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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061201802.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2007061619id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061201802.html
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The Airlines' Eyes on the Skies
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FORT WORTH -- Airline meteorologist Mark Mabey stares at four computer screens on his desk. They are filled with data, charts and radar images. All seem to suggest a different potential for thunderstorms -- the airlines' enemy during the hectic summer travel season.
He rubs his chin and sighs, then walks to a large bank of windows. His eyes scan a mass of menacing clouds in the distance. He is thinking about the forecast he is trying to generate for his carrier, American Airlines.
"This isn't an easy call," says Mabey, lost in thought as he looks back toward his computers. "I might have to rely on intuition."
On this particular Monday last month, Mabey was worried about more than nasty letters or phone calls of the kind television or radio meteorologists get for predicting a sunny weekend that turns out to be a washout. The quiet, little-noticed work that Mabey and dozens of other airline meteorologists perform has huge financial and operational consequences and can affect the travel plans of thousands of passengers.
Relying on computer models, government forecasts and radar images, Mabey's predictions will dictate how American executes its schedule, files flight plans for aircraft arriving from as far away as India and loads fuel on each jet. A good forecast will save the airline cash and grief. A bad one could lead to an operational and public relations debacle -- just ask executives at American and JetBlue Airways, which have endured recent weather-related mishaps that left hundreds of passengers trapped on planes for hours.
As Mabey walks about his office, he mulls his options.
A forecast of a decent chance of thunderstorms will force dispatchers to add fuel to planes so that they might be able to circle until the weather clears. That helps the carrier prevent costly diversions to alternate airports.
But that extra fuel is heavy, requiring more of it to be burned to keep a plane airborne. With oil prices at all-time highs, airlines are doing everything they can to cut back on their use of fuel.
It's a difficult balancing act, especially in an industry that has razor-thin profit margins after years of billion-dollar losses. And during the busy and congested summer travel season, the stakes are even higher: Planes are packed, and airlines are battling record delays at airports across the country.
"Meteorologists start everything around here," said Monte E. Ford, a senior vice president and the chief information officer at American. He said the first question he asks his assistants each morning is about the day's weather outlook. "A big part of what we do is dependent on weather."
Mabey, a laid-back 48-year-old Texas native who wears glasses and short-sleeved shirts, dreamed of being an airline meteorologist when he was a little boy and kept detailed records about rainfall and temperatures in his back yard. He realized his goal in 1986, getting a job with American after spending several years bouncing around other meteorological jobs and chasing tornadoes in Texas and Oklahoma.
In 2003, American eliminated its 21-person meteorological team and hired outside contractors. Several of the airline's meteorologists, including Mabey, eventually got jobs with Weather Services International, the firm American ultimately hired to generate its forecasts.
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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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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061202090.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2007061619id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061202090.html
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Bush Aides Helped Respond to Firings, E-Mails Show
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Several high-ranking White House officials were closely involved in crafting a public response to the uproar over the firing of a group of U.S. attorneys, according to documents released late yesterday.
Then-White House counsel Harriet E. Miers and aides to presidential adviser Karl Rove were deeply enmeshed in debates over how to respond to the controversy as early as mid-January, when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) questioned the spate of prosecutor departures in a Senate floor speech, according to e-mails that the Justice Department turned over to the House and Senate judiciary committees.
The e-mails are the latest documents to surface among the thousands of pages provided to Congress in last year's firing of nine U.S. attorneys. Their ouster has prompted a series of investigations and led to a failed effort Monday by Senate Democrats to stage a vote of no confidence in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.
The new records provide a peek at the actions of the White House, which has repeatedly refused Democratic demands for records and sworn testimony related to the issue.
"These documents show that the White House played an integral role in the firings and their aftermath," said House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.). "This only underscores the need for White House cooperation with this investigation."
Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) added: "We need an end to the White House's stonewalling of our investigations so we can learn the truth."
The 46 pages of e-mails show that Miers and others -- including her deputy, William Kelley, and the White House political affairs director at the time, Sara M. Taylor -- were involved in spirited and sometimes angry e-mail exchanges as the secretive firings operation began to unravel in public. Many of the exchanges also included D. Kyle Sampson, who coordinated the firings as Gonzales's chief of staff.
White House officials appeared to be particularly concerned about the political fallout over the firing of prosecutor Bud Cummins of Little Rock, who was replaced by Tim Griffin, a former Rove aide. On Feb. 16, for example, Taylor sharply criticized the testimony of Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty, who had told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Cummins was removed to make way for Griffin. The subject line of the e-mails read: "McNulty Strikes Again."
"Why would McNulty say this?" Taylor wrote to Sampson. "This has been so poorly handled on the part [of] DOJ."
Taylor added in a follow-up: "Tim was put in a horrible position; hung to dry w/ no heads up. You forced him to do what he did; this is not good for his long-term career. Bud runs a campaign and McNulty refuses to say Bud is lazy -- which is why we got rid of him in the first place."
Griffin has since left the Little Rock job. McNulty, who is to resign later this summer, is scheduled to testify next week before the House Judiciary Committee. Cummins could not be reached to comment last night.
Other e-mails show that Justice officials expressly told lawmakers in January that a total of eight U.S. attorneys had been fired in the previous year. Testimony and documents have since shown that the number of those removed was actually nine, and that a total of 30 were considered for dismissal at one time or another.
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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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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061201186.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2007061619id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061201186.html
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A More Candid Approach To Sex-Ed
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The Montgomery County school board yesterday approved new lessons on sexual orientation for use in every middle and high school, introducing homosexuality and gender identity in health classes where they have not been discussed except in response to a question from a student.
Two lessons, totaling 90 minutes, will be added to health courses in grades 8 and 10 in the fall, along with a 10th-grade lesson and instructional DVD on the correct use of a condom. The curriculum revisions, while short, place Montgomery in the forefront of a movement toward more candor in teaching about homosexuality in public schools
"I know that these issues are not without emotion," said Superintendent Jerry D. Weast, speaking yesterday in a televised meeting. "But I do think this is the right thing to do. And I also think it needs to be done in the right way."
Much of the nation is moving toward an "abstinence-only" approach to sex education, which emphasizes the advantages of confining sex to marriage. But school systems in liberal communities are heading in the opposite direction, teaching more about sexual orientation, as well as contraception and abstinence, in what is termed "comprehensive" sex education.
Weast made a final addition Monday to the Montgomery lessons, instructing teachers to say -- only in response to a student's question -- that the psychiatric community does not consider homosexuality an illness. It cost him the support of the most conservative school board member, Stephen N. Abrams (Rockville-Potomac), who said he was "extraordinarily offended" to learn of the change Monday night.
Other board members had pushed for the revision, as had a 15-member citizens advisory committee, a group that worked with Weast's staff to develop the lessons. The advisory group lobbied strenuously for the last-minute change. Its members overwhelmingly favored the new curriculum, although two represented organizations that opposed it.
The school board vote went 6 to 1, with only Abrams opposing the amended lessons. Student representative Sarah Horvitz was absent but could have voted on the measure.
Six middle and high schools field-tested the lessons in March. Health teachers in other Montgomery schools have not been permitted to discuss sexual orientation except in response to a student's query.
"Where we were before was nothing," said board member Patricia O'Neill (Bethesda- Chevy Chase).
The new lessons were five years in the making. Board members and civic leaders felt the old policy -- avoiding the topic -- did not befit a community known for its progressiveness. But a first attempt at revising the lessons prompted a lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. issued a restraining order in spring 2005, faulting teacher materials that criticized religious fundamentalism.
Rewritten lessons -- tightly scripted, screened by lawyers and trimmed of all religious content -- have met with equally determined opposition from a consortium of citizen groups led by Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum. They contend that the new lessons, like the ones proposed two years ago, favor the viewpoint that homosexuality is socially and morally acceptable. They sought to introduce such cautionary topics as the dangers of anal sex and to challenge the notion that sexual orientation is inborn.
About 35 protesters gathered outside school board headquarters yesterday morning, chanting, "Health before politics." They included Douglas Streeks, 18, a graduating senior from Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville.
He said of the new lessons, "I think their agenda is to get students to accept this stuff as normal, and it's not."
Opponents have appealed to the Maryland State Board of Education and to State Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick, who refused to halt the field tests but said arguments for and against the curriculum were "balanced equally on each side." The state board is expected to rule this summer.
John Garza, president of the lead protest group, asked why the county board couldn't wait until then to go forward.
"What if they actually rule in our favor?" he said.
The new lessons are heavy on definitions and worksheet exercises about harassment and tolerance. A passage from the grade 8 lesson, for example, dismisses as myth the idea "that a person is homosexual because he or she is not yet interested in the opposite gender." More candid grade 10 lessons describe gay, lesbian and transgender people "celebrat[ing] their self-discovery" and are the main source of controversy.
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The Montgomery County school board yesterday approved new lessons on sexual orientation for use in every middle and high school, introducing homosexuality and gender identity in health classes where they have not been discussed except in response to a question from a student.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061202150.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2007061619id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061202150.html
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Of Tykes and Tyrants: Elementary Democracy
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2007061619
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"Please Vote for Me" -- equal parts charmer and bitter exposé -- is a compact Chinese documentary about democracy that is likely to emerge as one of the favorite films in this year's Silverdocs festival, which began yesterday. It's hard to know exactly how much serious sociology one should read into this film -- which follows the campaigns of three third-graders hoping to be elected class monitor -- given that the data is confined to a single elementary school in the city of Wuhan, a metropolis about the size of London.
The students competing for the position, which empowers the lucky winner to terrorize his or her classmates, are all privileged offspring of China's increasingly prosperous bourgeoisie. Cheng Cheng is a chubby brat, drawn like a moth to his video games. Xiaofei, the only girl among the candidates, is pampered, hardworking and plays by the rules, but she is clearly too sensitive for the vicious tussle of third-grade politics. And Luo Lei, a former class monitor who seeks a new term, is a wiry bully whose power stems in part from his parents' high position in town.
It's an ugly campaign season, a mix of talent show, debate, old-fashioned politicking and dirty tricks. It's part "American Idol," part "Survivor." Cheng Cheng urges his supporters to mock Xiaofei so unmercifully she can hardly make it through her first speech. Then, in an appalling act of hypocrisy, he denounces his own thugs, who are brought weeping to justice. The battle is quickly reduced to a contest between the boys, Luo Lei and Cheng Cheng, whose debate is an eerily scripted exchange of Orwellian platitudes. Luo Lei must resort to graft -- a free trip for his whole class, organized by his parents, which helps turn the tide in his favor.
A cynical reading of this film, and the reading that director Weijun Chen clearly invites, would see dark days ahead for any kind of nascent democracy in China. It is not about empowerment or meritocracy but a contest between the old communist elites and the new capitalist managerial class. The children are drawn to power and privilege, not to reform or the exchange of ideas. Democracy emerges merely as a tool for choosing new autocratic leaders. The entire function of the class monitor, we learn at the end of the film, is to ensure conformity. The teachers and parents who manipulate this supposedly pedagogical lesson in democracy are simply underscoring the age-old attractions of realpolitik.
But hey, these are third-graders. Kids can be ugly, vicious little beasts, which is why adults are needed to teach and constrain them. There's a good reason we don't set the age of majority at 9 or 10. Would third-graders in this country behave any differently?
And would parents in this country, parents intent on getting their little ones into the best pre-kindergarten program as the first step on a relentless march to Harvard, behave much differently from the cynical schemers of "Please Vote for Me"?
Democracy and free markets tend to go together, the former ideally designed to ensure some kind of individual liberty, access to power and equality, the latter tending to reward ambition, connections and luck. The Chinese have enjoyed a taste of free markets, without much democracy, so naturally their prism for understanding the interplay of both systems favors the relentless pursuit of materialism and position.
The pendulum between these two forces has swung in both directions, in this country, as in every other democracy. Perhaps these third-graders will be more sophisticated about democracy when they are their parents' age. Or perhaps not. Democracy isn't exactly on the march these days.
Part of the problem with this film is the sheer cleverness of its initial conceit -- the close observation of a typically numbskull bit of participatory education. While holding a school election is all good fun (except for the losers and everyone bullied in the process), these kids would have been better served by studying democracy historically and theoretically, rather than enacting a preteen parody of it.
In the end, "Please Vote for Me" has a too-good-to-be-true air to it. Weijun Chen, whose previous film was a documentary about AIDS in China, had extraordinary access to the children and their families. But the slick, funny parable that emerges from that access feels almost too glib. It's entertaining, to be sure, and if you want to walk away from this film feeling you've learned something profound about the soul of democracy in China, well, history may prove you right. But this film has the strength and weakness of so much narrative journalism: A good story, richly detailed, doesn't necessarily yield objective or even representative data, just as a documentarian's "experiment" in democracy shouldn't be confused with a sociologist's. The conclusions drawn should be modest and provisional.
Please Vote for Me (55 minutes), is unrated and entirely unobjectionable. It will be screened at the Silverdocs festival on Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. For more information, go to http://Silverdocs.com.
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"Please Vote for Me" -- equal parts charmer and bitter exposé -- is a compact Chinese documentary about democracy that is likely to emerge as one of the favorite films in this year's Silverdocs festival, which began yesterday. It's hard to know exactly how much serious sociology one should read...
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/08/AR2007060801120.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2007061619id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/08/AR2007060801120.html
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What's the Deal?
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· Save the planet -- and 20 percent. Intrepid Travel, which espouses eco-responsible travel, is taking 20 percent off select land-only adventures. For example, pay $676 per person double (down from $867) for the eight-day Swiss Alpine Trails excursion in the Swiss and French Alps. Book by June 14; depart Aug. 11. Info: 866-847-8192, http://www.intrepidtravel.com/.
· Save hundreds on a new family golfing package at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, which features a Greg Norman golf course. The deal starts at $199 for one adult and one child (17 and younger) and includes three or nine holes of golf (usually $75 for adults, $50 for kids), one hour of instruction ($90 per person), caddie concierge service ($20), club rental ($35-$65) and two sleeves of Ritz-Carlton golf balls ($18). Good through Sept. 16. Taxes of 12.5 percent are additional. Info: 800-576-5760 or 407-393-4900, http://www.grandelakes.com/.
· CruiseOne is taking up to $370 off two nine-night Royal Caribbean cruises to Canada and New England. The Grandeur of the Seas departs Baltimore on Sept. 7 and costs $769 per person double; the Explorer of the Seas leaves Cape Liberty, N.J., on Sept. 14 and costs $679 per person double. Ports of call include Maine, Nova Scotia and Boston. Taxes of $54 (Baltimore) and $87 (Cape Liberty) are additional. Brochure prices on both are $1,049. Info: 877-600-4646, http://www.jgarroway.cruiseone.com/travel/cruises/index.do.
· Book a Western Mediterranean cruise with Friendly Planet before June 29 and save up to $1,000 per couple. The 10-day cruise aboard Costa Cruise's Concordia has three departure dates; the Nov. 10 is the lowest, at $1,649 per person double (after the discount). Price includes airfare from New York to Rome, or pay $100 to $150 more to fly from Washington. Taxes of $135 and port charges of $159 are additional. Info: 800-555-5765, http://www.friendlyplanet.com/.
· Icelandair has sale fares to Europe in August. For example, flights from BWI to Reykjavik start at $881, including taxes. Other destinations include London, Paris, Oslo and Berlin.
Travel Aug. 1-19. Other airlines are charging closer to $1,000. Book at http://www.icelandair.com/.
· Southwest has kicked off its systemwide sale, with fares to various U.S. destinations from $49 one way. For example, flights from Baltimore to Hartford, Conn., or Providence, R.I., start at $119 round trip, including taxes. By comparison, fares to Hartford typically go for $150 and to Providence, $160. Travel Tuesdays or Wednesdays July 31-Nov. 2. Book by June 14 at http://www.southwest.com/.
· Enjoy Scotland without the dreary weather with a deal from Dooley Vacations. The package starts at $1,299 per person double for travel through June. Price includes air from New York to Glasgow (add $200 from Washington), one night at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Glasgow, five nights at any Discover B&B and rental car. About $170 in taxes additional. By comparison, June flights to Scotland usually go for a grand, and a night at the Jurys Inn costs $135. Info: 877-331-9301, http://www.dooleyvacations.com/.
· United Vacations is taking up to 40 percent off vacations to Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada and the United States. For example, a seven-night package to St. Maarten is marked down to $1,349 per person double from $2,199; the deal includes air from Washington and lodging at the Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa. Travel July 14-Aug. 18; book by July 15. Taxes are additional and vary per destination. Info: 888-328-6877, http://www.unitedvacations.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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· Book two nights at select hotels in Montreal and take 50 percent off the third night . Twenty-three hotels are participating in the Sweet Deals special, including the five-star Queen Elizabeth Fairmont, which is $173 per night double with breakfast, and the Quality Inn Downtown, from $119 a night...
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/06/12/DI2007061201445.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2007061319id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/06/12/DI2007061201445.html
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D.C. Schools Takeover
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2007061319
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Tuesday, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's takeover of the D.C. Public Schools system became official, and he appointed a new chancellor, Michelle Rhee, to replace Superintendent Clifford Janey.
Washington Post city government beat writer David Nakamura was online Wednesday, June 13 at noon ET to take your questions and comments about the appointment and about what to expect in the early days of the takeover.
From today's Post: More Criticism Over Fenty's Secrecy.
David Nakamura: Hi everyone, lots of excitement, and a fair amount of nervousness, around the new schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Happy to answer any questions about her, the process by which Mayor Fenty chose her or anything else about the schools or the administration.
Logan Circle: Is Mayor Fenty in danger of alienating blacks with his appointments or does have enough political capital to deal with any uproar?
David Nakamura: Might as well start right off with a bang. Fenty has indeed been criticized in some quarters of the city for not hiring enough African Americans to the upper levels of his cabinet, as well as none in the top level from east of the Anacostia River in Wards 7 and 8. The mayor's new school chancellor is Korean American, his police and fire chiefs are white, as is his city administrator. Fenty generally responds that he's seeking "the best and the brightest" for each job. He has noted that one of his two deputy mayors is black, Neil Albert, as is his chief of staff, Tene Dophin.
So far, most people seem willing to give the mayor's appointees a chance and Fenty believes good performances will trump all else. So far, Police Chief Cathy Lanier has gotten off to a fairly good start.
Washington, D.C.: With the school system in her reigns, how much, if any, of a likely shakeup in central office administration will we see from Ms. Rhee?
David Nakamura: Good question. Expect to see a very large shakeup. Rhee already has appointed Kaya Henderson, a former vice president at Rhee's New Teacher Project, as her top deputy superintendent for D.C. Rhee has told us that she will do a thorough review of the central office, but my guess is you'll see significant new blood in many of the upper level posts. Rhee said she is not scared to "hire people who know more than I do" and those who have worked with her said she will attract new talent to the system. The risk, of course, is potentially losing important institutional knowledge. As much grief as the D.C. schools central administration takes, it is also true that there are dedicated professionals there who are trying to make things better.
Washington, D.C.: Other a than a fresh face on the scene, what do you think Fenty and gang believe that Ms. Rhee brings DCPS? Is he ego tripping?
David Nakamura: Fenty wanted a superintendent/chancellor who was familiar with the intractable problems facing urban districts, but also someone not necessarily from an urban district. He thinks longtime superintendents are too quick to leave when the going gets tough and that they are sometimes bound by the limits of their own imaginations. Fenty likes that Rhee has grown her own company and that the company worked closely with urban districts, including D.C., to reform procedures that limit the ability of principals to hire good teachers. Rhee has talked a lot about first tackling slow-moving, broken human resources systems that are the bane of most urban school districts. Whether she has the management expertise and broader skill set to tackle the many other problems here remains to be seen.
