www.dolcetours.com.
· A four-night Casino Getaway package at the Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino in Nassau, the Bahamas, starts at $345 per person double for stays through July 31. (A 12 percent tax and $15 per-person per-day resort fee are additional.) Deal includes lodging, dinner for two at Moso or the Black Angus Grille, and $100 in free play at the Crystal Palace Casino. Book by May 31. Priced separately, room alone costs $160 per night, plus taxes and fees. Info: 800-222-7466, http://www.wyndhamnassauresort.com.
· A Middle East cruise on the Costa Victoria, departing from Dubai, has been discounted by 54 percent for two departures in January. The seven-night cruise, which visits ports in Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates before returning to Dubai, starts at $799 per person double (plus $190 taxes and fuel surcharge of $7 per person per day). Fare was $1,719. Info: 877-882-6782, http://www.costacruise.com.
· Holland America is offering an Alaska Values sale on select cruises through September; the deal allows a third and fourth passenger to sail for $99 each. Prices vary. For example, the rate for the first two passengers starts at $599 per person double on a seven-day Glacier Bay Discovery cruise between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, departing Sept. 14. Taxes of $101 per person, plus fuel surcharge of $7 per person per day, are extra. The third and fourth passengers staying in the same cabin pay $99 each, plus taxes and a fuel surcharge of $2 per person per day. Info: 877-932-4259, http://www.hollandamerica.com.
· Royal Caribbean has discounted its June 22 Mediterranean cruise aboard the Brilliance of the Seas. The 12-night cruise is priced from $1,299 per person double, plus $111 per-person port charges and a fuel surcharge of $8 per person per day. The ship travels round trip from Barcelona and visits ports in France, Italy, Croatia and Malta. Brochure rate was $1,699. Info: 866-562-7625, http://www.royalcaribbean.com.
· Southwest has sale fares on nonstop flights from BWI to Norfolk. Round-trip fare is $138, including $20 taxes, for travel through Oct. 30. Fourteen-day advance purchase required; book by May 19 at http://www.southwest.com. Airlines are matching on connecting service from BWI, but nonstop flights on other airlines from Reagan National and Washington Dulles start at $549.
· British Airways has extended its deadline to May 22 to purchase its discounted airfare to London with free lodging. Round-trip fare from Washington is $950, including $172 taxes, for travel May 26-Sept. 3. Save $20 more by registering at http://www.ba.com. Seven-day advance purchase required; travel Monday-Wednesday for cheapest fares. Free hotel deal applies May 26-Oct. 30. With the deal, two people receive two free nights; one person gets one night. Info: 800-247-9297, http://www.ba.com/london.
· Club ABC Tours is offering a package to Spain's Costa del Sol starting at $898 per person double (plus $69 taxes) for Nov. 2 and 16 departures. The five-night trip includes round-trip airfare from Washington to Malaga, Spain; five nights at the Sol Don Pedro Hotel on a beach promenade in Torremolinos; breakfasts and dinners; and a one-year membership to the club (value of $30 per person). Priced separately, air is $855 per person and the hotel is about $617 for five nights, for a savings of about $393 per couple. Info: 888-868-7722, http://www.clubabc.com/costa-del-sol-vacation.aspx.
· Book a package to Hawaii with Pleasant Holidays and receive kids' airfare of $130 round trip from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Oahu, Maui, Kauai or Hawaii's Big Island. Prices vary by dates and hotel. For example, a five-night package in mid-July for a family of four, including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Honolulu and accommodations at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani on Oahu, starts at $2,694, including taxes. Priced separately, the hotel would cost $1,196 and airfare from Los Angeles to Hawaii goes for $778 per person, for a total savings of $1,614 for a family of four. Book by May 26 for travel June 15-Aug. 31. Round-trip flights from Washington to Los Angeles are about $400. Info: 800-448-3333, http://www.pleasantholidays.com.
Prices were verified and available on Thursday afternoon when the Travel section went to press. However, deals sell out quickly and are not guaranteed to be available. Restrictions such as day of travel, blackout dates and advance-purchase requirements sometimes apply.
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The week's best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
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Mr. Kennedy's Illness
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AS THE sad news broke yesterday that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor, the institution in which the Massachusetts Democrat has served for 45 years was mired in yet another fight over funding for the war in Iraq. Had Mr. Kennedy been there, he would no doubt have been arguing full force for his causes in the bill -- extending unemployment benefits, expanding education funding for Iraq war veterans. But he also might have been calculating how to shape a measure that could both pass and avoid a presidential veto.
This is hardly the moment for eulogies, given that we hope much useful work lies ahead for Mr. Kennedy. But it is an appropriate time to take note of a senator who has demonstrated, unusually for his era, that it is possible to forge both friendships and working partnerships across the political aisle, all without yielding on principles. He is invariably and correctly described as the liberal lion of the Senate, yet Utah Republican Orrin G. Hatch is among his closest friends there. He teamed up with a Republican president, George W. Bush, on education reform and with a would-be Republican president, Arizona Sen. John McCain, on immigration reform. The third-longest-serving senator in U.S. history, Mr. Kennedy believes in the art of the possible, and then in the power of hard work when the time comes to try again for more than that. He knows when to thunder against perceived injustice and when to cut a deal.
Mr. Kennedy is not without his flaws, private and public. But his personal life is crowned by the role he assumed as substitute father to his slain brothers' children, and his public career has been a testament to the power of persistence and reinvention. After having to abandon his presidential ambitions in 1980, Mr. Kennedy reapplied himself to becoming one of the most effective senators in history. "The dogged achiever," Time magazine called him in a 2006 article that named him one of the 10 best senators, crediting him with having "amassed a titanic record of legislation affecting the lives of virtually every man, woman and child in the country." The spectrum of Mr. Kennedy's achievements is, indeed, breathtaking, from civil rights to disability rights, education to immigration, health care to voting rights, airline deregulation to workplace safety.
As Mr. Kennedy battles this latest challenge, a passage from his most famous speech, conceding defeat at the 1980 Democratic convention, seems apt. Mr. Kennedy recalled "the words of Tennyson that my brothers quoted and loved, and that have special meaning for me now . . . 'Strong in will/To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.' " That is a good summation of Mr. Kennedy's approach to life, one we expect will serve him well in the days ahead.
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More than ever, the Senate needs the traits that have made him so effective.
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Real Life Politics
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Ruth Marcus: Hi everyone. Lot's of questions so I'll plunge right in.
Minneapolis: Ms Marcus, thanks, as always, for having these chats. Do you think it is fair or unfair to characterize Sen. Clinton as helping to exacerbate the alleged misogyny in this campaign season? From my perspective (as a male independent voter), it seems that her claiming victimhood based on gender rather than focusing on the issues is nothing more than a campaign tactic that very effectively has rallied her supporters -- while further alienating people who might prefer other candidates for reasons other than gender.
Ruth Marcus: This is a hard question, but I think there are both heartfelt reasons (they really believe the campaign has been laced with sexism) and tactical ones (it helps rally the base and maybe tamps down some commentary) for the Clinton campaign raising the issue. I think Sen. Clinton did a lot to move the ball down the court for women this election cycle, but there were steps back as well.
Savannah, Ga.: Great column last week. If I were ever granted the opportunity to moderate a presidential debate, one question I would ask McCain (or any Republican, for that matter) is how he feels about "judicial activist" decisions in cases like Loving or Brown v. Board of Education. Maybe I'm too cynical, but "Judicial Activist" seems like a code word for "judge who makes decisions Republicans don't like." Or do you think there is a real principle behind there that I'm too partisan to see?
washingtonpost.com: High Court Caricature (Post, May 14)
Ruth Marcus: Thanks! There are some principles about whether and when courts should intervene, and about how broadly to read constitutional guarantees, but I think a lot of judicial activism is in the eye of the beholder. The Rehnquist/Roberts court could be considered activist in many ways. I hope there is more of a debate about this as we enter the general election season.
Mt. Jackson, Va.: Obama is the most liberal of the candidates and John McCain is the most conservative. Don't you agree that Hillary Clinton is a moderate and as such can win the national election? In the end, Obama will be found to be too liberal and John McCain will walk away with the election. To that, can't we say that the Democrats have done themselves in again, by selecting the wrong candidate?
Ruth Marcus: I don't think we can say that yet. I doubt that anyone is going to be "walking away" with this election. I suspect it will be very close, and I'm not sure you could say that any of the three remaining candidates would be an obvious winner.
Columbus, Ohio: I'm interested in your thoughts on the basis for why it's "it's infuriatingly more acceptable to make cracks about gender than about race." Is this a numbers game? African-Americans represent a clear numerical minority in comparison to women, so there's less restraint in commentary on the more numerically equal population. Subconscious profiling? Expanding the idea of "you're hardest on the ones you love" to -- playing off the numbers -- "you're hardest on the people you know (women) more than those you don't (African Americans)"? Comparative history (in parts of the country simply being African American imperiled one's life and women did not have a similar threat to life)? Not sure if I buy any of these, and obviously it wouldn't make it right, but just spinning out ideas.
Ruth Marcus: I think racism and sexism -- that is, making offensive statements based on or referring to people's race or gender, are equally offensive. I think we as a society tend to diminish the offensiveness of sexism, and that's what I was trying to say.
Bethesda, Md.: Ruth, when people say Hillary Clinton is not a perfect candidate or a flawed test of feminism, doesn't that prove the sexism right there? Do we ever get to choose from perfect male candidates? Didn't George W. owe his presidency to his father's having been president? Lyndon Johnson was president because Kennedy died, Truman because of Roosevelt dying. The list goes on. Men achieve the presidency through "flawed" methods, and so can women.
Ruth Marcus: I was just saying that as the potential First Woman President, she was going to be a somewhat odd role model because of her route to power. Someone else would be less, well, complicated. That doesn't mean she wasn't qualified to be president or wouldn't make a good one.
Kansas City, Kan.: I know they are not the same, but I just can't sympathize with Clinton's battle with sexism when I have seen her consistently using racially tinged language and tactics ("hard-working, white Americans," etc.) and benefiting from the latent racism of certain segments of the U.S. population. If she took a stand against those who vote for her for racist reasons, she would have a moral high ground.
Ruth Marcus: I thought that was a poor choice of words, and I suspect she did too. But I don't think she is "consistently using racially tinged language."
Culver City, Calif.: How can you say that Clinton has been elected to the Senate "in her own right"? Do you really believe that Hillary Rodham even would have been considered for a New York elected position without the "Clinton" after her name? I don't. Her so-called "baggage" from the White House years (and the prior years as First Lady of Arkansas) are her entire resume. Meet with foreign leaders? Conduct a disastrous attempt to reform health care? She would have done none of that if she didn't have Clinton in her name. No responsibility, no authority, no accountability. That's her much-touted "experience." I do believe we can and will have a woman as president, possibly in my lifetime (I'm 62). My hope is that it will be one who is qualified. If you believe just any woman who can get elected would be a good leader, I have two words for you: Margaret Thatcher.
Ruth Marcus: Well, she was elected to an office as the candidate, so my point was that -- in contrast to her White House years -- this was not a derivative or ancillary position. Of course it's impossible to imagine that she would have been elected senator without having been First Lady, but she also has been, from my perspective, a good senator.
Washington: Please explain how your opinion of Hillary Clinton is affected, if at all, by her explicit appeal to "white" voters. I believe there has not been an explicit racial appeal like this in presidential politics since Strom Thurmond's in 1948, although of course some -- particularly Richard Nixon -- have made veiled racial appeals. Thanks.
Ruth Marcus: Oh, please. It is completely unfair to Sen. Clinton to compare her to Sen. Thurmond in 1948. I think she, her campaign and her husband have said some dumb things, but they are not segregationists or anything close.
New York: As a thoughtful individual, how do you feel about working for a newspaper that believes "separate but equal" is acceptable for gays?
washingtonpost.com: Meddling in Gay Marriage (Post, May 20)
Ruth Marcus: As a member of the editorial board, I feel really good about working for a newspaper that believes in the importance of gay rights and is extremely supportive of same-sex marriage but has qualms about the impact of court involvement.
Rockville, Md.: Just a comment: Thank you for your columns from the woman's, even girl's, perspective. They have been most helpful for this father of a teenage daughter -- who, incidentally, is preparing for her bat mitzvah. Your columns often remind me of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's statement after being nominated by then-President Clinton, when she said that she wished her mother had grown up in this era when women have the same opportunities as men -- and daughters are cherished as much as sons.
washingtonpost.com: The Mitzvah and the Mania (Post, May 7)
Ruth Marcus: It's awfully kind of you to compare me to Justice Ginsburg. I happened to be in the Rose Garden when her nomination was announced and I have to confess to getting a little teary about her moving statement about her mother. I didn't have daughters then, so I would probably be even more moved today. And thank you for your comment, which I think is proof that even men (!) are interested in these topics. Mazel Tov!
Oviedo, Fla.: Do not take a buyout! I am a cliche, I guess -- a 49-year-old white Catholic single mom who is pro-Hillary big time. The rallies for Obama seem to me to be taunting her, as do the comments of "reminds me of everybody's first wife." My teen girls are baffled at the seemingly accepted level of sexist attack on her and the pass he has gotten on some occasions. It will be hard to vote for Obama. I just don't want to. Does this make me a saboteur? Is my boycott meaningless to Democrats and helpful to the GOP, whose policies I detest?
Ruth Marcus: I can't give you advice about how to vote but I am a believer in exercising the franchise -- otherwise you don't have much standing to complain. As to sexism -- of course there has been some, and it's deplorable, but compared to what? Imagine what things would have been like 20 years ago.
Kensington, Calif.: I do appreciate your busting Hillary for trying to have it both ways. Maybe you were just trying to throw the old dog a bone with that line about it being "more acceptable to make cracks about gender than about race," but I have to say, that's a pretty poor line. Friendships between the sexes result in cracks about their differences all the time. All that happens to be is a sign of affection, and that's just human nature. People of different races don't generally get together just because they are attracted to the other's racial differences. La difference is the very essence of attraction between men and women, at least those who are heterosexual, and probably a good many who are homosexual.
I don't believe you really find that infuriating, but if you do, maybe you should consider re-reading Shulamith Firestone's old book "The Dialectic of Sex," and think about calling for 21st Century technology to start rearranging chromosomes. Could you please find another bone for poor Hillary and help us get beyond these pseudo-feminist word games? You may not have noticed, but the planet is burning up right before our eyes. Nero is fiddling away. If we don't stop the trivial pursuits and start doing something, we won't be around to talk about anything much longer.
Ruth Marcus: I mean offensive cracks. I am a big believer in humor -- and sometimes even a practitioner of it -- and I certainly think life, and even the workplace, would be pretty boring if we all had to be safe about everything we say. But ... my favorite legal quote is from Justice Holmes, who said that even a dog knows the difference between being tripped over and being kicked. Women do too!
Arlington, Va.: While I respect Kennedy's work in the Senate, I think Robinson is going overboard with some of the praise he gives the senator. A person still directly lost their life because of his mistakes. Can we just recognize someone had a distinguished career without always saying they are the best ever?
washingtonpost.com: Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood: The Best of All the Kennedys (washingtonpost.com, May 20)
Ruth Marcus: I haven't read what Gene wrote, but we had an editorial today about Sen. Kennedy that acknowledged his life has not been flawless, and then praised his many achievements. I hope that got the balance right under the sad circumstances.
Washington: As a thirtysomething male, one of the things I've found striking about this race is the divide between older and younger women. I'm not sure I realized how bitter (sorry, but there isn't another word) older women were until now. I don't think I appreciated how much my mother's generation had to struggle to overcome sexism until I was confronted with how partisan they'd become on issues of gender (and, of course, we're seeing a similar divide on race issues too). In a perverse way, it's somewhat hopeful -- it shows how much less scarred we younger citizens are by race and gender.
Ruth Marcus: I think this newly-turned-50-year-old is going to bristle at the use of the term bitter. How about realistic? How about calling the younger women who seem blissfully ignorant about the lingering sexism -- that, yes, even they may face -- naive?
Helena, Mont.: Regarding sexism, wasn't it a woman in South Carolina who asked McCain "how do we stop the bitch?" I think one reason why sexism is alive and well is that so many high-profile women -- Anne Coulter, Laura Schlessinger and Phyllis Schlafly come to mind -- enable it. They either bring it up themselves or approve it when others do.
Ruth Marcus: I totally agree., it should stop. That woman was disgraceful, and it was really jarring -- she was an older woman, very elegantly dressed, etc., and should have known better.
Washington: I appreciated the points you made in your column today. I also think the charges of sexism -- and racism, for that matter -- have been overblown in the Democratic primaries. But I do have one thought -- plenty of Obama supporters disparaged Hillary's "experience" by dismissing her as only being First Lady. It seems to me that many wives who don't work outside the home but may have gained a great deal of knowledge about their husband's business would find that offensive.
washingtonpost.com: The Ground Clinton Broke (Post, May 21)
Ruth Marcus: Hmm, interesting -- that may be a demographic that he does not do well with. Having covered Clinton in the White House for a bit, I thought that it did not make a lot of sense, tactically or based on the facts, to disparage her experience there.
Pelham, N.Y.: Are you concerned about the main stream media's role in the election outcome, with their lack of investigative reporting about the candidates and the presentation of opinion masquerading as news? The bedrock of our democracy is a free and fair media. There is pro-Obama bias -- particularly on MSNBC and CNN -- with a strong bias against Sen. Clinton. I actually don't think it is because she is a woman, it is because she is her own person and can't be bought by the big businesses that own the TV, radio and newspaper outlets. They are using gender as a smokescreen to get what they want. What is going on is very dangerous to our democracy.
Ruth Marcus: I think there has been a lot of good investigative reporting, but there can always be more of it, and I would also like to see more serious substantive reporting about policy. As a person who now makes her living expressing opinions, but spent a lot of years on the news side trying to suppress them and be as fair as possible, I sometimes am appalled by what I hear on cable TV (and on talk radio, for that matter). I think there is a very dangerous merging of news/opinion there.
Niles, Mich.: I am glad that some of the media still mention pioneering women who have run for president -- young voters and pre-voters seem to be getting a biased "Campaign Update" that mentions repeatedly that Hillary is the "first." There is a lack of coverage of Shirley Chisholm and Elizabeth Dole as viable candidates, at least for primary voters!
Ruth Marcus: Sorry, but they didn't turn out to be very viable.
To Oviedo, Fla.: I'm a 48-year-old married mother of a son, and last year felt torn among Clinton, Edwards and Obama. Like a lot of women, I have complex and conflicting feelings about Hillary Clinton, and ultimately have become an Obama enthusiast. The sexism in the campaign, particularly early on, was horrifying, and led a number of my fellow feminist friends to vote for her. Her divisiveness and pandering totally turned me off. That said, I would vote for her in a heartbeat if she somehow won the nomination. Ending the destruction of the past eight years is a lot more important than my own disappointment.
Ruth Marcus: An interesting journey. I wonder if some people ended up going in the other direction as they got angrier about sexism?
Winnipeg, Canada: I don't agree with the chatter who characterizes Obama as the most liberal candidate. I have seen an analysis of the two Democrat senators' voting records that shows him to be more conservative than Clinton, and almost as conservative as McCain. I also have seen an analysis of the American voters that showed them to be more liberal than either candidate in 2004. Besides, a candidate's place on the political spectrum isn't the only valid criterion -- which would you prefer, a liberal dolt or a conservative crook? A conservative who is totally indecisive, or a liberal who makes every decision according to partisan interest?
Ruth Marcus: I would find it hard to make the argument based on voting records in the state and U.S. Senate that he is more conservative than Clinton, and certainly not "almost as" conservative as McCain.
Seattle: You may not wish to speculate on this, but how has the Democratic campaign been affected by the "racism vs. sexism" dynamic, wherein each candidate has an -ism to call upon? How would the campaign have been different if this were not the case?
Ruth Marcus: Hard to say in the brief span of a chat, impossible to know in the heat of the moment. I think we'll be writing about that for months, if not years, to come, and I'm not set enough in my thinking yet to say. Sorry to be wishy-washy.
Not a question, just a gripe: I'm a youngish woman (27 years old) and I've considered myself a feminist for a long time. I thank women like Sen. Clinton for creating a climate in which every woman more easily can choose her own fate. However, when I hear Clinton or her surrogates crying sexism lately, it just makes me cringe. Ms. Clinton came into this primary race the front-runner with extremely strong name recognition, an enviable fundraising machine behind her, and claims that she was the inevitable candidate. Throughout her career in Washington, Clinton has been held to a double standard because of her gender or her unwillingness to adhere to traditional gender roles or identities, but she came into this race with many advantages that transcended these ideas. This race was hers to lose.
Clinton knew the math -- she knew coming into this race that she had negatives with the media and voters that she needed to overcome, and she knew how the delegates and eventually the nomination could be won. When everybody follows the rules and you lose, or when you aren't getting the press that you want when you're running a campaign that is mathematically nonviable, you cannot in good faith blame the sexist attitudes of others for your own failings. It ain't sexist ... it's politics.
Ruth Marcus: I agree with pretty much every word you said here, even though I'm an old-ish woman. There has been sexism in this campaign, but it's not the reason for the outcome. If anything, she was helped by the preponderance of women voters in the Democratic primaries.
Dryden, N.Y.: Very interesting column. My twentysomething lawyer daughter and I (middle-aged woman who always has worked) frequently have viewed this election with an eye for sexism. It definitely has been there. Still, as a woman who was sexually harassed in "the bad old days," I cannot get past the way Sen. Clinton condoned (and enabled) her husband's sexual harassment of women in the workplace going back to Arkansas. How do you reconciled this very big contradiction?
Ruth Marcus: Boy, President Clinton always complicates the equation, doesn't he? I think you're going too far in saying she "condoned and enabled" harassment -- but I would point you to a very smart piece that my late friend Marjorie Williams wrote for Vanity Fair about the unattractive phenomenon of feminists staying quiet about President Clinton's behavior.
Washington: Regarding people who wear "Iron My Shirt" T-shirts to Clinton rallies, isn't this just merely reflective the typical gender conflict we see in almost every television commercial, in which a white suburban dad usually is portrayed as a moron?
Ruth Marcus: A lovable moron, maybe. Look, "Iron My Shirt" is intended to demean. It's not funny -- and I say this as someone who actually likes to iron.
Columbus, Ohio: As a follow up to the earlier post, I fully appreciate that racism and sexism are equally offensive. I don't think there's many who would disagree with you. But what do you think the reasons are behind society diminishing the offensiveness of sexism? It seems much of the sexism/racism commentary I've seen focuses on the what -- that there's a disparity in offensiveness -- as opposed to getting to the why, which seems like a more interesting and valuable question.
Ruth Marcus: You're right -- I think people do think it's "safer" to make the joke, partly because there is so much less tolerance for racism these days (that's somewhat circular but plays a role, I think). The flashing danger signs that enter people's minds when race is involved don't necessarily come up when gender is implicated, partly because of familiarity: some of their best friends, or best wives, or best daughters, are women -- so how could anyone view them as sexist? My theories, anyway.
Anonymous: Personally, I'm tired of Obama playing the victim. First he says Wright is his "spiritual mentor" -- he said that, the press and his opponents didn't. Then, when Wright is exposed, suddenly it's very unfair to associate his comments/beliefs with those of Obama. He made the "bittergate" comments -- the press and his opponents didn't -- but it's unfair to call him on those either. His wife claims America is a "mean country" and makes other comments that sound like she agrees with Wright. She's speaking in his campaign, apparently to get people to vote for him, and no one put words in her mouth -- but again, it's unfair to ask her to explain herself.
Ruth Marcus: I'm not sure I would lump this all under the rubric of victimhood.
Seattle: I was disturbed by the Post columnist Kathleen Parker, who writes about Obama not being a full-blooded American, how people who trace their ancestry back further in the U.S. are more worthy, and how Obama and Edwards are "girly" -- and insults Clinton as well for being steelily unfeminine. Opinion is one thing, but this is racist and sexist -- not worthy of The Post -- and contributes (particularly given the source, a reputable paper) to the unnecessary nastiness that goes on in the campaign (and American life in general). Why is The Post doing this?
washingtonpost.com: The Democrats Hug It Out (Post, May 17)
Ruth Marcus: I need to go back and reread the column. It didn't jump out at me that way, but I know it has created some controversy. Kathleen Parker is not a regular Post columnist, by the way, though she is syndicated by the Washington Post Writer's Group.
Re: "Merging of news/opinion": I would agree with you there, but would also like to offer an alternative: Stop pretending that there isn't one. Take the leash off media personalities to make it clear: "Yes! This is my opinion and my analysis and I'm reporting on it because I'm interested in the subject." It's situations where journalists keep saying that there is man behind the curtain that really turns people off, and it's one of the strengths of "The Daily Show"/"The Colbert Report" that endlessly mock those denials.
Ruth Marcus: Sorry, I'm old-fashioned on this. Of course you can't -- at least I can't -- ever be completely objective, but there is a difference between trying hard and just throwing it all to the winds and filtering everything explicitly through the lens of your own biases. If we don't have people trying -- trying! -- to offer unbiased reporting of facts, what are people going to use to form their opinions? Even in the age of the Internet, we can't all rely on primary sources all the time.
New York: What do you think of Geraldine Ferraro's comment about voting for McCain?
Ruth Marcus: My first reaction was to say "stupid," but I think I'll revise that to "ill-advised." Does she really think that John McCain's White House would be better for the things she believes in than Barack Obama's? Hillary Clinton doesn't!
Winston-Salem, N.C.: You article makes some very good points, but I would like to say that in my opinion Hillary Clinton has not been treated fairly -- especially by the media. I don't know if that is because she is a woman or if it is because she is a Clinton, but I have seen so many negative articles about her during this entire process. I thought the "Saturday Night Live" skit of the debate right before Ohio and Texas was right on.
As a woman, you can't deny that it is very sad that it's business as usual, the good ol' boys win again. I have been so unhappy with women who have told me that "a man really should be president"! As a young male myself, I'm very disappointed in how this primary season has turned out and until Obama asks Clinton to be vice president, I don't know what I'm going to do come November.
Ruth Marcus: I think it is impossible to tweeze apart what piece of press hostility -- and there is some -- is Clinton-related and what part is gender-related. But a few loud apples really have distorted the perception of the whole bunch.
Arlington, Va.: To the Californian who thinks Hillary was elected because of the "Clinton" after her name, I'm a New Yorker, and we vote for the person not for the name ... or maybe they just vote for movie stars out there in Shallowland? Geez! Hillary is great!
Ruth Marcus: Ooh, is there a new -ism called Coast-ism? I think we've just seen an example of it.
Santa Fe, N.M.: What is missing in this summary of your observation is the class differences between the candidates. Clinton found her way to those more often underrepresented. This is not simply women and men wanting a candidate who sees them in their lives. Hillary spoke to women who still are seen as girls and men who are seen as the work horses, neither meriting equality in the work place.
Their work places are not in corporate offices or universities -- they are the people pouring your coffee or diverting traffic in the orange vests. These people are no seasoned politicos, but they show up with their votes for Hillary Clinton. I agree that her run is not totally together, but in spite of the some off-color treatment and her response, Hillary is doing a great job as a serious candidate. I for one am very proud to support this effort.
Ruth Marcus: I agree, the exit polls show striking differential in educational status, income of Clinton vs. Obama supporters, and not necessarily what I would have predicted at the start of the campaign. For instance, the idea that Clinton had more appeal to working-class women than to highly-educated women was not obvious to me.