Washington, D.C.: Why the secrecy? While Mayor Fenty may have complied with the letter of the law -- and I don't think he did -- he sure as heck didn't comply with the spirit, which was a wide-open, broad-based search with substantial outside input. I for one don't much like it.
David Nakamura: Fenty's basic defense is two-fold: 1. He has been thinking about these positions for a long time, years even since he was a council member, and has talked to many people in D.C. during that time about what the city's needs in a superintendent. 2. That if he openly discussed each candidate he wants to hire for a position, the name would be debated--and probably halted--ad nauseam before he even has a chance to hire the person. ... Of course, others would say vetting the names publicly would be more democratic and give the mayor a better perspective about what people are looking for.
Washington, D.C.: Wow. Since hiring seemingly qualified people hasn't worked, I guess hiring someone totally unqualified might do the trick. I wish her well, especially since I have 2-year-old twins I'd like to see attend public school, but can't begin to calculate the odds against her succeeding. I hope I'm wrong, but don't think so. But I do wish her luck.
David Nakamura: Interesting comment and I think this reflects some of the, probably, wide-spread angst felt by parents. Rhee is not very well known outside academia and she's not from D.C. People, including us at the Post, are still delving into her background to find out more about her.
Washington, D.C.: From a concerned DCPS Parent: It is unfortunate that the Mayor did not properly take the time to "RESPECTFULLY" thank and acknowledge all of the work that Dr. Janey has done to lay the educational foundation for what his administration will now attempt to implement in a "speedy" fashion. It would have made more sense to retain Dr. Janey, hold his feet to the fire, and have him continue to carry out his educational plans with oversight from the Fenty administration.
I urge Ms. Rhee, if confirmed, and all parties involved with the education of the children of D.C. to always keep in mind that the children's education is what is most important in all decisions that are made.
David Nakamura: Fenty's handling of the change in leadership has raised questions. He told Janey that he did not want the superintendent to return at 11:30 p.m. on Monday night, I think in a phone conversation. Janey's school system email account was shut down within hours and he did not report to a senior staff meeting yesterday. He has not commented publicly. Janey, for whatever presumed faults he might have had, is described by friends as a proud and deliberate man, dedicated to education, who probably does not feel he was treated the right way.
Silver Spring, Md.: Even though I don't live in the District I do want Mayor Fenty to succeed. The entire region benefits when D.C. works. To make the city work the Mayor needs to bring in new people with different backgrounds. But as an African-American, I am offended by his repeated reference to the non-blacks he appoints as having energy, passion and enthusiasm. This creates the impression that blacks lack these traits. He seems to be particularly condescending toward older or middle-aged blacks. He is using very unfair stereotypes that will likely to get him sued for age discrimination. The Mayor should know better. People of all races and ages can and should contribute to the success of the city including its school system.
David Nakamura: The mayor does not talk a lot about race. He said it matters to him, as he is biracial himself. But when it comes to hiring, he often says he simply is looking for the best person. While he has taken criticism for not hiring enough African Americans, he also does have a deputy mayor, Victor Reinoso, who is Latino and a schools chief who is Asian. He also has appointed women to some very high positions, including police chief and attorney general (Linda Singer). That said, I think he will catch more heat for some on whether he has enough blacks in his top cabinet.
Washington, D.C.: How much of a fight do we expect the confirmation process to bring? Can anyone stop the Mayor's choice or is she definitely in?
David Nakamura: I'd guess that unless a scandal in her background is uncovered, the council will confirm her before July 10, when it goes on recess. Expect Marion Barry in particular to grill her on her lack of superintendent experience, but about 8 or 9 council members joined Fenty in his announcement of Rhee yesterday, including Chairman Vince Gray.
Washington, D.C.: Question: How can the income/achievement gap be closed?
Comment: You can see it coming. Every day I am fortunate, with about the same nine other parents in my son's kindergarten classroom of 25 kids, to be able to be sit from 8:40 to 9:00 everyday to do his morning work with him. Not surprisingly, all of the nine parents have either white collar, or entrepreneurial jobs where they control their schedule. Parental participation like this is a primary benefit of "affluence" that my son and others like him benefit from, and that I hope will contribute to him becoming one of the "advanced" students in DCPS testing. Yet the economic imbalances across the city from East to West hurt those kids whose parents can't make the same commitment to their kids classrooms because of demanding jobs and pressures. It's a sad Catch-22 that I see every morning.
David Nakamura: If I could answer that question, I'd be the chancellor. It's the biggest issue facing schools today. I covered Loudoun County schools and Prince George's County schools and both were dealing with the achievement gap in their own ways. No one has really figured it out.
Washington, D.C.: Is the appointment of Mrs. Rhee a sign that DCPS desires to revise its union contract to make it easier to hire and fire teachers?
David Nakamura: Good question. Yes, watch closely this summer whether Rhee/Fenty/Council can force major changes in the teachers union contract, which is up for negotiations from what I understand. Council member David Catania is champing at the bit to tear up the contract. Rhee supposedly has a good relationship with union head George Parker, who worked with her in her role with the New Teacher Project. But that is very different than sitting across from her at the bargaining table. Rhee said that as a teacher in Baltimore 10 years ago, she was terrible her first year and then rededicated herself and worked overtime, on weekends, etc, to improve. She's not alone. A lot of teachers do that willingly, as I know from having two teachers as parents. But not every teacher will want to do that unless they are paid accordingly.
Washington, D.C.: Janey's one major accomplishment, as reported over and over in The Post, is that he introduced new, rigorous standards (which, by the way, are largely copied from Massachusetts). I wish your reporters would talk to DCPS parents about these things to get some context. My daughter is in fifth grade, and I can assure you she learned nothing about prefixes, suffixes, Greek and Latin roots.
Of course, according to the standards, the teacher was supposed to cover these subjects as part of proper vocabulary teaching.
Contrast Janey's laissez faire attitude with actions taken by Philadelphia's successful superintendent, Paul Valla.
When Mr. Valla introduced new standards, he gave teachers guides detailing what they were to teach every week, and then tested every two weeks to determine whether the students -- or teachers-- needed help with implementation. This is what any CEO worth his or her salt would do when instituting system-wide change.
Janey's departure is LONG overdue.
David Nakamura: You're right about Janey being credited on standards, but the former Philly superintendent is "Vallas" ... Vallas is now headed to New Orleans. Fenty was said to at one point be interested in hiring Vallas. Check out Dion Haynes's story from yesterday's Post for a piece on how Philly reformed its schools.
Anonymous: How do you figure the police chief has gotten off to a good start?
David Nakamura: This is in response to one of my earlier posts about Cathy Lanier. My sense from talking to folks around town is that while Lanier, a 39-year-old white woman who had dropped out of high school, started off with many doubters within and without the police department, she has overcome some of the initial skepticism by being accessible and talking to people and listening. She has tried to enact new strategies for community policing. Her recent flooding of officers onto the streets for overtime last weekend to tamp down the usual summer crime spike has brought a lot of arrests and a mixed reaction -- some say it was a "pr stunt." On the bigger question about whether Lanier can make the city safer, the jury is very much still out.
Maryland: Does Chancellor Michelle Rhee have kids? If so, will she enroll them in DCPS? Mayor Fenty's kids are in private schools.
David Nakamura: Yes, she has two daughters, ages 5 and 8. She lives in Denver now, but will move here with her children and she pledged to enroll them in a D.C. traditional public school (not charter). She said that will make her work with more "urgency" that all mothers feel. Fenty's twin sons attend a private school, but he has said they will go to public school starting in a couple years when they enter fourth grade.
You cover DC politics enough so please share some insight.
Deputy Mayor of Public Education: Limited experience cut and pastes the education plan. Admits to it and says he was under pressure. Not truly respected by the education world.
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development: Ran the parks. Ran edbuild but has no economic development experience and now will have control over all AWC/NCRC land and projects and the future of development in the District.
Chancellor: No real institutional leadership experience and now has to run a 55,000 student 11,000 employee school system.
This is not adding up for me. Please provide a viewpoint that might make feel better about living in the District.
David Nakamura: Good points. And this has certainly been brought up by Fenty critics. Fenty clearly wants new blood. He said he hired Victor Reinoso, the deputy mayor for education, because Reinoso was a school board member and parent who knew the system and also had worked for the Federal City Council on education-related projects. He said he hired Neil Albert, the former parks and rec director and former deputy mayor for child/youth/families, as deputy mayor for economic development because Albert knew the social service side and could convince/demand that developers create affordable housing, along with major development.
But the hires also have something in common -- they are young and fit Fenty's idea that he wants people who are "energetic" and "work with urgency." Whether that can help overcome any potential lack of experience is unclear.
Before the Fenty Supporters Get On: Message to Fenty Supporters...this is not about speaking out against Fenty. This is not about showing support. Factually, this candidate for Chancellor is not qualified. Point blank. Explain to me how a teacher with three years of teaching experience can start a non-profit to train teachers?
When I did my student teaching I had a cooperating teacher who was a third-year teacher. He helped me, but I ran circles around this guy. It wasn't until my mentor teacher of 35 years of experience came into my classroom and pulled me aside and showed me the real ropes that I discovered the art of teaching.
So when critics say Rhee is unqualified, they are not speaking out against Fenty...they are speaking from a factual standpoint. Blind faith is not a good option when you are dealing with education.
The mayor needs to go back to the drawing board on this one.
David Nakamura: Here's some interesting food for thought. Fenty supporters-- your reaction?
Washington, D.C.: In your opinion, is there anything that Rhee or any superintendent can do to change the parents? I think she can modernize the schools, reduce the bureaucracy all she wants. But until you change the parents, all we will have is a well-run organization. That doesn't make the schools better from a learning standpoint. Bad parenting does more to impede the learning process than any other issue in my opinion.
David Nakamura: Parents are indeed a key. Fenty's school plan calls for parent resource centers and training sessions to explain to parents how they can get involved. But it's also important to note that the school system must do a better job communicating with parents, responding to their needs/concerns and making them feel welcome when they DO want to get involved.
Former DCPS teacher: Good news - at least Rhee has school experience. Becton had none. She is reasonably qualified, and may get some of the much needed changes past the incredible mound of inertia that the DCPS administration is.
Just TRY to be a good teacher in DCPS. Just TRY it for a year or two.
Washington, D.C.: How will the new chancellor and the new DC State Board of Education work together? Are school board members supporting her hire?
David Nakamura: The State Board, which is the new name for the school board, will have oversight of state-related functions such as standardized testing. But it will not have any say on Rhee's management, her budget or her decisions. That said, remember that several of the state board members were appointed by Fenty -- three I think -- and they will be supportive. Board Chairman Robert Bobb was at the press conference yesterday and spoke very highly of Rhee.
Fire Bad Principals, Fire Bad Teachers, Hire New Ones: David,
I was an intern at the Maryland State Department of Education in the late 1990s when Dr. Grasmick was pressing the state board for higher teacher standards and accountability. It was also at a time when retirements were up and teacher applications were down. The result was a teacher shortage. In short, you can't have higher standards when you don't have the bodies to fill the spots.
Fast forward to 2007. Chancellor Rhee says she will fire bad principals, fire bad teachers, and hire new people. This rhetoric happens all the time. The bottom line is that DCPS can not have this mindset of fire, fire, and hire. The bodies and qualified applicants do not exist. Classrooms go months with "warm bodies" and the "dance of lemons" looks like party goers bar-hopping in Adams Morgan on Friday nights. The difference is this goes on with schools and our children.
My point is this and perhaps you can explain this to others. Where are the applicants going to come from? Oh I know, from the non-profit she just left. Wow...we have seen this before...Edbuild's 57 million dollar contract to manage school construction.
David Nakamura: Interesting points. Rhee said she started her New Teacher Project, which recruits and trains teachers to serve in urban districts, during the height of the late-90s national teacher shortage. Some of her organization's reports, however, say some of the problems urban systems claim in hiring teachers is unfounded. The report, which you can find on-line, talks about how there are new teachers who want to come on board, but they are often blocked because school systems have difficulty getting rid of bad teachers. That said, I believe Rhee's own organization played a key role in convincing Janey not to fire a bunch of uncertified teachers because he risked having a shortage.
Alexandria, Va.: I worked with Rhee on education reform issues when I was a Senate staffer, and was always impressed with her determination, ingenuity and ability to bring together teachers, parents, students and administrators to focus on the bottom line -- giving kids the quality education they deserve. In addition to her experience working with D.C. schools (on their human resources challenges), she has been a big part of the improvements in Memphis (Tenn.) City Schools, which is also a predominantly African-American district. I am excited about the Mayor's choice and hope that others who are desperate to see progress for D.C. students will be optimistic about Rhee's appointment.
David Nakamura: Indeed, Memphis has gotten some high marks.
Washington, D.C.: I understand the concerns that people have about Michelle Rhee's background. But the bottom line is that a superintendent does not need to have a 30 year career in the classroom. The role is more about management, leadership, strategic thinking, and execution. Michelle Rhee is not, nor should she be, the person who is going around training teachers on instruction. She needs to be able to manage the person (or team) who's doing that. It does not bother me one bit that she only taught for three years. For two of those years it sounds like she was very successful at raising her students academic standards. But more importantly, she has worked with districts on a very large scale, reforming their hiring practices, which is a management/leadership background that will serve her very well. The urgency piece that Fenty talks about is key to getting anything accomplished in a large system like D.C.
David Nakamura: another point of view...
Capitol Hill: I realize it is only day two of the new leadership, but has Michelle Rhee laid out her initial priorities -- what she is going to keep from Janey's plan and what will be changed?
David Nakamura: Rhee has said she likes what Janey did in creating standards and curriculum. Fenty has committed to keeping the crux of Janey's Master Education Plan. Look for an initial focus on things like Human Resources computer systems, facilities upgrades, teacher hiring practices, and central office reorganization.
Washington, D.C.: The Post's article yesterday on Fenty's pick for schools chief, Michelle Rhee, observed that she could be a "tough sell" with DCPS parents. Not this parent. Ms. Rhee gets it: "teachers are everything." Rhee may not be an attractive candidate to some school employees, however. Her organization, The New Teacher Project, has issued comprehensive reports that document precisely how bloated teachers' union contracts affect our children's education: in the annual dance of the lemons, poor performers are passed around from school to school in lieu of a fair yet viable teacher termination process; transfer rules often force principals to hire teachers they do not want; and new teachers -- whose energy and teaching skills are often far superior to the so-called veterans earning twice as much money -- are treated as expendable under existing "bumping" rights. These rules have everything to do with job protection and nothing to do with educating children. As a parent of three children enrolled in D.C. public schools, I say "bravo" to Mayor Fenty for choosing Michelle Rhee.
David Nakamura: An early Rhee fan weighs in...
Re: Comment on Rhee's alleged inexperience: Re: Previous comment, "Explain to me how a teacher with three years of teaching experience can start a non-profit to train teachers?"
She did it and The New Teacher Project has been very effective and successful. This is part of the problem with D.C. -- folks afraid to think outside the box or give new ideas/approaches a chance. And this isn't blind faith -- she has a record of success in the districts where her organization has been involved in reforms.
David Nakamura: From what people tell me, the New Teacher Project is very well-known in education circles, along with Teach for America and a couple other big programs. Rhee started it from scratch in 1997.
Washington, D.C.: Do you have any sense of Michelle Rhee's views on charter schools and magnet schools? I personally believe that the city needs to create some strong magnet schools or programs within schools to keep high performing students in the system.
David Nakamura: I'm afraid I don't know how Rhee feels about charters or magnets. However, I will point out that the auditing team Fenty hired last week, Alvarez & Marsal, started a number of charters in New Orleans.
Washington, D.C.: What I find most troubling about this is that Mayor Fenty flat-out lied when he said up until right before midnight that he had not yet decided whether to replace Superintendent Janey. Clearly he had decided this many months ago. Why do you think he lied about this? It makes me wonder if we can trust anything he tells us.
David Nakamura: Fenty often said "all options are open" and that he was still considering Janey, indeed right up to this week. It does seem, however, that he had made up his mind to make a change a long time ago and that he had settled on Rhee at least a few weeks ago. As we mentioned before, he puts a great deal of importance on keeping the process under wraps lest his candidate be blocked by public debate before she's even formally announced.
Boston: What difference does it make if the school administrator is black or not? Plenty of black officials have come and gone. Are the District residents so scared an Asian woman will succeed and make them look bad? I say let some new ethnic groups come and fall flat on their faces too, it's only fair.
David Nakamura: I think what matters to people is that the elected mayor truly considers a wide talent pool and that he make a point of finding talented deputies from all walks of life. Fenty says he's done that. But in a city/country where race has long been a dividing and polarizing issue, and where blacks were long systemically excluded from power--and in some cases still are-- it does still matter to people.
David Nakamura: Well, we had a bunch of terrific questions. I have to get back to reporting for tomorrow and following up on the Mayor's school plans. Thanks and looking forward to the next chat down the road.
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Free Range on Food
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A chat with the Food section staff is a chance for you to ask questions, offer suggestions and share information with other cooks and food lovers. It is a forum for discussion of food trends, ingredients, menus, gadgets and anything else food-related.
Each chat, we will focus on topics from the day's Food section. You can also read the transcripts of past chats. Do you have a question about a particular recipe or a food-related anecdote to share? The Food section staff goes Free Range on Food every Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET. Read about the staff of the Food section.
Joe: Welcome to the chat today, everyone! I hope you're enjoying this gloriously beautiful day, and that you have plenty of foodstuff on the brain. Did we inspire you to try baking a salty oatmeal cookie, to cut the extra calories and fat from your diet like David Hagedorn did, or to check out the new Crossroads Farmers Market? Tell us what's on your mind, and we'll try to help.
Joining us today is David, who wrote today's piece headlined "Doc, I've Seen the Light."
And of course, we have giveaway books for our two favorite posts: Sheilah Kaufman's "Upper Crusts: Fabulous Ways to Use Bread," which Bonnie writes about today; and "Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally" by Alisa Smith and JB MacKinnon.
Annandale, Va.: I liked David's take on modifying recipes, as I too have high cholesterol and fortunately love avocado. But, I found it odd that the salad recipe included shrimp which is very high cholesterol and grapefruit, which most people on medication have to avoid...
David Hagedorn: I do not presume to be an expert on these matters; I only relayed a personal journey which had just begun. The scientific thinking about cholesterol in shrimp seems to be changing; that is, that consuming it can increase HDL levels and its low fat content decreases triglyceride intake. Check out the Whole Foods website on the subject.
On grapefruit, the recipe includes one-fourth of a grapefruit per serving. It is not something to be eaten every day. Also, I take Crestor, not Lipitor, and take that drug at bedtime, as prescribed. With water....
Joe: Of course, check with your doctor about grapefruit interactions if you're taking any medications. But for those who are medication-free, some studies have actually pointed to red grapefruit's ability to improve cholesterol and triglycerides!
Washington, D.C. re today's chicken fajitas recipe: Hi. My mouth is watering after reading today's recipes, but the heart-healthy chicken fajitas recipe calls for "finely minced jalape" and I've never heard of jalape. What is it (does it have another name?) and can I find it in D.C. (I don't have a car)? Thank you!
David Hagedorn: Jalape is the Olde English word for "jalapeno." Just kidding...let's just call that a typo.
Joe: Blame it on the tilde!
Chantilly, Va.: Loved Leigh Lambert's tale of tracking down the salted oatmeal cookie recipe. I too love the combo of sweet with a little salt. Does she think I could use kosher salt instead of sea salt on top of the dough?
Leigh: You can certainly use Kosher salt to sprinkle on top of the cookies. Sea salt just has a bit more sparkle to the flavor.
Lothian, Md.: I have to try the Salted Oatmeal Cookies! Oatmeal are my favorite, but I don't like large cookies -- I like a two to three bite size. If I make them smaller and bake for a shorter period of time, they'll still puff up, right?
Leigh: Small cookies?! What? Ok, to each their own. I think it would work smaller cookie with a shorter cooking time. Keep them as balls when you shape them and they should keep their shape.
Silver Spring, Md.: I'm sure the new Upper Crusts book is marvelous, but it is not the first one on this topic. Two other good ones are available used and as remainders:
Carole Lalli's Yesterday's Bread and Gwenyth Bassett's Cooking with Artisan Bread.
I gotten both as presents from family (what does that tell me?) and use them occasionally.
Bonnie: Thanks passing along those titles! It's certainly not a new concept, but I guess Sheilah found a way to own the topic anew -- the recipes in her new book are all very easy, not so many ingredients, many from local sources.
Charlotte, N.C.: In the article "Doc, I've Seen the Light" by David Hagedorn in today's Post, he mentions making a ranch dressing with avocado instead of mayonnaise. Do you have a recipe or any general direction? Sounds divine!
"And bye-bye, mayonnaise. In a ranch dressing, for example, avocado replaces the mayo and turns out to be better than the original."
Joe: We sure do, Charlotte -- It's right there on our Recipes page, and online packaged with the story: Avocado Ranch Dressing, it is...
washingtonpost.com: Recipe: Avocado Ranch Dressing
Washington, D.C. - ketjap manis questions: Hello. I was given an almost-full large bottle of a sauce labeled "ketjap manis" by neighbors who moved abroad and couldn't take it with them. The label also says "ketjap zoet" and "indonesische sojasaus" and it was bought in Amsterdam. Do you have any recipe suggestions? Do I need to cook with it or is it good to sprinkle on something? Is it fattening? What'-s in it? And do I need to refrigerate it? It's been sitting on top of my 'fridge, and as I mentioned, it's been opened. Many thanks!
Bonnie: Hey DC, just call it ketchup. What you have is probably the thick Indonesian sauce made from soybeans, with palm sugar or jaggery, garlic and other seasonings like star anise. You can use it as a marinade ingredient, as a condiment on spring rolls.
As for its nutritionals, it's low-fat but high in sodium. And yes, it would have been happier in a cool place rather than the top of your fridge. After you open that next jar, store it INside the fridge.
Washington, D.C.: Kudos to David Hagedorn for his honesty and humility re: his recent heart attack and change in diet. I always enjoy Hagedorn's writing and was just wondering what his background is, other than cooking? he should be full-time staff by now! (and please, give up the cigs, already!!)
David Hagedorn: Like you don't know my background, Mom. I told you to be subtle. And wasn't it you who told me smoking was a form of cardio?
Meringue from last week: I inquired about making meringue using a hand whisk last week and just wanted to report back. Getting to soft peaks was easy, but after you add the sugar it sure took a long time to get to stiff peaks and it got harder to whisk with the sugar addition. Not so bad if you do it while watching tv or something.
And wow wow wow were they good. We ended up topping them with freshly picked strawberries from a pyo place.
Definitely worth the effort! I couldn't really justify buying a hand mixer on my budget if all probably I'll use it for is egg whites, but after making this dessert I may have to reconsider...
Bonnie: We love hearing from successful meringues. Thanks for the feedback. Your fellow chatters that we didnt have time to publish last week were rooting for you to get that hand mixer.
oranges up to my ears!: I bought a bag of oranges that no one ate (I had one or 2). I don't much care for OJ itself, and I don't cook with orange zest or juice much.
I was wondering if it would be possible for me to zest the oranges, measure out teaspoonfuls onto a plastic sheet and freeze? Also would freezing the juice work? I was thinking it would be nice to have on hand for marinades, glazes, etc.
Leigh: Yes, to both freezing the zest and the juice. If you freeze the juice in ice cube trays, you can more easily use it for recipes that call for tablespoons ot it - key if you don't like it as a dominant flavor.
cookie challenge: For Ms. Lambert's next challenge, how about a recipe for those two-bite brownies they sell at Whole Foods? They're so fudgy with the shape of a sunken mini muffin and for calorie-watchers, just one satisfies our chocolate craving without sabotaging the diet. I really enjoyed her oatmeal cookie story today, too.
Leigh: If you have a mini-muffin pan and your favorite brownie recipe, you may hold the answer to your question. I would think a baking time of 10-12 minutes would do it.
Centreville, Va.: I need a new pepper grinder, preferably one adjustable between fine and coarse as well as easy to use/ high output for time when I need a lot. Any suggestions?
Joe: My favorite, and the favorite of Cook's Illustrated folks, is the Unicorn Magnum, the big plastic thing (white or black) that grinds out pepper amazingly fast. Very comfortable to use, easy to fill...
Bethesda, Md.: I just wanted to write in and thank you for your emphasis on local eating and to ask if you know of any organizations that promote eating locally in the DC area.
For the last few years (my adult life, post college/grad school) I have tried to shop locally at farmers markets and to cook seasonally, but lately I have been completely inspired by books like Barbara Kingsolver's and speaking with the farmers at the markets and I want to do more.
Do you know of any organizations that might need volunteers in any capacity? I want to do more than just show my family and friends how much better a strawberry or tomato can taste when it doesn't have to survive a 3,000 mile car trip to make it to you. I'd love to get involved in bringing local food to our communities and schools.
David Hagedorn: You might consider contacting Maddy Beckwith, the administrative coordinator of Freshfarm markets: www.freshfarmmarkets.org
Bethesda, Md.: I was hoping to make homemade mustard for Father's Day for the men in the family. Any ideas where I can buy mustard seeds in larger quantities locally? (I checked Whole Foods. A very small package is almost $3, and I need 2 cups.)
Bonnie: Beth, try the intl. aisle of the large Giants in your neighborhood. There should be big plastic bags of mustard seeds near the Indian food section...also you can check in health food stores and Indian specialty stores. Got a recipe you like?
Brownie bites: Great idea. Here's a fabulous recipe that is so rich, you really only need a tiny bite anyway.
Question, would it make any difference if I use butter instead of margarine?
You think 10-12 mins in a mini muffin pan will do it?
3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 stick margarine, melted and cooled
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon vanilla (or coffee) extract
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread mixture in a greased 8 x 8-inch pan. Bake at 325 F for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool for at least 3 to 4 hours, or overnight, before cutting and serving.
Leigh: I can practically smell them baking. Yum.
Leigh: Oh, and subbing butter for margarine: They should bake the same, so it comes down to health and taste preference. I think butter is always an improvement.
I would check them as soon as 10 minutes. Trust your nose. They may take 15 minutes.
Washington, D.C.: Do you guys like to cook while listening to music or do you prefer silence in the kitchen?
David Hagedorn: When Pauala Deen's show is on, I have the TV on in the background. Hearing her say "pappa-reeka" and "awwl" (as in "canola awwl") makes me feel like I'm back in Alabama.
Joe: I like music -- but it has to absolutely fit the pace of my cooking. Lately, Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen seem to do the trick.
David seems to think that Pauauluaula is from Hawaii, doesn't he?
Washington, D.C.: I want to compliment you guys on having an article on healthier eating - especially because it makes a hysterically funny contrast to today's NY Times "Fat, Glorious Fat."
Joe: Glad you liked it! I would crow about us vs. the NYT, except we, too, have extolled the glories of fat -- not too long ago, actually. (Gotta mix it up, don't you know?)
San Antonio, Tex.: An early post on last week's thread re: guacamole turning brown - I use clingwrap and push it down so it is in complete contact with the entire surface of the guacamole. Afterall, it's air that causes the oxidation and this eliminates air. It works for me. I've been informed that the pit in the guacamole has no effect, but I'm enough of a Texan to put the pit in under the clingwrap. SUE
Joe: As a Texan, I concur on both counts. Although I must repeat what others said last week: Since when does guacamole last long enough to get brown anyway? I've never been able to save (from myself or others) any I've ever made.
Washington, D.C.: Last winter, I had leftover bread, steaks, onions, cheese and eggs - and it was snowing like crazy! As a Northern girl, I was willing to brave the snow, but I wasn't up for the lines of people buying bottled water and toilet paper. So, I had to make a dinner out of the fridge. I caramelized the onions, layered them with cubes of bread, whisked the eggs with a bit of milk, poured over, topped with cheese, and voila: savory bread puddings. They were great! A lovely side dish.
Anyway, here's my question. I love using leftover bread for stuff like this, but don't always time it right. Too often, the bread is rock hard. Can you tell me the best way to freeze leftover bread? Should I cube it and then freeze? Should I freeze it whole and then cube once defrosted? Does it make a difference?
Bonnie: Good for you, DC.
There's no rock-hard bread that can fail to yield to various pudding/strata/french toasty kinds of recipes. As for how best to freeze, make sure you use freezer/heavy duty resealable plastic food storage bags...the plastic wrapper the bread came in will allow ice crystals to form inside, and that will be bad for your bread once it's thawed. I'd say keep it whole, or at least in big chunks (maybe crusts removed) to give yourself more recipe options.
Meatballs!: Hello experts! My friends, who live in Boston, are hosting a meatballs cook-off party and I am going for the gold. The competition is mid-July and by way of training, I am staging "primaries" - making a whole bunch of different kinds of m'balls, having DC-based pals over to taste and then the winner comes with me to Boston. Here's my question, however. Since I plan on trying out around 6 different recepies, I don't want to end up with a guzillion meatballs left over and buckets of sauce. Is there an elegant way to handle this issue? Can I freeze left over meatballs? what do I do with left over sauce? By the way, although I expect many of the contestants to try the New York Times featured recipes, I am going to try the WashPost Vietnnamese Balls.
Jane: Sure, meatballs take well to freezing. Cool them first in the fridge, then put them in a resealable plastic bag and freeze. The sauce-freezing question is harder to answer without knowing what kind of sauce you have in mind. Tomato-based sauce, no problem. Cream sauce, iffier. But why not avoid the problem altogether? Rather than end up with so much extra, why not just make half a recipe??
And good luck with your contest. Let us know if our Vietnamese meatballs take the prize!
20036: One of my least favorite things about living in DC is how small the grocery stores are-- where is the biggest grocery store in the DC area?
Joe: We think one of the biggest in the area, if not THE biggest, has got to be the Wegmans in Fairfax, which clocks in at 130,000 square feet. (That's twice the size of the new Whole Foods Market in Fair Lakes.)
Leeks: I randomly have an abundance of leeks I didn't plan on, but I'm not sure what to do with them. A lot of leek recipes call for butter or cream. Are there healthier things I can do with them? Also how long will they keep?
David Hagedorn: I just made a simple leek recipe I saw Patricia Wells make on Martha Stewart a few weeks ago. She steamed 8 small leeks (halved and well-cleaned, white parts only)for ten minutes and then spooned a simple vinaigrette over the leeks while they were still warm.
Here's the vinaigrette: (the recipe served 4)
1 tbsp. sherry wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 cup finely minched chives
Oklahoma: The Shrimp, Avocado and Grapefruit salad sounds wonderful, but I didn't recognize the "Peppadew peppers" brand. What kind of peppers are they so I could sub with a brand I can get here? Thank you. I really enjoy the chats.
David Hagedorn: Peppadews are pickled, hollowed-out red peppers (about the size of a walnut) that are sweet and spicy and delicious. I buy them from the olive "bar" at Whole Food Market. Check out www.peppadew.com.
RE: Local Organizations: In response to the poster who wants to become more involved in the "eat local" movement. I advise her and others to check out Slow Food USA (www.slowfoodusa.org). This is a great organization with convivia all over the world. The link to the DC area convivium is www.slowfood.com/about_us/eng/condottaUS.lasso?cod=U00745. The benefits of eating locally start with the great taste of the food and go far beyond. The less dependent I get on the industrialized food system, the better I feel.
Joe: Slow Food rules. Thanks.
Arlington, Va.: After reading and thinking more about the merits of buying meat and other foods that are either produced locally or organically, I've been trying to find a good source of pork.
So far, I've sampled and compared pork from Safeway, Harris Teeter, H-Mart, and Whole Foods, and judged simply on taste, the pork from Whole Foods wins. I haven't tried pork from The Organic Butcher, and probably won't unless I'm cooking a really special meal that justifies the cost.
Just wondering where you and the chatters buy good-tasting pork that doesn't break the bank?
Bonnie: Check out farmers markets. Today Walter mentioned seeing free-range pork from Truck Patch Farm of New Windsor, Md., at the new 14th and U Street market. Look for the meat from Springfield Farm in Sparks, Md., too (www.ourspringfieldfarm.com)
Joe: I buy fantastic pork just about every week or so from Cibola Farms and Eco-Friendly Foods at the Dupont market. I can't say that it's cheap, but it's worth it.
Mahi Mahi help: What would you do with Mahi Mahi fillets without a grill (or even a grill pan). I'm sort of drawing a blank. I've breaded and fried them in the past but the flavor was eh. Any good baked or broiled recipes come to mind?
Jane: Here's a link to a recipe for steamed fillets. Fast, healthful, flavorful.
washingtonpost.com: Recipe: Steamed Fish Fillets.
homemade mayo and aioili: Hi. I used to be able to make homemade mayo and aioli in a
blender but I stopped doing it for a while and now it doesn't
work anymore. Please tell me the steps, in order, and also if
there's anything I can do to cut down the fat and calories. I
especially love the garlicky goodness of the aioli (even if I
David Hagedorn: Actually, this has been on my mind. I was thinking that poaching whole garlic cloves in canola oil and then processing them with raw garlic and folding in some Greek yogurt and plenty of salt and pepper (when cool) might be a decent approximation. I will experiment and get back to you on this.
pepper grinder redux: Love that you cite Cook's Illustrated, I love their testing and experimenting.
re: pepper grinders. I want one manual, not automated. It just feels wrong to have a battery-operated appliance for such a simple function. Trying to simply and return to the earth, not further mechanicize my life, table, and food. Also, I prefer see-through so I can tell how many corns are left.
Joe: The Magnum is absolutely manual -- powered by your wrist! I never use battery-operated for these little tasks, either. The Magnum just has a more efficient grinding mechanism than others, so one twist lets out much more pepper than others do.
It's worth looking at even if not see-through, because there's a very easy way to tell if you're running low: Shake it like a maraca! And I've never found a mill easier to fill when it's time...
Petworth: For the meringue person - you don't have to buy a hand mixer! Buy the best multi-purpose small kitchen appliance ever, the hand blender. I burner out the motor on my Braun held blender, so I wouldn't recommend that brand (although it did last almost a year), but I will lover my kitchenaid hand blender forever. It comes with all sorts of attachments, and it has variable speeds, so you can use it as a stick blender, a small chopper, and (the important part here) a whisk!
I have a kitchenaid stand mixer, but its bowl is too big to whip small amounts of egg white in, so I always use the hand blender with the whisk attachment for that. (And for whipped cream.)
It's a remarkably useful tool, and while the kitchenaid brand is not cheap, I managed to find mine on sale, all attachments included, for under $100.
Bonnie: More help for the meringuer.
Reston, Va.: For the peppermill purchaser, I HIGHLY recommend spending the money to get a William Bounds mill. We've had our salt and pepper mill set for about seven years and it is a daily joy to use. If you watch on Amazon or Chef's Catalog, you can often find a good sale on William Bounds mills (and no, I don't work for them).
Bonnie: I like the Nantucket Peppergun I've had for 20 years. Low-tech, and it's easy to twist into the window to see how much is left inside. The grind depends on how vigorously you tackle the effort.
Joe: I should add that it's made by the same people who make the Magnum...
Downtown, Washington, D.C.: Ha! And all us readers thought jalape was some new exotic vegetable. Be honest - how many people were googling it?
David, I'm very inspired by your mayo substitution. I eat tons of mayo and have been looking for ways to get it out of my diet painlessly. I like to make tuna salad with olive oil and vinegar. I made a sauce for crab cakes last night, though, that was pretty deadly. Next time I will just try some lemon.
Do you find that you are enjoying the taste of your new diet? I think it would take some getting used to, but after awhile I bet the fattening stuff might seem yucky. I don't eat as much fried food as I used to, and now it often makes me nauseous to smell it.
David Hagedorn: The new diet is great, but happened to coincide with the onset of spring and summer, so there is so much great produce to eat. When I do taste fatty things for "research" I get really upset when they are not worthy of the sacrifices I had to make to be able to do that. And there is plenty of that out there. On the other hand, when I taste a luscious fried oyster at Buck's, I do feel a little sad that I can't eat the whole plate.
I've had some red bean pastries in Chinese restaurants and am looking for stores that sell them. I live in Rockville and have visited Kam Sam but am not too fond of the ones I tried there.
Also, do you have a recipe for the red bean pastries?
Bonnie: Maybe you'll like the ones at Maria's Bakery (in Annandale, Springfield, Falls Church and Rockville). Chatters, a recipe?
Petworth: Oops, left part of my comment off:
And if the chatter whipping up egg whites doesn't want to get the hand blender (I'm telling you, coolest small electric ever), look at Goodwill, the Salvation Army, those kind of thrift stores. They often have hand mixers really really cheap.
Bonnie: Okay, Petworth, but this is the last chance for today.
hand blender: Oh, I've had my eye on that Kitchen Aid one. There's a $10 rebate going on right now too.
But you can get a decent hand mixer (even Kitchen Aid) for less than $50. It's not digital or 7-speed or super fancy, but it gets the job done. I think QVC has it for about $45 right now.
Joe: I have to add that I am a huge fan of my hand blender (also called an immersion blender or stick blender), especially to puree -- or partially puree, which is part of the beauty -- hot soups without the blender-transfer risks. But I find that the hand-held mixer is better for some things, such as eggs and batters. Then again, I sometimes use the stand mixer, too.
Joe: That's all the time we have today, everyone. Thanks so much for logging on for our chat. Hope we gave you some good ideas that will send you right into the kitchen...
And now for the book winners: The Bethesda chatter who asked about volunteering will get "Plenty," and the DC chatter who so expertly whipped up a bread pudding out of the fridge last winter will get "Upper Crusts." Just email your mailing information to food@washpost.com, and we'll get them out!
Until next time, happy cooking, eating, and reading!
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White House Watch
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'Disastrous Consequences for the Constitution' (washingtonpost.com, June 5)
Dan is also deputy editor of Niemanwatchdog.org.
Dan Froomkin: Hi everyone, and welcome to another White House chat. So much to talk about!
Today's column, which will be up shortly, leads with President Bush's apparently fruitless lunch on Capitol Hill yesterday. He was hoping to get some more Republican senators to back his immigration bill -- but all he got was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
And just this morning, two congressional committees investigating the firing of nine U.S. attorneys last year issued subpoenas for former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former White House political director Sara M. Taylor, setting up a showdown.
We can talk about those issues and more.
Milwaukee: Dan, I was very surprised at this morning's media coverage of the bombing at the shrine in Samarra. Every media outlet I checked (including The Washington Post, CNN and MSNBC) reported that the earlier attack on the shrine sparked the current wave of violence in Iraq. I know that's the picture the president has painted, even though the sectarian violence in Iraq was pretty intense long before that first bombing. Has the mainstream media simply taken Bush's version of the facts and accepted it? This really shakes my confidence in American journalism.
washingtonpost.com: Blasts Destroy Remnants of Samarra Shiite Shrine (Post, June 13)
Dan Froomkin: The blasts at the mosque today are portentous. And there's little doubt that the original blast accelerated sectarian violence in Iraq.
But your concern is legitimate. Bush's repeated insistence that Iraq's civil strife only dates back to that original attack (in February 2006) is ahistorical. As McClatchy's Mark Seibel has explained, it "understates by at least 15 months when Shiite death squads began targeting Sunni politicians and clerics."
I understand early coverage, in all the excitement, using shorthand and/or glossing over the history. But I hope this will be made more clear as the day progresses.
If that doesn't happen, what you'll be watching unfold before your eyes is another example of Bush's ability, by repeating things over and over again, to get them accepted in the media narrative even if they're not true.