Re: Disparity of Offensiveness: In this age of "Girls Gone Wild," Paris Hilton and "Sex and the City" -- all examples of women putting themselves in less than honorable or respectable situations -- doesn't it make it more difficult for the public to take a female candidate seriously?
Ruth Marcus: Really, without endorsing any of those, I don't think so. It's also an age of women on the Supreme Court, as Secretary of State, in (a few, anyway) Fortune 500 companies. And, as I wrote, I think this campaign goes a long way to helping the public take a female candidate seriously. They did!
48-year-old married mother: I don't know anyone who made the journey in the other direction (from Obama or Edwards to Clinton). I personally found Obama's hopeful message to be really inspiring, and like the way he has dealt openly with race as a factor in his life. I think that racism is more acceptable than sexism, because it is easier and more common to live in a segregated world than in a world without the opposite sex. Everyone has a mother, daughter, sister, etc.; not every white person has a black friend to whom they are close and whose encounters with racism are made clear and poignant. I do agree with you that things have improved immeasurably in the last 20 years. Look at the awful coverage Geraldine Ferraro got during the 1984 campaign -- she never was taken seriously, unlike Hillary Clinton.
Ruth Marcus: Anyone who went the opposite way? Bueller?
Richmond, Va.: The thing I find most shocking about the Clinton campaign is there seeming ridicule of "educated" voters. Yesterday Bill Clinton derided Hillary's opponents as having college degrees and being out of touch elitists. Since when is the lack of an education something to be proud of? I fear that the Clinton campaign strategy values the dumbing-down of America, and that is exactly the kind of electorate that allows a guy like Bush to get elected and re-elected. Your thoughts?
Ruth Marcus: I missed his comments so I'll withhold my own judgment ... until I'm back in a few weeks. Until then, thank you, as always, for the careful reading and interesting questions.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Washington Post opinion columnist Ruth Marcus discusses her recent columns and the latest news.
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Every comment string on any story about the Democratic nomination process contains suggestions that Sen. Barack Obama has benefited greatly from media bias but has suffered because of racism. Every story also draws comments that suggest Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a victim of misogyny. The comments on this morning's stories on the Kentucky and Oregon primaries are no exception.
In case you missed it, Clinton swept Kentucky and Obama won easily in Oregon. Those results had been widely predicted, and Dan Balz wrote today that "The odds against Clinton are now so long that it would take a near-miraculous change... to alter the trajectory that Obama is on to clinch the nomination next month."
Columnist Ruth Marcus weighed in on that near certainty by saying "Clinton managed to win more votes than any primary candidate in either party ever had before. It's hard to square that result with the notion that her candidacy exposed a deep vein of misogyny."
And Dana Milbank dropped in on Kentucky to "...take a sip of the Clinton Kool-Aid and listen to Bill Clinton explain how Obama's status as the presumptive nominee is a media fabrication."
First for the comments on the Balz story. We'll start with a different type of complaint, fromjayvan24, who said, "The only interesting fact in this long story--stuffed with generalities we have all read dozens of times--would have been the actual vote count. The headline says "landslide." That could be anything from a 10-point lead on up. What in blazes is the vote-count."
The numbers are provided, but not in the text of the story, partly because the exact numbers are moving targets for hours and even days after an election, even though the winner is known and the reporters have gone home. But we also didn't make the best available current number easy to find. There are separate links on the home page to results in Kentucky and Oregon, but those links are not provided on the article page and many readers come directly to the article page without going through the home page. We can do better here.
VirginiaConservative said, "It is so delicious to witness the schizophrenic madness on the left over this. Whats a lefty to do? Women are so important - unless they are being ravaged in muslim countries and killed in China. Blacks are so important - unless they are up for an important nomination - or being murdered by the hundreds of thousands in Darfur... Which ever way the nomination goes, there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." titindgp said, "By all counts, vote count, delegate count, state count, super-delegate count - Barack is ahead. Clinton's are once again lying about the popular vote; counting Michigan. Well how many popular votes did Obama get out of Michigan - 0. Ohhhhh forgot, his name was not on the ballot!"
Jaymand wrote, "Clinton is clearly the stronger candidate. Yet the granola eating radicals of the party push forward this neophyte candidate that has no credentials what so ever to be president of the United States... Obama cannot win the general election."
NobleDog agrees, saying, "Hillary is like money in the bank for McCain. While she slugs it out with Obama, McCain assembles his organization, banks money and as Bush would say, "strategerizes" for the general election. She does not give a flip for the Dem party. It is all about her "entitlement."..."
asoders22 wrote, "...If Obama is going to campaign against McCain in the fall, he will need a lot of advice. If he ends up president, he will need even more... He is making a lot of mistakes and he is being far too condescending, giving in to his impulse to use jargon that connects him to the youthful and academic voters but leaves so many others out."
But Flabergasted said, "...These are both excellent candidates (which is why this is going on for so long). I'll vote for whichever one is the nominee... Stop arguing..."
howdy999 wrote, "Hillary is pounding the pavement, putting in 16 hour days, meeting people face-to-face, standing in front of factories at 5:00 am. Obama... flies in to some urban center, gives a one hour speech, and then flies out... Then the media plasters the front page with his image and screams deliriously for Hillary to get out."
snowy2 said, "The less educated white voters so smugly dismissed here and elsewhere will have the last laugh in November. Given the choice between a smooth talking lawyer and an old soldier whom do you think will come out on top?"
morningglory51 wrote, "Obama still has a problem with white, working class voters in the Midwest, that's a fact... That's a mighty big section of America to just write off."
All comments on the Balz article are here.
Now to the Ruth Marcus column.
joeparadis wrote, "...You state--I agree--that Clinton did not lose because of sexism and you go on to minimize sexism's impact. Yet you say at the end that women face an achingly long ascent. I think your logic represents the conflicts of reality. Hillary did get the bubba vote and there is still a glass ceiling--me thinks, however,the whole room is being rebuilt. What a complicated world we live in--thanks Hillary for making it more livable."
pramanathan said, "Great job defending pathetic circus known as Main Stream Media..."
blankinships declared that "The only thing that held Hillary back was her personality, which gave her her negatives. Gender was never a factor. America is ready for a woman president."
alance said, "This extremely long primary season is proof that white liberal guilt for racism, slavery and lack of opportunities is more important to them than gender and equal rights for women. Women are often their own worst enemy. Women are taught to be guilty before they are toilet trained."
All comments on the Marcus column are here.
Finally to Milbank' Washington Sketch:
brewstercounty wrote, "I was in KY for the last week helping with the Clinton campaign. There are many great people there who have nothing in common with Washington Post writers. That is a good thing. I would rather be with them any time."
But PrussianBlue1 said, "Hillary Clinton--the candidate of the old feminists, the dumb racists, and Bill's friends. Include me out."
aztecterp wrote, "What really hurts us is that there are states like West Virginia, PA, and Kentucky where people are so anti Black, where people refuse to vote for a person because of his skin color. If I were a Black person, I would never want to visit those areas. It's truly disgusting. It shows one how important education is."
WestVirginian said, "...How funny, when White Voters cast their ballots for a White Candidate over a Black Candidate by 60%, the media calls them BIGOTS. When Black Voters cast their ballots for a Black Candidate by 99% nothing is said about bigotry. Using these statistics and the same rationale it would seem the BLACK VOTERS ARE BIGOTS."
But tcroan asked, "Could someone point me to the story in which Clinton condemns the West Virginia voters who confessed that Obama's race was a factor in their decision to vote for her?"
ichief wrote, "This is a sick, disgusting article that shows contempt for women, the state of Kentucky, and Hillary Clinton, the first viable female candidate for the presidency in our nation's history. I can't believe the Washington Post would publish such despicable garbage."
And jake10 said, "I live in KY and don't drink the Clinton Kool-Aid. You nailed it Dana!"
All comments on Milbank's sketch are here.
By Doug Feaver | May 21, 2008; 9:50 AM ET Clinton , Obama , Presidential Politics Previous: Democratic Disunity | Next: Oil Price Shock and Blame
Most negros have been spoonfed that they have to vote for obama. And they all follow inline like lambs to the slaughter. McCain needs to get down wit the bros. to win this election.
McCain needs to adress the problems that black people face... So many of them are drug addics, illetirate, un-employed and on
welfare and robbing people and having too many babies. We need to solve their problems to make our streets safer and not
Just because "Osama" is a negro dosnt mean he can fix their problems. Yeah, and what have the f*cking demoncrats done for
the country lately besides give more free gub'mint cheese to the negroes? At least big john isnt a secret muslim trying to
overthrow tridishinal family values like "osama" obama!!!
Posted by: | June 7, 2008 12:31 AM
Posted by: fkyrsfjkuq | June 6, 2008 11:17 AM
I personally feel that Obama will be a great leader than Clinton and Bush.He is one of them who effected worstly by rasism row---------------------------- jimmy
Suffering from an addiction. This website has a lot of great resources and treatment centers. http://www.treatmentcenters.org
Posted by: jimmy | June 4, 2008 12:38 AM
Posted by: za75fbo16b | June 3, 2008 11:08 PM
Clinton has taken Kentucky and Obama is right there in Oregon. The Democratic race for nomination is still very much alive - and most likely to be decided by superdelegates - as CNN points out clearly
If you're tired of waiting around for those super delegates to make a decision already, go to LobbyDelegates.com and push them to support Clinton or Obama
If you haven't done so yet, please write a message to each of your state's superdelegates at http://www.lobbydelegates.com
Sending a note to current Obama supporters lets them know it's appreciated, sending a note to current Clinton supporters can hopefully sway them to change their vote to Obama, and sending a note to the uncommitted folks will hopefully sway them to vote for Obama. It's that easy...
Clinton Supporters too .... !
It takes a moment, but what's a few minutes now worth to get Clinton in office?! Those are really worth !
Sending a note to current Clinton supporters lets them know it's appreciated, sending a note to current Obama supporters can hopefully sway them to change their vote to Clinton, and sending a note to the uncommitted folks will hopefully sway them to vote for Clinton. It's that easy...
Posted by: feeba | May 29, 2008 4:08 AM
Posted by: xxx young girls | May 27, 2008 10:20 AM
This was posted: "Bill and Hillary Clinton operate like the Democratic version of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. No dirty trick is too low. In addition, Bill Clinton had much fewer accomplishments in his eight years than either Jimmy Carter or George Bush senior had in their four years each."
Name the "tricks" sir. Name them, with links to sources. (sound of crickets)
Ane here's a link for the person who wrote that, since he obviously isn't aware of Bill Clinton's accomplishments. http://pearlyabraham.tripod.com/htmls/bill-legacy2.html To name a few Highest Homeownership Rate in History, Over 21 Million New Jobs, Moving From Record Deficits to Record Surplus, Fastest and Longest Real Wage Growth in Over Three Decades, ETC. ETC.
Posted by: Tom | May 26, 2008 6:33 PM
"If you review the website for the leading organization for women (National Organization of Women) you CLEARLY see their choices to fight not only for women's rights, but against racism, homophobia, economic injustice, etc"
In other words just another far-left extremist group.
Posted by: Lewis Loflin | May 23, 2008 2:25 AM
I've asked several passionate Obama supporters to name one thing he's done in the Senate that would persuade them to vote him in as President. They can't name one. But they're sure he'll make a great president. Yikes! Are we that stupid to dream up a Wonder Boy and expect him to deliver? He's a joke. He started off big because those Iowans can't handle a strong woman unless she's making pie in the kitchen. Give me a break. Hillary is by far the best candidate and has shown that she can actually get things done.
Posted by: Dazed and Confused | May 22, 2008 8:40 PM
PREVIUOS QUOTE: "Sexism vs. Racism! Are we REALLY surprised we've arrived to this level of analysis? I, for one (as a liberal white man), stand by my sisters. If you review the website for the leading organization for women (National Organization of Women) you CLEARLY see their choices to fight not only for women's rights, but against racism, homophobia, economic injustice, etc. (the sections are easily seen and identified). If you visit the leading African American organization's website (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) you do NOT find clear choices that support women's rights, gay rights, etc. Their subsections speak of youth, education, economics, etc. but they don't seem to care for women or gays (not even black women or gays)."
That's bogus logic that assumes a white male (without an "official" organization) would not fight for those very same things under the consitutional right of ALL CITIZENS. This kind of pissing contest serves no purpose and word-smithing website mission statements is as naiive as many have called Obama.
To evaluate the candidacy of a person based on such a microscopic set of wording of divergent organizations which happen to have one or the other as part of it's demographics is not only naiive, but laughably so. It is simply a way of convincing ones self that they are being "logical" instead of "emotional" about their selection. We've seen that level of self-delucsion for 8 years with George Bush.
But, as usual with the Democrats, they just don't practice what they preach. Sure, it's all a love-fest between all the diverse factions, until there's power at stake. Then they turn into the very power-hungry, dirty political tactics they've claimed so long was the GOP domaine. No matter who wins, if it's a Democrat, this stank will not wash off as easily as they seem to think it will. Geraldine demolished a political lifetime of accomplsihment with a serious case of "political victimzation". Then tried to cast the blame elsewhere.
You know she was really right about some things, and dubious in motive and stupid in execution.
Posted by: | May 22, 2008 3:59 PM
If Hillary genuinely is the better candidate, why is she running a terrible campaign? Is she going to run the country the same way she ran her campaign? That's something to think about. She might not be such a great executive after all considering everything that's happened within the last year.
Posted by: dcp | May 22, 2008 11:28 AM
All the backstabbing going on here reminds me of home.
Posted by: Barry Kritz | May 22, 2008 8:07 AM
Once again it is all about race....How about women are about 50% of the population and blacks are about 20% of the population, so it only makes sense that the black candidate should immediately be nominated over the woman. Blacks have been subjugated for 400 years, women, since Eden. Get in line!
Posted by: Sandoo | May 22, 2008 8:05 AM
Posted by: 28rnn54ssp | May 22, 2008 4:57 AM
Posted by: coding workshop ringtone | May 22, 2008 4:13 AM
See www.againsthillary.com and will you see how much of a pass the media and Obama have given Hllary Clinton.
When is the last time you heard a negative story about Hillary Clinton on broadcast television?
Heard of Rezko, yes. Heard of the Peter F. Paul lawsuit against the Clintons. No? why not? Depostions will be taken this year.
Media bias in favor of the Clintons. Obama, the media, and talk radio, have ignored most of negative stories about Clinton See below. www.againsthillary.com
The media repeats her false claim that she is winning the popular vote.
Note also the number of states Obama won by more than 35% but yet the media made little mention of Obama's huge spin.
Meanwhile one line will be taken from a Barack or Michelle Obama speech, distorted in meaning, and repeated to public thousands of times.
Case in point the Michelle Obama in Madison speech, where she says really proud of my country. Take a listen and note the applause. Note also Obama won by "white working class" Wisconsin by nearly 200,000 votes.
Here what she actually said.
ABC spliced togther that greatest hits piece of Rev. Wright. Can't even count how many times that was played. Now you have people think those snippets of 3 sermons were repeated every Sunday over the last 30 years. Wright confirmed that Obama was not in church for those 3 sermons. Obama was in chuch for Audacity to Hope. Listen to the sermon.
Nafta-gate Canadian Broadcast corporation exonerates Obama and said the Clinton campaign contacted their embassy, not Obama.
Snubgate, After the state union speech Obama turned to answer a question from Senator Clair McCaskill. The New York Times and ABC cropped McCaskill out of the picture and accussed Obama of turning away from Hillary Clinton.
Posted by: Mr. Unite Us | May 22, 2008 3:41 AM
There is quickness on the part of the black community to label anything that is not embraced by them as racist. Conversely, there is hesitancy to recognize when those of color make angry and racially derrogatory comments toward the white community that this too is racism. Perhaps, this is a part of the reason that Obama does not sell well among some white working class Americans. Michele Obama's thesis, some of Obama's comments from his own book as well as the Rev. Wright tends to feed into this dynamic. One questions the truthfulness of his rhetoric regarding acceptance of differences and his promise to unite rather than divide.
Posted by: SAL | May 22, 2008 1:58 AM
WestVirginian said, "...How funny, when White Voters cast their ballots for a White Candidate over a Black Candidate by 60%, the media calls them BIGOTS. When Black Voters cast their ballots for a Black Candidate by 99% nothing is said about bigotry. "
There's a mountain of difference between the two. Whites were never the property of others in America, nor subject to lynch law. Nobody judge ever said of that 'the white man has no rights which the black man is bound to defend.".Never was there a time when they were forced out of neighbourhoods to keep up the property values. Electing another white person at the expense of a black simply on the basis of skin colour is another instance of the history. Electing a black opens a new page, in which African Americans are seen as legitimate even for the highest office -- something that is not in doubt for whites.
The fact that you all miss this shows exactly why the West Virginia votes were tainted by open bigotry.
Posted by: Jenny | May 22, 2008 1:34 AM
snowy2 said, "The less educated white voters so smugly dismissed here and elsewhere will have the last laugh in November. Given the choice between a smooth talking lawyer and an old soldier whom do you think will come out on top?"
If there's one thing worse than a 'less educated voter' it's someone posturing as a better educated voter by using 'whom' in the wrong place.
Posted by: Jenny | May 22, 2008 1:26 AM
Why do the HRC supporters are livid that black people back Obama, but find no irony when women freely admit they are voting for Hillary because they want a woman president? When HRC runs as the first woman president? This makes my teeth hurt.
Posted by: Lynne | May 21, 2008 8:17 PM
Why all the hatred? Gender and race prejudices have occurred by Americans, both Black and White. Just because a woman votes for Clinton does not mean the woman voted simply because she and Clinton are women. Just because an African American votes for Obama does not mean that the African American voted for Obama simply because both he or she and Obama are Black. Did it ever occur to Americans that people believe in their candidate of choice to deliver the American Dream and make our lives better? Both Clinton and Obama are competing for the same goal, one will win, one will lose. Individual supporters for both candidates know why he or she chose either Clinton or Obama, which may not have anything to do with gender or race. Why has it not occurred to anyone that the most important thing in this election is to vote? Let your choice be known by casting your ballot. As for leading the country, both candidates have given their all to win the Democratic nomination and I would be honored to vote for either candidate in November. The challenges that both candidates faced were unimaginable, but they both perservered. If how either of the candidated ran his or her campaign is any indication as to how he or she will run our country, I say I cannot wait to cast my vote for the Democratic nominee in November.
Posted by: StopThe Hatred | May 21, 2008 8:08 PM
Joni, are you wearing a flag pin? Has it come to this, that your party, the party of Lincoln is reduced to a gadfly? Rush seems desperate to prove his relevance by way of Operation Chaos. What's good for him may well be the end of the GOP's relevance.
Posted by: jhbyer | May 21, 2008 6:41 PM
The way I see it is that the biggest problem in America is Racism. Not the economy, not the war. We can not function as a country as long as this exists. I believe that only bad things can come from Obama as President. We have already put ourselves in the position that he has to be nominated. If they choose Hilary, who is obviously the better canidate and would most likely beat Mccain in November. It becomes a racial issue. If Obama loses the election in November, again its going to be about race.
We have to let go of all this Politically Correct BS and except the world for what it really is. Accept it
Posted by: jb | May 21, 2008 6:14 PM
Bill and Hillary Clinton operate like the Democratic version of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. No dirty trick is too low. In addition, Bill Clinton had much fewer accomplishments in his eight years than either Jimmy Carter or George Bush senior had in their four years each. One of the many things that worries me about Hillary Clinton is that she is going to have an agenda to push through all the things that SHE would have liked to have done in the 1990s, whether the country is ready for it or not or can pay for it or not. Anyone who is so eager to wield that kind of power is exactly the person you would NOT want to be president. Most of the Democratic party establishment opposes the Clintons- ever consider why? This is why.
Posted by: George Robertson | May 21, 2008 5:22 PM
Posted by: Ash | May 21, 2008 5:02 PM
Lets face it boys and girls - this race is about race. It is about the hypocrisy of race. The left is soooo ready for this to be over so they can stop pretending one of their two candidates is a racist and concentrate on the real racists - the right.
You know, the party which unprecedentedly appointed two black Americans to the post of Secretary of State. The party which nominated - against a liberal firestorm of smears - Clarance Thomas to the supreme court. Too be fair, JFK appointed Marshall, but then JFK was as far removed from today's left wing as was Ronald Reagan. Ask not what your country can do for you,,,, would be labeled a far right wing hate speech today.
Where was I, oh yeah - race hypocrisy. Remember Howard Dean's idiotic comment about the only colored people at an RNC function would be the kitchen staff? Wow, that opened checkbooks didn't it? Of course, the left is happy to ignore that a black American is not sitting in Howard's chair, aren't they. It seems the kitchen staff analogy fits the left much better than the right. Demonstrably so.
So, while you lefties hold your noses and call each other names - don't run out of race baiting bullets. You will need them whenever this kabuki theater plays out and you go after the biggest racist of all.
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 4:56 PM
I truly find it hard to believe that all these people with college educations would vote for someone who will lose in Nov. without Hillary. Plus, he is not experienced. That is scary. I am college educated and wealthy. I don't understand what the Obama supporters are thinking. ??
Posted by: Mom | May 21, 2008 4:44 PM
If you are "truly" a Democrat and not a "fan" then common sense will prevail and you will support the party regardless of who the nominee is. Hate speech,sexist talk and votes rooted in racism is more about individual character and upbringing. You can't blame Obama for your hated of Blacks no more than the next man can hold HRC responsible for his dislike for women in positions of authority. It is unfortunate that these two candidates "un-corked" feelings and thoughts we have held on to for generations but managed to cover-up until now.There are those who are comfortable with chaos and disorder and there are those who are brave enough to acknowledge their anger there fear and want to break out from it. I am urging those of you "Democrats" who truly desire change to stand up and say enough of the percentages and the endless bickering we have a common cause ; healthcare,jobs,mortgage crisis, Iraq war and we have an opportunity to put stop to this by uniting behind a Democrat for the office of President regardless of who it is.
Posted by: Robert | May 21, 2008 4:32 PM
Now we read (on cnn) that Hillary is being urged to reject the votes of "racists." I suppose that means anyone who doesns't vote for Obama. Can we get Obama to reject his racist cabals? You know, the ones who are only voting for him because he isn't white?
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 4:31 PM
OBAMA: Poor judgement - Hamas, Cuba etc. Little experience in Senate Black Liberation Theology Bittergate Bill Ayers Caucus leader Rev. Wright Resko Flag pin Can't win the working class voters Majority of pledged delegates
CLINTON: Lifetime of experience serving America Re-elected to second term in Senate Winner of the popular vote Winner of Largest states Winner of swing states Winner of Red states Wins working class vote Won Florida and Michigan without campaigning Leads in support from women Knows many world leaders personally Can BEAT McCain Stronger with the electoral vote already Tough, tenacious, a real fighter
Now, if the democrats want to win the White House in November they can shoot themselves in the foot going with Obama or go with a winner - SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON
Posted by: Joni | May 21, 2008 4:13 PM
I think if she tells all people who are voting for her in order to not vote for Obama (because he is black) as requested by David Gergen (CNN) then Obama should ask anyone who is voting for him only because he is black not to vote for him as well.
Posted by: Chris | May 21, 2008 4:13 PM
Psaw wrote: Taxonomy at work, keeping Obama, a man with small accomplishments, at the fore while a more competent and experienced woman - have a generation older - is expected to step aside, quite early, give the boy his moment.
There is no test for who is qualified. It's just our own opinion of who would be best. To try to analyze who is the better candidate is somewhat futile. Obama has qualities I see that she doesn't have (in my opinion) and these are vital enough to garner my support. Experience comes in many ways and can't always be quantified on a resume. His view of the problems we have and his attitude in resolving them appeals to me. I believe he is quite capable of finding the solutions we need. After all, every president has hundreds of advisors and technicians to support them. Hillary is okay but appears to be more of a politician than a statesman. But I would pick her in a heart beat over McCain. I wonder how many people are locked into the mindset that we finally have a qualified woman candidate and we aren't to be denied? I was a Hillary fan for as much the idea of why not give a woman a chance. After all its a given she would be infinitely better than Bush. But Obama shouldn't be considered a skunk at the garden party. After all we all want the best candidate we can find to support don't we? Irrespective of gender or color right? If one is going to champion the cause of Hillary because she is a woman then you better not complain of all the past sexism we have endured. You can't have it both ways.
Posted by: Patrick | May 21, 2008 4:05 PM
Posted by: PacificGatePost | May 21, 2008 4:04 PM
It's about time you put aside your pride and emotion and think deep and hard before nursing what will clearly amount to a dumb decision like vote for McCain or stay home or write in Hillary.
You may think you are doing Hillary a favor, but in reality, not only are you digging her political grave but that of Chelsea as well.
Hillary and her supporters will be held 100% responsible if the dems looses this election.
Obama's supporter's and other progressives nation-wide will never forget if you help derail this golden opportunity to put an end 8 years of Bush/Cheney/McCain nightmare.
Posted by: JmBoye | May 21, 2008 4:03 PM
It amazes me that Obama supporters classify anyone who supports Hillary Clinton is white, uneducated, and racist. They cannot conceive that a highly educated multicutrual person with a high income does not buy his empty rhetoric and constant back pedaling.
Posted by: Mary | May 21, 2008 4:00 PM
What's the difference between working class whites in Oregon and Kentucky? One voted for Obama and one voted for Clinton. It is all cultural. People in Oregon are comfortable with people that are from different backgrounds Kentucky is not.
There are segments in this country that are still stuck in 1950. Anyone that does not recognize this divide has been under a rock. This does not mean that ALL people are bad. You just have pockets of "undesirables" in ALL races.
Posted by: ELuv | May 21, 2008 3:48 PM
....Democrats are the party of victims and special interests. Of course it's candidates are going to claim racism, sexism, and every other sympathy ploy in the book. Talk in broad cliches about "hope" and "change" and the evil GWB - but don't touch any real issues....
Are you kidding me?? The Republican Party doen't represent special interests??? Ever heard of corporate America and all their lobbyists that Republicans sleep with? Look at all the consultants McCain has gotten rid of in the past 2 weeks while he cleans house so as not to appear to have any lobbyists in his anti-lobbyist campaign.
The only real issue is to rectify the damage done by Bush/Cheney. Everything else Obama accomplishes is frosting on the cake.
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 3:46 PM
Barack Obama never said, "The evidence shows that Hillary's support among Americans, hard-working Americans, Black Americans is eroding. I have a much broader base according to those facts." Billary chose to play the race card. Barack started out avoiding the race issue as long as he could. Even blacks refused to support him at first. Even now he is trying hard not to portray himself as a "Black" candidate.
Posted by: dcp | May 21, 2008 3:38 PM
This is incredible to me. First - other black men have run in the primaries and have not been overwhelmingly supported by the black community - ie Rev Jesse Jackson and Rev. AL Sharpton. Could it be that they are voting for Sen. Obama because they believe in him and not just based on his race. Stop putting the black community on trial here - we have already proved that we don't just automatically support someone because they are the same race as we are. Secondly Senator Clinton may have had to deal with some mysogenistic suggestions but Senator Obama has had to deal with being accused of being Muslim (as if just being Muslim is some horrible thing), supporting terrorism being Anti-American, racism, sexism, every thing was thrown at him and now that he is ahead in the primary his campaign is being diminished by talk that the media somehow supported him and people were somehow against women????? Is this the same media that plastered Rev. Wright's remarks all over the TV, Internet and Newspapers for weeks???????