Pleasanton, Calif.: You and others have been filing a steady stream of "lame duck" stories and columns, but Bush continues to run his war, keep his cronies in power, stonewall congressional oversight and arrange for global and outsourced torture. So tell me, what exactly is it that, as a lame duck, Bush cannot do? And Immigration reform doesn't count, because he couldn't do that before either. What is it that Bush was doing that now as a lame duck he no longer can do?
Dan Froomkin: He can't push legislation through Congress. (But your point is well taken.)
Swarthmore, Pa.: I think Judge Walton is going to send Libby to jail. If this comes to pass, what do you think the odds are of Bush pardoning Libby in the next 45 days? And if he does, what do you see as the consequences?
Dan Froomkin: There is a compelling argument that Bush will grant a pardon. (It starts with Dick Cheney). And there's also a compelling argument that he won't (see, for instance, this analysis by Ken Herman of Cox News).
As I wrote in my June 6 column, What About the Rule of Law?, I think Bush would have a very hard time explaining a pardon to the American people. One big variable, of course, is the press coverage.
Berkeley, Calif.: Great coverage of the Libby sentencing and aftermath. Some legal questions that I have: In Libby's appeal, will any new witnesses testify? Could Cheney take the stand even though he didn't in the first trial? Or Libby? I'm wondering if the appeal effort might be squashed by the White House if it will bring new attention to the case. But if there is no appeal, the president might have to give up the "ongoing legal proceedings" smokescreen...
Dan Froomkin: Thanks. And no, there would be no testimony unless there's a new trial. Appeals are based on the record established at the district court level -- and there will undeniably be an appeal.
My big question is, which three appeals court judges will be on the Special Panel?
Washington: Subpoenas at last! Will Fielding stonewall or compromise? And as former White House employees, can Miers and Taylor refuse to testify without risking a contempt of Congress charge?
washingtonpost.com: Panels Issue Subpoenas to Former Bush Aides (Post, June 13)
Dan Froomkin: I don't believe their "former"-ness has any impact on the executive privilege claim.
I don't know how this will end. In the past, such things issues have been resolved with a little give and take on both sides.
But the one thing I can predict with a certain amount of confidence: The White House will stall for as long as it can.
Kalamazoo, Mich.: Any thoughts on Ed Gillespie replacing Dan Bartlett? You think this could lead to changes in Iraq policy down the road, given how fearful the Republicans are of being tied to the war and who may abandon the President in September without "extraordinary" progress per Sen. Sessions? Seems like E.G. would be keenly attuned to the real-world implications for the GOP come 2008...
Dan Froomkin: That's an interesting observation. Gillespie isn't exactly an outsider, but like you said, he's probably been much more attuned to 2008 politics than a lot of the people in the White House, who may be more focused on Bush legacy issues.
Oak Forest, Ill.: Dan, are we to take it that the Washington Post Editorial board couldn't find a consensus on a potential pardon (or commutation) for Scooter?
Dan Froomkin: The editorial board's silence on such a quintessentially "Washington Post" issue is undeniably odd. (See all the other papers that have weighed in, most of them opposing a pardon.) But I'm not sure how to interpret that silence.
Attorney Generals: Dan, do you think the lack of experience and using party loyalty to hire career prosecutors in the Department of Justice plays any part in some of the high profile terrorism cases that have been decided in the past few weeks (specifically the Virginia court's decision against indefinite detention, and the throwing out of charges for the two Guantanamo cases because of incorrectly labeling the defendants as enemy combatants)? Or is it just that the laws crafted to fight terrorism are too abysmal to stand up in court?
washingtonpost.com: Judges Rule Against U.S. On Detained 'Combatant' (Post, June 12)
Dan Froomkin: Several readers have pointed out, accurately, that when the stakes are really high, the Bush White House does not rely on inexperienced or dubiously trained political hacks. They bring out the big guns.
Case in point, you will notice that none of the new additions to the White House counsel's office attended Regent University Law School.
On the detainee law, they may just not have had a legal leg to stand on. See Jess Bravin's excellent piece in today's Wall Street Journal.
Springfield, Va.: I saw that video on YouTube ... Bush clearly has his watch stolen ... but the White House can't even come out and tell the truth about that! They said Bush took off his watch. How many times do you think they'll have to repeat that lie before it's accepted as gospel?
Dan Froomkin: There are other video angles that make his story seem plausible. I don't think this is the story on which to base your theory, though it is oddly gripping.
Dan Froomkin: Today's column is now available for your reading pleasure: Bush Comes Up Empty.
Chevy Chase, Md.: Increasingly, on every single subject, it seems the only tone Bush can muster is peevishness. Having his back up all the time seems to lead to a lot of "I'll do what I want, so there" actions, even when they no longer make sense -- like keeping Gonzales (and it really can't be fun for Alberto anymore). If Bush pardons Libby, it would be more in the same vein.
Dan Froomkin: Interestingly enough, the reports from yesterday's Senate lunch consistently describe a non-peevish president, even while he was being roundly criticized. They say he was on a charm offensive (which of course didn't work either). So he evidently is able to modulate when he feels like it -- at least with members of his own party.
Montgomery Village, Md.: Dan, it seems that today more than ever your chat is most appropriately named. So what is the true story about Bush's wristwatch? Seriously, can you imagine the Secret Service allowing a crowd of people in the U.S. to get close enough to touch Bush? Not sure who would want to, but nonetheless. I guess that's why the new department was called homeland security.
Dan Froomkin: White House Watch indeed! The topic came up in yesterday's briefing:
Q "The President's head was in a guy's arm, and it looked like if it was the wrong guy, they could have had a problem.
"MR. SNOW: Well, you know what? If there was a problem, Secret Service would have dealt with it, trust me."
Snow then joked about "a little noogie action."
And as I noted in yesterday's column, Jon Stewart asked: "How did those people get so close to the president? They're hugging him, they're playing with his hair. We're not even allowed to ask the guy questions."
Los Angeles: What do you make of BBC reporter Greg Palast's reports on the U.S. attorney firings and their connections with voter disenfranchisement in the upcoming elections?
Dan Froomkin: Way back in October 2004 I first called attention to Palast's reporting, which was based on GOP e-mails intended for people at georgewbush.com that instead ended up in the hands of the folks at the parody site georgewbush.org.
Some of those connected then-GOP research operative Tim Griffin with a "caging list" of 1,886 names and addresses of voters in predominantly black and traditionally Democrat areas of Jacksonville, Fla. Palast was told the list showed voters whose mail was returned went sent to their listed address.
All I've seen since then, however, has been increasingly heated speculation. What I was hoping for then, and still hope for to this day, is that someone would do some more reporting and find out more about how the list was collected, for what purpose, and whether anything ever was done about it.
Griffin, of course, later became Karl Rove's deputy, and still later was appointed interim U.S. attorney in Arkansas, after someone forced Bud Cummins out of his post there.
Minneapolis: There have been hints in the press about a monumental struggle behind the scenes concerning war with Iran. One source has Admiral Fallon saying it won't happen "on his watch," but the rhetoric looks incredibly similar to summer 2002. Do you think the decision already has been made to attack, just as it had been by this time five years ago?
Dan Froomkin: I don't know. I'm curious myself and would very much like to see more reporting on this.
I don't think there is anywhere near the aura of inevitability regarding Iran that there once was regarding Iraq ... but some of the rhetoric and some of the "leaks" are starting to sound awfully familiar.
For what we know now, see my June 4 column, Cheney, By Proxy.
Long Beach, Calif.: Hi Dan. Do you think the recent non-reappointment of Gen. Pace as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs was an affront to Cheney's influence? Also, I have a hard time foreseeing Cheney giving up the reins of power in January of '09. What do you see as his post-VP role?
Dan Froomkin: The Pace story is -- yet again -- another one I'd like to see more reporting on. The initial coverage had me reading between the lines and scratching my head: Okay, I guess he was fired, but why?
Pace was undeniably a Rumsfeld bootlicker -- but on the other hand Seymour Hersh reported in the New Yorker last year that Pace advised against an attack on Iran, citing nonmilitary concerns.
As for Cheney after 2009, I'm more interested in the lasting impact of what he did as vice president than what his role will be afterward. Although don't count out his wife Lynne or daughter Liz.
Madison, WI: Hi Dan. As a keen observer of the standard operating procedure of this administration, it seemed like last Friday (Paris Hilton returns to jail day!) would have been an ideal time to release some embarrassing information. Did they miss their opportunity, or was there a document dump that I missed?
washingtonpost.com: There was a Pace-dump that you missed: Joint Chiefs Chair Will Bow Out (Post, June 9)
Dan Froomkin: (Thanks, Chris, for that reminder!)
Your point is a good one: If the White House had been waiting to, say, dump Gonzales, that would have been ideal timing. I guess they aren't.
Australia: Hi Dan. Thanks for the column. Given the latest revelations about the payments to Bandar Bush in the BAE scandal, do you think Henry Waxman might hold hearings to see whether these payments may have influenced the foreign policy of Bush's White House?
washingtonpost.com: Saudi Reportedly Got $2 Billion for British Arms Deal (Post, June 10)
Dan Froomkin: A good question. There's been remarkably little in the coverage of this story about just how close and influential Bandar was with the Bushes for a long time.
St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Dan -- thanks for taking my question, I always appreciate your analysis. How are two events I'm hearing about today -- the attack on the mosque in Baghdad and reports I'm seeing about how the Iraqis have failed to accomplish anything in terms of "benchmarks" -- likely to impact upcoming debate on war policy? Is this the ammunition/cover Republicans have to finally say "enough," or could they hang with this president to the bitter end? How will the Dems use it to take some meaningful action (assuming that they can)?
washingtonpost.com: Upcoming Discussion: Significance of Golden Mosque Bombing (washingtonpost.com, 1:30 p.m. today)
Dan Froomkin: I'm not sure what the fallout of the mosque story will be. I do think the benchmarks story you mention from today's New York Times, by Damien Cave, is a watershed.
I would like to think that it will lead to a more honest debate about Iraq.
Raleigh, N.C.: So Dan, what do you make of the recent statement by Nicholas Burns that Iran is arming the Taliban in Afghanistan? I saw this reported yesterday, but the story seems to have evaporated. In the story I read, there was no indication that Burns offered any evidence to back his claim. Do you think these periodic unsubstantiated accusations against Iran by the administration are meant to reassure the Republican base that Bush may yet bomb Iran?
Dan Froomkin: Not sure. Here's an Associated Press story. I certainly don't think reporters should be taking an accusation this seriously on face value. See, for instance, my piece for NiemanWatchdog.org in February: How the press can prevent another Iraq.
Dan Froomkin: I've gotta run. Thanks for all the great questions and comments. See you again here in two weeks, and every weekday afternoon on the home page!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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Fleeting Glory in Albania
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George W. Bush, Hero of Albania! At least there's one place in the world where they show the Decider some love.
That was a wonderful reverse-Borat moment Sunday, with the joyous townspeople of Fushe Kruje yelling "Bushie! Bushie!" and Albania's prime minister gushing over the "greatest and most distinguished guest we have ever had in all times." The crowd pressed in for autographs, photographs, a presidential peck on the cheek. Years from now, in his dotage, Bushie will feel warm all over when he recalls those magical hours in Albania. How they adored him!
Outside of greater Tirana, however, the president's stock as an apostle of freedom continues to fall -- and rightly so. Even as Albania swooned, the rest of Europe was digesting a blue-ribbon report issued Friday about the abduction, secret detention and abusive interrogation of suspects in Bush's "war on terror."
The report was done for the Council of Europe by Swiss legislator Dick Marty, and its opening paragraph is worth quoting at length:
"What was previously just a set of allegations is now proven: large numbers of people have been abducted from various locations across the world and transferred to countries where they have been persecuted and where it is known that torture is common practice. Others have been held in arbitrary detention, without any precise charges leveled against them and without any judicial oversight. . . . Still others have simply disappeared for indefinite periods and have been held in secret prisons, including in member states of the Council of Europe."
Citing "clear and detailed confirmation" from knowledgeable sources, Marty concluded that Poland and Romania, as long suspected, were two countries that hosted secret CIA prisons where "high value" detainees were held and interrogated.
Polish and Romanian officials have said they are shocked -- shocked! -- that anyone would accuse them of having anything to do with CIA dungeons and/or the "enhanced" questioning techniques that the report describes as torture. But Marty is a former prosecutor, and he puts together a compelling case.
This, I am convinced, is how future generations will remember George W. Bush: as the president who abandoned our traditional concepts of justice and human rights, choosing instead a program of state-sponsored kidnapping, arbitrary detention and abusive interrogation techniques such as "waterboarding."
We will remember him for the Iraq war, of course. But I hope and believe we will give at least as much weight to his erosion of our nation's fundamental values and basic character.
We will remember him as the president who established a prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, complete with kangaroo-court military tribunals in which detainees were not allowed to see the alleged evidence against them. We will remember that long after it was clear that Guantanamo was doing serious harm to our nation's reputation in the world -- on Sunday, Bush's former secretary of state, Colin Powell, called for the place to be shut down "this afternoon" -- Bush stubbornly kept it open.
We will remember Dick Cheney not for accidentally shooting a fellow hunter but for apparently being the loudest and most strident voice inside the administration against honoring the concepts of due process and habeas corpus that define justice in civilized societies. We will remember the negligible regard he holds for the Geneva Conventions.
We will remember Alberto Gonzales not for his hapless stewardship of the Justice Department or the firings of those U.S. attorneys-- well, actually, we will remember him for those things -- but we'll also remember that when he was White House counsel he dutifully provided legalistic justification for subjecting prisoners to treatment that international agreements clearly define as torture.
We will remember this whole misguided administration for deciding to wage the fight against terrorism in a manner that not only mocks our nation's values but also draws new recruits to the anti-American cause. We will remember this White House for unwittingly helping the terrorist cause perpetuate itself.
Marty makes this point in his report. "We are fully aware of the seriousness of the terrorist threat and the danger it poses to our societies," he writes. "However, we believe that the end does not justify the means in this area." Resorting to "abuse and illegal acts," he says, "actually amounts to a resounding failure of our system and plays right into the hands of the criminals who seek to destroy our societies through terror."
Nineteen months from now, a new president will begin trying to repair some of the damage this administration leaves behind. Bushie, meanwhile, will be back on the ranch, spending his days clearing brush and perhaps daydreaming of his Albanian glory.
The writer will answer questions at 1 p.m. today athttp://www.washingtonpost.com. His e-mail address iseugenerobinson@washpost.com.
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This administration's legacy may be its erosion of our nation's fundamental values and basic character.
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Forgotten Threat
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Late last week you could have been forgiven for thinking that the Star Wars era had begun. Space-age computer graphics dominated the news: Satellites orbited the globe, target sites throbbed on interactive maps of Europe and the Middle East. The talk was of Russia and Iran and of whether high-tech missile defense equipment might endanger human health. The pictures, in the wake of the Group of Eight summit, were of statesmen: George Bush's helicopter landing at a Polish beach resort, Vladimir Putin giving interviews (" I am a true democrat"). At any rate, that was the news and the talk, and those were the pictures, if you happened to be living in Central Europe.
If you happened to be living in Britain late last week, you saw something rather different. On the BBC, the same day's coverage, following the same summit, focused almost entirely on news of . . . Africa. The talk was of AIDS drugs, malaria cures and poverty, not of missile defense. The pictures were of aging pop stars: Bono and Bob Geldof, bitterly attacking the world's statesmen ("creeps") for failing, again, to offer enough aid (" a total farce").
On the other hand, if you were living in Germany, the news was different again. Judging from their media, the Germans appear to believe that the leaders of the world met, above all, to discuss . . . climate change. The German press crowned Chancellor Angela Merkel " Miss World" because she apparently persuaded George Bush to "seriously consider" halving global carbon emissions by 2050 -- a statement that, by the low standards of G-8 summits, counts as an enormous triumph. And of course the pictures, in Germany, were of melting ice.
I am exaggerating here to make a point: In fact, the Germans did mention Africa a few times, as sort of an afterthought. But it's not exaggerating at all to say that the events of the past week -- and the wildly divergent international news coverage that accompanied them -- illustrate a profound transformation that has taken place, slowly and quietly, over the past several years. Call it post-post-Sept. 11, or maybe just a return to status quo ante: Either way, it's pretty clear that that brief moment of consensus -- those very few years when the world's most powerful governments all believed that the world's worst problem was international terrorism -- has now passed.
Once again, everybody is on a different page: Some think the worst problem facing the world is climate change, some think it's poverty in Africa and some think it's the need for a missile defense shield, while others think that all are irrelevant by comparison with Iraq. And once again, Americans are more interested in their own problems than those everywhere else. As far as I could discern, in the United States the main news coming out of last week's summit was that President Bush had a stomachache and missed some of the morning meetings. The world's attention has wandered away from international terrorism -- and so, if I may say, has ours.
It's not hard to explain why: Time has passed -- more than five years now. The Iraq war has distracted the American administration while failing to provoke sympathy or solidarity anywhere else. The Bush administration itself appears to be on its last legs, which means its agenda isn't taken seriously anywhere, not even in the United States.
Most of all, though, the world's divided attention proves once again that global Internet access and global television have not created anything resembling a global conversation. On the contrary, the BBC fights hard for its viewers, so it tells them what will interest them; the German press fights for its readers, who care most about climate change; and so on. It's not just that different readerships hear different opinions; the actual news events covered differ as well. For all the cant about globalization, the world is as provincial as it ever was, maybe even more so. Despite the terrorist attacks in Britain and Spain, the absence of another attack on the scale of the World Trade Center has meant that the world's attention is no longer singularly focused and that the perceived need for international unity has diminished. No doubt it will continue to do so -- at least until next time.
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Late last week you could have been forgiven for thinking that the Star Wars era had begun. Space-age computer graphics dominated the news: Satellites orbited the globe, target sites throbbed on interactive maps of Europe and the Middle East. The talk was of Russia and Iran and of whether high-tec...
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The GOP's Fading Populism
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These are tough times to be a Republican. An unpopular president, an unpopular war and a trio of ideologically impure 2008 front-runners have left the party in a funk. And running through it all is one debilitating weakness: The GOP no longer has a unifying populist cause.
Since World War II, perhaps the Republican Party's greatest political achievement has been to marry conservatism -- once considered a patrician creed -- with anti-elitism. The synthesis began with Joseph McCarthy, who used conspiratorial anti-communism to attack America's East Coast, Ivy League-dominated foreign policy class. It grew under Richard Nixon, who exploited white working-class resentment against campus radicals and the black militants they indulged. It deepened under Ronald Reagan, who made government bureaucrats a focus of populist fury.
But the right's very success -- the beachheads it established inside the Beltway in the 1980s and 1990s -- undermined its insurgent credentials. As the judiciary and bureaucracy moved right, taking harder lines on welfare and crime, they became less attractive targets for right-wing rage. And in 1992 and 1996, Pat Buchanan took right-wing populism in a subversive new direction, replacing hostility toward the government elite with hostility toward the corporate elite. In 2000, John McCain launched a crusade against K Street, the financial bedrock of the GOP, and came within inches of claiming the Republican nomination. All of a sudden populism was no longer conservatism's weapon against the American left but a dagger facing inward, threatening the GOP itself.
For a time after Sept. 11, 2001, George W. Bush solved the problem. Regardless of their views on corporate power, conservatives rallied to his war on terrorism. And in framing America's new foreign policy debate, the president skillfully employed populist themes. On civil liberties, he identified his political opponents with procedural niceties -- legal and bureaucratic arcana -- while vowing that he would do whatever it took to prevent another attack. And he accused the Democrats of excessive concern with international opinion, of seeking a "permission slip" before they would defend America. His foreign policy message was simple and intuitive. It embodied what Walter Russell Mead has called "Jacksonianism," the foreign-policy folk wisdom of the American people, which craves strong leaders, simple answers and ruthless force to defend the nation when danger is near.