Its amazing how with every step this man takes in the primary someone is there to push the bar higher and make excuses for why he is winning that have nothing to do with the fact that he has run a good campaign.
Oh wait no - its just another day in the life of a black professional!
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 3:35 PM
States that had Democratic Party caucuses instead of primaries went for Obama - and the caucuses are not particularly "democratic" - I couldn't vote, because the machine-like schedule closed the window too early for people with fulltime work other than being an activist. I don't object to Obama because he's black - I'm just tired of 40-something boys running the planet - I see a mature woman who isn't as pretty as the man, and like shallow Americans, we go for the prettier face that talks nice. If Obama were in Clinton's place, no one would have the audacity to tell him to quit so the girl could go ahead: his maleness somehow trumps with an extra wallop with Dems because he's darker skinned than she is. If she were black, I'd still vote for her: we've had men, we've never had a woman - and that is the Great Taxonomy at work, keeping Obama, a man with small accomplishments, at the fore while a more competent and experienced woman - have a generation older - is expected to step aside, quite early, give the boy his moment.
Posted by: Practica1 | May 21, 2008 3:23 PM
Anybody running for office or voting in an election is naieve or ignorant to not realize that people vote against some candidates as much as they vote for others. And yes it's based on race, on sex, on all sorts of reasons. It's just the way humans are. And since no one is ever required to justify their choice before they vote then it doesn't really matter how they make up their mind. I think there are way too many misinformed and stupid voters that cast their vote for totally irrational reasons. But this is how we choose to do it and we all have to live with it. This is a comment on society not just our voting habits. It's how we normally live.
Posted by: Patrick | May 21, 2008 3:22 PM
Most of you are giving people way too much credit for intelligence and political savy. Most people don't know who their members of congress are. When I hear people saying they will vote for Hillary because she supports the gas tax holiday for the summer- with not plan to follow, I can rest easy that I won't be sparring with Mensa members anytime soon. Geraldine Ferraro is zipping around like Henny Penny squawking sexism and chauvinism- where the "bleep" has she been since- (oh, I know she taught at Harvard, and tried unsuccessfully twice to run for the Senate) - losing the VP race in 1984- but that race gave her a national platform and she did not use it- she's an old gas bag who thinks this alignment with Hillary is going to reserect her somehow. There are a lot of women both Republican and Democrat who don't like Hillary's sense of entitlement- being Senator is fine- but it's just as good at Obama being senator. Being the First Lady of Arkansas gives you experience in nothing. Being the First Lady of the US lets you prove you can be a diverting hostess. There are millions of women in the US who are successful business people, who have come up through the ranks, often raised children without help in the home, or chuaffers or a staff. These women resent her sense that she has all this experience-because the only thing she really has experience in is being embarrassed globally by her husband. I am fairly confident that if you got Bill on a lie-detector he would have to admit that he really doesn't want his wife to be president but is being "supportive" because he owes her. We need to keep this dynamic out of the White House at all costs.
Posted by: Millie Bea | May 21, 2008 3:19 PM
Racism and sexism are terms frequently misapplied to certain types of preferential voting. The essence of each is antipathy - a racist is AGAINST someone of a different race, belittles that individual, and wishes to exclude him or her from opportunity. On the other hand, when candidates are reasonably equal in qualifications, it is neither racist for an African American to be FOR the black candidate, nor sexist for a woman to prefer the female candidate, particularly since both groups have suffered past discrimination. Ideally, nothing but qualifications should matter, but the reality of personal preferences in helping members of a group gain their deserved share of recognition is understandable. More important, because it is based on fondness rather than hatred, it should never be confused with the reprehensible bigotry and desire to exclude that characterizes true racism or sexism.
Posted by: Fred Moolten | May 21, 2008 3:18 PM
RE: gayuccpastor - thanks for an interesting take on your position. However, neither NOW nor the NAACP are running candidates for president, the Democratic party is.
Do you really feel that Senator Obama's policies are constrained to those of the NAACP?
Posted by: John D in Houston | May 21, 2008 3:12 PM
Democrats are the party of victims and special interests. Of course it's candidates are going to claim racism, sexism, and every other sympathy ploy in the book. Talk in broad cliches about "hope" and "change" and the evil GWB - but don't touch any real issues.
Posted by: pgr88 | May 21, 2008 3:08 PM
Hillary Clinton is fooling her supporters. The Only reason she is staying in this race is to raise as much money as possible from her pissed of supporters and pay off debts.
Posted by: TechGuy | May 21, 2008 3:01 PM
So Obama won in Oregon..how come none of the press has reported that the photo of the huge crowd "waiting" for him was taken just after the Decemberists finished playing a free concert and before much of the crowd could leave?? Why abet Obama's consistent trickery which first began in IL when he orginally was 'elected' after using his usual tricks to dispose of the other legitimate candidates? He his a first-rate IL polititico all right
Posted by: jjb | May 21, 2008 2:30 PM
Rajesh said...Obama is winning because of the Republican party support. The dumb thing is the super-delegates are not seeing this and joining Obama's campaign. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wow, Obama is ahead becasue of Republican support and stupid super-delegates??? Thank God you finally figured this all out for us. We need to tell as many people as we can before its too late.
Posted by: Patrick | May 21, 2008 2:30 PM
@ Rajesh: So you believe Obama is winning because Republicans are voting for him? What planet are you living on? Do you really think those 75.000 cheering white people in Portland, Oregon were Republicans?
Posted by: Ergo Sum | May 21, 2008 2:25 PM
Donna said....Sen. Obama's hiring practices appear to be sexist and racist. Look at the composition of his senior staff and advisors. The seats at the Senator's table seem to be mostly filled by men.
So Donna would you like millions of voters to not for Obama due to your insight?? If you are pretty sure about this then I'll assume you are correct and vote against him.
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 2:25 PM
Jaxon is correct. Edwards lost and we're not hearing his supports cry racism or sexism.
But Obama supporters would be right to cry foul if his delegate lead is overturned.
Then you will have a guy who played by the rules getting robbed. I think that poses a much bigger threat than bitter Clinton supporters.
Don't forget Obama's got millions of supporter too.
Posted by: dada | May 21, 2008 2:03 PM
"Obama is winning because of the Republican party support" Rajesh
Hmmm, so they ran out of context sound bites of reverend Wright for two months every thirty seconds on Fox to GAIN support for Obama?, or encouraged their voters to cross-over to Clinton in operation chaos?
Sounds like a sound republican strategy to me.
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 1:59 PM
Racism? Mysogyny? Give me a break and quite whining!
The final two contenders for the Democratic nomination for PRESIDENT are WHO?
Folks, if your candidate doesn't win, don't play the role of a victim of some widespread social ill. They lost because the majority of people didn't like him/her. Period. Get over it. That's politics.
I voted for John Edwards. He lost. Period. Too bad I can't blame it on some form of victimization that makes it someone elses fault.
Criminy. We've been suffering through 8 years of HalliBush, Inc. and look where that got us!
Posted by: Jaxon | May 21, 2008 1:59 PM
By putting up a white woman against a black man, the politically ever-so-correct Democrats deliberately tried to provoke the misogynists, the feminists, and the racists. We will find out next November if that was a good idea. If McCain should win, there will be a lot of head scratchings and I-told-you-sos.
Posted by: Bodo | May 21, 2008 1:58 PM
"That took an inner strength far beyond anything most of us are capable of commanding" Rhodie
Got to agree with you there, while the party of "family values" ridiculed her for hanging with Bill I thought it was quite courageous of her to keep her family together and work through an incredibly embarrassing and hurtful time in her life.
Posted by: jr | May 21, 2008 1:54 PM
Obama is winning because of the Republican party support. The dumb thing is the super-delegates are not seeing this and joining Obama's campaign.
Posted by: Rajesh | May 21, 2008 1:52 PM
Diane, is it sexist for that the majority of women are voting for HC?
What if I protested that the female vote for HC is unfair to men? I think your answer would be that the choice has always been between men.And that the sole reason for this sexism.
Now, apply this same reasoning to your question about blacks and Obama.
The candidates have always been white. And the reason for that is racism. Afterall, blacks had to WIN the right to vote (to much opposition, I might add) and that was only a few decades ago. In fact, people died for blacks to have the right to vote.
And now you're shocked that blacks would fall behind a candidate that represents for them, the potential and success that should be available to all people regardless of race or gender?
When have blacks ever voted against a candidate because they were white? Kerry and Clinton won over 90% of the black vote. And Clinton started this race with the overwhelming majority of the black vote.
For the first time in history a black person has a chance at the presidency, and fools like you howl racism.
Just remember voting for someone out of pride is completely different than voting against someone because of predjudice.
Posted by: abu | May 21, 2008 1:51 PM
Hillary Clinton has won states that still think we are living in the 1950s. She keep mentioning that she is winning the white hard working Americans, but who she is really winning are those George Wallace, David Duke white folks who still wants the country divided by race. This is why the super delegates and regular delegates have gone to Mr. Obama. American will never heal with this kind of racisim still going and Hillary has taken this country back instead of forward with her campaign. African Americans have been voting for white men to be president in this country for years and now that man that is half African American and half white has the chance to be the President for all of the people and the Clintons and Geraldine Ferraro with her crazy self is taking this country backwards. Now Hillary is crying sexism, she will stoop to any low to try and get the nomination. The Clintons' don't own the White House and if they were decent people, she would try to end this campaign with some dignity left. Those poor working class confederate white folks that are voting for her, just don't know that she doesn't give a crap about them, Hillary is using them to get what she wants, but the Superdelegate and the American people are not falling for their scam this time.
Posted by: Sheila | May 21, 2008 1:49 PM
Sexism vs. Racism! Are we REALLY surprised we've arrived to this level of analysis? I, for one (as a liberal white man), stand by my sisters. If you review the website for the leading organization for women (National Organization of Women) you CLEARLY see their choices to fight not only for women's rights, but against racism, homophobia, economic injustice, etc. (the sections are easily seen and identified). If you visit the leading African American organization's website (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) you do NOT find clear choices that support women's rights, gay rights, etc. Their subsections speak of youth, education, economics, etc. but they don't seem to care for women or gays (not even black women or gays). The choice, while quite regrettable, is simply clear...women simply appear to more broadly fight for a range of oppressed peoples while the leading African Americans have not. As a pastor who cares about ALL people (and especially all people suffering from oppression) I must stand by the one who represent the hopes and dreams of women...and all oppressed peoples. I stand by Hillary (flaws and all - we all got 'em) May God be with us all during this difficult time of discernment.
Posted by: gayUCCpastor | May 21, 2008 1:49 PM
The last time we elected an inexperienced one-term Senator from Illinois, it led to secession and civil war. Millions died. Families and communities were torn apart.
And yet - we honor Abraham Lincoln as one of this country's greatest visionaries. Lacking experience, he was forced to rely on intelligence, and a broad grasp of the forces at play at that moment in America.
We could actually elect a Black President. I suspect that a lot of the bluster about voting for McCain rather than Obama will evaporate as November nears and White working-class voters - like myself - realize that McCain would be a disastrous choice. His bravery and service to his country are above reproach. His comprehension of foreign policy and economics are laughable. He would be entirely dependent upon the power structure created by - and fiercely loyal to - George II.
For the first time in American history, a viable female candidate for the presidency has emerged. During the entire Monica Lewinsky affair, Hillary faced more intense and unwanted personal attacks than any First Lady in history. She remained rational and loyal to her family at an extremely difficult time. That took an inner strength far beyond anything most of us are capable of commanding. To the cynics who accuse her of hanging with Bill for personal gain - I can only point to Chelsea as evidence of Hillary's sincerity. It's hard not to like Chelsea, and she may one day succeed where her mother will likely fail. You really can tell a lot about someone by their kids. Whatever you think of Bill and Hillary, they managed to raise a daughter who is strong, well-spoken, and clearly unimpressed with media credentials or approval.
I wonder what Lincoln would have thought of those who would base their vote on race or gender. In some ways, this election has put the vision of Abraham Lincoln to the test. Are we a nation united, or divided? Is this election, and what it implies about our most publicly-proclaimed ideals and aspirations, merely another "Us against Them" Monday-Night Football-style diversion? Do we really "hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.." as our Founding Fathers proclaimed?
In a less familiar line from the same document, one of the charges brought against the King of Great Britain was that "He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power." A similar charge could be leveled at Bush, and McCain is not likely to buck that trend.
Whatever transpires, it will be remembered in 200 years as a pivotal moment in history. I hope we, as a nation, can collectively set aside our emotional baggage, our sexist preferences, our racist rationalizations, and our team-sport mentalities just long enough to live up to our ideals, whatever we believe them to be.
You have one chance to speak that actually matters:
Posted by: rhoadie | May 21, 2008 1:47 PM
Do you know who Valerie Jarrett is? Some call her "the other half of Obama's brain.
If Obama was prejudiced against Hispanics then why would the Nation's leading Hispanic endorse him?
As for the Asians I don't have an answer better than perhaps he just couldn't find any readily available qualified Asians to fit in his campaign staff.
Posted by: jr | May 21, 2008 1:44 PM
Hey Donna1000, Just a comment but why do Americans, from NASA to TV shows to politics, automatically need to have a Black, a White, a Woman, and an Asian person appear on screen, be it a Sitcom, a news show, a spaceflight, whatever. You can't erase a hundred years of racism in a few years of TV. If I lived in Spain, or Germany, or Israel or Sudan or China or wherever, the NORMAL choice would be for a local. In the US, meaning a Black, a White, an Hispanic, a Polish, Irish, Romanian......etc person. What is with you people? America has all people. Founded by Europeans just a few hundred years ago. The melting pot
Posted by: justpassingby | May 21, 2008 1:42 PM
DO Clinton supporters realize she is lying to them?
About the real numbers, the Party's numbers, and about her status in general?
A little like "IS" Is, a little like travel gate, and Rose law firm papers and a dozen more Hillary whoppers. Dodging bullets being the most fun.
She is a liar. And she doesn' respect her woozey facts supporters.
Posted by: Truthie | May 21, 2008 1:42 PM
"Maybe some of the big, gaping holes in Sen. Obama's base wouldn't be there if he was hearing about the needs and perspectives of those groups from his senior staff and advisors. If you don't give people a seat at the table, you can't understand their needs and respond to them" Donna1000
If you are talking about working-class whites then consider that one candidate turned down large sums of money to work for a below-poverty wage upon graduating from college to help steel workers in Pittsburg re-train themselves to find work, while another candidates life story has nothing in common with the working class and has nothing on record that I know of that demonstrates the willingness or action, or sacrifice to do anything meaningful for the blue collar worker.
Guess which candidate is which.
Posted by: jr | May 21, 2008 1:33 PM
"Maybe some of the big, gaping holes in Sen. Obama's base wouldn't be there if he was hearing about the needs and perspectives of those groups from his senior staff and advisors. If you don't give people a seat at the table, you can't understand their needs and respond to them" Donna1000
If you are talking about working-class whites then consider that one candidate turned down large sums of money to work for a below-poverty wage upon graduating from college to help steel workers in Pittsburg re-train themselves to find work, while another candidates life story has nothing in common with the working class and has nothing on record that I know of that demonstrates the willingness or action, or sacrifice to do anything meaningful for the blue collar worker.
Guess which candidate is which.
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 1:33 PM
Sure we all loved Bill but this is about her, not him.
*HRC applies credits for her time in the WH as actual working experience. She takes credit for all of the good and none of the bad.
*I was turned off by the SC comments and Bill's behavior, but still willing to vote for her in the fall. She has since done even greater damage with her comments of the past few weeks.
*She votes for the war, then could not admit that she was wrong.
*She has presented the sterotypical female qualities of being mean, petty, and vindictive.
*She lies---and lies about lying.
*She is a poor general and ran a sucky campaign. She should have locked this up a long time ago, but she let Obama eclipse her. Gotta give it to him for having the right team and a great plan. This give me great confidence in him as a leader.
*She is working doubly hard to put the thought in voters minds that Obama cannot win. Interesting to see how she brings her supporters back from the brink of McCain. I believe that true Dems will vote Dem in NOV. The rest? Probably couldn't bank on them in either case.
Someone keeps posting about black voters voting for Obama. When Bill Clinton got the majority black vote, what did that make us then? Don't worry about us, we will do the right thing in Nov.
Some people vote for the obvious reasons, but the rest of us use our intelligence. Don't you think that after months of campaigning, 20+ debates and access to the internet that blacks have had a chance to compare the candidates and make an educated decision. Geez. He is a great candidate and is worthy of our support.
Posted by: AA Woman not voting for HRC | May 21, 2008 1:33 PM
When you vote someone, at least you should have enough trust.
Anti-Iraq-war is the only credit for Obama. But not so sure now whom he stands for after all Uncle Wright-like connections. It will take time to prove rather than just divorcing one after another.
What else are SO FAR LEFT? "The Emperor''s New Clothes"
One see the clothes. One see the color. One see the body.
Are you thoughtful or simply over exicted about the new clothes?
No blame if you admire the body. No blame if you see the color. But those who design the new clothes? Not more than a bunch of political guys.
Posted by: jy2008 | May 21, 2008 1:32 PM
Linda @12:42 A couple of things are clear from your response. 1. You didn't read his books. I did. In fact, I just looked up the quotes you cite to be sure what I am about to say is accurate. 2. I can say with authority that you took his words out of context. The points Obama was making are the antithesis of what you claim they are. So, that makes you either embarrassingly and astonishingly ignorant or you are just another typical despicable smear artist.
Posted by: davie | May 21, 2008 1:29 PM
Sen. Obama's hiring practices appear to be sexist and racist. Look at the composition of his senior staff and advisors. There are no obvious Hispanic or Asian names. Only three out of 15 senior staffers are female and only three out of 18 senior policy advisors are female.
The seats at the Senator's table seem to be mostly filled by men.
Posted by: Donna1000 | May 21, 2008 1:27 PM
"I'd still like somebody to explain to me why it is when white voters go 60-percent plus for a white candidate,that's racism but if black voters go 90-plus percent for a black candidate, that's not racism." Diane
Blacks have voted for white candidates in the past, remember president Clinton? Many of the white voters in WV and Kentucky publicly admitted that "They would never vote for a black candidate." Some comments I've heard are "you know he is from the other race and we have trouble with them" and "He is a muslim" and "I'm tired of all this Hussein stuff" Do any of those comments sound well-reasoned or informed to you?
Given the history of how blacks have been treated in this country by whites it is natural to assume that when they finally get a candidate as naturally talented and charismatic (not to mention his ideas) as Obama that a large majority would vote for him. Remember, it is the oppressed voting for their candidate, not the oppressors.
Posted by: jr | May 21, 2008 1:26 PM
I am convinced that ever so often "the media" of all types and stripes do conspire to do certain things i.e. block out certain information like "what were the per centages of votes obtained in Oregon for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?". I watched for hours and only saw on CNN the same 58% - 42% Barack/Hillary in favor of Barack although they were still counting votes. Hours later CNN still had that 58 - 42%. Nothing had changed even though a note on the screen continued to say only 51% of the votes had been counted. No other channels showed anything but Hillary's numerical per centage of victory over Obama in Kentucky. I think this was done to get back at Obama because John Edwards announced his support for Obama on the day Hillary won West Virginia, diluting the story of her big per centage win.
Another example of media conspiracy to block out certain things done by certain people they are molly codling - HILLARY - is 1. In the wee hours of the morning, before the Tuesday Kentucky and Oregon primaries, I was watching ABC news when they showed a news clip of Hillary gleefully gloating with shrill exhilaration "He's gone, and he won't be back. Now I have the whole state to myself!" She was obviously talking about Barack Obama, and the comment was made for the purpose of eliciting a resounding hateful roar of jubilee from the crowd. Hillary and her husband, Slick Willie, (Bill is reportedly dubbed "Slick Willie" in Arkansas Political arenas) are masters at inciting hateful mob mania. That is reflected in the votes in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Her above comment was crude and tacky, and I was waiting for the news to repeat itself as it usually does over and over and over again as if there are only three things happening in the world on any given day, so I could see and hear this again. Oh, I wanted to see this as I couldn't believe how low she would go.
When this news clip was run again, that particular segment of the clip with the above comment was not run with it - just everything she said after that. I continued to watch, waiting for it to come around next time. I watched the news repeat itself a number of times, but that portion never was played with that clip again.
So, I switched channels a number of times watching the repeated broadcasts of the prelude to the next day's primaries. They all ran the acceptable portion of what she said, but, NONE ran her gleeful snort, honk and gloat segment.
I'm certain that if Barack had made a similar braggadocious crow and hoot like she did, the media of all types and stripes would not have stopped running it until 32 days after they had first run it so much that Barack would have been made to genuflect, self depricate, repudiate himself, grovel and apologize to Hillary and this country. Then that would have been run 33 more days...at least.
Posted by: Beverly | May 21, 2008 1:20 PM
Did it ever occur to anyone that the Clinton camp had to talk about sexism because the media completely dismissed it as a possibility. Obama only had to address racism head-on when he was confronted with a specific challenge (Wright) because there were hundreds of articles already raising the question of race. I have been fascinated by how race and gender dynamics would play out in this process, but surprised that I couldn't find a single article on sexism and gender issues that treated it as a serious issue. more likely, they did what Marcus did -- clearly people are voting for her, so there's no sexism. Meanwhile there were many many well informative, interesting, really careful pieces about racism (as there should be.)
Posted by: skeptic421 | May 21, 2008 1:18 PM
Tell me, how have these 17 million voters been disenfranchised? Again, wild claims by Hillary supporters with nothing, not one shred of evidence. It's as if they are living in a dream world, "if I say it's so then it is."
Like GF's claim of Obama being sexist, but then no examples of what he has done to be sexist.
Obama has won an insurmountable amount of delegates plain and simple. That is what the Dem. primary was and is, a delegate race. If Hillary didn't like that then she should've run in another party, but she does not make or change the rules for the DNC as no candidate should.
Posted by: jr | May 21, 2008 1:18 PM
Maybe some of the big, gaping holes in Sen. Obama's base wouldn't be there if he was hearing about the needs and perspectives of those groups from his senior staff and advisors. If you don't give people a seat at the table, you can't understand their needs and respond to them.
And, what are the odds that Barack Obama would be a U.S. Senator and presidential hopeful if many who came before him had not valued diversity? In fact, what are the odds that his father would have been able to travel from Kenya to Hawaii for part of his education if people at the University of Hawaii had not valued diversity?
The Democratic Party has traditionally been a party of diversity. I think it's an important story that Sen. Obama's senior staff is remarkably less diverse than the membership of the Party he is seeking to represent in the general election. His hiring practices are direct evidence of his values in action.
Posted by: Donna1000 | May 21, 2008 1:15 PM
By Ruth Marcus' logic, we can rule out racism as affecting Obama because he has raised more money than any campaign prior. The logic is flawed. They both did well, but they both probably suffered because of their race or sex. Since the media never treated the gender issue seriously, it's hard to know how much that mattered for Clinton. The race issue, on the other hand, has been played and replayed.
Posted by: skeptic421 | May 21, 2008 1:13 PM
By Ruth Marcus' logic, we can rule out racism as affecting Obama because he has raised more money than any campaign prior. The logic is flawed. They both did well, but they both probably suffered because of their race or sex. Since the media never treated the gender issue seriously, it's hard to know how much that mattered for Clinton. The race issue, on the other hand, has been played and replayed.
Posted by: skeptic421 | May 21, 2008 1:13 PM
To all the Clinton voters who claim they'll vote McCain or write-in Hillary if Obama is nominated: What do you think all the Obama voters will do if his lead in delegates and votes is overturned?
The myopia is astounding. The same people who argue for HC will accuse the disenfranchised Obama supporters of bitterness and sexism if they refuse to vote HC in the general.
The only logical course is allow the race to play out and accept that Obama has won by the rules established early in the process.
Posted by: pc | May 21, 2008 1:13 PM
Diane, So let me get this straight:
"As for me, I'm a typical white person ... you know, the kind that doesn't like to be stereotyped and spoken down to. And if he's the nominee, I'll vote Republican."
Because of all the Internet chatter and blogs, you would let HRC take over the USA, because "I'm a typical white person ... you know, the kind that doesn't like to be stereotyped and spoken down to."
Hmmmmmm. Sounds pretty racist to me!
You want to fix this country or make a racist statement?
Posted by: justpassingby | May 21, 2008 1:12 PM
Now that Senator Clinton has had her day and I think she hoped donations to bring down here debt it is time for her to take a long walk with Bill away from her million dollar a week advisors and start to mend fences for the future of our nation. She needs to make some definitive statements to her base. Racism, sexism, class-ism, even republicanism is a disease of fear. It has been at play in trying to move the electorate back to the idea that HRC was our most experienced and familiar candidate. Maybe you should fear what you don't know was a hammer that might sway voters back to the familiarity of another Clinton presidency. Clintons are familiar and well white. A better organized, funded, energized, articulate and responsive campaign that pursued every state across America (even in KY and NV where these divides may be strongest) could not be denied. There are a lot of good people that are very disappointed and angry and willing to pull out there own isms that the reasons are pant suits and voice quality. In the end there is a nation of people that have reached a saturation point of frustration and are desperate to see someone different at the helm of our nation. They are not going swayed by guilt by association. Many of our pastors have beliefs we don't share. It's almost in the job definition of a cleric to attempt to make connections that are not entirely logical in their love for their parish. If you are of color and you look at our nation you can see it through the other side of the lens. Some things will look bigger and other things smaller. We, white people, allowed African American men to die from syphilis when we had treatment for them. We allowed them to infect others. People of the age of Rev Wright witnessed hate in its most blazing heat with lynching, church burning, separate fountains, bathrooms, and schools. Did we allow millions to die in Africa when treatment was available for HIV? Are you close enough with an African American to have ridden with them in a car and seen the behavior of some police officers? The statements of Rev Wright are sad and wrong but they have a context and Obama articulated this brilliantly in his books and in his speech in Philadelphia. This is not just beautiful rhetoric this is a man who has a sense of mission and not just ambition. We need Sen. Clinton to quell this ferment and believe many will come to reconcile that they too were speaking out of fear. She need to "find her voice" of reconciliation. She needs to tell those that expressed color as the reason they could not vote for Obama that they are wrong and that she has and will vote for what is best for our nation and our world. She needs to tell her followers that sexism is not a reason to blame Obama. It does exist but would you rather be a white women or a black male? That Obama carries the flame forward for our nation and that she will need all of her base to energize with her in making this a historic moment in our nations history. If it is true that "hard working white Americans" are listening to her then it is her voice that needs to bring them behind Obama. There will be few moments in our lives that define her or us better than now. Our future lies in building a unified party and nation.
Posted by: Dr Foulkes | May 21, 2008 1:08 PM
This is the best election campaign I've seen in four decades. Unfortunately, based on the commentaries, and the various vote counts, the eventual winners are still likely to be prejudice, ignorance, selfishness, and denial.
CNN has been running an investigative piece that every angry voter should take a time-out and watch: "Out of Gas, We Were Warned". It's about oil and gasoline, but more to the point, it's about failure to confront the bigger problems we face.
Abraham Lincoln made a suggestion in 1862 that applies very nicely to our self-indulgent, self-absorbed nation today in 2008:
"We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we (might) save our country..."
If you believe we can survive another 4 years of business as usual in this country, you're whistling past our collective graveyard.
Posted by: ted in pdx | May 21, 2008 1:04 PM
Posted by: lcoleman | May 21, 2008 1:04 PM
I'd still like somebody to explain to me why it is when white voters go 60-percent plus for a white candidate,that's racism but if black voters go 90-plus percent for a black candidate, that's not racism. It seems to me that white voters are more willing to vote across racial lines than black ones.
As for me, I'm a typical white person ... you know, the kind that doesn't like to be stereotyped and spoken down to. And if he's the nominee, I'll vote Republican.
Posted by: Diane | May 21, 2008 1:03 PM
I totally agree with Rove. I really don't understand why the Democratic Party has abandoned the candidate, Hillary who has a better chance of winning in November. I am very, very disappointed with the Democratic Party. Wehn we lose in November, they have nobody else to blame but blame themselves. We are going to prove to the Republican Party that we can lose three times in a row. Think about it for a second, Hillary has won Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, New York and other big States. On the other hand, Obama has won the traditional Republican small States, such as Idaho, Utah, Kansas, North Dakota, Wyoming, and other traditional Republican States. Do you think that he can win in those States in November? NOT! It's my opinion that the Democratic Party is fooling itself but members of Congress and the House would have to answer to the people when January comes and John McCain wins the White House.
Posted by: Carl | May 21, 2008 12:59 PM
We may live in the best country in the world, but I am deeply saddened by what I have seen floating across the 'net in response to this Hillary/Obama thing.
Why can't people understand that this is a very important decision, and that it calls for wisdom and education rather than gut feelings? I have seen all manner of bigotry from both sides, but what I have seen more of is one side accusing the other side of bigotry. This is only making the problem worse. It's a "follow the crowd" mentality. If you shout that Obama supporters are sexist, some people might vote for Hillary to avoid looking sexist. Unfortunately, a great deal of people who are harboring an actual prejudice will look around and go: "Oh, so other people are sexist? It's okay for me to be sexist then." And then they quietly vote for their prejudices in the poll booth. Same thing for racism and the other side.
The best thing to do, in order to manipulate this "follow the crowd" thing, is stop with the name-calling and discuss the actual policy differences between the candidates (which are only very slight), because fair and frank discussion of issues leads to people wishing to look intelligent and informed. And then they vote for whichever candidate they think is more intelligent, so they can brag about it. Which seems to me to be a good thing. I desire intelligence in the leader of my country.
People are simple animals - quit feeding them manure.
Posted by: liberal patriot | May 21, 2008 12:54 PM
Well I am sorry but if Obama is the nominee then really doesn't he have to repair the Democratic Party to make it in November? Don't you think looking in the mirror means yourself to reflect on your own anger issues? Remember 17 million of Hillary voters are allot of disenfranchised voters to make angry. If they stay home where will Obama be then? Obama's followers might want to take an effort to connect with the party instead of dividing it with anger and name-calling. Obama's voters are not the one's being pushed down and told to shut up. So it seems to me that if there is any mending to do it should be started from within the Obama's camp first.
Posted by: garyt1708 | May 21, 2008 12:49 PM
She will stay in through the convention. She is hoping for and doing everything possible to engineer a major disaster for her opponent. So far as money is concerned, they have been feeding at the public trough for their entire adult lives. That's all they know. They don't even think about it. They do whatever they want to do, and they expect you to pay for it. That's exactly how they regard their constituencies- you are there to serve them, however they decide they want to be served.
Posted by: davie | May 21, 2008 12:49 PM
Well I am sorry but if Obama is the nominee then really doesn't he have to repair the Democratic Party to make it in November? Don't you think looking in the mirror means yourself to reflect on your own anger issues? Remember 17 million of Hillary voters are allot of disenfranchised voters to make angry. If they stay home where will Obama be then? Obama's followers might want to take an effort to connect with the party instead of dividing it with anger and name-calling. Obama's voters are not the one's being pushed down and told to shut up. So it seems to me that if there is any mending to do it should be started from within the Obama's camp first.
Posted by: garyt1708 | May 21, 2008 12:47 PM
Well I am sorry but if Obama is the nominee then really doesn't he have to repair the Democratic Party to make it in November? Don't you think looking in the mirror means yourself to reflect on your own anger issues? Remember 17 million of Hillary voters are allot of disenfranchised voters to make angry. If they stay home where will Obama be then? Obama's followers might want to take an effort to connect with the party instead of dividing it with anger and name-calling. Obama's voters are not the one's being pushed down and told to shut up. So it seems to me that if there is any mending to do it should be started from within the Obama's camp first.
Posted by: garyt1708 | May 21, 2008 12:42 PM
Which part of these words written by his hand do you not understand?
From Dreams of My Father: "I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race."
From Audacity of Hope: "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."
I did not create him or Bush. Obama is the racist. He has not tried to hide it. How daring to call your grandmother a 'typical white person' in a world wide speech. He dares anyone to condemn him. He will just call them a racist. That seems to put us all 'in place' real well
Posted by: Linda | May 21, 2008 12:42 PM
First, HRC does not look like a President. Second, if 99% of African Americans voted for Obama, think maybe that they finally have someone they can believe in or they hate HRC too, or they feel more comfortable with him. See below: RACISM- a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
I think you whiteys are the racists, remember the toilets for blacks and whites? the back of the bus?
All who have said Clintons should be kicked out of DC, good job. MacCain too!
Obama is worldly, educated, motivated, and not polluted. He knows what is going on. By the way, I am a white Republican from Chicago. Go-Bama
Posted by: justpassingby | May 21, 2008 12:41 PM
Linda, I hope you feel better with all of those "quotes." Now try basket weaving because you certainly need another hobby.
Posted by: Lalita | May 21, 2008 12:39 PM
I have a comment about what H.Brinkhuis said:
["I Am a Republican, and I do not trust Obama because in his church there was no white people allowed to enter."]
I'm a advocate of a republican government not a supporter of the so call Republicans of today. I'm a advocate of wisdom. I uphold Christian principles for myself, my family, my community, and the world. I believe in expressing opinions based on facts not unsubstantiated rumors.
I have attended church since I was 5 years old and have had an understanding of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ since I was 21. You find all kinds of people at church, I have attended several churches. I think a wise person does not label churches as "Black", "White", "Presbyterian", or "Assemblies Of God", God does not care about those labels, He sees each individual's heart. Every church has tendency towards a particular way of thinking in regards to politics. I dislike the fact that many preachers use the pulpit to support political candidates. I applaud preachers that expose the issues of today and encourage dialog based on applicable biblical principles.
The oppression, discrimination, and subjugation experienced by African Americans can not be denied. Obama is an individual who has decided to serve his community. Is his community perfect? Are they allowed to have their own opinions based on their own experiences? Do they all have to agree on everything? Is it right to label an individual based on the church he attends? I think we need to focus on the individual, his actions and the issues at hand. I have found myself in communities that needed servants, where I did not agree with the majority yet I loved the children and saw the needs of the community and put them first. Christ is perfect and we are not, has he forgotten about us? If yes then we are lost.
["He should run for office in Kenya Africa there is a lot more trouble than here in the USA, and he would feel a lot better between his own people."]
Who are Obama's people, the people of Kenya, Chicago, or USA? How do we know where an individual feels more comfortable? Ones people are the ones one has chosen to serve. Ones country is the country ones one lives in and one knows where one feels comfortable.
There are people in need everywhere. The severity of individual problems is relative. A poor person in America is a reach person in Kenya. A middle class person in Kenya is wealthy person in Haiti. An unemployed father of four in Nicaragua, who has no money for the bus to go find a job, is not so different from the unemployed father of four in Chicago who can no longer make his car payments or buy gas to find a job. An American president can do a lot more to help people in Africa than many African public servants can.
Posted by: GFF | May 21, 2008 12:34 PM
People have looked at Clinton's voting record and decided. She is a qualified person as a women but her voting record as a Senator leaves much to be desired. Just to recap: 1) She twice (that's two times) voted for the patriot act 2) she voted in favor of the banking industry for the bankruptcy reform act which removes rights granted to citizen and gives untold privileges to the banking industry 3) she voted in favor of military action in Iraq and then lied about it saying it wasn't what she thought it was--puleeze give me a break. Basically--she has given the Bush administration everything it wanted much to the detriment of U.S. citizens.
We deserve better and that is why she didn't get the nomination.
Posted by: S.R. Moritz | May 21, 2008 12:30 PM
Hillary is a shrill harpie; she has the audacity to claim Bill's accomplishments as her own, but in the same breath denies that she knew anything about the Marc Rich pardon, can you say duplicity ? I think that she is most bitter at the media; for years they kowtowed to their line and made tried to frame their embarrasments in a context that would lessen their impact. Well what goes around comes around, and I don't find it the least bit ironic that the same people who enabled the Clitons for years (and on that point how can feminist support her after years of being an enabler to one of history's most famous mysoginst and sexual preditors) are now the cause of her downfall. The Clintons have acted for years with impunity, thinking that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to them; well that was only the case when their opponent wasn't the incarnation of every left wing and liberal fantsy, they have been beaten at their own game
Posted by: DPS | May 21, 2008 12:29 PM
Also given that the only chance Hillary has to win depends on manipulation, deception, and deceit, I think the mainstream media is being quite generous by giving her preposterous ramblings *any* credence.
Posted by: Chris | May 21, 2008 12:28 PM
Dee Olson, your anger concerns me. Have you thought about professional assistance?
Posted by: calm citizen | May 21, 2008 12:26 PM
"He can only give good speeches", "I'm really ahead if MI and FL count", "I have a stronger base", "Even Jessie Jackson won SC". The Clintons and their base actually believe in these and all the other rants they're making. This is a classic case of how "Shock and Awe" is supposed to work. To put people in a total state of denial so that they're paralyzed from acting. Hillary and her team have been that way since the coronation on Super Tuesday didn't happen and they had to totally regroup as they watched another campaign show them how democracy works. Obama's staff established campaign offices throughout the US, not just the "Big States". That's why they built the lead; they went after all the votes. It was nothing Obama or anyone else did to you, so Hillary and Clintonites turn that finger you're pointing at everything else and point it at yourself. Man in the mirror.....
Posted by: lcoleman | May 21, 2008 12:25 PM
HC is campainging for 2012, I hope she will use her efferts to bring the party together, that is the only way I will consider voting for her, she now need to work on damge control.
Posted by: Inplanesight | May 21, 2008 12:24 PM
A few thoughts on the victory speeches last night:
To avoid any claims of sexism, I'll start with Mrs. Clinton first (or is it sexist for ladies to go first?) Of course, that STILL leaves me open to the charge of racism, but hey, someone has to go first. I'll do it alphabetically,
1. She stated that she won the popular vote. Did she mean the KY popular vote? Or the national popular vote? If the national, well that flies in the face of reality.
2. She gave the speech in the state where she won the primary
1. Different day, same words (change, blah, blah, blah, change, blah blah blah change)
2. He eloquently referred to Mrs. Clinton as a formidable opponent (I agree) and then very eloquently slammed HER for dragging out the nomination process.
Hmmm, isn't this too a slam on HER supporters who WANT her to stay in the race? Isn't this a slam against the democratic process?
3. He did not give the speech in the state that held the primary
4. He alleged that McCain wants to keep the Bush tax cuts "for the wealthy". FALSE: McCain wants to keep the tax cuts for everyone benefiting from them, which is well, everyone (Don't ya just LOVE equality ?)
Mr. Obama merely wants them on those making less than a certain dollar amount (hint: Not the "wealthy")
Posted by: None in 08 | May 21, 2008 12:23 PM
Obama has what? "A different group of advisers"? "A wider span of Opinions than Clinton"? That is typical coming from an Obambot. This is so far from the truth. He has almost all of Bill Clintons people advising him He has been bragging of being mentored by the biggest Left wing Liberal in the Senate (Ted Kennedy). I still don't see the change Obama is talking of. Everyone glosses over the facts about Obama. Read his book. Or is that as well another subject to stay away from. This is why people are voting in large numbers for Hillary in the democratic key states. Hillary People can't vote for Obama on just blind faith. We need answers and Obama has lots of questions he has been avoiding. He doesn't even hold open press interviews. Hillary has. What is the problem Obama you are afraid that people will not like what they see? This guy is already taking allot of lessons from the Bush administration about keeping the message on Que. I don't know about the Obambot's but I feel the Clinton years were the best years. We had so much going for us and if you lost a job due to NAFTA then he had retraining in place that gave the worker that lost the job a new carrier field. I took advantage of this and received an Associates degree in Computer Science and I have been working since 2000 in a White Collar job as a Computer Programmer. I am sure there are many more stories similar to mine. Bush by the way took the retraining program away when he made it to office in 2000. What a wonderful guy isn't he? So I really don't see the negative with another eight year of a Clinton in the White House.
Posted by: garyt1708 | May 21, 2008 12:22 PM
I could not disagree more with the comments of Maryland, who stated the Democrats would be better at running the lives of Middle American citizens than they are at running it themselves. Those individuals from the heartland are the heart and soul of this nation while it seems the East and West coast think they are the brains. If they are, they are sitting on ther brains, and talking out their ***. The central United States believes that we are individuals and can chart the direction of our own lives. We need for all the politicians and attorneys in this great nation to stop trying to create a law for every minor occurance that develops. We are over burdened with laws, and have no one in either the House or the Senate that has a lick of common sense. From the moment they become elected officials there main concern is how to get money to get re-elected for the next term. Enter the large corporations and their lobby with funds as long as any vote that is benefical to the donors gets passed. Then what happens to the opion of the loyal voters back home? Their voice is unimportant, and the political powers that be vote the money and then try to convince us that it was really in our best interest. We are not that stupid, but money talks, and the politician hopes for short memories. Therefore, Obama not having as much experience and maybe having some common sense, is a far better choice than having Billary again.
Posted by: Cedric in Nebraska | May 21, 2008 12:18 PM
Hillary has presumed that the Presidency belongs to her by some unspecified right. She has done and will do anything to get it. She has cuddled up to good old Bill for only one reason. She wanted to use him to get to the White House.
Her attack ads apparently did not work so well. She has claimed that misogyny is the reason people oppose her. It couldn't be her acidic personality, her unabashed grasping for power, her thinly veiled lies..(She claimed once that she had no desire to be president, we knew she was lying then too. Who can forget her famous statement that , "We are the President!" She was caught in this campaign faking questions at a campaign event where voters- real voters were supposed to get a chance to ask questions of her. And do we really believe that she had nothing to do with the financial scandals in Bill's Presidency?) When she ran for Senator of NY, she said it was because she wanted to help the people of NY. Um...she's from Arkansas. Why didn't she feel the need to help the people of Arkansas? Simple, Arkansas doesn't have enough electoral votes AND they don't have the kind of big money connections that New York has. Hillary couldn't give a fig about the people of New York or the people of the United States. Hillary cares about what Hillary wants and she will do anything to get what she wants.
Now, Hillary is proudly courting the racist vote in West Virginia, Kentucky and elsewhere. Sure they have all kinds of new, politically correct names for these racists. What is the difference between Americans who hate based upon skin color and Arabs that hate because of ethnicity? It is so enlightening to see who Hillary is proud to be endorsed by.
But, in the final analysis, Hillary will never quit because her ego and personal arrogance will not allow it. I would welcome a female President. I don't think that gender makes much difference, but NOT Hillary. I mean when you are $20 MILLION plus in the hole, maybe it's time to get out?
Oh, and that Obama-Clinton dream ticket , as some have called it, will never happen. How can you be President with a Vice president who will undermine you at every turn and seek to overshadow you? A good VP is in the background, Hillary will never do that, she's way to arrogant.
Posted by: Robert Davis | May 21, 2008 12:15 PM
some people say that they are tired of the way bush is running this country. and i am in total aggrement. i also am tired of this. but to say that you will never vote for a balck man and would rather vote for macain, and continue to live the way you have been for the past 8 years is just dumb-founding. i mean hello, can we wake up and see a brighter day here.
Posted by: kalimba | May 21, 2008 12:13 PM
What is happening in this primary election process is amazing! If you plan on voting for Hillary Clinton you are a feminist, racist and are ridiculed by the media and political hiarchy, and to hear the pundits speak, ruining the democratic party. Since when is a vote for a person who has the right credentials wrong for the party. My vote and the vote of hundreds of thousands of women and men across this country is being minimalized by those who have a different opinion and are being allowed to push their platform through the media, that has been biased toward Obama from the start. Of course, the media laughs at the idea that they have been biased, in much the same sarcastic and disrespectful way that Barack Obama has spoken of Hillary Clinton. Geraldine Farraro has been criticized for speaking the truth. I haven't heard the press laugh at Obama for his clothes, his laugh or his ideas. I haven't heard Chris Mathews, Keith Oberman, David Shuster or the other Obama supporters ridicule Michele Obama and her religious relationship with Reverend Wright, or, being proud to be an American for the first time, the way they have attacked Bill Clinton from everything to his support for Hillary, to tasteless references concerning Monica Lewinsky, to allowing Chelsea to campaign for her mother, who by the way, has more class than any one of these supposed journalists. This election is very important to me and others across this country who refuse to let the media or DNC decide for us who will be the next president of the United States. And it is the Obama campaign that has played the race card. It seems that the Obama campaign has deemed themselves the only ones that can mention race, anyone else who mentions race is a bigot. How incredulous that the Clintons who have spent their entire lives defending the rights of all oppressed people, now be accused of being racist. Not until recently, has there been any discussion about the sexism that has reared it's ugly head in this race. We constantly hear about how amazing it would be to have the first black male president, but we almost never hear about how amazing it would be to have the first women president. The pundits keep talking about how nasty this election has been. I don't know what planet they live on. This has been the most civil race I have seen in years. Every time a critism was made of Barack the media immediately came to his defense. If Obama criticized Clinton it was a "Good for him" moment. If only the powers that be, could have let this process play out as it should have, without interference, the terrible divide that we are now faced with would not exist. The behavior of some who chose to shortcircut this election has caused voters to dig in their heals and fight until the very end. In 2000 we had the republicans to blame for the outcome. It is so sad to say, in 2008, it is the media, the democratic leaders and the DNC who will ultimately be responsible for the outcome. Once again we have been fooled!
Posted by: SPClifford | May 21, 2008 12:12 PM
All the democrats have become the Rat Pack, they have their own little Sammy Davis and Angie Dickenson in Obama and Hillary. The elite of America a rich black man fighting for the leadership of party made up of socialist snobs.When the guy who dragged half of them super delegates into office on his coattails and was known as the first Black President is looked on as a traitor because he recognizes the hypocracy of the masses. None of this bunch would have nothing to do with a poor black or a poor woman but have the arrogance to ask for their vote
Posted by: Gar | May 21, 2008 12:12 PM
It's funny, watching the news, listening to them try to make the decision for us, dictating tat Hillary should leave as "pledged delegates" are voting Osama...
The fact is, there's no nominee till the DNC. PERIOD. Regardless of what the damned media wannabe king makers say, think or believe, what voters say or Osama says, there is no nominee yet and I hope Hillary stays in till the convention is over.
Something to remember is that this would NOT be the first time, far from it, that a nominee didn't have the popular vote. Also, delegates can vote basically any way they want to and there's nothing anyone can do about it. It's not so much who has the most votes in these party elections, it's the candidates ELECTABILITY/ Hillary has the electability.
Another thing to keep in mind is Michigan and Florida. MANY in both states have stated that if they aren't seated at the DNC then they will feel obliged to vote McCain in November. The Democratic leadership knows they stand a very good chance of losing a Democratic win in these two states if they dont accept the votes from there. Hillary won these two states, Osama knows it and so does the party.
I turned 45 this March. I have voted in every election I was able to since I was old enough to vote and without exception I have always voted Democrat. Now I am registered Independent. Come November, if I can't vote Hillary Clinton then I WILL vote John McCain regardless of what anyone says or thinks. If the Democratic Party wants my vote then they had better nominate Hillary.
Posted by: Robert Rowley, Tucson, AZ | May 21, 2008 12:12 PM
Dan, have you any idea how insulting it is to say that only white guilt could explain votes for Obama?
And you wonder why people cry foul. Is it "male guilt" for all the years of misogny that gets HC your vote?
You are all rationale and practical thinking. Everyone else is a reactionary idiot, eh?
A guilty white liberal might vote for Obama because they think a viable black candidate for president is long overdue.
But a guilty white liberal might vote for HC because they think a woman has as much right to president as any man.
What the hell is the difference?
Posted by: Phillyjose | May 21, 2008 12:10 PM
You people act like the only voters that count are the ones in Kentucky, West Virgina, et.al. What about all of the voters in the states that Obama won? I'm sick of hearing Clintonistas say that he can't win the white vote. Excuse me, but does a state get much whiter than Iowa? This is just another example of the divisions that Clinton is happy to exploit (along with her statement that she represents "hard-working" voters, as if the only hard working voters are white, old women or those whites that can't make more than $50,000 a year). We need unity and she has shown time and again that she is not the one to bring it. Personally, Bill being so close to George HW Bush gave me pause.
Posted by: Tina | May 21, 2008 12:09 PM
hillary isn't going anywhere. if she does. her supporters are going with her.
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 12:09 PM
There's no doubt that Hillary is good at getting the old George Wallace vote which usually goes Republican in the general election. And as for the white male vote -- which Hillary captured so overwhemingly in Kentucky and West Virginia -- a majority of those guys haven't voted Democratic in a presidential election since 1964. That saying "politics makes for strange bedfellows" makes sense to me now. Sterling Greenwood Aspen Free Press
Posted by: Sterling Greenwood | May 21, 2008 12:07 PM
patriot - that's real sick. like most obamabots. no interest in voting for someone you would vote for. sick puppy hanging from the obama teat.
Posted by: | May 21, 2008 12:07 PM
Its sad that liberal left chose this all important year to push a newc
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PostGlobal at washingtonpost.com
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Looks like Slim Pickins to me...
Speculators do more harm to this country than good. But we can't take oil off the market now can we?
Someone had posted someting on one of boards that I saved and maybe someone could tell me if it's reasonable or not.
This is not a Saudi problem nor is it caused by supply and demand. We already have the supply while weâre reducing demand.
Nothing short of Presidential market intervention will work. Only the President has this authority, and responsibility, without specific legislation.
The President is authorized to impose export controls for domestically produced crude and domestically refined oil products. This is his duty in managing strategic resources whose supply or cost threatens U.S. national security. Heâs granted this authority by the National Security Act of 1947. A mere doubling of oil price, in our economy, is more devastating than a WMD attack on a major city. This relationship has been well studied and its consequences known for the past 40 years- since the first OPEC oil embargo. At least momentarily we must remove the U.S. crude supply from international markets for the benefit of U.S. citizens.
The U.S. is the third largest producer of crude in the world. U.S. oil companies also export 1.4 million barrels of crude per day (and growing as gasoline and diesel demand softens in the U.S.). An export suspension, by itself, will increase domestic oil, gasoline and diesel supplies by 20 to 30%.
The President can require operators of domestic oil fields to produce at capacity if not already doing so. He can also immediately require refineries to operate at an arbitrary 98% or higher capacity. Failure to immediately increase refining output to this arbitrary volume will result in federal condemnation of the facility.
The intent of these actions is to flood the domestic market with oil and refined product. He can remove commodity and options trading of crude and refined product from the national exchanges as a âstrategic national resourceâ. The President could, overnight, set the national domestic crude, gas and diesel fuel price at a level that both encouraged exploration and production while being fair to the consumer. Existing U.S. production is predicated on $20.00 per barrel. He could allow crude imports by import permit only and only from selected foreign sources. He could allow oil companies to blend potentially higher priced imported foreign crude with lower priced domestic crude.
He could appeal to U.S. consumers to begin gas rationing voluntarily. This would further reduce demand. If the appeal doesnât work he could institute gas rationing. Conservation by itself however will not work to reduce oil price without national export control. Immediately begin new diplomatic initiatives in Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, Nigeria and Brazil- our most important sources of foreign crude.
Initiate a national crash program designed to bring high volumes of plug in electric vehicles, lithium ion batteries and super mileage (100 mpg+) plug in hybrids onto the market as early as practicable but no longer than 48 months. Commercialize DARPA and national lab innovations in the motive transportation sector. Build coal liquefaction facilities in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Exploit North Dakotaâs new found oil reserves.
In 2008 we should vote against every member of Congress that has accepted significant âBig Oilâ or âBig Bankâ (they are the oil traders) contributions, regardless of party affiliation. Money from these sources is a political poison pill. To check your Congressmanâs or Senatorâs contributions go to âopensecrets.orgâ.
This is a national emergency even though the White House refuses to acknowledge or deal with it. Bankruptcies and hyper inflation are already hitting the transportation and farm sector. By the way whereâs everyone concerned with âstrategic national threatsâ? Has âBig Oilâ so infiltrated our energy, defense and intelligence agencies under this administration that devastation of our economy via oil price spikes and resultant hyper-inflation and currency devaluation no longer qualify as national security issues?
The solutions outlined above, if all were implemented, would result in a much lower crude price almost immediately with almost no cost to the government. If we donât get serious quickly weâre looking at a national economic meltdown- although again you wonât hear it on the national news. 5/16/2008 1:30:07 PM
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A debate with Steve Mufson on how energy prices are moving money, nations, and lives.
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What's Wrong with Gay Marriage?
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My husbandâs brother was gay. His uncle, Frank Crowninshield, the founder of Vanity Fair was gay. His closest friend, Paul Moore, the Bishop of New York was gay, though he didnât know it until recently.
My uncle was gay. My brotherâs roommate at boarding school and closest friend is gay. My sisterâs closest friend since high school is gay. Two of my closest friendsâ sons are gay. My husbandâs trainer is gay. She is one of five children of an Army Colonel. Three of them were gay. Two of her brothers died of AIDS. Johnâs Hopkins Medical School is doing a study of her family to try to determine the genetic causes of homosexuality.
I can hardly think of a family that doesnât have a gay member somewhere. I have so many gay friends and colleagues I canât begin to count them.
In the old days, before homosexuals were at all accepted, people used to call them âconfirmed bachelorsâ or spinsters. Then came such tags as "light on their feet," âhomos" and âfags.â There was always a sense of contempt, if not ridicule.
Then gays began to come out of the closet, they began to try to adopt children, they began to live openly together. They began to demand equal rights and civil unions and, finally, marriage.
God forbid. The concept of gay marriage has brought religious communities of most faiths together in a sense of outrage, condemnation and opprobrium. They also have managed to influence the law into banning gay marriage. The dictionary will tell you that marriage is âa close or intimate union. â Only one definition says ârelations between a man and a woman who have become husband and wife.â
Thereâs nothing in the constitution that bans gay marriage. The founding fathers didnât bring it up. There was nothing in the constitution about interracial marriage either, and yet that was legally banned until 1967? Now we look back on that with disbelief. In fact, the court has ruled that the constitution does place limits on states' ability to restrict access to marriage.
Of course, marriage is a legal and a moral issue. I have been moderating âOn Faithâ for a year and a half now. I have made it a point to try to study as many religions as I possibly can, to try to understand them and sympathize with them. There are many religions that have allowed some to pervert their basic tenets. But the common thread among all of them is Love. Love thy neighbor as they self. Love one another. Love your fellow beings first. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
Homosexual couples are simply two people who love each other. Please explain to me how that can be wrong in the eyes of God. Didnât God make us all in his image? Please explain to me why it is not better for society that two people who love each other cement their relationship in a legal union. Please tell me how it could possibly be harmful to society to have two loving people form a union.