Republican presidential hopefuls would love to revive Bush's formula. But it has collapsed. After America invaded Iraq, the absence of weapons of mass destruction forced Bush to shift his rationale for the war, focusing less on the threat from Saddam Hussein than on the war's potential to transform the Middle East. Thus, a once gut-level argument assumed Rube Goldberg complexity and left Republicans in the position of placing American security in foreign hands: those of the Iraqis. Today, it is Republicans who are calling for patience, responsibility and cultural understanding, while Democrats make the simple, intuitive claim: We can't solve Iraq's problems; only Iraqis can.
The entire subject of terrorism, which Bush wielded so effectively in the 2004 campaign, has receded in the absence of another attack on U.S. soil. And with public fear declining, Americans are less willing to sacrifice civil liberties in national security's name. Thus, another key element of post-Sept. 11 conservative populism has withered. In 2006, the Bush administration tried repeatedly to make its National Security Agency surveillance program a campaign issue, hoping to force Democrats into complex procedural arguments while identifying the GOP with Jack Bauer-style, pull-out-all-the-stops anti-terrorism. But the issue fell flat, and absent another attack, it will probably do so again in 2008.
Conservative populism is not dead. But with the war on terrorism no longer rallying the right-wing base, that base is turning -- as it did in the 1990s -- against corporations. The first sign came in February 2006, when the Bush administration provoked a populist hailstorm by supporting a Dubai company's plans to manage six U.S. ports. The political backlash -- stoked not merely by Democrats but also by conservative commentators such as Sean Hannity -- combined distrust of foreigners and corporate elites. And in this way, it presaged the current, much bigger, conservative revolt on immigration. In the past two years, with Iraq going south, immigration has become the hottest issue among conservative activists. But unlike terrorism, it is a doubled-edged sword, wielded against pro-immigration Democrats but also against the pro-immigration corporate right, which largely funds the GOP.
Already, polls show a distinct passion gap in 2008, with Republicans far less excited than Democrats about their candidates. The GOP badly needs a cause that can mobilize its base. At key moments over the past 60 years, hostility toward cultural and political elites has done that. But today, with the culture war at a low ebb and the Iraq war a national disaster, the elites with whom Republicans seem most enraged are their own.
Peter Beinart, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, writes a monthly column for The Post.
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Saddled with an unpopular president and an unpopular war, the GOP badly needs a cause that can mobilize its base.
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Post Politics Hour
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Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and Congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.
Washington Post White House reporter Michael Abramowitz was online Tuesday, June 12, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest news in politics.
Political analysis from Post reporters and interviews with top newsmakers. Listen live on Washington Post Radio or subscribe to a podcast of the show.
Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts
West Chester, Pa.: In lieu of last night's Senate blocking of a vote on the AG, does this bode poorly for the future? When the minority simply doesn't want to face a question (Iraq, for example) they can prevent a vote for taking place? How is anything expected to get accomplished?
washingtonpost.com: Senators Block Vote on Gonzales (Post, June 12)
Michael Abramowitz: Good morning everybody. I already am getting a lot of good questions -- seems like many people have the Justice Department on their mind this morning.
The vote last night in the Senate was entirely predictable: Many Republicans in the Senate are not huge fans of Alberto Gonzales, but they have little interest in helping the Democrats score political points, so thy basically blocked the no-confidence vote from taking place. This happens all the time in the Senate, where you need 60 votes to make anything happen. We could have a three hour discussion about whether that makes sense, but the rules do make it almost mandatory that the parties try to find some common ground to get anything done. That's what is happening with the immigration bill right now -- and its unclear whether the center will hold.
Portland, Ore.: Hi Michael. Judge Walton by most accounts has indicated that he probably will put Libby in jail. What are your sources in the White House saying about what Bush's reaction will be, assuming this happens? And when will the Judge actually make his ruling? Thanks.
washingtonpost.com: In the West Wing, Pardon Is A Topic Too Sensitive to Mention (Post, June 6)
Michael Abramowitz: I am afraid I don't have any special insight into what Bush thinks about this. I am guessing that he will not be happy about the prospect of one of his former aides being placed in jail. It will really accelerate the pressure on him to make a decision on whether or not to pardon Libby, as many of his strongest conservative supporters want him to do. I would not be surprised to see Bush commute his sentence but keep in place the $250,000 fine -- but I am telling you that's just speculation on my part.
My understanding is that Walton will rule shortly on whether or not Libby will have to begin serving his sentence soon, like within 45-60 days. The question is whether Libby can make the case that he has a reasonable chance of persuading an appeals court to overturn the sentence -- and as you suggest, Walton does not seem inclined to believe that.
Boston: Regarding your article in Sunday's paper: Isn't the bigger concern that the judgeships that have been filled have been filled with appointees that are remarkably young and very partisan? It seems the politicization of Justice isn't just happening at the Justice department.
washingtonpost.com: Conservatives Worry About Court Vacancies (Post, June 10)| Immigration Judges Often Picked Based On GOP Ties (Post, June 11)
Michael Abramowitz: I am afraid that I am not aware of a systematic study of the Bush appointees to the bench, though I would be glad to know of one if a reader wanted to point out such a study. I do think it's clear that the administration has been very aggressive about putting conservatives on the bench, and certainly on the Supreme Court. I do know they have put some relatively young judges on appellate courts, but whether that's out of line with previous administrations I can't say. It would be a good question for reporting to answer.
Carrboro, N.C.: Michael, on the Senate filibuster/cloture move, my sense is that this has become a much more prevalent move in the Senate than in the past, but as I'm in my early 30s I recognize that I do not have the perspective to back up this view. Is there any chance of The Post tracking the failure to move legislation forward -- going back, say, 30 years in the Senate -- to see whether this tactic is bipartisan, associated with one party more than the other, or on the rise in recent years?
Michael Abramowitz: This is a knowable question -- I just don't know it! There are scholars who track this issue, such as Sarah Binder of George Washington University, who has written a book about the use of the filibuster in the Senate. The most famous use of the filibuster came in the 1950s and 1960s, when southern Democrats and conservative Republicans tried to use it to block civil rights legislation. I have some homework to do for my next chat!
Kingston, Ontario: Robert Novak urged the President yesterday to please his base by pardoning Libby and firing Gonzales. Do you endorse that advice? What would be the downside of those steps? Thanks.
washingtonpost.com: Standing by the Wrong Guy (Post, June 11)
Michael Abramowitz: I am afraid I can't opine on whether or not Novak's advice is sound -- he is more free to vent his opinions because he is a columnist. A pardon of Libby undoubtedly would generate a firestorm of criticism for the president, though it seems hard to imagine that he could be any less popular than he is now. I suspect there would be little reaction to the firing of Gonzales, other than relief from the Republicans. One thing the White House may be worried about is that after the Democrats "got" Gonzales, they would accelerate their efforts to go after others, like Karl Rove.
Fairfax, Va.: Thanks once again for these very entertaining chats. Concerning Attorney General Gonzales, my teenage kids tell me they've learned from this that the government values loyalty and tenacity over honesty and competence. I understand that the White House probably sees this as just another partisan battle to be fought, but I wish they'd consider the lessons this is teaching our kids.
Michael Abramowitz: I think this is an interesting point. I will say this about the White House -- I think one thing animating its thinking is that many officials fundamentally do not believe Gonzales did anything wrong except poorly explain himself. I am not endorsing or rejecting this view -- I'm simply trying to explain their mindset. They don't think it's right for the attorney general to be fired for things they don't see as firing offenses.
Rockville, Md.: This is probably a very naive question, but ... last year, if the Democrats had blocked something from getting to a vote, it would have been called a filibuster. Yesterday, the Republicans blocked the Gonzales no-confidence measure from getting to a vote, and it was called a block. Is there some semantic difference -- is it only a filibuster if it blocks something the White House wants?
Michael Abramowitz: I think you are reading a little too much into this. I think journalists use these words interchangeably
Wilmington, N.C.: You wrote: "So they basically blocked the no-confidence vote from taking place. This happens all the time in the Senate, where you need 60 votes to make anything happen." I seem to remember this was a very hot topic a year or so back when there were some judges being nominated. There was this constant barrage of calls for an "up or down" vote and condemnations of "filibusters" and threats of "the nuclear option." Are we talking about the same thing? Does anything not include judges?
Michael Abramowitz: That's a good question. The Republicans sought a while back to exclude judicial nominations from filibusters. In the end, they got votes for some of the judges, but the Senate did not change the rules. So for now, it's 60 votes for anything. But the Senate could change its rules in the future. (But you would need 60 votes for that.)
Claverack, N.Y.: One thing I couldn't figure out in this whole Immigration Bill mess ... if the Democratic leadership thought it was critical to get GOP support for this to pass, why did they schedule the crucial votes to coincide with the G8 summit, when the president would be least able to help? Did they not think it would make a difference, or was it just that there were so many votes and amendments that the conflict was inevitable?
Michael Abramowitz: My sense is that conflict was inevitable on a bill like this. The president always has things to do and he and his staff are able to multitask when he is away. I am not sure this was a case where his presence would have helped matters much anyway.
By the way, back to Scooter Libby. A little more information on that situation, courtesy of my colleague Amy Goldstein: Judge Walton has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on when Libby will have to go to jail. The defense submitted written arguments late last week on why they think Libby should remain out of jail -- basically that there are several appealable issues that the defense says are close calls.
Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald submitted his response this morning, saying Libby was convicted by overwhelming evidence and should go to prison now.
Re: Pardon: Mr. Abramowitz, I wonder if anyone has asked, or thought to ask, the president if he would consider pardoning Genarlow Wilson. I believe he more closely meets the criteria of the Bush administration for pardon-consideration. Thank you for taking my question.
Michael Abramowitz: To my knowledge nobody has asked the president about that case, which involves a young Georgia man who was sentenced to 10 years in jail for consensual sex when he was a teen. Given his past practice, the president almost certainly would not answer such a question.
Vienna, Va.: Why were 60 votes required to pass that bill?
Michael Abramowitz: Under Senate rules, debate on almost any measure can not be cut off unless you have 60 votes.
Savage, Md.: Cloture has required a three-fifths majority only since 1975; before that it was two-thirds. And there was no cloture rule before 1917.
Michael Abramowitz: This is correct. The rules can change.
Atlanta: Michael, thanks for taking time out of your day to chat with us. Concerning the Attorney General Gonzales situation: The Bush administration is the first in my memory to basically keep people in their cabinet positions whether they have support or not, are succeeding or not, etc. In the past, it seemed that if someone screwed up, they resigned out deference to the President. Now, I realize Bush is wedded to loyalty, but do you see a change in the way presidents will do business in the future? Will they now just say "tough luck, he/she was confirmed and now will stay through my term"?
Michael Abramowitz: Well, this president certainly does not like to be pressured into firing his people -- but it has happened with Rummy and Brownie, to name two, as well as Gen. Pace just this past week. I think presidents now and in the future will do what they consider to be in their political interest with regard to personnel, and you will see many political appointees resigning from now until the end of time. That won't stop, in my opinion.
Baltimore: Re 60 votes to get anything done: What I would be interested in knowing is when the true filibuster ended. That was when Senators had to physically hold the floor by speaking to keep issues from coming to a vote. (Not uncommon during the early Civil Rights movement years -- or think of Jimmy Steward dropping exhausted on the Senate floor in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.") Somewhere along the line, the poor dears in the Senate decided that was too physically taxing and now we have the cloture rule. I say, make 'em get up and read the D.C. phone book again!
Michael Abramowitz: I have heard this point on previous occasions. Strom Thurmond did hold the floor for more than 24 hours to try to block the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
Seattle: My initial reaction to the GOP's Senate move was to label them all of a bunch of hypocrites, especially in light of their "up or down" movement last year. However, to give them their due, they did limit that scope to judges, and they do have rights as the minority. This is how our government is supposed to work, even if many of us don't like the results.
Michael Abramowitz: Thanks for another view of the filibuster situation.
Arlington, Va.: The Democrats have accomplished absolutely nothing since they've taken over Congress -- they can't even pass a non-binding resolution of no confidence for the Attorney General. Do the Republicans think the Democrats' majority status will be over by 2008?
Michael Abramowitz: I certainly think the Republicans are trying to make a big deal of the Democrats not getting a lot of legislation passed. I still think it's a bit early, but the Democrats will be in trouble if they can't get a number of legislative victories -- actual legislation passed -- beyond the increase in the minimum wage.
I need to run now. Thanks for all the questions.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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Life, in Little Chirps
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In the past week, Steven Groves has informed the online world that he spent a weekend camping, shopped for trees at Home Depot, saw "Pirates of the Caribbean" and worked on a presentation.
Groves is sharing the most mundane details of daily life on Twitter, which invites users to answer the question "What are you doing?" in 140 characters or less. Twitter members report to anyone who cares that they are "updating my blog" or "waiting to get my hair cut" or have "logged another two hours on Halo 3."
Now, critics are asking: So what?
"I don't really need to know that you're heading to the bathroom," Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li wrote recently on her blog.
But since its quiet launch about a year ago, initially as an experiment involving cellphone text messages on the Web, Twitter has developed a following. Even Democratic presidential candidates John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama have jumped on board. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's camp said yesterday that her Twitter page will launch in the next few days.
"Our campaign is about empowering people, and the cutting-edge technology available today gives people across the country the opportunity to interact with us and become part of our campaign," Edwards spokeswoman Colleen Murray said.
Twitter, like online diaries before it, raises questions about just how much appetite Internet users have for insignificant information but also shows how the Web continually evolves as a medium of communication. Already there are sites that look similar to Twitter, notably France's Frazr and Germany's Wamadu. Another site, Plazes, adds to the Twitter model by not only asking people to share responses to "What are you doing?" but also to "Where are you?"
In many ways, Twitter represents the latest evolution of the always-accessible technology of the past few years. Mobile phone users are increasingly tapping out text messages, and self-expression blogs and social networking sites allow even the smallest details of life to be chronicled for the masses. Unlike blog entries and MySpace pages, Twitter is a 20-second diversion for a quick thought, rather than a 20-minute investment of time.
Tracking the course of a Twitter member's musings is not much different from subscribing to a blog, said Scott Johnston, 33, a self-described techie who blogs and Twitters from Silicon Valley. He's following the thoughts of strangers who have something interesting to say while maintaining control over whom he follows and how often.
"I read about 30 blogs a day," he said. "Imagine me trying to call those 30 people every day to try and understand how their day was. It would be quite the effort."
For now, some analysts say, Twitter is a disorganized collection of random thoughts that needs more focus if it wants to become a viable business.
"The key thing is context, not publishing to the world but to the people who care," said Li, who said she would be interested in a Twitter-like service where co-workers collaborating on a project, for example, could easily stay in touch by tapping out quick messages to the group. "The way it's constructed now, it's going to the world. Frankly, I don't have a big enough ego to think that everyone out there cares what I have to say."
Twitter's founders say their priority is to shape the product into something that will keep people engaged. Less important, for now, is how they will make money from it. The San Francisco start-up, which is bringing in no revenue, is about to close a round of venture capital funding, co-founder Biz Stone said.
"We're taking a slower approach, not pushing forward with business models," Stone said. "The strategy now is in research mode. As opposed to revenue, we're collecting ideas, thinking about different approaches. Is it commercial accounts or working directly with [mobile phone] operators and carriers? What are our advertising and marketing opportunities?"
When Twitter was under development last year, Stone and his partners decided to make its infrastructure open to outside developers. To date, more than 100 Twitter-related applications have been built, including Twitterholic, which tracks the most-watched sites, and Twittervision, an always-moving Google map that shows pop-up windows of Twitter entries being posted in real time around the world.
Maria Vonderhaar, 33, of Orange County, Calif., uses Twitter to send quick messages to small groups of friends, like instant messaging, to update one another on their lives. She also uses it to track what Edwards is doing.
Groves, 50, said he is constantly searching for ways that new technology, whether it's Twittervision, Facebook, a podcast or a presence in virtual world Second Life, can serve his clients. He's using Twitter these days not because he is a big fan of the service or thinks it's an ideal way to share information. For him, it's all about what he calls social capital, the value of the exposure he's creating for himself on the Web.
"There are a lot of ramblings out there," he said. "How do you establish yourself in a worthy venue? What I'm looking at is how the real estate industry can use this tool."
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In the past week, Steven Groves has informed the online world that he spent a weekend camping, shopped for trees at Home Depot, saw "Pirates of the Caribbean" and worked on a presentation.
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Nominee to Head Joint Chiefs Sees Current Strain on Military
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Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the Bush administration's choice to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is deeply concerned that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are straining the U.S. military and he probably would seek political solutions to those conflicts, according to longtime military associates.
"He's concerned the Army has been carrying the heavy load for some time," said retired Army Gen. William "Buck" Kernan, the former supreme allied commander, Atlantic, under whom Mullen served in 2000. "He recognizes you can only stretch the rubber band so far."
If confirmed by the Senate, Mullen, 60, would become the first Navy admiral to serve as the nation's top military officer since the late 1980s. His selection comes as the Navy takes charge in several key U.S. commands covering the Middle East, Asia and South America, as well as U.S. Special Operations Forces.
Mullen, who heads the Navy as chief of naval operations, is a 1968 Naval Academy graduate identified early on as a rising star within the service. A Vietnam veteran, he is regarded as highly competitive but is also known for his rapport with ordinary sailors, the associates said.
"He doesn't mind stopping and talking with the lowliest seaman; on the other hand he's equally comfortable at the highest levels of management," said retired Navy Reserve Rear Adm. Henry F. White Jr., executive director of the American Bar Association in Chicago.
Mullen's Navy background would lead him to make decisions on Iraq and Afghanistan from "a different perspective," focused less on ground tactics and more on political dynamics, said retired Adm. Robert J. Natter, who attended the Naval Academy with Mullen.
Mullen is a realist, Natter said. "A realist would say this is as much a political issue solvable only by the Iraqis as it is a military force issue partially solvable by the U.S. military."
Heading the Navy for the past two years, Mullen was involved in decisions on the Iraq war with the other service chiefs. They discussed Iraq "at least three times a week" in a Pentagon conference room known as "the tank," said retired Gen. Michael Hagee, former Marine Corps commandant, who took part in the discussions.
Iraq "was the most important subject we talked about," said Hagee, who praised Mullen as having "high integrity" as well as a "common touch."
In such forums, Mullen voiced mounting concern over the strain that the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are placing on the Army and Marine Corps.
He has worked to identify thousands of Navy personnel with the necessary skills -- including engineers, truck drivers, explosive-ordnance-disposal experts and staff officers -- to replace soldiers and Marines on the ground. "He has taken them off the ships and put them ashore to alleviate some of the burden of the Army," Kernan said.
In leadership style, Mullen is considered studious but decisive. He would take care to ensure that he understands the position of Gen. David H. Petraeus and other senior commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan but would not shrink from "tough decisions," Kernan said.
"He has the ability to go to the essence of the problem and cut through the spin," said Hagee, who has known Mullen since 1964.
Mullen, a Los Angeles native, displayed his competitiveness at the academy in the classroom and on the football field. He "became emotional about winning," said Natter, a flag-football teammate. "We would huddle or go on the sideline . . . and he'd say, 'You're letting people through.' "
After graduation, Mullen became one of the few Navy lieutenants selected to command a ship. Later, as commander of a guided missile destroyer, he won an annual award given to the Navy's best captain, said retired Rear Adm. William W. Cobb Jr., who served with Mullen from 1979 to 1981.
Mullen also served as commander of the U.S. 2nd Fleet from 2000 to 2001, and became vice chief of naval operations from 2003 to 2004. He was an early advocate of training Navy pilots to execute long-range bombing missions from aircraft carriers to support ground forces, a task that became critical during the war in Afghanistan, Natter said.