I simply donât get it. I really donât.
I know, I know, it says in the Bible that homosexuality is an abomination. But isnât that the same Bible that says you should stone to death heretics or anyone who doesnât believe the same things you do? Isnât that what we call terrorists, fanatics, or fundamentalists in another country?
Sadly, these views is still too prevalent. Few politicians can endorse gay marriage and get elected. Politicians, judges and religious people will continue to try to make it impossible for two people who love each other to be bound together in holy matrimony, no matter how good or decent or kind or loving or caring or religious they are, no matter how much they contribute to the community.
Just who does that hurt?
I canât imagine a Jesus or a loving God who would say no to love of any kind.
Somebody please explain this to me because I just donât get it.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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Gay Marriage: Some Day (But Not Now) We'll Say, "Oh, Never Mind"
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I must admit that my first reaction to the California Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage was a profound sense of irritation at the timing. As someone who wants more than anything to see the Republican Party lose the presidential election, I can only shudder at the injection of what ought to be a non-issue into both California politics and the national race for the presidency. Mortgage foreclosures at an all-time high? Americans and Iraqis still being killed with no end in sight? Americans losing their health insurance at record rates? Forget those trivialities. The religious right will be babbling once again about God having created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve or Madam and Eve, and candidates will be forced to answer an unending stream of questions about this nonsense.
Let me make myself perfectly clear: I'm in favor of gay marriage. If gay men and women want access to the same privileges and miseries that matrimony confers on straight men and women, why not? But same-sex marriage is emphaticallly not the most important issue in America today--for gays or straights.
Nevertheless, momentum is already gathering for a state ballot initiative to amend the California Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. It is very likely, given the state's history of approving all sorts of nutty initiatives, that the proposition will pass and, in the process, raise the visibility of the subject throughout the nation.The media will, inevitably, pounce on the issue. It's so much hotter, after all, than boring questions about that boring old war (Osama who?) and affordable health care.
In fact, the positions of John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton on same-sex marriage are virtually identical. They have all said that legal marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman, but that legal protection should be extended to same-sex civil unions. This position offers cover for all three candidates, who probably couldn't care less about whether gay couples waste their share of money on the booming bridal industry. Catering for wedding receptions is, after all, one business that can't be exported to China and India.
But Democrats have more to lose if this issue becomes more prominent. Let's face it: gays (except for those delusional enough to vote for a party that kowtows to a political base, the Christian right, that considers them vile sodomites) have nowhere to go but the Democratic Party. But "values voters" who might otherwise vote Democratic on the war and economic issues could be influenced by gay-bashing right-wing Republicans in swing states. McCain may take the high road, but you can bet that right-wing groups supporting him--even if they still have their suspicions about him--will take the low road.
Of course the state must be involved in defining marriage. Marriage is fundamentally a legal contract--whatever romantic and religious associations are attached to the institution--and legal contracts are governed by civil law. You may consider yourselves married in the eyes of God, but regardless of which rabbi, priest, minister, or imam, or Pagan celebrant officiated at your wedding ceremony, only the state gets to decide whether you can file a joint tax return, and only the state can decide issues of alimony and child custody if the made-in-heaven marriage breaks down on earth. I just wish that the chief judicial body of the state of California has proceeded with more deliberateness than speed and spared us all this debate in a critical election year.
I don't have the slightest idea why happily or unhappily married heterosexuals feel so threatened by the very existence of same-sex marriages, but I can only hope that this controversy will not expand and overwhelm the more fundamental issues at stake in the 2008 election. Let us elect leaders committed to rationality and evidence-based policy making, and I suspect that a majority of Americans will one day be as incredulous at the idea that gay marriage was once considered a vital public issue as we are today at the idea that women's suffrage was once considered "controversial."
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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Under God: Odd Purity Ball - On Faith at washingtonpost.com
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My oatmeal churned in my stomach this morning as I read the NY Times story about the Purity Ball in Colorado Springs, where evangelical Christian fathers take their young daughters (or daughters-in-law to be) out for an evening of dancing and pledge-making to be godly and protect the girl's virginity. The event is in its 10th year and was begun by a Colorado Springs couple as an alternative ritual to help young women maintain sexual abstinence. The idea apparently has a lot of appeal -- 4,400 purity balls took place in the U.S. last year, according to the National Abstinence Clearinghouse in Washington, which by the by also now sells hundreds of "purity ball kits" each year.
Sure, I'm sympathetic to these fathers who feel themselves battling an evermore hyper-sexual youth culture (I wrote about Girls Gone Wild a few years ago, so I'm well aware of just how wild wild can be.) But a big dance focused solely on the holiness of your daughter's virginity seems as misleading as a giving her a super-snug rhinestone covered, cheetah-print baby-tee that says DADDY'S LITTLE ANGEL. By making their virginity, and the holiness that emanates from it, so daddy-derived they are rendered co-dependent both in their faith and in their sexuality.
The organizers of the Ball say that they focus more on the virtuousness of the fathers rather than the daughters. But how that is lived out seems odd. The Times writes that "To ensure their daughtersâ purity, they were asked to set an example and to hew to evangelical ideals in a society they say tempts them as much as it does their daughters."
'Itâs also good for me,â said Terry Lee, 54, who attended the ball for a second year, this time with his youngest daughter, Rachel, 16. âIt inspires me to be spiritual and moral in turn. If Iâm holding them to such high standards, you can be sure I wonât be cheating on their mother.'"
So if he isn't adulterous his daughters will stay virgins till they get married? Mr. Lee history does not back you on this solipsistic logic.
While of course parents should set an example, I think most people would agree that moral character isn't something that can be bequeathed. And I'm not sure that your faithfulness to your wife should be too closely knitted to your daughter's sexual activity. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, others have found the Ball odd as well:
"The Father-Daughter Purity Ball has been criticized as a patriarchal ploy to subjugate young women, as an event that treats girls as their fathers' property until they become their husbands' property, or as something vaguely creepy because it's a father-daughter date.
A hierarchical view of gender roles is even written into the purity ball pledge, and some fathers (Wilson included) indulge in the symbolism of giving their daughters jewelry with a key that the father keeps until he hands it over to the husband on their wedding day."
A key? Wait, didn't they try that awhile ago? While any self-respecting teenage girl from Colorado Springs would probably rather wear a cute tinkly charm bracelet with a key than a 15th century rusted chastity belt, the idea is the same: they aren't in control.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite
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Today the United Church of Christ, the national church to which presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama belongs, announced that the Internal Revenue Service has found âthat the activity about which we had concern did not constitute â¦a violation of the requirements of the requirements of section 501(c)(3)."
The "concern" that apparently launched the investigation stemmed from a speech Senator Obama gave to the UCC General Synod, the all-church gathering held every two years, during the church's fiftieth anniversary celebration.
In other words, the UCC received a complete and clean review.
General Minister and President Rev. John Thomas said, âWhile I was never really concerned that any violations would be noted, I am gratified both with the speed of the review and the endorsement of the way in which we carried out Senator Obamaâs visit.â Despite the fact that the church had invited Obama to speak before he became a candidate for President, and despite the fact that UCC Nationwide Special Counsel Donald C. Clark, Esq., had carefully prepared the church leadership with the legal guidelines they needed to follow, the IRS launched an investigation. âWe were confident that once the IRS was aware of all of the facts surrounding the Senatorâs appearance, it would conclude that the UCC was in compliance with the governing Revenue Ruling,â Clark said. âIRS regulations require that a senior official form a reasonable belief that a religious organization no longer qualifies for exemption from taxation before initiating such a church tax inquiry. In order for such a determination to be reasonable, Congress should require that the service communicate with the church before an inquiry, with its attendant costs and chilling effect on constitutionally protected associational rights, is launched. However, that currently is neither a Congressional mandate nor IRS practice, and was not done in this case,â Clark added. In addition, the IRS waited more than six months, until Senator Obama was emerging as a possible front-runner, to investigate. In this election year, church and politics have come a little too close for comfort for many Americans, liberal and evangelical alike. Yet, it is one thing when political parties try to use religion as a âwedge issueâ or in an attack ad or even in email chains, and quite another when it is a government agency itself that is, to all appearances, using its power to create distractions or negative publicity for a religious body because of their faith stances or their members. This fall, All Saints Church, Pasadena, Calif., received a letter from the IRS that closed a dormant investigation into the churchâs tax-exempt status after nearly two years and without the audit actually ever taking place. This final IRS letter did not alter the Churchâs tax-exempt status. This investigation was launched in response to a sermon previous Rector Rev. George Regas had preached, prior to the 2004 Presidential election, against the Iraq War in which Jesus debated both candidates for President. In the All Saints case, however and unlike the UCC situation, the IRS also concluded without explanation that the sermon in question âconstituted intervention in the 2004 President election.â All Saints Church has announced that it has formally referred the numerous procedural and legal errors of the exam to the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and demanded correction and an apology. The current Rector, the Rev. J. Edwin Bacon, Jr. has expressed âgreat concern about the IRS closing letter and its implications for freedom of the pulpit at All Saints Church.â
Americans clearly believe that their many faith voices need to be raised in the public square. We need an Internal Revenue Service that is clear in its guidelines for tax-exempt religious organizations and we need the IRS to follow those guidelines. Otherwise, we are only left to conclude that there is either an organized or even a disorganized effort to repress certain faith voices while giving others a free pass.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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Put aside for a moment todayâs situation in Zimbabwe, where political turmoil reigns after President Mugabeâs attempts to rob the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, of his legitimate election victory.
Instead, imagine that itâs November, 2008 in the U.S.. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has just pummeled the GOPâs John McCain in both the popular vote and the Electoral Colleges to claim the U.S. presidency.
But McCain, courtesy of the power of incumbency (Republicans control the White House), adamantly refuses to concede. He and President Bush hoard the official election results in a bid to block Obama from being officially declared the president.
Democrats threaten violent street protests unless their candidate is declared the winner. Canada, Mexico and the European Union (EU) rally behind them, threatening the U.S. with unspecified actions, including travel restrictions for McCain and members of his inner circle.
Democrats, frustrated by Republican obstinacy, rush to court to seek an order to compel the government to release the election results immediately. The Court rejects their plea, just as the Zimbabwean High Court recently did. McCain and Bush threaten âto bash the headsâ of Obama supporters who dare âdisturb peace and tranquility that this county is enjoying (Read Mugabeâs threat to bash the MDC.)
Meanwhile, the heads of the CIA, FBI, Secret Service, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff call a press conference at the Pentagon to denounce Obama, declaring that they will not salute a person who didnât fight in the Vietnam War, the Second World War, the First Gulf War or the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. They call Obama a stooge, and demand immediate swearing in of John McCain.
Soon after the conference they, along with the Illinois State Troopers and the local Sheriffâs office raid the Obama Campaign headquarters in Chicago, bloodying staff, confiscating computers and making mass arrests. A heavily-armed SWAT team with military reinforcement invades the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters; they beat up Howard Dean, Democratic senators and representatives, and labor organizations that support Obama.
Obama, having gotten wind of the operation, flees to Mexico, where he appeals to regional leaders to intervene. âWeâre still verifying the ballots,â McCain declares.
While Obama is away, Republicans - in cahoots with security agents (war veterans, sheriff deputies, soldiers, and SWAT officers) â fan out across the country hunting down his supporters, beating, arresting and killing them. Many flee to Canada, Venezuela, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba and other neighboring countries.
Thereâs a noisy media outcry. The governmentâs response: taking off all radio and TV stations off the air except the Voice of American and FOX News.
Welcome to Zimbabwe. Weâre not talking about Barack Obama and John McCain. This is about a dictator and a demagogue called Robert Mugabe and Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai, the man many believe won the March 29 General Election, but who has not been allowed to assume power. Instead, Mugabe and his goons have forced Tsvangirai into exile. As I noted two weeks ago, Mugabe wants to subvert the democratic process in Zimbabwe. Many observers led by the respected Zimbabwe Election Support Network have proclaimed that Mr. Tsvangirai won the March 29 presidential election. Rather than acquiesce to the fact that he has lost, Mugabe and his supporters are brutalizing opposition supporters in the hope of discouraging them from participating in a runoff, which the government has just postponed by a whopping 90 days.
Clearly, apathy has fast descended on the international community. Thereâs hardly a strong voice to be heard coming from the African Union (AU) or the South African Development Community (SADCC), the two organizations that should be drawing a democratic roadmap for Zimbabwe.
South African president Thabo Mbeki, who might have been instrumental in turning things around, is already in bed with Mugabe, which prompted the Washington Post two weeks ago to label him a rogue democrat.
Now, should the world remain silent in the face of Mugabe and his croniesâ wanton abuse of human rights? Mugabe is undoubtedly a tin-pot dictator. Diplomatic denunciations, wherever their source, are unlikely to move him. Time and again, he has demonstrated his contempt for any member of the international community who has dared to challenge his ineptitude.
Just today Mugabeâs police detained, for one hour, several Western diplomats who had gone to visit victims of political violence that the ruling party ZANU-PF militias have been waging against opposition supporters. Mugabe is more than determined to terrorize anybody deemed to oppose him.
The Washington Post recently reported how 11 opposition supporters were killed in a single day. In April the New York-based Human Rights Watch detailed how ZANU-PF goons, with the help of security agents, have been setting up informal detention centers across the county to torture opposition supporters.
Itâs time for the international community to make a resolute demand that the democratic rights of all Zimbabweans be respected. Coercive measures, including punitive sanctions for companies and countries propping up the Mugabe regime, might force this man to sober up.
Njoroge Wachai is a former Kenyan journalist currently based in the United States.
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Need to Know - PostGlobal on PostGlobal; blog of politics and current events on washingtonpost.com. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/needtoknow/
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Lebanon Accord Offers a Respite
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BEIRUT, May 21 -- The agreement Wednesday to end an 18-month crisis that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war has redrawn the map of this fractious country, delivering the Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah a decisive say in the country's government and serving as another setback for U.S. allies in the Middle East.
But the deal, reached in five days of negotiations in the Persian Gulf country of Qatar that dragged past dawn Wednesday, was more a respite than a resolution to a crisis that has cut across issues fundamental to the country's destiny: the power of the Shiite community, the country's single largest; the posture toward Israel; and the influence of foreign patrons -- Syria, Iran, the United States or Saudi Arabia -- in Lebanese affairs.
Even before they returned home, leaders began looking toward parliamentary elections next year that are almost sure to guarantee power to the same feuding, sectarian factions, with the same issues unresolved: the status of Hezbollah's weapons and the tendency for Lebanon to serve as an arena for proxy battles in regional struggles.
"One can see this as a long truce. I hope it will last as long as it can because we're fed up with civil war," said Elias Khoury, a columnist and author. But, he added, "we have a very long way to cross before we arrive to a real nation, a secular democratic country. Without that, Lebanon will always be on top of a volcano ready to explode."
Across the political spectrum, leaders were eager to cast the deal as an embodiment of the civil-war-era slogan that, in Lebanon's crises, there should be "no victor and no vanquished." Government leaders acknowledged making compromises but justified them as essential to averting a civil war. In effect, however, they met the very demands that Hezbollah and its allies -- the Shiite movement of Amal and followers of Michel Aoun, a Maronite Christian and former general -- had made in 2006 after the group emerged from a war with Israel: veto power in the cabinet and what Hezbollah called a government of national unity.
Hezbollah and its allies, angry over decisions that targeted the group, deployed fighters in mostly Muslim West Beirut a week and a half ago, routing militiamen loyal to the government in hours. The fighters' success created a new equation of power here. Hezbollah was adamant in its insistence that its weapons would not be dealt with in the negotiations that followed in Qatar.
They were brought up. But in the end, the communique settled for a vague admonition that groups "pledged to refrain" from taking up weapons to settle disputes and that the "use of arms or violence is forbidden to settle political differences." Despite its ambiguity, government supporters contended that the statement could be the basis for eventual talks on disarming Hezbollah.
The sides also agreed to elect Gen. Michel Suleiman, the army commander, as president Sunday, filling a post vacant since November. Suleiman was originally a candidate of the Hezbollah-led opposition, although he had emerged as a consensus choice in past months.
Saad Hariri, who inherited the mantle of Sunni Muslim leadership from his slain father, former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, seemed to acknowledge that he and his allies were forced to settle for less. "The wound is deep, my wound is deep, but we will get over it," he said in an interview in Qatar's capital, Doha, before returning with others to Beirut on Wednesday evening.
Others were less forgiving. "Why did the government and its allies have to wait for Hezbollah to use force to give an agreement that they could have given a year ago?" asked Karim Makdisi, a professor at the American University of Beirut. "This question has to be asked. It's an issue of accountability."
Syria and Iran, Hezbollah's allies, quickly endorsed the deal. The United States, which seemed caught off guard by the extent and speed with which Hezbollah routed its rivals in Beirut, gave cautious support. It played little role in the talks, which at least twice were saved from collapse by the aggressive mediation of Qatari officials. "This is not the end of the crisis. Lebanon still has to go through implementing this agreement," Assistant Secretary of State C. David Welch said.
Across Beirut, residents were quick to invest a resilient optimism in the deal, even if they acknowledged that the crisis probably wasn't settled. To some, it meant averting a civil war that was almost realized this month as well as a welcome break from a series of near-continuous crises that began with the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri in 2005 and war with Israel in 2006. Others hoped it might improve the capital's snarled traffic, as protesters began dismantling a downtown protest of sprawling tents soon after the announcement.
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BEIRUT, May 21 -- The agreement Wednesday to end an 18-month crisis that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war has redrawn the map of this fractious country, delivering the Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah a decisive say in the country's government and serving as another setback for U.S. alli...
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Israel, Syria Disclose Indirect Peace Talks
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The announcement marked another setback for the Bush administration's campaign to isolate Syria, Iran and their allies in the Middle East, coming the same day as a Lebanon peace agreement that acknowledged the political rise of Hezbollah, a Shiite militia supported by Syria and Iran.
Many in Israel and Syria greeted the first formal announcement of peace talks with skepticism, given the lack of strong support from the United States and the political difficulties facing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at home. Olmert is being questioned by police on bribery allegations while his administration pursues long-stalled peace talks with the Palestinians.
Wednesday's announcement came as Olmert's chief of staff and a senior political adviser were in Istanbul for the latest round of negotiations.
Israel and Syria "decided to pursue the dialogue between them in a serious and continuous way," the two governments said in their statement.
The talks center on Syria's demand that Israel return the Golan Heights, which Israeli forces have occupied since the 1967 Middle East war.
An Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the two countries opened contacts in February 2007 after Olmert visited Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During a 2 1/2 -hour, closed-door meeting, Olmert and Erdogan agreed to have top Turkish officials serve as go-betweens, the official said.
Olmert disclosed in a newspaper interview last month that the two countries had exchanged messages through Turkish officials about peace talks.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad then confirmed this in a separate interview but said he believed direct talks were possible only under U.S. sponsorship and only after President Bush had left office.
The U.S. response to Wednesday's announcement was polite. "I think Turkey played a good and useful role in this regard," said Assistant Secretary of State C. David Welch. "Israel and Turkey have apprised us in the past of these discussions."
Israel seized the Golan, a militarily strategic heights overlooking the Sea of Galilee, in the 1967 Middle East war and effectively annexed the area 14 years later by extending Israeli civil law to its residents, most of whom are Arab Druze.
About 20,000 Israeli settlers now live in the Golan, a rugged terrain of Israeli military bases, vineyards and cattle ranches that many senior Israeli army officers say still holds strategic value for the nation's defense.
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JERUSALEM, May 21 -- Israel and Syria disclosed Wednesday that they have been holding indirect talks through Turkish mediators since February 2007 and pledged in a joint statement to pursue negotiations "with good faith and an open mind."
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The Land of Bluegrass, Bourbon and Kool-Aid
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LOUISVILLE Suspend what you know, or think you know, about the Democratic presidential nomination, and picture yourself in the Marriott ballroom here for Hillary Clinton's Kentucky victory celebration.
The candidate is cruising to a landslide win in the state, after her 41-point drubbing of Barack Obama in West Virginia last week. The overflowing crowd of jubilant supporters chants "Hill-a-ry!" From here, the national coronation of Obama looks upside down.
"I'm going to keep making my case until we have a nominee," a beaming Clinton says, "no matter who she may be."
Our heads tell us no. Step out of the ballroom, turn on the cable news, and see: Obama is clinching a majority of the regular delegates to the Democratic convention tonight, on top of his growing lead in the superdelegates. Barring the unexpected, the nomination should soon be his.
And yet, take a sip of the Clinton Kool-Aid and listen to Bill Clinton explain how Obama's status as the presumptive nominee is a media fabrication.
"By their own admission it's been the most slanted press coverage in American history," he told a crowd Monday night in Lexington. The former president went on: "Every time you turn on the television and listen to one of the people dissing her, they all have a college degree, they've all got a good job, they've all got health care and they're having no trouble filling up their gas tank."
But why would it be in reporters' interests to declare the race over prematurely? Take a long draft from the cup of Kool-Aid; Hillary Clinton has the answer. "It does seem as though the press at least is not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been engendered by the comments by people who are nothing but misogynists," she told The Post's Lois Romano this week. Clinton detected a "deeply offensive" sexism in the media.
You are probably feeling a buzz from the Kool-Aid by now; savor the high while Bill Clinton lays out the case. "They've declared her dead more time than a cat's got lives," he told the Lexington crowd. He walked through her various wins and predicted that "she will have won a majority of the votes cast in all the states in spite of being outspent by something like $60 million. In every single electoral map I've seen, she is beating Senator McCain handily and she is the only Democrat who is doing that today."
At this point, doubt may be creeping back into your head. Doesn't Obama's money lead reflect his broader support? Isn't Clinton's popular-vote claim including Michigan, where Obama wasn't on the ballot, and excluding some caucus states where Obama had big wins? Relax, and take another sip. The former president has a rebuttal. "These people who are saying the delegate race is over are depending on the Democrats decapitating Florida and Michigan; that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of in my entire life," he told a Louisville rally.
Quaff the magical potion, O ye of little faith, and stop by the whimsical Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, part restaurant and part novelty store. The Clintons visited supporters there Tuesday morning, weaving their way past bacon-flavored candy, phony noses, and concrete sculptures of a red lion, orange cow, purple gorilla, silver moose, blue frog and pink pig. ABC News's Ann Compton planted herself under a papier-mache tree, which dangled a plastic elephant, dinosaur and two roosters from its branches. Why, she asked the former president, does the popular vote make any difference?
"It shows more Democrats want her to be the nominee," he answered.
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LOUISVILLE Suspend what you know, or think you know, about the Democratic presidential nomination, and picture yourself in the Marriott ballroom here for Hillary Clinton's Kentucky victory celebration.
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Slimming Down Schools
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On a tour through the cafeteria of Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Penny McConnell points to the array of healthy foods on the day's menu: low-fat yogurt, baked chicken legs, fresh broccoli and cauliflower. As food services director for Fairfax County Public Schools, McConnell brags that the fresh green salads have become such a hit with students that teachers sneak in early to grab one before they sell out.
And then she sees him. The brown-haired boy unpacking the lunch he brought from home. Among the offerings: Gatorade and a 99-cent bag of Lay's potato chips, which by itself is 360 calories, 210 of them from fat.
"See?" she said. "This is what we're up against."
When Americans look for a scapegoat to blame for the growing childhood obesity epidemic, they often point to the schoolhouse. School officials said, however, that their efforts to promote good nutrition are thwarted by parents, who send children to school with oversized bags of chips and fight officials when they try to ban cupcakes.
Until a few years ago, the National PTA opposed federal efforts to regulate the sale of snacks and soft drinks on campuses for fear of losing the revenue. After Arkansas became the first state to require that students' body mass indexes be taken yearly, parents and some school officials argued that such measures harmed children's self-esteem and took time away from academics.
Montgomery County Council member George L. Leventhal (D-At Large) drew the ire of a local PTA for criticizing a fundraiser in which teachers worked at McDonald's. And when Fairfax County tried to do away with french fries at h igh schools last year, parents inundated the system with calls, even taking their case to the School Board. The fries were restored three days a week.
"It's not just schools," McConnell said. "We all need to be active players in this game in order to win."
But school officials, too, share in the blame.
For years, schools peddled cafeteria meals that were too high in fat and sodium. A series of reports documenting the staggering rise in childhood obesity raised alarm. The average weight for a 10-year-old boy rose to 85 in 2002 from 74 pounds in 1963, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. For girls, it hit 88 pounds, up from 77 pounds.
Now, many school lunch programs have gotten rid of the deep fryers or changed to less fattening oils. They offer salad bars, whole-wheat hot dogs buns and exotic vegetables and fruits such as kiwi and jicama. The pizza crust is made of whole-wheat flour, and the hamburgers are made with black beans. Low-fat milk and 100 percent fruit juices are in.
But even where the meals have become healthier, schools continue to undercut their efforts by also selling fries and doughnuts and allowing vending machines. Exclusive contracts with soft-drink companies garner multimillion-dollar payouts for schools. Officials say the dollars buy textbooks and pay SAT fees; critics accuse schools of ignoring health consequences.
Three decades ago, the Agriculture Department tried to ban chips, cookies and soft drinks from schools but was thwarted by courts and food companies. One court ruling found that the department did not have the right to regulate foods sold outside the lunchroom. The companies argued that people, not government, should decide what they eat.
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On a tour through the cafeteria of Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Penny McConnell points to the array of healthy foods on the day's menu: low-fat yogurt, baked chicken legs, fresh broccoli and cauliflower. As food services director for Fairfax County Public Schools, McConnell brags tha...
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In Some PE Classes, Counting Small Steps To Achieve Fitness
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For almost an hour, teacher Cindy Lins keeps them moving. Then the pedometers are checked, and the energy output assessed. Fourteen students have gone as far as a half-mile. Many are breathing harder than when they came in, rating a "moderate."
The fitness class at Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary School in Germantown is an innovation, although it might not look like it.
As schools are thwarted by mandates and lack of money in their efforts to offer more physical education, they are trying to offer better physical education. At Matsunaga, the focus is on fitness, not competitive sports. Students are taught that aerobic activity helps physically and mentally. "It helps get rid of our excess energy and makes it easier to focus in class," said Jonathon Bateky, 11.
The class takes place once a week, and health experts say that explains a key problem with school physical education programs -- not enough time is spent in them to do any real good.
"To truly have an impact in skill development, you need a minimum of three times a week," Lins said.
The most important strategy for combating obesity is increasing physical activity, according to a Government Accountability Office report. And health experts say it's time for schools to play a bigger role.
About 4 percent of elementary schools, 8 percent of middle schools and 2 percent of high schools provide daily physical education, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Twenty-two percent do not require students to take any phys-ed class.
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommends that schools provide at least 150 minutes of exercise per five-day school week at the elementary school level and 225 minutes a week for middle and high school students. The reality: Public elementary schools nationwide offer 85 minutes a week for first-graders and 98 minutes a week for sixth-graders, according to a 2005 report by the National Center for Education Statistics.
A few lawmakers want physical education requirements mandated under No Child Left Behind, the very law some educators blame for cutbacks in structured gym classes. As schools increased instructional time for core classes, the role of physical education diminished.
But the reauthorization of the No Child law appears stalled. In Maryland, a bill has been introduced mandating 90 minutes of physical education and 60 minutes of other physical activity each week in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Virginia's legislature approved a bill recommending the same.
"Forty minutes a day, five days a week can make a big difference in the health of children," said Daniel W. Jones, president of the American Heart Association. "That can be accomplished in the school setting."
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Thirty students file into the gym of Montgomery County's largest elementary school. Each grabs a pedometer, and, to the strains of "Cotton-Eye Joe," starts to jump and stretch, twist and balance, roll and crab walk.
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Five Days of Food to Tempt Children's Palates
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Running out of healthful lunch ideas for your youngster? Try a school week's worth of suggestions from chef-restaurateur and mother of three Gale Gand. The recipes she's referring to are in "Food for Thought: From Parents to Children," a booklet of nutritious recipes collected by the Wheat Council (see "Resources," for ordering information):
Pita Pizzas (from the booklet; with tomato sauce, domestic mozzarella cheese and vegetables of your choice such as green pepper, broccoli, zucchini) Black olives (enough to wear on their fi ngers; include illustration instructions in lunch box if necessary) Fruit skewers made with canned or fresh pineapple chunks, green grapes and mandarin orange segments on toothpicks
Turkey Wraps (from the booklet; with romaine lettuce, roasted red bell peppers, tomato and balsamic vinaigrette) Pineapple-dressed fruit salad: bananas, strawberries cut up and tossed with pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple used in the Day 1 fruit skewers) Parmesan popcorn: popcorn, melted unsalted butter, Parmesan cheese, black pepper
Wheat Berry Tuna Salad (from the booklet; with celery, tomatoes, cucumber, hard-cooked egg, canned tuna, cooked wheat berries and Italian dressing) Fruit yogurt with a granola bar to crumble into it
Chicken pot stickers Edamame Grapes
Crazy sandwich, made with 1 piece white bread, 1 piece whole-wheat bread, jam, low-fat cream cheese (or peanut butter if allowed). Cut in quarters; fl ip the 2 opposite-corner pieces to make a checkerboard sandwich Veggie dip, with baby-cut carrots, snap peas and low-fat dip Clementines, pre-peeled if desired
Ham roll-ups: low-sodium or no-MSG ham rolled around 2-inch sections of low-fat string cheese (bicolored, if you like), secured with a toothpick Whole-grain crackers Apple slices
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Running out of healthful lunch ideas for your youngster? Try a school week's worth of suggestions from chef-restaurateur and mother of three Gale Gand. The recipes she's referring to are in "Food for Thought: From Parents to Children," a booklet of nutritious recipes collected by the Wheat Counci...
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Childhood Obesity
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Rideout is a vice president and director of the program for the study of entertainment media and health at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
Vicky Rideout: Hi everybody. I've enjoyed reading the Post's series about childhood obesity - I say "enjoyed," but it's certainly been disturbing as well. Thinking about the impact on children's health, especially 10 or 15 years down the road, is absolutely heartbreaking.
I'm looking forward to having a conversation about the role that changes in food advertising might be able to play in helping to address this problem.
Santa Cruz, Calif.: Ms. Rideout -- as a recent gastric bypass patient, I can relate to the challenges of obesity, although I was not obese as a child. However, even I am enthralled by the Lucky Charms Leprechaun and it's colorful marshmallows. As ultimately most of the money spent on the food a child eats is spent by the parent or caregiver of that child; I'd like to know what impact this type of marketing has on the parents and care-givers of obese children. Are these companies gearing their marketing to parents as well to influence them to buy these things for their kids?
Vicky Rideout: You probably grew up watching Lucky Charms commercials on TV, like I did. Parents obviously have a huge role to play, in deciding what foods to bring into the home. Some parents don't have very healthy eating habits themselves. Others resist the "nag factor" some of the time, but give in other times. But you'd be surprised at how much money kids have to spend themselves - especially "tweens" and teens. Not necessarily on cereals, but on snacks and so on. As food companies cut back on their advertising to kids, it'll be interesting to see if there is an increase in advertising to parents.
Falls Church, Va.: What's your thought on school vending machines, that have sweet soft drinks and candy bars, where the vending company contributes to school funds/boosters? I don't believe healthy snacks would make as much money.
Vicky Rideout: With so many schools struggling for funding, this is a really tough issue for them. I think the key in all of this is for food companies to create fun, tasty, appealing foods that are also healthy. Obviously, it's easier to make a food that appeals to kids if you can put a ton of sugar in it, and make it glow in the dark and bounce off walls. But for companies to be profitable going forward, they are going to have to come up with foods kids want to eat that are good for them too. Then they could fill the vending machines with those, and everyone would make money.
I have recently fought the battle of the bulge (45 pounds lighter since 2002). I did this by exercise and watching my fat and sugar intake. I have relatives who "appease" their kids by feeding them whatever they want -- I recently ate with some friends and while the adults ate what was served -- the kids (all picky eaters) were fed five different meals all high in cholesterol and fat. How do you draw the line on feeding kids something (if its not healthy) or drawing the line and having the kids not eat (because they don't like what is being served?).
Vicky Rideout: Congratulations on your weight loss. You're right, it seems as though there is a lot of work to be done helping parents understand how kids develop their tastes for certain foods, and how best to cultivate healthy eating habits mong kids. Here in San Francisco, the 3 year-old in my life goes to a preschool where they check kids lunch bags to make sure the parents aren't sending heavily sugared foods to school with the kids. At first that seemed extreme - but it helped educate us about things like very sugary yogurts for kids. And I know it helps them keep things in control at the day care center! Plus, this child's taste buds are much more accepting of foods that aren't heavily sugared.
Chicago IL: What does it say about where our culture has gone that we're discussing all these complex solutions for what is a very straightforward problem -- kids eating more than their activity levels require? Eat better food, get more active, and the problem is solved. Why are so many people baffled by this?
Vicky Rideout: It may be simple, but it's not easy. A lot of it comes down to time, and money. Money for physical fitness at schools, for example. And the money that is made by selling foods to kids. There is a lot at stake for food companies. And there is a lack of money for things like public education campaigns to help kids understand nutrition or to get them up off the couch.
Reston, VA: While I appreciate the efforts to reduce junk food advertisement to children, I'm equally appalled at the night time advertisements for getting dinner to go at restaurants.
The idea of getting a take out dinner every night is horrifying to me! You're setting kids up to fail if their parents don't commit to healthy eating, too.
Prep cooking on the weekends is a very effective way of getting some meals ready to heat and serve, that are way more nutritious than anything you'll get at a restaurant!
Vicky Rideout: There has definitely been a big decrease in home-cooked meals. (Another way "time" affects this problem; no one has time to cook!) Home cooked meals are usually healthier, as you say. Some health advocates have been working to get nutrition information on restaurant foods, which might help a bit.
Bloomington, Indiana: I have two questions:
First, we know there is a lot of food advertising aimed at children and adolescents. What role do you think food ads play in shaping the foods kids eat compared to, for example, the kinds of foods available and displayed in convenience stores, supermarkets, and even schools?
Second, do you think it's possible to get children and adolescents to think more carefully about the foods they eat? For example, if food advertisers spend more time focusing on the nutritional value of their products instead of how great they taste or how much fun they are to eat, would nutritional value become more important when kids pick foods?
Vicky Rideout: It's hard to tease out how much children's food choices are influenced by TV ads vs. product packaging vs. movie tie-ins, and so on. Obviously the companies that market to kids think these are all important in increasing sales. But these companies definitely spend a lot more on in-store marketing and promotions than they do on TV ads, so that may tell us something.
I think educating kids about nutrition is valuable, but I don't know if you can ever successfully market foods to them on that basis alone - I think "fun" is always going to have to be a big part of the equation, and taste will always be key. But some companies have started advertising their foods on the basis of how much energy they'll give you to go out and do the fun things kids like to do, like play sports, and - if the foods really are nutritious - that's a great message.
Tucson, AZ: Companies that sell food to kids have made lots of claims that they would stop advertising junk food and only promote healthy foods to kids -- but I haven't seen any ads for carrots or rice cakes yet. Are the companies really cutting back on junk food ads, or is this just a smoke- screen?
Vicky Rideout: Each company sets it's own nutritional standards. So a cereal company isn't likely to stop advertising cereals - they're probably going to advertise a lower sugar cereal instead, or maybe reformulate another of their cereals so it meets their new standards. I'm guessing that the carrot industry just doesn't have the funds to launch a big TV advertising campaign (although there are some efforts to package carrots in a more appealing way to kids). But the food companies have made specific commitments about how they're going to change their ads to kids, and if there is funding for research to monitor the advertising landscape, we'll be able to see in a year or so whether there has been a noticeable change.
I would assume that the major packaged food manufacturers lobby Congress to allow people on food stamps to continue purchasing their products. I ask because there seems to be a direct link between obese children whose parents are on welfare and do not have access to healthier foods. If the parents could purchase the less healthy options, I would assume this is a good effect. Is there any movement to scale down the allowable packaged food list?
Vicky Rideout: I'm not aware of whether there are any proposals to limit the types of foods you can buy with food stamps to healthier options. But there are definitely efforts to try to increase the availability of healthier foods in lower income communities. This has been a long-term problem - trying to make things like fresh fruits and vegetables easily available. The thinking is that a lot of people would choose better foods if they had the option. The other problem is price - when you've got "dollar meals" easily available, that fill you up and satisfy, it's tough to choose a piece of fruit that probably costs close to the same.
Washington, D.C.: Are there any positive trends or examples to look to in media targeted towards children, or should media providing health and fitness advice focus on parents?
Vicky Rideout: The first positive trend is that food companies have agreed to change the types of foods they advertise to the youngest kids. Advocates don't think these changes go far enough, but it's a start. Another change is that media companies are using some of their shows to promote healthy lifestyles to kids. But when we last studied this issue, we found that the typical 8 year old sees more than 20 food ads a day (for chips, candy, sodas, and so on), compared to just one PSA on fitness or nutrition every two or three days! So there's definitely still an imbalance.
Horsham, Pa.: I have a couple of questions. Does your research differentiate between fast food restaurant advertising and foods you'd find in the grocery store? I feel like fast food chains are so much more to blame for and also feel like I've seen some improvement in foods like cereals.
Do you think that there should be restrictions on targeting children in unhealthy food advertising, much like the cigarette industry had imposed on them? If so, what are the guidelines you would recommend for determining whether a food is unhealthy.
Vicky Rideout: Greetings Horsham. We found that about 10% of food ads that target kids are for fast foods, 10% are for sodas (the Post reported a huge increase in soda consumption among children over the past 10 years), 28% for sugary cereals, and 34% for candy and snacks like chips.
It's true that policymakers decided that the first amendment did allow them to limit cigarette advertising to kids. But so far, they haven't shown too much interest in imposing restrictions on food advertisers - although the Institute of Medicine did propose that Congress regulate advertisers if the advertisers don't take sufficient steps temselves.
Bloomington, Ind.: I'd like to follow-up on a question asked by a person in Tucson. If carrot companies -- actually, companies for so many healthy foods -- don't have the money to advertise, how can the media reach kids and their parents with healthy food messages? I don't think we're going to have product placements for healthy foods. Do you think PSAs have a chance here?
Vicky Rideout: Children's shows could decide to do product placements for healthy foods, as a public service. And the government could fund public education campaigns that feature healthy foods. But as mentioned above, right now kids aren't seeing many PSAs on fitness or nutrition (or at least, the last time we studied it they weren't. It would be good to be able to look at this again.)
Arlington, Va. : What about the sheer availability of food today? Does that contribute as well? My friends and I were discussing recently all the places that now offer food that did not do so in the past: bookstores (Barnes & Noble cafes); hardware stores (Home Depot checkout lines); gas stations (convenience stores); even office supply stores like Office Depot offer pretzels, chips, candy etc.
Vicky Rideout: Good point. I was shopping at Macy's the other day, and was tempted by a giant dark chocolate bar at the cashier stand in the women's clothing section - which seemed like an odd place to be selling food. Luckily, having just been in trying on clothes, I was motivated enough to resist! I think the key for kids is probably the schools, given how much time they spend there. The advent of vending machines in school hallways and cafeterias with sodas, chips and candy is probably really hard to resist.
Silver Spring, MD: I forget which parenting book it was (Sears?) but I read that parents usually start too late to deal with food, driving and sex. Kids learn their attitudes about driving when they are in the carseat and by age 16 their thinking is set. The "conversation" about sex begins with accurate words and age-appropriate knowledge before first grade.
Food begins by watching their parents before the first spoonful ever goes in. Do you eat fast food, eat in the car, snack through the day, drink packaged drinks (even "diet" drinks) and rarely eat dinner together at the table? As usual, it is the parents who struggle the most with "discipline."
We need to do all the other things but I encourage other parents to start now and include yourself in the plan.
Vicky Rideout: Good point. And research has shown you have to give kids new foods a number of times (when they're small) before they get accustomed to them.
What organizations or agencies do you feel are positioned to have the most impact on changing food marketing practices? Why? Are there particular individuals you think are especially effective?
Vicky Rideout: The food companies themselves are the best positioned. Congress of course has the power to regulate, or to empower the Federal Trade Commission. The FCC limits the number of ads on children's television, and could impose more limits. The Children's Advertising Review Unit is a voluntary association of advertisers and ad agencies - they could choose to limit certain practices such as how kids are marketed to online - for example, is it fair to use viral marketing to kids under 13? Is it fair to use "push" marketing to them (where kids join a club and companies send them email alerts with new products or flavors or games on their websites).
Leesburg, VA: Yes, we can reduce ads for unhealthy foods aimed at kids, and we can serve healthier foods at schools, and all the rest... but I have yet to read one thing in this series of articles about ending the constant barrage of teasing and name-calling the heavy kids are tormented by.
The constant teasing is another reason heavy kids are tempted to stay inside, play video games or use the PC, and avoid exercise. What's the point of walking around the neighborhood only to get pointed at and yelled at?
How about some anti-bullying ads, along with pro-fruit and pro-exercise ads? The heavy kids aren't the only ones who need education!
Vicky Rideout: Good idea. Kids who spend the most time with media tend to be more overweight, not just because of being exposed to more food advertising, but also because of spending so much time being sedentary (and snacking while watching). And unhappy kids do tend to spend more time in front of the tube.
Washington, D.C.: What role have branded characters been playing in marketing foods to children? Is there any evidence that these characters influence children's food selections? Is there any evidence that marketers can use branded characters to get children to make healthy food selections?
Vicky Rideout: That's been a really big issue, as any parent can tell you. There has been an explosion in the use of children's favorite TV and movie characters in "tie-ins" to foods. Over the past year or two, there have been some examples of character tie-ins with healthier products, like carrots. We have to wait to see the marketing data to see how well it's working (companies don't always want to make that information public). I did see one (small, unpublished) study where kids were offered a choice between a sugary treat or brocolli, with a Sesame Street character "endorsing" the broccoli - and it was pretty amazing how many chose the broccoli!
Thank you for taking time to do this chat!
You (that's the general "you") put your money and your attention on what matters most to you.
If parents and the US government are committed to raising healthy, slim kids, then the tasks are there, and can be accomplished. No one said it would be easy, and it has to start at home. Failing that, a mandatory life skills class at school that would incorporate nutrition would be a good start (much as kids need help balancing checkbooks, avoiding credit card debt, etc).
Vicky Rideout: Thanks for sharing your ideas. As the Post pointed out earlier this week, the government did have a pretty substantial public education campaign aimed at "tweens," to try to get them up and moving. The campaign (it was called VERB) was showing some signs of success. But it was eliminated from the president's budget. Policymakers may choose to go back to something like that in the years ahead.
San Francisco: Capitalistic economic systems generally revere short term profitability and minimal regulation. Securing a responsible balance between corporate economic viability and public welfare is an on-going struggle, usually between unequally funded interests. Are there other industrialized countries with successful models for controlling food marketing and advertising to children?
Vicky Rideout: Policymakers in this country are definitely reluctant to step in and regulate the types of foods that can be advertised to kids - not just because of corporate profits, but also because of first amendment issues. Great Britain recently enacted some very tough rules, banning TV ads for less nutritious foods in TV shows that are either aimed specifically at kids, or that have a large number of kids in the audience. It will be interesting to see how the food industry responds and what impact the new policy has on children's diets. (It's interesting to learn that a lot of food companies already make products with different nutritional standards for different countries - for example, making the same cereal, but the one sold in the U.S. has more sugar that the one sold elsewhere.)
Washington, D.C.: I'm confused as to why parents are so worried about their children not eating. What happened to serving one meal and if the children don't want to eat it they can wait until the next meal. Missing a meal never killed or even permanently damaged anyone that I know. If children are hungry and know they can't bargain for their favorite foods, they will learn to eat what is put in front of them and over time will learn to like a wider variety of foods. Besides, who are these parents with so much extra time that they can make several different meals every time the family sits down to eat?
Vicky Rideout: As someone suggested earlier, starting to introduce kids to new foods when they're very little is important too - it gets their taste buds used to healthy options.
Seattle: How do our school meals and school-based food programs compare globally? What are other countries doing to encourage healthy habits in children via schools or are their cultures sufficient to instill good habits without extra effort?
Vicky Rideout: The U.S. certainly isn't the only country with a childhood obesity problem. I don't know what policies are like in schools in other countries. But some countries have taken steps to reduce food advertising to kids on TV. Great Britain, for example, has set nutritional standards for foods that can be advertised to kids.
Vicky Rideout: Thanks everybody, I enjoyed the conversation. Looks like our time is up.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.
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Youngest Brother Enhanced Legacy, and Built His Own
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"I'm having a hard time remembering a day in my 34 years here I've felt this sadly," said Patrick J. Leahy, the Vermont Democrat who has been Kennedy's colleague for most of his 45 years in the Senate. Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), a colleague since 1979, said: "I am so deeply saddened I have lost the words." Friends and colleagues poured forth encouraging and admiring tributes.
There has never been another American family quite like the Kennedys, who have combined accomplishment, glamour, melodrama, tragedy and mythology in ways almost magical, creating an intense public fascination that has lasted half a century.
John F. Kennedy and wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy began the story by creating an American royal court -- "Camelot," the writer Theodore White called it. Their creation lasted only a thousand days, but this was long enough to hustle Edward Moore Kennedy into the Senate in 1962, when he was just 30 years old. It was the sort of maneuver that infuriated Kennedy-haters -- and since the 1930s, when Joe Kennedy, one of the country's richest men, did not hide his sympathy for Nazi Germany, there had always been Kennedy-haters.
In 1960, when he won the presidency, John Kennedy resigned from the Senate and prevailed on the lame-duck Democratic governor of Massachusetts to appoint Kennedy's former roommate Benjamin A. Smith, to the seat. Smith would keep it warm until 1962, when Edward Kennedy, known to all as Teddy, would reach the constitutionally mandated age of 30 and could run for the Senate.
Kennedy pushed aside Edward McCormack, son of House Speaker John McCormack (D-Mass.) and himself attorney general of Massachusetts, who coveted the Senate seat. McCormack famously quipped that if Edward Moore Kennedy had been Edward Moore, no one would have considered him a serious candidate for Senate.
John Seigenthaler, who worked with Robert Kennedy in the Justice Department when RFK was attorney general, recalled yesterday a conversation between Bobby and Teddy on the subject of the McCormack family's complaints. "Ignore those people. We've got to pursue what we've got to pursue" was the way Seigenthaler remembered it.
Teddy Kennedy defeated McCormack for the Democratic nomination and sailed into the Senate, where he has served longer than anyone but the perpetual Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia.
At first, Senate colleagues presumed that the new junior senator from Massachusetts was a lightweight, but before long he had become a serious legislator. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), yesterday recalled his first major legislative accomplishment, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which ended preferences that favored white immigrants from Europe over all others. Kennedy discovered that he was good at legislating, and that he liked it.
Frank said Kennedy has been "the most influential senator in American history," a debatable proposition, but not a dismissible one.
"JFK brought charm and wit to government," said Ronald Steel, a historian and author of a book on Robert Kennedy, "and Bobby is remembered for what might have been, but Ted should be thought of as someone who showed how government could be made to serve the people."
His two brothers made the family's reputation, but it was Ted Kennedy, blessed with a decades-longer life, who worked with the nuts and bolts of government and politics to make things happen.
"On numerous occasions," added Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), now the presumptive Republican nominee for president, "I have described Ted Kennedy as the last lion in the Senate . . . because he remains the single most effective member . . . if you want to get results."
Last of the lions, perhaps, but not last of the Kennedys. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) called political allies yesterday to report on his father's condition and to assure them he will battle this illness with all the forces at his command. Numerous offspring of the John-Robert-Edward generation have gone into public life or public service.
"The family culture has survived," Seigenthaler said. But no member of the younger generation has shown signs of the big ambitions that motivated the three brothers who have left such big footprints.
Theodore Sorensen, JFK's speechwriter and alter ego, observed yesterday: "Only the Adams family in the earliest days of the republic had the kind of stature, respect and impact on public life as the Kennedys." And not only that -- in an age of celebrification, the Kennedys became the country's leading political celebrities.
That combination probably explains the sharp intake of breath heard yesterday all over Washington and across the country when people learned the news about Kennedy's illness.
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For millions of Americans, the announcement that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has brain cancer was at least the fourth chapter of a tragic epic that began on Nov. 22, 1963, with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It continued through the death of his brother Robert in 1968, then of John Jr. in a pla...
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Kennedy's Cancer Is Highly Lethal
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About 10,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, and only about half of those patients survive one year, experts said. After two years, perhaps 25 percent are still alive.
"In general, it's a very grim kind of prognosis," said Robert Laureno, chief of neurology at Washington Hospital Center. "It's a bad kind of tumor."
A key question is exactly which kind of malignant glioma Kennedy has -- anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma multiforme, said Lynne Taylor of the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. Those with anaplastic astrocytoma have a somewhat better prognosis; they survive about three years on average, she said. Doctors will be able to determine what type of tumor Kennedy has by further analysis of a biopsy sample taken at the hospital.
In neither case are the tumors curable, Taylor said: "They always come back."
Most malignant gliomas diagnosed in older people tend to be more aggressive and less treatable, experts said. Kennedy, a Democrat from Massachusetts, is 76.
"Unfortunately, the vast majority -- about 70 percent of those cancers -- in adults over 50 tend to be the much more malignant type that typically lead to death within 12 to 18 months," said Harald Sontheimer, a neurobiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The American Cancer Society puts the five-year survival rate for patients older than 45 at 16 percent for those with anaplastic astrocytomas, and 2 percent or less for those with glioblastomas.
Depending on exactly where the tumor is and how big it is, surgeons sometimes try to remove as much as they can. But that is difficult, because the tumor usually has penetrated deep into the brain.
"It tends to infiltrate in all directions. Even when one chooses to operate on one, it's usually impossible to take out. It's usually weaving its way in all directions," Laureno said. "You can't even see the whole thing to take it all out."
The left parietal lobe, where Kennedy's tumor is located, is responsible for a host of crucial functions, including some aspects of speech, as well as sensation and movement on the right side of the body.
"If the tumor is located in very essential parts of the brain, such as those that control speech and motor functions, then trying to perform surgery could leave the patient devastated," said Vivek Deshmukh, director of cerebrovascular neurosurgery at George Washington University.
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The kind of cancer that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is fighting is a common, highly lethal form of brain tumor that is very difficult to treat, experts said yesterday.
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Skyrocketing Oil Prices Stump Experts
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Confused about oil prices? So are the experts.
Executives from the giant oil companies say it's partly the fault of "speculators" or financial players. Key financial players say it's really a question of limited supply and expanding global demand. Some members of Congress accuse the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries for bottling up some of its production capacity. And OPEC blames speculators, wasteful U.S. consumers and feckless U.S. policy.
Almost everyone points at China's growing appetite for fuel.
Whatever the causes, one of the most dizzying runs in the history of oil prices picked up pace yesterday -- again -- as crude oil prices jumped to settle at more than $133 a barrel, up $4.19 in one day, 18 percent so far this month and more than one-third so far this year. Prices climbed even higher in late electronic trading.
The nationwide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline yesterday also set another record at $3.81 a gallon, up a penny a day for the past month, the auto club AAA reported.
"People don't get it," said Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) at a Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday at which senior oil company executives were grilled about prices. Kohl said: "Demand is not crazy. Why are prices going crazy?"
While the share of blame for soaring oil prices may be blurry, the impact of those rising prices is painfully clear. They are damaging the profits of oil-intensive industries, tearing holes in the pockets of American consumers, offsetting the stimulant effect of tax breaks, sapping more than $1.5 billion a day out of the U.S. economy for oil imports and diverting ever-bigger gushers of dollars to oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and Venezuela.
Analysts cited several factors behind yesterday's crude oil move: the declining dollar, the impact of higher price forecasts issued by investment banks, an unexpected drop in U.S. crude inventories and a jump in Chinese fuel imports. China needs extra fuel to run generators to compensate for disruptions in coal deliveries and hydropower resulting from the recent earthquake. Traders said demand is particularly strong for diesel fuel, used by drivers in Europe and in Chinese generators.
But the bigger question is: What has been driving the doubling of prices over the past year even as U.S. demand has stagnated and global output has continued without any major new disruption?
"The basic story that has brought oil from $20 to $130 dollars is that world demand is growing robustly when world supply is not," argued Jeffrey Rubin, chief economist of CIBC World Markets. "As a result, we need ever-higher world oil prices to kill demand in the [industrialized countries], which is exactly what's happening."
While U.S. demand has leveled off, Rubin said, demand in China is growing at a 12 percent rate, more than the 8 percent rate he forecast. While the extra increase in China is probably because of short-term factors, such as the earthquake or hoarding by the government in preparation for the Olympics, Rubin said even the lower rate would keep world demand growing briskly.
Earlier this month, Goldman Sachs rattled the market by upping its second-half 2008 forecast for oil prices to $141 a barrel from $107. And it said prices could spike as high as $200 a barrel.
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Microsoft Dangles Rebates for Web Shoppers
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In an attempt to undercut Google's standing as the most popular guide to the Web, Microsoft announced yesterday that it was offering cash incentives for people who use the company's often-overlooked search engine.
Live Search Cashback offers discounts to consumers who do their Internet shopping using the Microsoft engine. Typing "video cameras" into Live Search and then selecting a model, for example, a user can see merchants offering discounts from 2 to 9 percent.
In a speech announcing the rebates, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates predicted that the program would attract more consumers to Microsoft's search engine and potentially change the economics of Internet search.
"I think years from now you may look back and say, "Wow, search started to get a fair bit more competitive,' " he said.
Microsoft is engaged in an epic struggle to catch up to Google, a relative upstart that has gained a preeminent role in Internet services.
The source of Google's fortune is its search engine, which earns money by placing ads around the search results. Of the $20 billion spent on Internet advertising last year, about 40 percent was spent on advertisements accompanying search results. Google has garnered the lion's share of that money, and its mastery of the field has powered its rapid ascent. As a result, Google essentially operates as an Internet guide for most users.
Microsoft's competing search engine, known as Live Search, lags far behind the market shares of Google and even Yahoo.
The rebate plan is a reflection of the company's desire to reinvigorate it, but analysts were split on whether the program could provide Live Search with a significant boost.
"It's definitely unique at the moment, and it will definitely cause people to take another look at Microsoft," said Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of SearchEngineLand.com, an industry publication. "But I don't think there's any guarantee that this is a game changer."