As Navy chief, Mullen has promoted the idea of a "1,000-ship Navy," a concept based on the recognition that the Navy's fleet of 276 ships, heavily occupied in the Middle East, cannot secure the seas alone but must forge greater cooperation with the navies of other countries. Mullen has a degree in advanced management from Harvard Business School and a master of science degree from the Naval Postgraduate School.
He is married and has two sons, both of whom are active-duty Navy officers. He is a fan of audio-books and enjoys golfing and fly-fishing, as well as swimming and weight-lifting.
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Blair Likens News Media to 'Feral Beast'
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LONDON, June 12 -- Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday that the news media, driven by increasing competition and pressure from fast-changing technology, have largely abandoned impartial reporting in favor of sensation, shock and controversy, which he said demoralizes public servants and badly serves the public.
"The fear of missing out means today's media, more than ever before, hunts in a pack," Blair said in a speech two weeks before he steps down after a decade in office. "In these modes it is like a feral beast, just tearing people and reputations to bits. But no one dares miss out."
In a speech hosted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Blair said the news industry has become fragmented with the proliferation of blogs and other Internet-based sources of information and 24-hour television news programming. As newspapers "fight for a share of a shrinking market," he said, they face pressure to publish news on their Web sites today rather than in their newspapers tomorrow.
That new competition, combined with increasing demands to produce news instantly, has placed unprecedented burdens on news organizations, which have responded by "unraveling standards" of journalism and stressing "impact" over accuracy, he said.
"It is all that can distinguish, can rise above the clamor, can get noticed," he said. "Impact gives competitive edge. Of course the accuracy of a story counts. But it is secondary to impact." In that environment, he said, "something that is interesting is less powerful than something that makes you angry or shocked. . . . A problem is 'a crisis.' A setback is a policy 'in tatters.' A criticism, 'a savage attack.' "
Blair came into office in May 1997 as a media darling, the leader of a revitalized party known as New Labor. He was routinely portrayed as a dynamic reformer and gifted orator who represented a shining new era in British politics. Now, he is criticized daily in the British news media, largely over his handling of the Iraq war and his close relationship with President Bush. Blair has announced that he will step down June 27, allowing Gordon Brown, the country's finance minister, to succeed him.
Roger Alton, editor of the Observer newspaper, called Blair's speech "a highly perceptive and shrewd tour of the media horizon, with hardly anything in it that is not being discussed constantly in newspaper and media offices all over the land." Alton's comments were published on the Guardian newspaper Web site.
Matthew d'Ancona, editor of the Spectator magazine, said the speech showed that Blair was obsessed by the media. "He says he's not playing the blame game, but it's hard to see how calling the media a 'feral beast' can be interpreted any other way," d'Ancona said on the Spectator's blog. "New Labour was very happy to tango with the media until it went wrong," he said, adding, "I don't think . . . the proliferation of new media is bad for politics: quite the opposite. It may be bad for the present Government, but that's not the same thing."
Bernard Ingham, who was press secretary to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, said in an interview: "There has undoubtedly been a tabloidization of the British media; they are much more concerned with trivialities than they used to be. But Tony Blair is the last person who should complain. He elevated the media by running after them, and by bribing them and corrupting journalists with promises of exclusives.
"He was only too happy with the media when they were fawning on him. It's only when they realized what a terrible prime minister he's been that he starts whingeing and whining."
Blair said his assessment was not a complaint about his own treatment in the media, but rather an argument that the relationship between the media and those in public life had become poisonous and needed to be repaired. "We are all being dragged down by the way media and public life interact," Blair said. "Trust in journalists is not much above that in politicians."
In his speech Tuesday, Blair said he was partly to blame for helping create the current media climate during the early days of New Labor, as the movement he led within the Labor Party became known. "We paid inordinate attention during the early days of New Labor to courting, assuaging and persuading the media," he said. ". . . Such an attitude ran the risk of fueling the trends in communications that I am about to question."
Blair said the growing intensity of the news media had changed, for the worse, the way all people in public life make decisions.
When he took office, he said, he and cabinet ministers would often debate a serious problem for two days before announcing a position. "It would be laughable to think you could do that now without the heavens falling in before lunch on the first day," he said.
Blair said a "vast aspect" of public life today is "coping with the media, its sheer scale, weight and constant hyperactivity."
"At points, it literally overwhelms," he said. "Talk to senior people in virtually any walk of life today -- business, military, public services, sport, even charities and voluntary organizations, and they will tell you the same."
Blair said he initially believed that fast-evolving technology would improve the situation by providing "new outlets to bypass the increasingly shrill tenor of the traditional media." However, he said, "the new forms can be even more pernicious, less balanced, more intent on the latest conspiracy theory multiplied by five."
Blair said it was not for him to suggest changes. But "the damage saps the country's confidence and self-belief," he said. "It undermines its assessment of itself, of institutions, and above all, it reduces our capacity to take the right decisions in the right spirit for our future."
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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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Boy-Band Loot Sold at Bankruptcy Auction
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Platinum and gold records, autographed posters and even a key to the city all went "Bye Bye Bye" at an auction Tuesday as creditors liquidated the assets of boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman.
Hundreds of bidders packed a downtown building for the Chapter 11 bankruptcy sale. The auction was populated mostly by middle-aged men, not the screaming young girls who drove Pearlman's bands to multi-platinum success.
Pearlman's assets included memorabilia from the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, the two boy bands he created in the '90s that made him famous, and several of his lesser-known acts.
Pearlman allegedly defrauded about 1,000 investors of more than $315 million by selling for years a bogus savings account plan, then using their money to cover his losses in other businesses. Banks are hounding him and his companies for more than $120 million, according to court documents.
He also is being investigated by the FBI, IRS and state authorities.
Pearlman's whereabouts are unknown. He hasn't been seen or heard from in months, nor has he responded to multiple subpoenas.
Pearlman doesn't have an attorney in either bankruptcy case against him or his companies.
Everything he left behind was on the block Tuesday, from the ordinary (first aid kits for $12.50 apiece) to the opulent ($18,000 for a five-piece Chihuly glass art series).
Stacey Karatzas, an Orlando jewelry designer, attended for the glass pieces but did not buy them. She was disappointed there was not more big-ticket art.
"It's less than I would have expected," she said.
Dozens of bidders stood elbow-to-elbow in the office where Pearlman used to court aspiring stars. They sweated while an auctioneer shilled.
"Eighty dollars, eighty dollars, gold record," the man said.
A man wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers shirt paid $2,200 for a wall hanging commemorating the Backstreet Boys selling 7 million copies. He declined to be interviewed, but said he was still deciding whether to sell it.
The key to Orlando sold for $1,400 _ a big raise from the $300 bidding start.
Proceeds from the sale were to pay off Pearlman's considerable debt, though authorities are still trying to put the whole picture together.
Pearlman's home in a posh Orlando suburb was also to be sold, and listed for $8.5 million.
Pearlman already lost control of several companies in February, when a judge appointed receiver Jerry McHale to take over the books.
Four banks filed the involuntary federal bankruptcy cases against Pearlman and his Trans Continental companies at the beginning of March.
McHale has discovered few assets and considerable debt, but still doesn't know how deep it goes. McHale told the court Pearlman's former employees trashed and shredded mounds of documents in late 2006 or early 2007, when they believed investigators were closing in.
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Platinum and gold records, autographed posters and even a key to the city all went "Bye Bye Bye" at an auction Tuesday as creditors liquidated the assets of boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman.
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Investors Lose Key Advocate In Case on Financial Crimes
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The top law enforcement officers in Arkansas and New Jersey did it.
So did professors in Tulsa and pension funds in New York, Alabama, and Michigan.
Yet when it came time yesterday to file court briefs favoring investors in a once-in-a-generation securities law dispute, the U.S. solicitor general remained on the sidelines. A deadline passed with no word from Paul D. Clement, the Bush administration's liaison to the Supreme Court.
By keeping silent, Clement rejected a plea from the Securities and Exchange Commission to throw the government's weight behind investors, producing howls from plaintiff lawyers, unions and senior House Democrats.
At issue in the coming Supreme Court case is whether shareholders can sue bankers, lawyers and accountants who help their corporate clients get away with financial malfeasance but do not make misleading public statements in the process. The dispute is worth billions of dollars to corporate America -- and to lawyers who represent plaintiffs in class-action cases.
Earlier this month, the five-member SEC voted to prepare legal papers supporting investors in the lawsuit, to be heard in the court's next term. But Treasury Department officials adopted an opposing view, citing industry complaints that lawsuits put U.S. companies at a disadvantage to foreign rivals. The solicitor general's office, responsible for representing the federal government's position at the high court, found itself in the middle of an inter-agency squabble.
Representatives for the SEC and the Treasury declined to comment yesterday even as advocates on both sides of the issue amplified their views.
"Without this tool to address fraudulent activity by business partners and service providers to public companies, we will lose an important deterrent to financial wrongdoing," Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), George Miller (D-Calif.) and Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) wrote in a letter delivered to Clement and SEC officials yesterday.
In essence, the Supreme Court ruling in the current case will determine third-party liability in a string of cases, including whether Enron investors and plaintiff lawyer William S. Lerach can jump-start a stalled case against Merrill Lynch and Barclays. The University of California, lead plaintiff in that $7 billion case involving the 2001 Enron collapse, filed court papers yesterday supporting the investors' position.
"It would be really tragic for America's investors to have our government turn against them in a case as noteworthy as Enron," former SEC chairman Arthur Levitt said in an interview. "The SEC's stand on behalf of investors is the appropriate position."
In a prepared statement, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce predicted a "legal free-for-all" if plaintiff lawyers were allowed to proceed in such cases. Peter J. Wallison, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, fumed in an interview that if government sides against business interests, "it will be disastrous for the country's economy."
It remains unclear whether Clement will continue to remain silent or whether he will submit court papers supporting investment banks in the Supreme Court case. In the dispute, investors are seeking permission to move forward with a lawsuit against Scientific-Atlanta and Motorola for allegedly helping Charter Communications conceal financial woes.
Briefs in favor of business are due in a month. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment yesterday on the solicitor general's next step.
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The top law enforcement officers in Arkansas and New Jersey did it.
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Vista Limits Choices, Google Alleges
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The complaint, which Google raised confidentially late last year, will probably be reviewed later this month by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who is overseeing Microsoft's compliance with a 2002 consent decree. That agreement resolved the government antitrust case brought against the software maker.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said yesterday that officials from several states may decide by early next week whether they will ask the judge to force Microsoft to revise Windows Vista, the latest version of the company's operating system.
"We've reached a critical juncture in our decision-making process," he said in an interview. "If Microsoft is misusing its market dominance with Vista to constrain competition or consumer choice, we will seek appropriate action from the court."
The new dispute centers on the desktop-search capability included in Vista. Desktop search, which is separate from Internet search, allows users to scan their own information, such as data on their hard drive. As people store more information, such as e-mails, on their computers, the desktop search feature has become important for keeping track of the material.
Google, which submitted a 50-page document detailing its concerns, has told federal and state officials who monitor the consent decree that Vista's design makes it difficult for users who want to run Google's desktop search instead.
"Microsoft's current approach with Vista desktop search violates the consent decree and limits consumer choice," Google spokesman Ricardo Reyes said in a statement. He said that there is no visible way for users to choose an alternate search provider and that it is difficult to turn off Microsoft's version. Even when users attempt to use its desktop search feature, Google said its version runs slowly because the computer tries to run Microsoft's search at the same time.
Microsoft lawyers dismissed the accusations, saying the desktop search feature is not included in the class of software governed by the consent decree. Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said that the company held two years of discussions with federal and state officials before Vista's release about the new features and that no one objected to desktop search.
"If there's some reasonable way to address these issues, we're prepared to roll up our sleeves to do so," Smith said. Any problems with slow service are technical issues on Google's end, not Microsoft's, the company said.
Blumenthal said state officials could aggressively pursue enforcement of the consent decree even if federal justice officials do not.
His remarks come at a time of dissatisfaction among some state officials over the Justice Department's handling of the Google complaint. Specifically, some state officials were taken aback by a department memo sent to state attorneys general across the country trying to dissuade them from taking actions against Microsoft, according to people familiar with the memo.
The memo was written by Thomas Barnett, an assistant U.S. attorney general, who had previously been an antitrust lawyer at a law firm representing Microsoft. Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona declined to discuss the complaint.
In the 1990s, the Clinton administration filed suit against Microsoft in a bid to split up the company. A federal court agreed that the company had used its monopoly position in providing computer operating systems to unfairly crush competitors and ordered the breakup. But an appeals court reversed this decision, salvaging Microsoft even as the judges concluded it had repeatedly abused its power.
The Google accusations, first reported by the New York Times, came to Microsoft's attention just after it released Vista late last year, as the consent decree nears the end of its five-year life. Most of Microsoft's activities will no longer be subject to court oversight after this fall, with the exception of continuing discussions between Microsoft and regulators over documentation for a limited segment of its software.
Since the landmark antitrust suit that began in 1998, Internet technology has revolutionized the marketplace. Microsoft finds itself struggling to keep up with the Google, which dominates online advertising. In a reversal of roles, Microsoft filed a complaint this spring with federal officials alleging that Google's proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, a major online advertising company, raises antirust concerns. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating.
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Allegations by Google that Microsoft's new operating system unfairly disadvantages competitors has revived antitrust accusations against Microsoft and opened a front in a bitter war between the two technology giants.
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Amid the Chaos of War, Gifts of Music
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FERGUS FALLS, Minn. -- The e-mail from Iraq started this way:
"So, a friend in my battalion received a Fender Stratocaster from you guys. It was amazing! . . . It's been about 6 months since I have played and it was so awesome playing the guitar my friend got. He told me about you guys, so I thought I would see if maybe I can get my own guitar."
And that is how Sgt. Jason Low received an acoustic guitar from Steve Baker, a Vietnam veteran of modest means and powerful purpose. Baker and his wife, Barb, run Fergus Music, a shop here in a rural patch of Minnesota not far from the North Dakota line. Together, they have shipped more than 300 guitars, mandolins, harmonicas, drums and wind instruments to Iraq to ease the strain of the soldiering life.
Fifty more will soon be on the way, thanks to $800 raised at an Elks club spaghetti dinner and $1,500 chipped in by two local businesses. In response, the Bakers receive notes such as this one, sent April 17 by Luis Rivera:
"Yahooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I have something to look forward to. Thank you very much."
Steve Baker served as an Army Ranger in Vietnam in the mid-1960s. Wiry and mustachioed at 62, and tending toward T-shirts and jeans, he moves between the music shop and the crowded back room where he keeps guitar-ready cardboard boxes and his computer, which seems constantly abuzz with e-mails from Iraq.
"This started as a fluke," Baker said.
In 2004, his stepson, a soldier in Iraq, requested a guitar, so he sent one. The stepson's friend wanted one, so he dispatched another. Pretty soon, the requests were coming faster than the newly christened Operation Happy Note could respond. The waiting list is now more than 150 names long.
The store does not generate enough income to do all the things the Bakers would like to do, but they manage. Steve Baker, who says he previously owned a music store before losing it in a divorce, had been repairing commercial refrigerators before he bought Fergus Music in 2003.
"I didn't realize how much of a going concern this wasn't," he says now. And that was before Happy Note.
"When you do something like this, you're not making money, you're losing it," Baker said of the volunteer project. He added, "I don't care."
The operation to send free instruments has benefited from the generosity of others, such as a woman in Elbow Lake who printed posters, no charge. Then there was the lucky moment when Barb Baker spotted a garage door company giving away bubble wrap. She filled their Jeep with it. In March 2005, the Bakers held their first fundraiser, and have brought in about $13,000 since.
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FERGUS FALLS, Minn. -- The e-mail from Iraq started this way:
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Bush Ends European Tour With Promise to Help Bulgaria
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SOFIA, Bulgaria, June 11 -- President Bush pledged to help U.S. ally Bulgaria win the release of five Bulgarian nurses held in Libya since 1999 on charges of infecting Libyan children with the virus that causes AIDS.
"We will continue to make clear to Libya that the release of these nurses is a high priority for our country," Bush said at a news conference with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. Bush noted that the United States is contributing to a fund to help the children.
The nurses and a Palestinian doctor were sentenced last year to death in the case, which has drawn international condemnation.
In consultations at the final stop of an eight-day European tour, Bush also discussed Iraq, Afghanistan and the continuing stalemate over the fate of Kosovo, the Serbian province that has been run by the United Nations since 1999.
At the news conference, Bush repeated that he favors independence for Kosovo. Russia has threatened to veto an independence plan for Kosovo at the United Nations, saying it would set a bad precedent. Serbia opposes the plan to cut away its southernmost province.
"As we seek independence for Kosovo, we've also got to make it clear to Serbia that there's a way forward," Bush said, "maybe in NATO, maybe in the E.U. and definitely in better relations with the United States."
Bush thanked Bulgaria for its help in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He said that an anti-missile shield that the United States has proposed for construction in Poland and the Czech Republic would be aimed at long-range missiles that would potentially fly over Bulgaria. Bulgaria itself would be protected by other systems directed against intermediate-range missiles, he said.
Parvanov replied that "we Bulgarians would accept any solution that would provide more guarantees -- more security guarantees, more guarantees of the indivisibility of the security of the Euro-Atlantic space." His country is a new member of the NATO alliance and the European Union and last year signed an agreement for U.S. troops to be based on its soil.
Later, the two leaders had lunch. In the afternoon, Bush attended a meeting with students at the American University in Bulgaria before departing for the United States.
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SOFIA, Bulgaria, June 11 -- President Bush pledged to help U.S. ally Bulgaria win the release of five Bulgarian nurses held in Libya since 1999 on charges of infecting Libyan children with the virus that causes AIDS.
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Colleges Pledge to Back Climate Initiative
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Nearly 300 college presidents have agreed to raise awareness about global warming and limit their institutions' emissions in moving toward "climate neutrality."
Modeled after the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment has a goal of driving environmental change through research, education and reduced emissions. So far, 280 schools -- including the University of Maryland, James Madison University and Howard Community College -- have signed the pledge.
Sweet Briar College President Elisabeth Muhlenfeld said it wasn't difficult to commit her rural Virginia school, especially because it's a small campus and environmental studies are an important focus at the college. Two challenges will be its historic buildings, which have very old heating and cooling systems, and making changes without a large endowment. But faculty and staff members and students are working on ideas -- including scattering Sweet Briar-pink bicycles around campus.
Davis Bookhart, director of the sustainability initiative at Johns Hopkins University, said his school probably will not sign the commitment but is likely to use it as a blueprint. At a large school with a medical center and lots of real estate, he said, it is more complicated to figure out an exact "carbon footprint," the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the university. "If a student goes on spring break to Daytona Beach, are we responsible for that, too?" Bookhart asked.
Bookhart noted that only months ago it would not have seemed possible that so many schools would sign such a pledge. "The snowball effect has kind of gotten going," he said.
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Nearly 300 college presidents have agreed to raise awareness about global warming and limit their institutions' emissions in moving toward "climate neutrality."
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They Know How to Caucus
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DES MOINES -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton had a decision to make. After someone in her campaign leaked a memo late last month suggesting that she skip the Iowa caucuses, the New York Democrat needed to show that she was committed to winning the crucial first contest on the presidential nominating calendar.
Her campaign repeated at every turn that it was serious about Iowa, pointing out that she had been spending a lot of time in the state. But on Tuesday, it offered the ultimate sign of its intentions: It promoted Teresa Vilmain.
Vilmain, 48, has been a near-legend among caucus operatives since she ran Michael S. Dukakis's Iowa campaign two decades ago at the age of 28. She was raised on Iowa politics, watching as her mother held Democratic caucuses in their Cedar Falls home. With her long skirts and her long hair pulled atop her head, she could be mistaken for an English professor. But she strides into rooms as if tilted against a gale, speaks in the staccato delivery of a ward boss, and never ends a meeting without "action items" for everyone present.
Just five months ago, Clinton had a private dinner in Washington with another experienced caucus operative, JoDee Winterhof, and persuaded her to leave her family in D.C. to serve as Iowa campaign director. At the time, Vilmain was working for former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack, then a presidential candidate. When he dropped out, Vilmain became available. Now she will be Iowa director and Winterhof will be a senior strategist.
"If you can get Teresa Vilmain, you do it," said John Norris, a longtime Democratic strategist in Iowa who is not working for a campaign now. "You do whatever it takes to get [her] on board."
The battle for the best political talent takes place nationwide every election cycle, but nowhere is it fought as fiercely as in Iowa. Victory in the caucuses held here in January every four years has traditionally been seen as critical in generating what President George H.W. Bush once called the "Big Mo," and the elite group of strategist experienced in producing it are seduced and fought over.
This year the talent hunt has extended to the local level, with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) paying nearly five dozen county-level supporters up to $1,000 each per month, going well beyond the half a dozen regional field staff members whom campaigns typically employ this early in the season.
The arcane ways of the Iowa caucuses are a major reason for the competition. Of the state's 2 million registered voters, a hard-fought battle in either party typically brings out no more than 125,000 participants, who must show up at a specific time on a midwinter Monday evening and are expected to stay at least two hours. The process can drag on even longer, particularly on the Democratic side, where voters must disclose their candidate preference publicly and where complex rules for apportioning delegates can result in revotes.
This means a campaign must know which voters are likely to participate -- and be able to communicate to the troops who are pursuing them where the critical line is between persistence and pestering.
"You can't approach people in Red Oak the same way you do in Philadelphia," said Democratic strategist Jeff Link, stepson of a machinist on the Burlington Northern railroad. "It's just different."
Most in demand are homegrown campaign veterans such as Dave Roederer, the Iowa chairman for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), or his counterpart in the Romney campaign, Des Moines lawyer Doug Gross. Both served as chief of staff to Iowa's most recent Republican governor, Terry Branstad, a common background typical of Iowa strategists.
Most senior Democratic advisers come from one of two loosely overlapping networks: the orbs around Vilsack and Sen. Tom Harkin (Iowa). Des Moines trial lawyer Rob Tully, the Iowa chairman for former senator John Edwards (N.C.), is a longtime Harkin adviser, as is Winterhof. Link, a former Harkin chief of staff who has also advised Vilsack, is being aggressively pursued by Edwards.
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Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2006 elections,campaigns,Democrats,Republicans,political cartoons,opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy,government tech,political analysis and reports.
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GOP Hopefuls Keep Distance From Bush
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MANCHESTER, N.H., June 6 -- If there was an unexpected loser in Tuesday's Republican presidential debate, it was President Bush and his administration's record.
The Republicans criticized their Democratic opponents, but more surprising was that, on issue after issue, they systematically shredded the president's performance over the past four years. Iraq? Badly mismanaged. Katrina? Bungled. Immigration? The wrong solution. Federal spending? Out of control.
At times it got personal. When the candidates were asked how they might use the president should they win the White House, former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, who served as secretary of health and human services during Bush's first term, replied: "I certainly would not send him to the United Nations." The line drew laughs from the heavily Republican audience at Saint Anselm College.
Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.), who long ago burned his bridges with the administration over immigration, was even more pointed, saying he has been "so disappointed in the president in so many ways" that he would not want him anywhere near his administration -- unlikely as that may be.
The virulence of the criticism -- not just from a longtime antagonist but from a former Cabinet official -- stunned many in the audience, including those involved in the GOP nomination battle.
The debate clearly signaled open season on Bush's record and highlighted the reality that GOP presidential candidates see his record as a liability they will have to contend with in the 2008 general election campaign.
The juxtaposition of the Democratic and Republican debates here, just two days apart, reinforced to Republican strategists how much of a burden Bush could be in 2008.
"The Democrats were all about George Bush," said a strategist for one Republican candidate, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to talk candidly about strategy. "For any Republican to have any chance in the general, the race has to be about the next four years, not the last eight. Each of the Republican candidates is trying to figure out how to do that."
The leading candidates were careful not to make their criticisms of Bush too personal, which GOP strategists believe remains out of bounds for anyone with a serious chance of winning the party's nomination. But there was no attempt to suggest, as George H.W. Bush did when he ran to succeed Ronald Reagan in 1988, that the candidates want to be seen as seeking a third term of the current Bush administration.
Bush still enjoys the support of a large majority of Republicans. The most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that, while Bush's overall approval rating is at 35 percent, 74 percent of Republicans still approve of him. A Pew Research Center survey showed Bush's approval rating among Republicans down from 77 percent in April to 65 percent today.
Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Center, said it is not surprising that Republican candidates have begun to separate themselves from Bush this early in the campaign. "I think it's unavoidable," he said. "They were very loyal to Bush for a very long time. The movement downward has to do with the fact that there's some Republican disaffection going on."
The eventual nominee may well see his criticism and the remarks of other GOP candidates played back during the general election, as Democrats make the case that it's time to change course. Tuesday's debate indicated that the candidates want to avoid being tagged as defender-to-the-end of an unpopular administration.
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Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2006 elections,campaigns,Democrats,Republicans,political cartoons,opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy,government tech,political analysis and reports.
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PostTalk: Gov. Mitt Romney
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» This Story:Read +|Watch +|Talk +
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Suspicious package sits at Fed building for months
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Watchdog groups want Ukraine zoo closed
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Obama struggles to enter White House
Obama again defends U.S. involvement in Libya
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Obama lauds Chile's transition to democracy
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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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washingtonpost.com's Chris Cillizza and The Washington Post's Dan Balz sit down with presidential hopeful, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) to discuss his stance on immigration, campaign finance and health care in his bid for the Republican nomination.Read the StoryVideo: Ed O'Keefe, Chet Rhodes/washingtonpost.comEditor: Brie Hall
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Candidates Lacking A Real-World Clue
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GOFFSTOWN, N.H. -- The 18 presidential candidates -- eight Democrats and 10 Republicans -- who came to Saint Anselm College here for a pair of debates this week displayed a remarkable ability to ignore the real-world consequences of many of the policies they were advocating.
Democrats brushed aside concerns about the impact of their votes to cut off funding for the troops in Iraq or the larger implications of a precipitous withdrawal from that country. Republicans were casual about contemplating the use of nuclear weapons against Iran or the effects of foreclosing a path to citizenship for millions of people living illegally in the United States.
Both parties are blessed with a multitude of contenders with attractive personalities and impressive résumés -- people it's easy to imagine in the Oval Office.
But the dynamic on both sides is trending toward extreme positions that would open the door to an independent or third-party challenge in 2008 aimed at the millions of voters in the center.
The danger may be greatest for the Democrats, even though President Bush's failings have put them in a favored position to win the next election. Prodded by four long shots for the nomination and threatened by the rhetoric of former senator John Edwards, a serious contender, the two front-runners, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, have abandoned their cautious advocacy of a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces and now are defending votes to cut off support for troops fighting insurgents in Iraq.
They are able to escape the charge of abandoning U.S. combat troops only because they knew when they voted that their Republican colleagues in Congress, joined by a few Democrats, would keep the funds flowing at least for a few more months. But if Clinton or Obama is nominated, that vote is certain to loom large in the general election campaign.
The broader question of Persian Gulf policy in the likely event of a drawdown of American forces in the coming year is also a blind spot for the Democrats. Beyond exhortations to the weak Maliki government in Baghdad and a vague hope of convening an international conference on Iraq, the leading Democrats have little to suggest that could mitigate a possible foreign policy disaster.
The leading Republicans, for their part, very clearly see the risks of failing militarily in Iraq but have offered no ideas other than a continuation of the Bush policies that have lost most of their domestic support. Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney all endorse what is in effect the status quo -- even when asked to suggest a possible alternative or fallback. None of them appears to have heard of the Iraq Study Group suggestions.
Meantime, they see nothing wrong with raising the possibility of using a nuclear weapon -- for the first time in more than six decades -- as a bargaining tool in dealing with the ticklish situation in Iran. It is hard to imagine a policy more likely to shift international pressure away from sanctions on Iran and against the United States than talk of using the nuclear weapons in our arsenal against targets in that part of the world. Sure, they say nukes would be a last resort, but they seem remarkably sanguine about brandishing them.
But then these are people who, unlike the Democrats, seem oblivious to the reality of 12 million illegal immigrants living permanently in our society, with no hope of attaining citizenship and stepping up to the promise -- and responsibility -- it entails. They find fault with the patiently negotiated congressional compromises in legislation supported by President Bush -- even Romney and Giuliani, who have previously supported such bills.
The catering to the know-nothing wing of their party by so many of these men is a stunning indictment of their readiness to lead 21st-century America, a more diverse and dynamic country than their perspective seems to embrace.
In this dispiriting display of pandering and group-think, two notable contrary examples stand out.
On the Democratic side, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, alone on the stage in voting for the temporary funding bill, declared his determination not to deny arms and protective equipment for the troops his 2002 vote helped send to Iraq -- even, he said, if it costs him the nomination.
And on the Republican side, Sen. John McCain of Arizona defended his and the president's comprehensive and humanitarian approach to immigration -- a grace note in what was otherwise a rather discordant pair of ensemble performances.
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In this week's two debates, candidates displayed a remarkable ability to ignore the real-world consequences of many of the policies they were advocating.
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Got Plans?
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Every Thursday at 1 p.m. ET, washingtonpost.com's City Guide experts share their best bets for local flavor, great dates and family fun. Got plans? Great. Need plans? Just ask. We have the skinny on the bars and clubs, concerts, kitchens, theaters and special events that keep life interesting. We're going out gurus, and we're at your service.
Of course, we're happy to answer questions about local entertainment, but we need to hear from you, too. Introduce us to the coolest DJ or the fastest bartender you've encountered. Sound off on the week's best concert or the city's best burger. Tell us about the best place to amuse little kids or a big art fan. Together we can plan fun ways to spend weekdays, weekends, dates and holidays. The pleasure is ours, and yours.
Each week a different guru will act as host or hostess, but the entire staff is at your service. If you're looking for more ideas, see the City Guide or read transcripts of past Got Plans? discussions.
washingtonpost.com: What's up, peoples? Welcome to Got Plans? We're rolling with a limited crew today. Fritz and David are at the baseball game. Erin's got jury duty. Something came up with Rhome. So yeah, that only leaves me (Julia), Jen and Janet to answer all your lovely questions. Bear with us -- we'll probably be a bit slower today. Anyway, as you might have heard, this weekend's all about Capital Pride. We've got six pairs of tickets to the hot Saturday night Collision party at Love. Wanna go? Riddle us this: if darling, recently-released-jailbird Paris Hilton lived in our fair city, where, oh where would she go out on the weekends? The best answers can take home a pair of tickets. (Of course, you might have to come to our office to pick them up, but we'll work out the details later.)
Washington, D.C.: I'm going to Pittsburgh this weekend (staying at the Omni) and am looking to you for things to do while I'm there. I know the Three Rivers Festival will be on this weekend, but I'm also thinking along the lines of bars and restaurants. Also, what's the name of that sandwich with the fries on top?
Janet: Not a Pittsburgh expert, but I know there's that tram you can take up the hill, and there are some restaurants, and the view is pretty wow. About that sandwich, I'm not sure of the exact name -- it's from a restaurant called Primanti Bros.
Washington, D.C.: Can you guys recommend some good rooftop bars that specialize in interesting cocktails?
Julia: Here's Fritz's list of the best D.C. places to sip outside. Of the rooftops he lists, I suppose your best bet is Tabaq for interesting cocktails. They have a specialty "martini" menu that's pretty interesting. The drinks aren't cheap at $13 a pop, but they're tasty. (Fritz would insist that I mention that if it doesn't have gin, it ain't a real martini.) I think the rooftop at the Reef is a better scene -- less crowded if you get there early enough -- but the cocktails aren't great. I had a decent margarita last Friday, but they couldn't do some more interesting drinks, like a dark and stormy. If you're willing to go the patio route, I'd try Poste or the reopened bar at Helix. You'll find better cocktails there.
Junk vs. Antique -- Falls Church, Va.: Pack Rat ISO ...
Seeking some retro items, but not looking for them to well displayed, polished or overpriced.
Any favorite "junque stores" (as opposed to antique stores)?
Julia: Sounds like you need a trip to Value Village in Hyattsville. I've gotten great vases, paintings, table knick knacks and other retro acoutrements at this mega-supermarket-size establishment. I also got a really sweet $12 leather jacket there. It's worth a trip for any junk lover -- even one coming from from Falls Church.
Rockville, Md.: Just a comment about the Rockville Town Center. Now that many of the stores and restaurants have opened it is a really nice, low-key place to hang out on the weekends. There's a huge patio area with lots of seating and the most delicious ice cream I've ever tasted -- Gifford's.
Janet: Good to know. Thanks for the heads-up, Rockville.
Washington, D.C.: For the Pittburgh visitor, you could check out the Warhol Museum, the Phipps Conservatory, the Carnegie. For restaurants, try Soba on Ellsworth.
Janet: More about Pittsburgh places worth a trip.
Silver Spring dreamin': I grew up in the area but have been away for a long time. I've heard really good things about the revitalization of Silver Spring, which I remember as . . . well, not having very much vitality.
If I take the Metro to the Silver Spring stop and get out, are there a lot of shops, restaurants, things to do and see, etc. within walking distance? Would it be a worthwhile way to spend a weekend afternoon?
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
Jen: That depends who you ask. There is definitely much more vitality, there's no doubt about that. I think you could spend a weekend afternoon there no problem. Within a couple of blocks you will find the AFI Silver, a wonderful movie theater; starting Tuesday, Silverdocs -- an international documentary film festival -- will be happening there, and that tends to bring additional activity to the streets. Restaurants like Ceviche and Lebanese Taverna are just around the corner from the AFI, as are a number of shops. Some of the stores (Ann Taylor, Ulta) are of the national-chain variety, but it's still a nice enough place to walk around.
Janet: You're in luck, that is, if you like handbags. This Saturday, Marimekko is offering you the chance to pick a fabric, cut it and have it sewn up by their in-store tailor. A handbag for $45 rocks in my book.
Washington, D.C.: For Pittsburgh, any of the restaurants run by Big Burrito are fun. Soba, Kaya, etc. Tonic Bar & Grill on Liberty Ave is also good.
Washington, D.C.: I'm a single girl, and while all my friends seem to be out of town this weekend, I figured I'd take myself on a date instead of eating pizza and watching a movie. Well, I was still going to go out and see a movie, but do you have any suggestions for a good place where I could go and get good food and sit at the bar?
Julia: If you're willing to trek out to Arlington, I like EatBar at Tallula. In D.C., the bar at Palena rarely disappoints. Tom Sietsema covered this same topic in his column last fall. Check out his suggestions here.
So, I have an Asian themed party coming down the pipe and I was looking for some music recommendtions. I have plenty o' Shonen Knife, Puffy-A, Pizzacatto-5 and one fantastic collection of Japanese Mambo by Paradise Yamamoto. Strickly through chance, my colection seems to focus on Japanese pop, I wanted to find a "rain" album for some Korean (is there such a thing as Vietnamese-pop?)
So what should be recommended in the rock-pop (more pop oriented) and more importantly, is there a store (perhaps in NOVA) where these things are readily available (or sample hearable).
Jen: With no David here to back me up, all I can say is that I am shocked you have not mentioned "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors. And of course, Half Japanese. As to where find legit Japanese pop, I am hoping some readers can pitch in. Help, kids?
More Pittsburgh stuff: For bars, I'd cross the Bloomfield Bridge and go into the Southside. It's walkable and there's lots to do. If you like wings, check out Buffalo Blues. They have like a million flavors. I personally think the expensive seafood place at the top of Mount Washington is overrated.
Janet: And more re: Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh, Pa.: If the person going to the Burgh is into beer, check out the Church Brew Works. Very cool space (inside old church), very good beer and decent food.
Janet: I can second that.
Re: Paris in DC: Without a doubt, she'd go to K Street. The reason? They already have a bunch of photographers who run around the club taking pictures of everyone. Paris would feel right at home mugging it for the camera. Besides, it seems that half the women posing for the camera are already trying to be her, might as well get the real deal.
Jen: Paris? Want her picture taken? I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean.
Washington, D.C.: Dear Gurus, Finding a consignment store that has men's clothing, much less features them, is definitely tricky. Any suggestions in DC for stores? Thanks for y'alls assistance on everything!
Janet: Good question. Secondi in Dupont used to. What aboutMeeps on U Street?
Chevy Chase, MD: Hello Gurus -- Love the chats! My mom and sister are coming into town this weekend from Cincinnati, and I want to show them a taste of the DC area by picking a variety of restaurants in different parts of town. Moderately priced is best, and I'd love to get your tips. So far I have Zaytinya, Hank's, maybe Cashions for brunch on Sunday and then 2 Amys for pizza. What am I missing?
Jen: I would add the bar at Palena to that list, mos def. I would give my right arm for one of their burgers and plates of pretty potato-fries right now. (Yeah, I'm a little hungry for lunch...)
Washington, D.C.: Do you guys know anything about C-mart; how is it to find discounted clothes?
Janet: A colleague of ours went opening weekend and scored big time on designer clothes and shoes, including Burberry. Like all these kinds of stores, though, it's hit and miss.
Washington, D.C.: Can someone please tell me why we are answering a question about PITTSBURGH when this is a Washington D.C. blog???
Jen: Wait, are you answering the question, too? Awesome, we need all the help we can get today. You're right, this is a D.C.-focused chat. But we try to help everybody as much as we can. We don't mind spreading the love a 'lil bit. Within reason, of course.
Arlington, Va.: My roomie and I are on a major budget this weekend...anything fun to do that's cheap???
Julia: The Go-Go at the Gig event sounds dope. There's a $10 cover (and beers are $5), so I don't know if that's a budget buster for you, but I don't think you can beat live music and 16-oz beers on a summer day. If that is a budget buster for you guys, think about taking advantage of the free activities around town -- the Wolfgang Tillmans exhibit at the Hirshhorn, Jazz in the Sculpture Garden, wandering around Eastern Market. I'd also come into town for the Capital Pride parade -- always a good time.
Re: V-Pop: If there is such a thing as Vietnamese pop, I'm assuming there is, you would find it at the Eden center. It's in Arlington on Wilson Blvd. just before you get to Falls Church. While I normally go for the restaurants, I think I've seen a cd/game store there.
Jen: Beautiful. Thanks for that tip.
Pitt Grad: All Primanti Brothers sandwiches have coleslaw and fries on them, unless you request otherwise. My favorite spot in Pgh (well, one of them) is the top of Mount Washington. Drive to Station Square, and take the Incline to the top. All, for good food (better than Primanti Brothers) try Uncles Sams subs or Fuel and Fuddle in Oakland. Shopping in Squirrel Hill is fun, and check out Kards Unlimited in Shadyside for some wacky, cool stuff.
Janet: Chatters, here's info from a Pittsburgh grad.
Marimekko: It looks like the event is full. Great idea, though. And I didn't know they had a store in the area, so thanks!
Arlington, Va.: Happy Thursday, Gurus! I'm planning my sister's bachelorette party in a few weeks and can't seem to find the bachelorette guide from last year. Has the link moved? Thanks!
Julia: Nah, it still exists! Check it out here. Watch out on our blog next week, though. I'll be posting a new bachelorette party story for our annual Wedding Week Package. Now, that's been some sweet research....
Bethesda, Md.: It's about time I retire my salsa shoes and look for new ones (they are really dead!). Does anyone know a place where I can find (not-too-expensive) salsa shoes? I would prefer a place in my area, but am willing to travel elsewhere for a good deal.