He added that the process to enroll for rebates was "awkward and confusing."
The software maker has offered similar incentives for people to use its search engine but not on the scale revealed yesterday. For example, Microsoft offered large companies software and services credits for every employee who used Live Search in the workplace.
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Attention shoppers: There may be bargains available at Microsoft's search engine.
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Cuba Reemerges as Issue at White House and on Campaign Trail
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On Tuesday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told a Miami rally that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) sends "the worst possible signal to dictators" by his stated willingness to meet with leaders such as the Castro brothers in Cuba. In a White House speech yesterday, President Bush declared a "Day of Solidarity with Cuba," hosted relatives of Cuban political prisoners and announced he will open a small window in strict U.S. sanctions, allowing cellphones to be sent to the island.
As Bush spoke at the White House, Obama prepared to travel to the epicenter of Cuban emigres in this country, Miami's Cuban American National Foundation, where he will address a sold-out lunch tomorrow. Although McCain and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) support current U.S. policy, Obama has pledged to lift new restrictions on travel and sending cash to Cuba that Bush imposed in 2004.
Cuba has surfaced as an issue during an unsettled time for both its residents and their relatives in this country. Ra¿l Castro, who assumed power in Havana four months ago from his ailing brother, Fidel, has introduced small economic liberalizations in the closed communist system and has promised further reforms.
Cuban Americans, who have historically been reliable Republican voters -- supporting U.S. sanctions and opposing any contact with the Castros -- have begun to split along generational and political lines. Divisions have deepened between those who support current policy and those who believe the U.S. embargo and isolation of Cuba have failed to bring significant change.
The White House this year put a new gloss on the criticism of Fidel Castro and the expressions of support for the Cuban people that it traditionally issues on May 20, which is Cuba's independence day. Early this month, the administration declared a new "Solidarity Day" on May 21, establishing a Web site and an international petition drive calling for Cuban democracy.
In a speech in the East Room attended by Hispanic administration officials, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and several Republican lawmakers, Bush ridiculed what he called Ra¿l Castro's "so-called reforms." He noted that "Cubans are now allowed to purchase mobile phones and DVD players and computers" -- although availability is limited and they are far beyond the means of most Cubans -- and will be able to buy basic appliances in 2010.
"Now that the Cuban people can be trusted with mobile phones," he said, "they should also be trusted to speak freely in public . . . now that the Cuban people will be allowed to have toasters in two years, they should stop needing to worry about whether they will have bread today."
The reforms, he said, are "a cruel joke perpetrated on a long-suffering people." He called on Castro to end restrictions on Internet access on the island, and said that the administration will take advantage of the lifted restrictions on cellphone ownership by changing current U.S. regulations to allow them to be sent to the island.
"If Ra¿l is serious about his so-called reforms," Bush said, "he will allow these phones to reach the Cuban people."
Francisco J. "Pepe" Hernandez, president of the Cuban American National Foundation, called Bush's announcement "absurd." He urged the president instead to lift restrictions that limit Cuban Americans to one visit to the island every three years and to no more than $1,200 they can send to relatives annually.
Although cellular phones are on the lengthy U.S. list of items not allowed to be sent to Cuba, Hernandez said his organization and many others regularly ship them there. "With all due respect" to Bush, he said, "you can't eat cellphones."
The new "Solidarity" Web site, http://www.solidaridadcuba.org, listed a scattering of events scheduled yesterday in several European and Latin American countries, and two related Facebook pages, which as of yesterday evening featured approximately 300 fans.
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U.S. policy toward Cuba, set in stone for decades and long relegated to the far reaches of presidential campaign debate, is enjoying a brief appearance on center stage this week.
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Battling in Sadr City
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Suspicious package sits at Fed building for months
Toyota expects to halt production in U.S.
Aerial view of Japan destruction
Truck dangles over ramp; two trapped
Aftermath of blast, Gaza strikes
Elementary class graduate after tsunami
Baking behind bars on Rikers Island
Plea deal nixed in Conn. home invasion case
Police: Teen shot guardians after being grounded
Playing the oil prices money game
Elizabeth Taylor's stand against AIDS
Obama struggles to enter White House
Radioactive water triggers fear in Japan
Buying a new home means paying more
Allied forces crippling Gaddafi's power
Goldman CEO offers no cover for ex-boardmember
Audio: Silence in the tower at DCA
Libya mission gaining; U.S. looks to cede control
Deadly plane crash in Republic of Congo
Strong storms bring wild weather
Watchdog groups want Ukraine zoo closed
Blast at bus station shakes Jerusalem
Japan buries its dead as radiation fears grow
Obama struggles to enter White House
Obama again defends U.S. involvement in Libya
McCain on no-fly zone: "It's been very effective"
U.S. fighter jet crashes in Libya
Obama lauds Chile's transition to democracy
Coalition stops Gaddafi push on rebel stronghold
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Obama favors Gaddafi stepping down
Palin: 'Overwhelming' to be in Israel
Gates: U.S. will soon yield control in Libya
The Fast Fix - Is Romney winning the base?
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North Point claims 4A title
Centennial loses to Milford Mill, 56-44
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Radioactive water triggers fear in Japan
Allied forces crippling Gaddafi's power
Libya mission gaining; U.S. looks to cede control
Deadly plane crash in Republic of Congo
Watchdog groups want Ukraine zoo closed
Blast at bus station shakes Jerusalem
Japan buries its dead as radiation fears grow
Mass protests in Yemen as emergency law imposed
Bomb explodes at Jerusalem bus stop
Obama again defends U.S. involvement in Libya
Missing Va. teacher's body located in Japan
U.S. fighter jet crashes in Libya
Carriages prepared for royal wedding
Japan slowly recovers, mourns dead
Obama lauds Chile's transition to democracy
Coalition stops Gaddafi push on rebel stronghold
The Post's Perry Bacon on Obama in Chile
Truck dangles over ramp; two trapped
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Baking behind bars on Rikers Island
No Tweeting: A royal wedding etiquette guide
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Elizabeth Taylor's stand against AIDS
Obama struggles to enter White House
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Elizabeth Taylor's tempestuous love affair
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Scenes from the ground in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, where Washington Post reporter Amit Paley embedded with U.S. troops. Video by Amit Paley/The Washington Post, Editor: Francine Uenuma/washingtonpost.com
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The Mall is a national "disgrace," an overused, neglected and decrepit urban park in need of a total makeover that could cost $500 million, according to testimony at a congressional hearing yesterday.
The legendary venue, which serves as civic stage and America's front yard, lacks proper restrooms, shade and places to eat, witnesses said.
Its lakes and pools are dirty. Its grass is often trampled to dirt. And its walkways are cracked, patched, uneven and sometimes flooded when the nearby Potomac River is at high tide.
"We should all be ashamed" of what the average Mall visitor sees, said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who was one of the witnesses.
The testimony came at an oversight hearing of the House Natural Resources subcommittee on national parks, forests and public lands to review plans for the Mall's future. The hearing was chaired by Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.).
The Mall, which is the centerpiece of the National Park Service's 650-acre National Mall and Memorial Parks, runs from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol and includes the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the National World War II Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial.
It is one of the most heavily used national parks in the country, each year attracting millions of visitors, thousands of public events and more than a dozen big demonstrations and holiday festivals.
This weekend, for example, tens of thousands of motorcyclists and other pilgrims are expected on the Mall to observe Memorial Day, six weeks after the end of the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival.
The Mall's poor condition has been evident for years, but only recently has an array of plans, programs and legislation been proposed to redress the situation.
"Thirty-four years ago, when I came to Washington, the Mall didn't look the way it looks today," one of the witnesses, John E. "Chip" Akridge, said after the hearing.
Akridge is chairman of the newly founded Trust for the National Mall, an organization that seeks to raise private funding for the Mall. About $600,000 was raised this month at the group's first fundraiser.
The Mall was once "a world-class space," he said. "Lady Bird Johnson was planting flowers. It was manicured. The place was monumental. It was the way you would expect a capital city of the world to look."
Akridge attributed its decline to a massive increase in usage and inadequate maintenance budgets.
Park Service spokesman Bill Line said in an interview, "If you had a large number of people walking through your front yard, it probably wouldn't look very nice, either."
Akridge testified that although the Park Service has done the best it can with limited resources, the Mall has accumulated about $350 million in deferred maintenance. It also needs about $100 million in building repairs and better food and restroom facilities, he said, and $50 million for improved educational programming. The Mall's budget this year was about $31 million.
"I don't know if any of you have been down to the Mall lately," he told the legislators. "It's a disgrace. It's in a state of disrepair. The Park Service cannot do it alone."
Margaret O'Dell, the new superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said the Park Service is drawing up a detailed, long-range plan for the Mall. In the short term, she said, there will soon be a new signage system as well as an effort "to do better with the resources that we have."
John V. Cogbill III, chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, said his agency is drafting plans for the Mall and adjacent areas, as are the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the D.C. government and the Architect of the Capitol.
Judy Scott Feldman, president of the nonprofit National Coalition to Save Our Mall, said at the hearing that she lamented "the fragmented management and jurisdictions." She urged the creation of a congressionally chartered commission of distinguished figures to guide planning, much like the famed 1901-02 McMillan Commission.
"This is not a task just for government agencies," she said. "It requires the best creative minds in the country to study the problems and needs and explore the exciting possibilities for the future."
Norton, who introduced a bill last year to revitalize the Mall, said in written testimony yesterday: "The Mall needs, and must get, a total makeover for the 21st century."
She said in spoken remarks that she loves the place, "even in its decrepit condition," and made a closing plea to planners and legislators:
"If I could just put in a plug for restrooms."
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The Mall is a national "disgrace," an overused, neglected and decrepit urban park in need of a total makeover that could cost $500 million, according to testimony at a congressional hearing yesterday.
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Chico Harlan: Greetings Nats fans. It's just me this week. No more simulated starts with Svrluga guiding the way. Questions about Chipotle burritos are also welcome. I'm eating one right now. No better 1,400-calorie lunch on the planet.
Springfield, Va.: Hi Chico. With the worst hitting outfielders in the league, has there been any mumbling in regards to the Nat's hitting coach?
Chico Harlan: No more mumbling than you heard a month ago. When Milledge had a few hits two games ago, he actually went out of his way to give Harris some kudos for the way he'd helped him. I'm skeptical, still. When an entire offense struggles, 1-9, you look for a common denominator. That's Harris. Harris has a tough job for an outsider to judge, because his work is essentially a summation of behind-the-scenes adjustments and nuances. So I think you have to judge the man on results.
Section 420: Whither Shawn Hill? Arm forever "tight"?
Chico Harlan: A fascinating question, especially because Hill has the stuff to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. He's never appeared in more than 25 games in a season, though, (this dates all the way back to the minors) and until he does, he'll be saddled with the injury tag. Right now, Hill can battle through the forearm pain, but if it persist, it probably reduces him from a 12-15 game winner to a 10-12 game winner. The elbow pain is more worrisome. When that surfaces, it's generally the sign of a bigger problem... perhaps something lingering down the road.
For now, Hill is still battling. He'll miss this start, but he'll be back in the rotation next week. I think some in the Nats organization will be watching with concern and interest.
Houston: Lidge was having a terrible time finding the strike zone last night, and looked to be reverting to the form that made us glad to see him go. With Dukes on third and a chance to win the game on a pitch in the dirt, why didn't Manny have the take sign on? Why was Lopez allowed to kill the rally by swinging at the first pitch?
Chico Harlan: Lopez is a veteran. The situation is his to feel out. That said, he absolutely should have been more patient. Acta wasn't critical of the at bat -- he said that if Lopez had gotten a hit, nobody would have second-guessed his approach, which is true. But here's my take, as a professional second-guesser: If your offense is struggling, and suddenly the opposing pitcher is giving away baserunners like they're Christmas presents, you keep giving him every chance to throw balls. Obviously, a hitter's average keeps rising as a count moves in his favor, from 0-0 to 1-0 to 2-1, etc. Lopez should have worked the count.
He wasn't willing to talk about the at bat yesterday after the game, but it might be worth revisiting today.
Welcome to the Nats beat. From what I've read of your writing so far, it's lived up to the expectations set by your predecessor (what was his name again?).
Have you heard any rumblings from the front office on the make-or-break point for when they will decide whether Lenny Harris should stay in his job as hitting coach or be reassigned?
Chico Harlan: Lots of hating for Lenny Harris right now. This is just one of about six or seven questions in the queue right now that have at least a touch of hostility for the ol' Nats hitting coach. Again, I've heard nothing about a make-or-break point for Harris. If Washington's offense ever breaks out and say, scores, 50 runs in one week, the Harris-to-guillotine talk will probably die. But if this kind of offense keeps up, I don't think the team can have too much more patience. Right now, given the pitching Washington has received, this team should be playing .500 ball or better.
Springfield, VA: If Hill goes down for a while (sadly, that's what I'm expecting), does Chico inherit that spot in the rotation or will a guy like Mock, Clippard, Shell or Balester get a shot?
Chico Harlan: I think tonight's start for Chico will go a long way to determining that. Many are convinced that at least one or two of the aforementioned minor leagues will start for the Nats this season. I tend to agree, if only because a rotation is always subjected to a steady influx of injuries and change. The team's record, too, will probably play a role in determining just when those guys surface with the club. If the record hangs around .500, you probably tend to favor a more vet-heavy approach. But if things start to tail away, then the notion of opening the doors to a youth-heavy approach becomes all the more inviting. Just remember -- Chico is only 24 himself. (Though granted, he doesn't have top-shelf stuff of the others.)
If I'm a betting man, I think we see one of the four guys you mention by the end of July.
Wilmington, NC: Why are the Nats reluctant to call up Justin Maxwell, Ryan Langerhans, or even Alex Escobar?
The offense needs a shake up and I can't see what giving someone like Maxwell a look is going to hurt. He has done well with us previously and while not tearing it up in the minors in batting average, he is doing very well in other stats like OBP, etc.
Chico Harlan: I wouldn't call it a reluctance, because that suggests some team-wide hesitance to use those guys. It's rather that the Nats want to see what they have right now with Dukes, Milledge, Pena, etc. No proper conclusion can be reached by giving those guys 150 at bats and abandoning the project. For better or worse, those guys will get at bats.
HC in NY:"If Washington's offense ever breaks out and say, scores, 50 runs in one week"
I've got a better chance of winning the Democratic nomination.
Chico Harlan: Hillary, you will have a sudden influx of free time on your hands quite soon. We might have a job for you. What do you know about the fundamentals of batting?
NattyDelite!: Hey Chico, thanks for the great coverage.
Based off of your observation, and/or what the guys in the clubhouse are saying, do you think that our lineup could be changed by one "impact" bat? Zimmerman suddenly seeing better pitches, Kearnsy batting lower in the order, etc.
Or are we just hopeless for now?
Chico Harlan: This is a key point. I do think that one decent bat somewhere between the lineup's 4-6 spots could provide at least a marked boost, especially for Zimmerman. The Face of the Franchise would never admit it, but he's been hindered this year by the guys behind him. Hitting is absolutely a cumulative art, and the Nats have so many mis-fitting pieces right now, everybody looks the worse for it.
Crystal City VA: During the rough times for Guzman (injuries and and sub-.200 batting avg.) in '05 -'07 he was virtually silent. Now he is playing well and, at this point, the leading All-Star candidate for the Nats. So is he more open to talking with reporters - I rarely see him quoted? Or is he just not that quotable? What is he like in the locker room and who does he hang with?
Chico Harlan: The primary reason you don't see him quoted more often is because he's not that comfortable with English. If he contributes a key play in a game, he's affable and willing to talk. But the language gap prevents him from being one of the go-to guys for insight. That's a media failing more than anything. My offseason plan is to take a Spanish immersion course and learn enough to start a talking regularly with the half-dozen players whose voices are rarely heard.
Fairfax, VA: Ray Knight has discussed on air how some players do better facing major league rather than minor league pitching. Flores is an obvious example. Dukes at the least should be in Columbus honing his batting skills. we have 3 guys hitting over .300 in Columbus. Yes, they have all seen major league duty, with mixed results, but they cant do worse than the OF play we've seen so far, agree?
Chico Harlan: Again, you can't give up so soon on the guys you have.
New York: How did the Nats mess up on Ryan Church? He's the Mets best player right now.
Solving the outfield problem: I know this is basically ridiculous but the thought popped into my head the other day and won't go away. There is an outfielder available right now who would likely solve the Nats' need for a power hitter who can fill a role in the middle of the order and make the lineup better.
His name is Barry Bonds. I say no more.
Chico Harlan: Sure, you get Barry Bonds, you get power.
You also get a constant headache, a circus act, a worn out body capable of who-knows-what without chemical enhancement, a guy who can't run, an instant clubhouse contaminant, and a failed reality show star. Maybe it's better just sticking with WMP.
Woodley Park: What is the timetable on LoDuca's return? I could really care less about him. If we're developing players, let Flores figure it out up here in the Majors rather than Lo Duca spouting off in the media about the team's effort when he can't hit either. That block of the plate last night was amazing.
Chico Harlan: Agreed, a superb play. When Lo Duca returns, Flores has to -- has to -- continue to play regularly. He's earned it. Not just because he's batting .316. It's because of the way he calls the game and plays defense. Look at the team ERA with Flores behind the plate. Almost every pitcher on staff has gone out of his way to give Flores props. The guess here is, they want to keep throwing to him.
Svrluganation: Consider this an extended job interview.
What are your favorite baseball books? Any favorite authors, in general?
Chico Harlan: My favorite authors are, in no particular order, David Foster Wallace, Tom Wolfe, Ian Frazier, Gary Smith (a magazine guy), Truman Capote and Barry Svrluga. Svrluga is a lot like Wolfe, only he uses shorter sentences, and writes books featuring erratic right fielders, not arrogant investment bankers.
Los Angeles: If you consider the question for a moment, it's really not that ridiculous: is Jesus Flores currently the best player in the entire system?
Chico Harlan: Can't yet say. I haven't yet seen enough of the team's farm system. But I'll say this much: In Flores, Washington has its likely catcher of the future. That might be the most valuable lesson gleaned in this season's first two months.
Manny Acta: Chico, glad to have you on the beat now, and thanks for doing this chat. I like Manny Acta and I understand "The Plan" is to take things slow and for Manny to focus on teaching rather than look for immediate results. But I think his public comments, constantly shrugging off poor playing, failure to improve, and lack of hustle, are starting to wear on the fans. They certainly are starting to bother me. My suspicion is that he's more critical of players in private. Have you heard if this is so? I think it would improve how Manny and the front office are perceived by fans (the paying customers) if they occasionally let us know that they are not taking these problems lying down.
Chico Harlan: I am certain he's more critical of players in private. That's his job. Teams have little to gain by airing their normal grievances in public. Whether we're talking about a player's attitude or an outfielder's lack of hustle, these are things that Acta is always better off talking about man-to-man. Failing to do that is a quick way to lose all support in a clubhouse.
Welcome to your first solo chat!
Question -- The only Nats hitters with an OBP over .335 are Johnson (on the DL), Young, Flores, Nieves and Boone? Can it really be a team-wide slump that's now lasted close to Memorial Day? I think it's more that Lenny Harris isn't getting through to them that they need to follow Ted Williams's advice and not swing at the first pitch they see from an opposing pitcher THAT DAY (regardless of how often they've faced him in the past), to not swing at anything more than a baseball's width off the plate, and to work the counts (jacking up the opposing SP's pitch count) and be willing to take a walk.
Just look at the lists of the best hitters in MLB in any given year. Nearly all of them always lead the list in BBs as well as AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS.
Chico Harlan: Did some quick research here. Perhaps this isn't the best reflection of what you're talking about, but it at least suggests that the Nats' biggest problem is NOT patience.
I checked out the league team rankings in pitches seen per plate appearance. Here, the Nats rank 21st, right between San Diego and Tampa. (3.76 pitchers per at bat.) Here, by the way, Cleveland leads the league. The Angels are the worst.
Mount Vernon, VA: What do the Nationals have to lose giving Dukes, Milledge and Pena the start every game until Austin Kearns is completely healthy? This team isn't going to the playoffs in 2008 and nothing at all can be gained from wasting starts on Rob Mackowiak, Willie Harris, Alex Escobar, or Ryan Langerhans. Let the three OFs sink or swim but give them the understanding that they are the starters everyday for the next few weeks.
Chico Harlan: I sometimes shudder at the good old what-do-we-have-to-lose rationale. That's the kind of logic that doesn't mix well with karaoke, drinking, mechanical bulls or sports teams. If you do something just because you have nothing to lose, you're basically saying the result no longer matters. Washington has two responsibilities this season: To win, and to learn how to win in the future. Those two goals require a very delicate balance, but by going to the extreme in one direction -- and playing guys who aren't quite ready -- you're totally sacrificing the duty to put a competitive product on the field now. That's why teams have Class AAA and Class AA squads.
So how does this affect Milledge, Dukes, et al? Yes, they need to play. And yes, they should play more than the other OFs you mention. But ideally, they should play because they are better than Mackowiak and Willie Harris, not just because they are younger. Say Dukes has 300 at bats on the season, once August rolls around, and the guy's average still looks like a Willie Harris total divided by four, then he's earned himself a spot on the bench. Again, it's a balance. The Nats have to learn about what they have. But once they reach a conclusion, you need to find the next guy capable of results.
RE: Church: My goodness folks, do you not recognize the difference of Church hitting in the Mets lineup where he is a complimentary piece versus when he was a National who was being counted on as a significant middle of the order bat?
It's the same theory behind why David Wright has had such tremendous success and is so far ahead of Zimm. Wright was able to hit 6th with Beltran, Delgado and company carrying the lineup as he developed as a big leaguer.
You are comparing apples and oranges. Church is having a great year, and good for him. Put him back in a Nats uniform hitting fifth and I guarantee you he is right back at the production level he maintained in his one plus years as a regular here.
Chico Harlan: I've heard this enough that I'll let this stand on its own. A valid argument, and it underscores the importance of a lineup where the pieces fit.
Section 133: Despite the fact that Utley bobbled the ball, Lopez loped to first on the last out Tuesday night. Did Manny notice?
Chico Harlan: He didn't say anything about it, but wasn't asked directly. I'll ask today.
RE: Acta: I'd like to know what fans think should be happening?
Do people not realize this is a six month 162 game season? How do you want Acta to act?
Face facts, the team is not that good, they just don't have a great conglomeration of talent and certainly not the right mix of guys to compete. This is common knowledge. A record near .500 OVER SIX MONTHS will be a success.
Acta is giving the same answers because people are asking the same questions. What the heck do you want him to do? Stop looking for someone to blame and project your frustrations on.
Acta is a good manager and is helping to create a clubhouse and team culture. He cannot react to each individual day, there is a larger picture at stake.
Fans need to get out of their obsessive state of mind that has been created by our 24 hour news cycle where they are always looking for the next story.
Chico Harlan: Most of what you say is true. Baseball, because of its season length, creates a culture that counters drastic reactions to anything. A smart manager knows this and acts accordingly. In many ways, baseball is the fundamental opposite of our instant must-react-with hyperbole media cycle. We want drastic conclusions from everything... and perhaps this is why football has become our national sport. Every game plays along with our desire for new insight, new goats, new heroes. Just a thought.
Nationals Park: Svrluga failed to see the genius of the man that is Clint. What are your first impressions of Nationals Park and the non baseball things that go on? Likes? Dislikes?
Chico Harlan: Give me a few more weeks for the complete likes/dislikes list.
For now: The team doesn't do enough to take advantage of that scoreboard. And you do see a steady stream of errors with presentation of statistics. One thing I saw recently on the big board: "Lets go Nats"
The Nats should bring in the apostrophe and get rid of Clint.
Sec 114 Row E: Chico, You are right - if the Nats had an NL league average offense and scored 210 runs, compared to their minuscule 181 runs, while holding the runs allowed at 219, using the Pythagorean Win Expectancy calculations, the Nats would be 23-24, instead of 20-27.
That's a big deal right there.
Chico Harlan: OK, we're talking now about Pythagorean Win Expectancies. I'd say that's the definition of a solid baseball chat. Thanks for elevating the communal IQ rating of this online experience, Sec 114.
On that note, I've got to say goodbye. We're out of time. Thanks for joining in, and bear with me. I'm still feeling out the team, the personalities and the storylines. The patience and questions have been much appreciated.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.
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The Winehouse & Doherty Show: Totally Mental
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I've seen what crazy looks like and, because I haven't the fortitude to face it alone, I must share with you. (Note: while the video is safe for work, it may leave you forever changed. For the worse. And if you're unable to watch video for whatever reason, here's a good description of what you're missing.):
Now, your job is to explain to me:
1. To borrow a phrase of Amy's own invention: "What kind of [expletive] is this?"
2. How Amy and Pete -- both drugged-up messes -- figured out how to upload a video to YouTube. Seriously, I'm stunned when Amy manages to put on a shirt, so this is the equivalent of her figuring out the Fibonacci sequence or, like, remembering the lyrics to her songs.
3. Where did two junkies manage to score a cardboard box full of day-old mice? My first and best guess is inside Amy's rat's nest of "hair." My second is inside the dumpster in which they awoke that morning. And, isn't it bad for humans to handle rodent babies -- won't the mommy mouse want to, like, eat them now?
4. Are Amy and Pete's fingernails really caked with dirt, as if they'd clawed their way out of their early graves, or is it just a trick of the bluish lighting?
5. The entire point of the video -- if one exists -- seems to be to implore Winehouse's imprisoned husband to "not divorce mummy." And, seeing the care Amy took to look so dang seductive, how could any red-blooded guy denied access to the opposite sex for an extended period of time possibly refuse?
By Liz | May 21, 2008; 10:42 AM ET | Category: Amy Winehouse , Celebrities Previous: Morning Mix: Jessica Alba Marries | Next: Morning Mix: Harrison Waxes! Cameron Goes Bald!
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I think mommy rat is worried about Amy and Pete giving the babies diseases.
Posted by: ep | May 21, 2008 11:18 AM
OK, I have to say it: Baby mouse: It's what's for dinner.
Posted by: possum | May 21, 2008 11:29 AM
Amy, Amy, Amy. Girl, WTF?
Posted by: Anonymous | May 21, 2008 11:52 AM
Not a vid to watch whilst eating anything. :P
Those baby mice are called "pinkies" & they're great baby snake food.
Take that info for what you will.
Posted by: Bored @ work | May 21, 2008 11:59 AM
I'm with possum. I kept waiting for Pete to eat one or Amy to throw them into a pan for a quick stir fry. Might have to wait on lunch for a bit now.
(Can you tell I'm working from home today? Usually just get to lurk while at work...)
Posted by: B'more cat lover | May 21, 2008 12:06 PM
Screw those "just say no" ads that video gets the point across. Although, I think they stole that bit from Tyrone and his girl on the Chapelle show.
I'm thinking she did wake up one morning to the sounds of baby mice in her hair and now they along with several others are her flat mates. She's simply introducing them to the world.
Posted by: petal | May 21, 2008 12:16 PM
1. oh, how i yearn for the 70s, when alot of musicians went nuts on drugs and alcohol, and then were found dead, but we didn't have to witness it all on the internet. it's janis joplin all over again, only up close and personal.
2. does pete doherty ever actually perform music, or is he nowadays devoting his full time to helping young female drug addicts establish residency in his own special hell?
3. the mamas are a prime example of the chicken-or-egg argument.
Posted by: b | May 21, 2008 12:24 PM
My God, this woman is a train wreck! Seriously. I just have to say... WTF??!?!?
Posted by: fft5305 | May 21, 2008 12:32 PM
Mama mouse might kill her babies due to "strange human smells" ... can you imagine what those poor baby mice smell like after being in close proximity to 2 of the most disgusting people on the planet?
As for Mrs. Winehouse: "she accused Mr Fielder-Civil of being a scheming freeloader who manipulates the press with a view to a multimillion-pound divorce settlement." -- Gee. Ya think?
Posted by: Californian | May 21, 2008 12:41 PM
Maybe she already IS dead, and the drugs are just keeping her animated.
Posted by: 23112 | May 21, 2008 1:06 PM
I can't see the video, so I don't understand:
Are Ms. Winehouse and Mr. Bighouse in the video together?
If so, does that mean it was made at the gaol in which he is imprisoned?
If so, does that mean (a) Ms. Winehouse somehow managed to bring a litter of mice into gaol, or (b) Mr. Bighouse somehow managed to raise a litter of mice while imprisoned?
If they do not appear together in the video, not only did Ms. Winehouse and Mr. Bighouse manage to independently procure mice, they've somehow managed to film themselves using their mice proxies to communicate. This implies a level of sophistication that, as others have noted, is well beyond anything Ms. Winehouse and Mr. Bighouse have hitherto demonstrated.
I therefore suggest that we've all got the tiger - or the mouse - by the tail, as it were: this video was made BY MICE, who are (as The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy tells us) super-intelligent pan-galactic beings.
Posted by: a byoolin of petunias says, "Oh, no, not again." | May 21, 2008 1:13 PM
Also, how about that word, "gaol"? Weird, eh?
Posted by: byoolin | May 21, 2008 1:14 PM
oh my lord, crackheads and taking care of living creatures don't work well together... anyone else thinking of Trainspotting? I can just see dead baby mice crawling up the ceiling and making creepy faces at me now...
Posted by: u street girl | May 21, 2008 1:25 PM
"Although it looks thoroughly offputting, the faeces in the Worst Toilet in Scotland scene was actually made from chocolate and smelled quite pleasant."
Posted by: byoolin also smells quite pleasant. | May 21, 2008 1:31 PM
Note to 1:13, the guy in the vid is Pete Doherty, not her husband (Blake something). Totally different drugged out mess of a guy - he's the one that got Kate Moss in trouble...
Posted by: thriftygrrrl | May 21, 2008 1:56 PM
I kept cringing, expecting her to pop one into her mouth! Creepy!
Posted by: tl | May 21, 2008 1:57 PM
I really, really, really, thought they were going to eat the baby mice.
Posted by: Omaha | May 21, 2008 2:05 PM
Oh. Dear. God. I watched the vid without sound. I don't know if that makes it better or worse, but I also was terrified that one of them was going to eat one of the baby mice. Neither Amy nor Pete should be in contact with any little creatures, especially not babies of any kind. I wonder what happened to her cat? In one video a few months ago - maybe the one where she's smoking crack? - she was complaining that someone had let her cat out. Cat and baby mice - not a good combination either. All in all, this is just very sad and somewhat horrifying.
Posted by: sunnydaze | May 21, 2008 2:13 PM
Wow. Just wow. Where's PETA when you actually need them???
Posted by: WDC 21113 | May 21, 2008 2:23 PM
Alas, work blocks the video so I'll just live vicariously through your comments.
But pinkies all by themselves, even without Amy Winehouse, are creepy and disgusting. Coincidentally, I uncovered a seething nest of them just yesterday in a shed at home. So I get a writhing fleshy pink visual flashback even without Amy.
Posted by: epony | May 21, 2008 2:25 PM
Wow. Just wow. Where's PETA when you actually need them???
Posted by: WDC 21113 | May 21, 2008 2:23 PM
I was wondering the same thing. Also, Pete had a coked up cat didn't he? Where's that poor animal and is PETA on that case?
Posted by: petal | May 21, 2008 2:35 PM
Please God may both cats have escaped from the clutches of these people and found loving homes!!!
I doubt someone let Amy's cat out. Cats are smart. She probably escaped.
Posted by: Californian | May 21, 2008 2:39 PM
Thank you for verifying for me that they did not, in fact, eat one of the mice. I didn't finish watching for fear of that.
Liz, I understand you needed to share your discomfort with others, but why do this to your friends?
Posted by: Whew | May 21, 2008 2:53 PM
That little detail about it being Pete Doherty and not Blake Fielder-Civil kind of knocks the legs out from under my mouse theory, innit?
Posted by: byoolin sneaks off while you're distracted. | May 21, 2008 3:04 PM
Posted by: nall92 | May 21, 2008 3:21 PM
I feel cheated! I thought this was going to be about Amy Winehouse and SHANNON Doherty. Now that would be a match for the ages.
Posted by: Jack | May 21, 2008 3:41 PM
Posted by: byoolin | May 21, 2008 3:57 PM
I started watching but the whole thing made me queasy so I had to stop. I felt like I was watching some sort of mouse snuff film.
Posted by: Sappho | May 21, 2008 3:57 PM
Also, I think the mice are safe from picking up human scent because Ms. Winehouse and her friend hardly seem to fit into that category.
Posted by: Sappho | May 21, 2008 4:01 PM
byoolin 1:13, that was hilarious.
work won't let me see the video... guess it will be my evening entertainment.
Posted by: b | May 21, 2008 4:34 PM
byoolin, think there are 42 mice in that box?
Posted by: Sappho | May 21, 2008 4:37 PM
Veiled boozy threats delivered to your incarcerated sweetie via YouTube?
Does Blake's "gaol" have WiFi?
I wonder whether Blake is a Mac or PC man...
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | May 21, 2008 4:50 PM
I'm going to have to work epony's phrase "a writhing fleshy pink visual flashback" into my next cocktail party conversation.
Posted by: just a guy. . . | May 21, 2008 5:00 PM
No, not 42--there's no way AW managed to stumble onto the meaning of the life, the universe, and everything.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 21, 2008 5:32 PM
I like Amy Winehouse's music. But it's almost as if she defies people to like HER--as if she intentionally makes herself repugnant, loathsome, and disgusting.
I still wish her well and hope she gets her s*** together, although it's looking less likely by the day. She needs a Jamie Spears-type figure to whip her into shape before someone finds her dead of an OD.
Posted by: alex | May 21, 2008 5:43 PM
Posted by: Beth | May 21, 2008 10:24 PM
Posted by: LLL | May 21, 2008 11:09 PM
Actually, I thought it was kinda cute in a twisted way! Though if I was Amy I'd do the same skit with puppies rather than rats, or even kittens. But yeah, I get what she was trying to accomplish!
Posted by: Awww | May 22, 2008 3:36 AM
Posted by: che | May 22, 2008 6:33 AM
Arthur Ewing And His Musical Mice.
EWING: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, I have in this box twenty-three white mice, mice which have been painstakingly trained over the past few years to squeak at a selected pitch. [EWING picks up a mouse by its tail] This is E sharp [EWING puts down the first mouse and picks up another] and this one is G. You get the general idea. Now these mice are so arranged upon this rack that when played in the correct order they will squeak 'The Bells of St Mary's'. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you on the mouse organ 'The Bells of St Mary's'. Thank you.
[EWING picks up two large wooden mallets]
Posted by: byoolin finds Ewing funnier than the man with three buttocks. | May 22, 2008 7:35 AM
Oh. My. God. That is one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen in my life.
Posted by: DC Cubefarm | May 22, 2008 11:31 AM
One of the most disturbing things ever? I agree it is awfully unsettling, and it does indeed look like she will pop one of those suckers in her mouth at any moment, but if that's one of the most disturbing things ever, you need to get out more...
Posted by: fft5305 | May 22, 2008 1:38 PM
Hello dear ladies and gentlemen! I would like inform you that Scarlett Johansson (actress) actually is a clone from original person, which has nothing with acting career. That clone was created illegally by using stolen biological material. Original person is very nice (not damn sexy), most important - CHRISTIAN young lady! I'll tell you guys more, that clones (it's not only one) made in GERMANY - world leader manufacturer of humans clones, it is in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, North Bavaria, Mr. Helmut Kohl home town. You can not even imaging the scale of the cloning activity. But warning! Helmut Kohl clone staff 100% controlling all their clones spreading around the world, they are very accurate with that, some of them are still NAZI type disciplined and mind controlled clones, so be careful get close with clones you will be controlled as well. Think wise.. Apparently those clones is very actively shown on your website . This is just a warning, because original person is not happy about those images and video, rumors and etc., in that way it would be really nice if you try slow down that ''actress'' career development on your website, original Scarlett's parents will really appreciated that. Please do that, do not wait until FBI agent give you a call with questions. Please remember that original family did not authorize any activity with stolen biological materials, no matter what form it was created, it all need to be return back to original family control to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Original Scarlett is not engage! Her close friend Serg J.-G. P.S. H.R. 534, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003, was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on February 5, 2003. After discussion, it was passed on February 27 by a vote of 241-155. It now moves on to the Senate for consideration. This bill makes it unlawful for any person or entity to perform or participate in human cloning, or to ship or receive embryos produced by human cloning. The penalties are imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of $1 million or more. These now join other nations as diverse as Norway, Australia, and Germany, which had already added cloning for any purpose to their criminal code. And in Germany where it carries a penalty of five years imprisonment they know a thing or two about unethical science.
Posted by: Serg J.-G. | May 25, 2008 2:20 PM
I THINK THAT BEAUTIFUL AMY IS the way like is it BECAUSE OF HER >LOVE< *BLAKE*!!!!!!!SHE IS LOST.... Realy LOST CASE!!.. She will die.. I am sure.. like the way she lives her life.. not for long Amy.Not for long!
Posted by: AndreA | June 6, 2008 1:23 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
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Washingtonpost.com blogger Liz Kelly dishes on the latest happenings in entertainment, celebrity, and Hollywood news.
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USDA to Ban 'Downer' Beef
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The proposal, which could take effect within a few months, follows the largest beef recall in U.S. history earlier this year, which was the result of secretly recorded videotape that showed California meat plant workers using forklifts and electric prods on animals unable to stand in an effort to get them to the slaughterhouse.
"There should be no longer even a slim possibility of transporting a cow to market that is too weak to rise or to walk on its own," Schafer told reporters. "This action sends a clear message to consumers in both domestic and in international markets that we will continue to uphold the highest standards to protect our food supply and deliver the highest-quality products."
Schafer also said that "by reducing the incentive to send weak and marginal cattle to slaughter, it will reduce the likelihood that those animals will be subjected to inhumane handling at processing plants."
Under current regulations, cows that cannot stand or walk on their own are supposed to be kept out of the food supply, in part because they may be infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.
An exception allows a government veterinarian to approve for slaughter an animal that passed initial inspection but went down before reaching the "knock box," if a second inspection determines the animal is not sick but is suffering from an acute injury such as a broken leg. The USDA plans to propose a rule that would end the exception.
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations agriculture subcommittee and a proponent of a downer ban, applauded the decision.
"A strictly enforceable downer ban will eliminate confusion and move the ball forward on food safety and humane standards, while restoring consumer faith in a vital American sector," said Kohl, who held a hearing on Feb. 28.
Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, welcomed the ban but said it should take effect immediately.
In January, Pacelle's group released video footage showing workers at the Westland/Hallmark Meat plant in Chino, Calif., administering electric shocks and high-intensity water sprays to cows too sick or weak to stand without assistance. The video was taken by an undercover investigator for the group who worked at the plant last year. In February, USDA officials ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef processed by the facility, which has since closed.
"Even one downer cow with mad cow disease or some other serious malady has the potential to cause illness or death for people who consume the meat," Pacelle said.
The meat industry, long opposed to a total ban, announced in April that it had asked the USDA to enact one, in part to help pry open foreign markets to U.S. beef.
"We appreciate the department's prompt response and timely action," said J. Patrick Boyle, president of the American Meat Institute.
Schafer, who previously had said that a total ban was unnecessary, likened his change of heart to a business decision. Enacting a complete ban would boost consumer confidence while having little effect on slaughterhouses, he said. Of the 34 million cows slaughtered in 2007, fewer than 1,000 could not stand but were admitted to the slaughterhouse after a second inspection.
"This is not a food safety issue. It never has been," he said. "There has been some confusion here in the consumers' mind, in the media's mind. . . . We are trying to eliminate any confusion."
In 2003, concerns about the safety of U.S.-produced beef rose dramatically after the discovery that a slaughtered downer cow in Washington state was infected with BSE. At least 44 countries subsequently closed their borders to U.S. beef for varying periods of time.
In January 2004, then-USDA Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced a ban on meat from all downer cattle. But later that month, the agency created the downer exception in written guidance to its veterinary medical officers. The exception was codified in a final rule in 2007.
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Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said yesterday that his department wants to ban all "downer" cattle from the slaughterhouse to boost public confidence in the safety of the nation's food supply.
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Saudi Critic Jailed After Decrying Justice System
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Matrouk al-Faleh, a professor of political science at King Saud University in Riyadh, the capital, was detained Monday after he left for work, said his wife, Jamila al-Ukla. Over the past year, Faleh has accused the Interior Ministry of disregarding laws that ban arrests without charge and guarantee the right to counsel.
An Interior Ministry spokesman was unavailable for comment on Faleh's arrest.
Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that restricts press and speech freedoms, does not allow political parties, civil rights groups or demonstrations. But since King Abdullah took the throne in 2005, official tolerance of criticism and debate has grown.
Faleh, 55, a dissident with a long history of political activism, spent 18 months in prison and was released in August 2005 after a royal pardon.
Faleh was one of three activists, along with Ali al-Domaini and Abdullah al-Hamed, who were jailed in 2004 after calling for a constitutional monarchy and an elected parliament. They were banned from traveling outside the kingdom after their release.
Hamed, a lawyer and former academic, and his brother were sentenced in November to several months in prison for encouraging a group of women to demonstrate in front of the offices of central security in the central city of Buraidah to protest the detention of male family members without charge. After a failed appeal, the brothers began their sentences in March.
After visiting Abdullah al-Hamed in prison, Faleh on Sunday posted a three-page criticism of the Saudi justice system on several Web sites, including http://www.menber-alhewarandarts.net.
"Those who wanted to imprison Dr. Abdullah al-Hamed and his brother Eissa wanted to silence them and shut them up from saying the truth about the transgressions of the Interior Ministry and their abuses of human rights," he wrote. "Their ultimate goal is to strike at the peaceful campaign for constitutional reforms and its advocates."
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World news headlines from the Washington Post,including international news and opinion from Africa,North/South America,Asia,Europe and Middle East. Features include world weather,news in Spanish,interactive maps,daily Yomiuri and Iraq coverage.
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Ugandan Rebels Seizing More Children
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Uganda's rebel army has stepped up a campaign of child abductions in the three countries where it operates, according to foreign investigators, humanitarian groups and Ugandan military authorities in the capital, Kampala.
The Lord's Resistance Army, a messianic armed movement that has waged a 21-year insurrection against the Ugandan government, has recently scooped up more than 100 boys and girls, human rights advocates and military officials say. The children are then forced into the rebel army ranks or made to serve as sexual hostages, rights investigators say.
The abductions are being carried out in southern Sudan, Congo and the Central African Republic -- three nations where the rebels maintain bases.
Last month, the group kidnapped 100 children in the Central African Republic and 30 others along the Sudan-Congo border, Ugandan army spokesman Paddy Ankunda told the Associated Press in Kampala yesterday.
The statement confirmed reports received last month by the International Criminal Court in The Hague and raised recently during a conference in Washington by its chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
The court is trying rebel commanders from Sierra Leone and Congo for war crimes involving the alleged forced recruitment of child soldiers. But Joseph Kony, the Uganda rebel leader, and his top commanders remain at large despite court-issued arrest warrants pending against them. According to media reports, Kony recently killed two of his top lieutenants who favored a peace accord with the Ugandan government.
The recent spike in child abductions comes in the midst of international efforts to help push a shaky two-year peace process between the government and the rebel army toward a conclusive settlement. The rebellion broke out in 1987, a year after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni came to power. The United Nations estimates that Kony's men have abducted 20,000 children since then.
Kony did not attend an April meeting where a final peace agreement was supposed to have been signed. He remained in his hideout in Garamba Park, Congo.
His rebel followers have also failed to assemble in demobilization areas designated under the peace deal.
"Kony and the LRA took advantage of the breathing room given to them and appear to be terrorizing civilians again," said Richard Dicker, the international justice director of Human Rights Watch, who called on governments and the United Nations to better monitor the rebel group's movements and weapon supply lines.
"Concerned governments and U.N. officials cannot sit by while the LRA goes on a criminal rampage, committing heinous abuses against children and other people," he said.
The London-based Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers said children were being forced to fight in 17 conflicts around the world, down from 27 in 2004.
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Uganda's rebel army has stepped up a campaign of child abductions in the three countries where it operates, according to foreign investigators, humanitarian groups and Ugandan military authorities in the capital, Kampala.
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Filling a Blank Canvas at Catholic University
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The university's agreement with Jim Abdo, if approved by the District, would create a destination across from the Brookland/CUA Metro station in a low-slung neighborhood that developers largely ignored during the real estate boom of recent years.
Abdo's project would rise on university-owned land occupied by three dormitories, which the school would demolish and rebuild on the main campus, north of Michigan Avenue. The university plans to announce the deal today.
Over the past decade, Abdo has played a key role in rebuilding 14th Street NW around Logan Circle, as well as H Street NE, a long-forlorn strip where he developed more than 450 condominium and rental apartments on the site of the former Capitol Children's Museum.
Abdo said the Catholic University project is an opportunity to link the school to the community and create an attraction for people across the city. "It's an empty canvas," he said. "This will become a destination."
Abdo said that his plans are conceptual and that he will host meetings to solicit input from Brookland community leaders and residents before finalizing his design.
The project is expected to dramatically alter the landscape. It would create about 800 housing units, provide street-level studio space for artists and extend the retail area on 12th Street NE along Monroe Street. The clock tower, which Abdo estimates would be about 65 feet tall, would be a gateway to the development, at the southwestern corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street.
Abdo said the housing would be a mix of condominiums and rental apartments, some in buildings of five to eight stories, others spread out over more than 50 rowhouses. The condominiums would sell for $400,000 to $600,000, depending on the market, he said.
As for retail, Abdo said he envisions Monroe Street as a new commercial corridor, lined with storefronts along the ground floors of the apartment buildings. "What's missing in the neighborhood?" he asked. "Cafes? Bookstores? Maybe we'd like to see more restaurants."
Abdo said he has no specific commercial tenants in mind, but he ruled out big-box stores, fast-food restaurants, nightclubs and bars. "It will not be a place where people are waiting on line to get their hand stamped and go to a deejay," he said.
Abdo said he would try to draw people to existing 12th Street businesses and not lease space to the kinds of shops that are already there. "We're not here to undermine 12th Street," he said. "We're here to enhance it."
His ideal, he said, is an eclectic mix of "mom-and-pop retail."
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Catholic University has chosen a developer to turn nearly nine acres across from its Northeast Washington campus into a dense mix of restaurants, shops and housing, all centered around a new clock tower.
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'The Internationalist' Checks Americans' Cultural Baggage
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"The Internationalist" is a clever comedy for the age of globalization. The notion that playwright Anne Washburn toys with in her diverting work at Studio Theatre has to do with Americans' sense of cultural superiority, and how quickly arrogance melts away when one is forced to play by the rules of an ever more confident rest-of-the-world.
Washburn's metier is language, and in this play she focuses on a foreign tongue that her main character, a good-looking young American businessman named Lowell, cannot make heads or tails of. Nor, for that matter, can we. The dramatist has invented a playfully convincing foreign language for "The Internationalist," one so foreign, in fact, that the "unidentified Eastern European country" in which the piece is set does not exist on any map.
The concept establishes the boundaries for an amusing challenge to both Tyler Pierce's Lowell and the audience. For long stretches, the other characters in the outlying corporate branch to which Lowell has been summarily dispatched speak in a complicated, unaccented gibberish that sounds as if it's a lost Indo-European language crossed with baby talk. Or maybe as if we're watching a spinoff of "The Office" in Esperanto.
"Hibit tora umkaforia loi nam tumf," goes a typical line. To which the reply is, "Dee staft tan imdia pimal-am doloc nong tac frahd." (Intermittingly, the workers revert to plain English.)
If this makes for a one-joke sort of evening, it's a well-handled one in director Kirk Jackson's enjoyable production. The actors playing the inscrutable office number-crunchers -- Jason Lott, Cameron McNary, James Konicek and Holly Twyford -- carry off with remarkable elan (and memorization skill) making this nonsense dialogue seem conversational.
The larger point of the ironically titled "The Internationalist" relates to the eye-opening aspect of Lowell's overseas journey. (Jackson concocts a smart mimed prologue of the dreary plight of the modern business traveler.) Along with the usual kinds of culture shock -- the local libations and delicacies trigger Lowell's gag reflex -- what the American encounters is an unanticipated sensation: his being superfluous. The troubleshooting for which Lowell has been sent to this outpost is never specified, but it's clear from the way the employees patronizingly engage him or just talk around him that his presence has not exactly been desperately awaited.
Casually, the locals let him know that they're not in awe of where he comes from, nor even particularly curious about a country that many Americans assume is an obsession for virtually everyone on the planet. An offhand remark by one of the workers, for example, about the way in which this Eastern European nation's health-care system allows no one to fall through the cracks, inserts the idea that this society thinks of itself as more advanced than ours. (It's as if, where America is concerned, the rest of the world is now solidly in the camp of the French.)
Washburn is not painting an idyllic view of this imaginary place. A large part of "The Internationalist" is devoted to the story of a lonely and underemployed member of the staff, Sara, who develops a crush on Lowell. Tonya Beckman Ross does nicely by the enigmatic Sara, playing her by turns as flirtatious and unattainable and then, finally, as soulfully needy. It feels as if the role of women has not evolved quite so vibrantly as this culture might advertise; one of the best scenes features the wittily protean Twyford as a leather-clad lady of the evening, making a loud and rather clumsy pitch for Lowell's patronage.
Set designer Debra Booth places "The Internationalist" on a sleekly modern set with office furniture that suggests cool Ikea efficiency. Illustrated panels slide into place to conjure streets, restaurants and bars. The muted business attire supplied by costume designer Jenny Mannis reinforces the idea of a working environment with an appreciation -- perhaps left over from earlier times -- for some level of conformity.
All the cast members manage to evoke credible types, even when uttering meaningless phrases. The nervous dynamism of McNary, Lott and Twyford helps sustain the energy of the indecipherable office exchanges. Konicek is doubly fine as an eccentrically standoffish manager and a snootily detached worker.
Pierce, too, proves to be exceedingly well cast. As with the anti-heroic character he played two years ago in Studio's "Fat Pig" -- a man who fell for, and then coldly cast aside, an overweight woman -- his Lowell exudes a boy-next-door kind of openness, as well as a capability for processing complex situations. He's well suited to the job of filtering for us the sense of dislocation at the heart of the play.
On a few occasions, one could wish that the actors might wring just a bit more emotion from the babble, as when, near the evening's end, Ross's Sara must, in her own language, make a powerful confession; it's in such challenging moments that "The Internationalist" is most imaginatively alive. Nevertheless, Studio's admirably lucid take on this intelligent play is an outcome that needs no translation.
The Internationalist, by Anne Washburn. Directed by Kirk Jackson. Lighting, Michael Giannitti; sound, Neil McFadden. About 2 hours. Through June 22 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit http://www.studiotheatre.org.
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Search Washington, DC area theater/dance events and venues from the Washington Post. Features DC, Virginia and Maryland entertainment listings for theater, dance, opera, musicals, and childrens theater.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603729.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008052019id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603729.html
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Obama Has the Upper Hand. But McCain Can Still Take Him.
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2008052019
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John McCain is America's favorite kind of candidate. With his record of extraordinary patriotism and his distinctive Senate tenure, McCain is a nominee whom voters from both parties -- and independents, too -- could easily support.
But he has been dealt a terrible hand: a tanking economy, an unpopular war, a Republican incumbent whose approval ratings are at their all-time low and a gloomy national mood, with 82 percent of Americans saying in a Washington Post-ABC News poll last week that the country is on the wrong track. Political scientists add all that up and predict that the Democrats are destined to win the White House. But I don't do political science; I do politics, and I'm convinced that McCain can still win -- if he's willing to follow the road map below.
McCain needs to not run as a traditional Republican, which is easy, since he's not one. After all, how did an anti-torture, anti-tobacco, pro-campaign finance reform, anti-pork, pro-alternative-energy Republican ever emerge from the primaries alive? Simple: The GOP electorate, along with the rest of the country, has moved somewhat to the left. (In Florida, for example, exit polls showed that only 27 percent of Republican primary voters described themselves as "very conservative," while 28 percent said they were "moderate" and 2 percent said they were "very liberal.")
Meanwhile, McCain's likely rival, Barack Obama, has raised such doubts among voters that their concerns momentarily energized even Hillary Rodham Clinton's sagging campaign. With the help of the incendiary comments of his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., Obama's negatives have been rising even as he nears the finish line.
Still, voters are tending heavily toward the Democratic Party. Normally, party preferences are about even, but recent national polls give Democrats a decided edge. In last week's Post-ABC poll, 53 percent of Americans identified themselves as Democrats or leaned toward the party, compared with 39 percent who were Republicans or tilted to the GOP.
To sum it up: A candidate who cannot get elected is being nominated by a party that cannot be defeated, while a candidate who is eminently electable is running as the nominee of a party doomed to defeat.
In this environment, McCain can win by running to the center.
His base will be there for him; indeed, it will turn out in massive numbers. Wright has become the honorary chairman of McCain's get-out-the-vote efforts. It would be nice to think that race isn't a factor in American politics anymore, but it is. The growing fear of Obama, who remains something of an unknown, will drag every last white Republican male off the golf course to vote for McCain, and he will need no further laying-on of hands from either evangelical Christians or fiscal conservatives.
So McCain doesn't have to spend a lot of time wooing his base. What he does need to do is reduce the size of the synapse over which independents and fearful Democrats need to pass in order to back his candidacy. If the synapse is wide, they will stay with Obama. But if they perceive McCain as an acceptable alternative, there is every chance that they will cross over to back him in November.
If the GOP nominee were Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee, independents and Democrats might not vote Republican even if they became convinced that Obama is some kind of sleeper agent sent to charm and conquer our democracy. Even Rudy Giuliani, with his penchant for confrontation, might have elicited sufficient doubts among Democrats to hold them in line for Obama. But McCain doesn't threaten anyone. Everyone can appreciate the ordeal that tested his courage in Vietnam, and independents and Democrats can celebrate much of his legislative record. Voting for McCain is an easy sell.
Except, of course, for Iraq. This is his biggest problem -- the one issue that impales the Arizona senator and hampers his ability to induce liberals to cross the line.
Earlier in the race, Iraq might have been a deal-breaker. But a kinder, gentler war has emerged. U.S. combat deaths are way down, and the de facto U.S. alliance with Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province against al-Qaeda in Iraq seems to have dramatically improved the security situation. Still, most Americans don't like the war, and McCain must deal with their opposition if he wants to win.
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In the current political environment, he can win only by running to the center.
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