Janet: Have you already tried Artistic Dance Fashions in Bethesda?
Washington, D.C.: Not really a going out question, but I know you can help!
What's the P Street Whole Foods like? I've read reviews that say it's small and the parking is horrible, but the Web site says it's the biggest WF in the area, and I've heard from others that the parking is great.
It's a trek for me, so I don't want to go if it's not worth it. Thoughts? Thanks!
Jen: I'm sorry, this is "Got PLANS?" Not "Got Groceries?" I honestly haven't been to that Whole Foods. Is there anyone who has who can provide some guidance?
Washington, D.C.: What is THE best place for an affordable romantic dinner on a Friday night without a reservation? Either in the Dupont Circle or surrounding neighborhoods. Only request is no Indian, no Mexican. Let me know! Thanks GURUS!!!
Julia: Sadly, "affordable," "romantic" and "no reservation" don't exactly go together easily on a Friday night in Dupont.... If no reservation and affordable are your key components, I'd go to the decidedly unromantic Straits of Malaya for yummy Malaysian food. If romantic's your top priority, Al Tiramisu is perhaps one of the most romantic restaurants in the city. That's definitely pricey and you'd be better off making a reservation, but if it's a special night, it might be worth it. You'd get some overflow from the bar crowd, but Helix might be a good option for decent (affordable) burgers in a swanky atmosphere. Chatters, what do you think?
For Silver Spring dreamin': GOG, I think you have misrepresented the shopping in SS. The new Marimekko store is now open (cool clothing, housewares). Also the new Pieces Boutique is open at 8201 Georgia Av. Very cool clothing for men and women. There is also an American Apparel on Colesville Road. Enjoy!
Jen: Fair enough; I didn't realize Marimekko was open. And I totally forgot about American Apparel. Thanks for the clarification.
Hot 99.5: In Rockville would be Paris Hilton's first stop, if she graced our town with her presence.
Jen: Ah, so true. That, and Hot Shoppes, if it were still open. I'm dating myself...
I thought you might want to know about (and maybe mention) the great fun available at the Mid-Atlantic Ukulele Invitational this Friday and Saturday in Annapolis. Concerts; workshops; uke vendors, impromptu performances, etc. Here's a link: http://www.metroukeassoc.org/MAUI2007.html
Julia: We did know about this crazy fest and I'm more than happy to pass the information along. I mean, ukeleles! You can't make this stuff up....
Mike W, Dupont Circle: Where Paris would hang out is a no brainer...Paris and her little dog would be seen at Cafe Milano and Peacock Cafe in G'town in between stints at Judiciary Square.
Jen: Oh, good call. She strikes me as a Georgetown girl, for sure.
Tipping hairdressers: I've always heard that you should tip hairdressers 20 percent, unless they're the owner of the shop -- in that case, it's not really appropriate to tip them since they're getting the entire share of the fee. Is this still true? And if so, how would you handle a situation where the hairdresser works in kind of a co-op -- he rents out a space in a group shop and bills customers himself, rather than it going through the salon. He does great work and I don't want to be cheap, but the total bill will be about $200 so I wouldn't necessarily tip 20 percent if that isn't necessary. But I don't want to imply that I don't like the service either (and if it wasn't the business owner, I would of course always tip, but this person has the power to set his own fees, and I figure that's part of the higher cost of the service). Also, how much should I tip the shampoo person? (ugh -- I hate trying to figure tipping. I'd rather just pay a higher price and not have to worry about all of this!!!!)
Janet: I think it's standard to tip hairdressers between 15 and 20 percent, and not to tip in the case of the owner doing your hair. Your hairdresser being part of a co-op is a bit tricky, but I think you have a point about him having the power to set his own fees. I personally don't think 20 percent is necessary in this case. Tip the shampoo person between $3 and $5. Don't stress too much about the whole thing. Tipping is a personal decision, and remember, it should be based on how good the service is.
Foggy Bottom, D.C.: Not sure if this question is up your alley, but I'm looking for a place in DC to buy a decent, beginner guitar. With the great weather, I'm all about learning to play; outside of course.
Julia: I'd start with the Guitar Shop in Dupont. I'm not sure what their prices are like, but they are SO nice in there. They gave my friend great advice when she wanted to buy an electric for her boyfriend. They're also really nice to me when I go in there just to buy picks. (I don't play, I just make earrings out of 'em.)
Re: Paris in DC: Chillin with Jenna and Barb at Smith Point!
Jen: Nice. The exclusivity would appeal.
Re: P Street Whole Foods: It's the closest large grocery store to where I live, so we've dubbed it "whole paycheck." Great for getting unusual things like goat cheeses and speciality grains. Don't get sucked into buying your staples here, and whatever you do, go early on a weekend morning, as it gets unbearably crowded later on.
Jen: Just when you thought this chat had stretched its sphere of knowledge by venturing into Pittsburgh, the readers bring it hardcore with insightful grocery store tips. People, it doesn't get better than this.
Pittsburgh restaurant: When I visited Pittsburgh, I ate at the Georgetowne Inn on Mt. Washington, near where the tram goes up. Great view of the city, the three rivers. It was cool to watch the sun go down and the city lights go on while eating.
Janet: Place to eat on Mt. Washington, here you go.
Paris in DC: She would start off at Blue Gin, then head to Smith Point, and finish off the night passed out on the patio at 3rd Edition.
Jen: With a possible detour to Cafe Milano mixed in there. The fact that she winds up passed out at Third Edition is cause for kudos. We may have a front-runner in the contest!
Bethesda, M.D.: Hi GOGs, I am meeting my girlfriends for brunch/lunch in Friendship Heights on Sunday. We'd like to sit outside and get a little tipsy. Can you recommend a place that fits the bill? We are considering Lia's (not sure if there is outside seating).
Janet: Try Indique Heights. It's the kissing cousin of Indique in Cleveland Park.
Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.: Thinking of going to the Jazz in the Sculpture Garden tomorrow if it's nice out. Any idea on their policy of BYOB(or W)?
Julia: Sorry, Adams Morgan. No outside alcholic beverages are allowed.
P St. WF: It's not small but it gets really crowded b/c so many people in the area use it. Personally, I really like the place (except for the fact that they can't seem to cut a $%#@% steak smaller than 1.5 pounds) but make sure to avoid the busy times of 6-8 on weekdays and early afternoon on the weekends.
Jen: Like I said, just keeps getting better. Thanks. Your advice is worth at least 1.5 pounds in gold.
Men's Consignment, D.C.: Try "Inga's Once is Never Enough" in the Palisades. I'm embarassed that I know this, I will send Fritz my man card.
Janet: Don't be embarassed. You've just helped your fellow man.
Washington, D.C.: The P Street Whole Foods is nice. If you get there when they open the parking situation isn't bad. They have a nice wine selection, but I don't think you can buy wine until 10 AM. There is parking in the basement and on the roof.
Jen: One more on Whole Foods. Perhaps this settles things for our curious reader?
Finland, I wish: Please tell me more about the do-it-yourself Marimekko?
Janet: I'd tell you more, but you'd be even more disappointed. We hear that the event is booked.
Washington, D.C.: I'm looking to take a friend out to chill and hear some live reggae (or something approximating that vibe) on Friday night. I'm told there's a couple places in Adams Morgan and U st. Any ideas? Would greatly appreciate your help! Thanks.
Julia: David worte a blog post about this a while back. I'm a big fan of Bukom Cafe in Adams Morgan. Not necessarily chill -- there will be people dancing right up near the stage & it's kind of loud -- but it's a really fun vibe.
Joisey in D.C.: Hi Gurus! Any news on any place that may be having "Sopranos" viewing events for the big finale on Sunday night?
Jen: Sorry to say, but you won't be seeing "Sopranos" anywhere but your own home, or at a friend's who has HBO. Nathan's had been hosting "Sopranos" parties earlier this season, but HBO shut those down. On the other hand, I'm sure they'll change policies and encourage "John From Cincinnati" viewing parties if ratings for it are low...
Rockville Town Ctr: Just my 2 cents on a few of the restaurant/bars: Gordon Biersch - THE new hotspot. Crowded and a meat market, especially after work (but no happy hour prices). Have their own brews, which is fun. We were told they're "working" on a happy hour menu. Greystone Grille - kind of a jazzy-loungy place, but apparently they have good happy hour prices from 4-7. Food is good, but pricey/more upscale. No outdoor seating. La Tasca - Spanish Tapas restaurant - open and airy, with a beautiful big bar w/6+ different kinds of sangria to try out. Prices still kinda high. They say they're "working" on a happy hour menu.
Janet: The skinny on the Rockville restaurant and bar scene.
Union Station, Washington, D.C.: Isn't this "Got Plans" not "Got Pittsburgh?"
Jen: No, it's "Got Plans, While Shopping for Groceries, in D.C., or Possibly Pittsburgh?" Jeez, get with the program.
If Paris came to DC: She'd open her own nightclub, and then not show up on opening night after promising to be there.
Paris in D.C.: Dan's Cafe all the way.
Washington, D.C.: Re: Paris in DC - She'd definitely start her day appearing before Congress. Someone has to take a stand about the conditions in America's prisons!!!
Jen: Well, she has decided to make the world a better place.
Alexandria, Va.: Hey Gurus, I was searching for my fav pedicure place phone number and came across an old going out discussion that had some nasty things to say about them. Nails Foxy on St. Asaph and King, has some phenomenal women who really do a great job. Not only is it cheap ($35 mani AND pedi) but contrary to old post (sept 06), it is VERY clean. I have been going for well over a year, and they Lysol out the foot bath and sanitize instruments! (Maybe past patron did not notice incubator-like machine in back or stay to witness spray down of facilities after her dip in the foot tub). Yours in sandals.
Janet: Perhaps we owe Nails Foxy an apology then.
B-Day at Bossa?: Hello Gurus!
I am thinking of having my birthday party at Bossa. I have never been there myself, but heard positive things from other people. I will be entertaining 15-20 people and am looking for nice music, live would be great, nice food and really good drinks. Would you recommend it? THANKS!!!
Julia: I would. I think Bossa is a seriously overlooked bar in Adams Morgan. The drinks aren't super fancy, but they're good and the vibe upstairs is awesome -- especially when they have live music. Call ahead for your night to see what the line-up is. It's not going to be some crazy hang-from-the-rafters party, but it's a great place to meet up with a largish group of friends. Can't vouch for the food though -- haven't eaten there.
Any news on any place that may be having "Sopranos" viewing events for the big finale on Sunday night?: Why risk some jerko yelling during critical dialogue?
Jen: HBO has made sure you don't have to. So no worries there. Have to say I kind of agree, though. I personally want to be able to focus on what's happening without distraction.
Paris....in Bethesda: Alternatively, Paris might be seen making the rounds in Bethesda at Caddies, Blacks, Willie & Reeds and Tommy Joes. At least the police station is only up the block.
Jen: Willie & Reed's is gone, my friend. A candlelight vigil in its memory will be held at a later date. I'm not sure Bethesda is hoity-toity enough for Miss Hilton. But maybe she could slum it with us MoCoers.
Northwest, D.C.: Whole Foods - Not to sound rude, but why doesn't the reader just go and look for him/herself?
I can understand not wanting to drop large $$$ on a restaurant or club without checking first, but a grocery store? Please.
Get on the S buses up 16th, or the 50 buses up 14th, and go have a look after work. Seriously.
Jen: Here's the truth: This question was planted solely to demonstrate how insanely helpful "Got Plans?" can be. That said, if anyone asks us to rate the best Trader Joe's, we will immediately shut down the chat for the day.
Alexandria, Va.: I've just recently taken an interest in wine tasting and now I'd like to learn more about the wines. Basically, I'd like to understand where statements like "floral, fruity notes on the front of the pallette" come from.
To that end, is there anywhere in the area that offers wine classes? Classes that teach me not only how to drink the wine but how to taste it and pick out certain characteristics. I'd really like something that is more than one 3 hour seminar. Like a "hands on" class of 3 or 4 session. Does this exist?
Thanks gurus! You're holding down the fort great today!
Julia: Thanks, Alexandria. I've never taken a class there, but I've heard good things about the Washington Wine Academy. Perhaps this two-part class could work for you. I'm also a big fan of going out to the Virginia and Maryland wineries. The proprietors I've met are decidely unpretensious and they can definitely give you a leg-up on wine lingo. Check out this recent set of Post stories about wineries in the region.
Silver Spring, Md.: On hairdresser tipping - this is seriously part of the reason I wear my hair long (we'll pretend that the nasty split ends are also a fashion decision). I just don't get tipping at the hair salon. I mean, I accept that it's required, but I seriously don't know what I'm supposed to do and I feel like totally awkward dealing out $1 bills, so I just never get haircuts. Fortunately, I look hot with long hair. (I think I may be coming up on my once-a-year-or so cut, though.)
Janet: I'm sorry, but avoiding having your hair cut because you feel awkward about tipping is kind of extreme. It's really not so difficult.
Horse racing this weekend: Don't forget it's Belmont this Saturday. The D.C. area has 3 racetracks (Laurel, Pimlico, and Rosecroft) from which to enjoy the show.
Julia: That's a good point, I had almost forgotten! For all you looking to check out the third-most exciting two-minutes in sports, get thee to a racetrack. I've got a gamblin' friend who'll definitely be at Rosecroft. You could of course always just ask your bartender to flip over to NBC. I watched the Preakness at Toledo Lounge last year and it was delightfully simple.
K-pop: Little Korean stores up and down Leesburg Pike and Little River Turnpike in NoVa have plenty of K-pop. I've been listening to BoA's "My Name" lately, and I love it! Super-catchy.
Whats The Best Trader Joe's?: Well, there's only one in the city, so that would be a silly question.
Jen: I meant in the Metro area. Seriously, don't tempt people. They're already getting fired up about it as we type, I can sense it.
Whole Foods - a great place to go out: Whole Foods can actually be a fun place. They have cooking classes and demonstrations. The various samples left out for tastings could be considered appetizers, while you and your date pick your meal to be cooked at home. Great stuff.
Jen: I didn't realize the CEO of Whole Foods read our chat. That's sweet!
Paris in DC: She would also stop by the high end stores by Friendship Heights.
Jen: Abso-freaking-lutely. She'd stop there first, then go on the Georgetown bar crawl. I smell a hypothetical Paris Hilton virtual tour of D.C. in the City Guide.
Seriously, don't tempt people: Isn't it your decision which questions you post? If someone writes something you don't want to discuss, then don't post it (including this one)! Don't blame the people writing in.
Jen: I'm posting this question just because you told me not to.
Pittsburgh: I'm going there this weekend too! Small world.
Janet: Omigod. Pittsburgh has become the center of the universe while I was sleeping.
Pregnant in D.C.: Hey guys! This is my first pregnancy and I'm just now realizing how expensive maternity clothes are -- I had no idea! Does anyone know of any secondhand or thrift stores with a maternity focus or section?
Jen: Hey there. Congrats. As one mommy to an expectant mommy, I know how you feel. I'm sure there are other places like this, but I had good luck at Wiggle Room in Bethesda. They sell other things besides maternity clothes, too, including stuff for baby.
If Paris Hilton wanted to shop wholesale grocery in Pittsburgh after she gets out of rails, where would she go?
Jen: Now you've done it. We're stumped. You broke "Got Plans?" Congratulations.
Third Time is a Charm?...: Hi there Gurus! I am sending this for the third time as I really need some advice from you guys.
Where can my husband and I celebrate his return home from a long-term post overseas and our mutual birthday with an eclectic group of people. We'd wish for good drinks, good music to fit diverse tastes, and a bearable noise level, and a non-college-kid crowd. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
Julia: Okay, okay. Whining usually doesn't get you very far in this chat of ours, but because they're only a few of us on tap today, the barrage of questions has broken down my resolve. Try Science Club. That might be a good option for your crew. Loungy, good drinks, not college kids. You could also give the revamped Helix a shot.
Paris in Washington: She would have her driver take her out to The Inn at Little Washington, only to get refused service for being too skanky. Then she will cry all the way back to DC while realizing no one cares who she is outside of L.A. Then she will drive through Georgetown and invite every boy with a flipped collar to her room at the Four Seasons for a party.
washingtonpost.com: All right, peeps. We've got to wrap it up today. Your Paris Hilton answers were wonderful, but we've only got six pairs of tickets to give away. If you're the person who wrote about Paris 1) at Cafe Milano, 2) passing out at Third Edition, 3) going to Dan's Cafe (brilliant, by the way), 4) lobbying Congress, 5) shopping at Friendship Heights or 6) being turned away from the Inn at Little Washington, you just scored yourself a pair of tickets to the Capital Pride Party at Love. Send an e-mail to julia (dot) beizer (at) washingtonpost.com and we'll figure out how to get you these tickets.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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Apartment Life Live
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Welcome to Apartment Life, an online discussion of the Washington area rental market, featuring Post columnist Sara Gebhardt.
In her monthly exchanges with the audience, Gebhardt discusses rental issues and lifestyle matters.
Got roommate troubles? Our interactive guide is packed with tips and advice to help you make the most of a group living situation. Check it out: Lessons Learned: How to Survive Living With Roommates.
Check out our special feature: Think Smart: Apartment Hunting Made Easy.
Read Sara's latest Apartment Life column.
Sara Gebhardt: Good afternoon, everyone. Hope all has been well with your living situations now that it's starting to get hot. Feel free to ask me about anything, and I'll answer to the best of my abilities, especially if it's about the world of rental housing.
Arlington, Va.: Just a general question for apartment dwellers: how does one deal with cigarette smoke wafting in from neighboring apartments?
Every night between 10:00 and midnight, the smell of cigarettes seeps into my kitchen, which drives me crazy because my bed is next to the kitchen (I have a studio apartment). I've talked to my building management repeatedly, but there doesn't really seem to be anything that can be done, since it's an older building and would need extensive renovation in order to rectify the problem. So I've been forced to open the windows a lot and buy an air purifier.
Sara Gebhardt: This is a constant issue for folks, so let's see if anyone out there has ideas. In my research, I've found that plugging holes, gaps, cracks--even wall electrical outlets--helps stop the flow of smoke. Air purifiers--particularly HEPA filters--tend to get good reviews from people with this problem too. It is true that, since smoke is so persistent in its traveling, it is a difficult problem to deal with when your neighbors smoke.
Breaking a Lease: Hi Ms. Gebhardt,
Once, when I lived in an apartment in Md., I was told that you could break a year-long lease if you were taking a new job out of the region. Now I live in an apartment in Va., and I'm hoping to find a job out of the region (where we can afford a house). Do you know of any such rule? We're living on a month-to-month lease now, and it's killing us. Thanks!
Sara Gebhardt: It is fairly typical that you cannot easily break a lease just because you are taking a job out of the state or region. There are exceptions, the most common being if you are employed by the military and called up to service.
I lived in month-to-month no-term lease cottage behind my landlord and his family's home for 2+ years while attending college. We are all friends. I pay rent on time, am quiet, don't complain about anything, go to kid's b-day parties etc. When graduation was coming up they knew I was applying for a lot of jobs far and wide and kept asking if I got one of them. When I got the one I wanted I e-mailed and chatted with landlord (which is normal for us), in a friendly tone saying things like "ideally I would like to move out by 8/01 ... it depends on how hard it is to find a place ... if anything changes I'll let you know in a timely manner ... I'm just trying to give you a good lead time on my plans." In person over the last month I mentioned verbally that I would give formal written notice once we found a place in the new city. These were friendly chats, not a formal notice and they happened in April. I was just honestly answering the question of "How exciting, what are your plans?" So when we did actually find a place and decided to move out I gave him a formal written notice that I would be out on the 13th of July. I gave this notice nearly 40 days out, way over the 30 day limit. He is now arguing that I need to pay all of July. I looked up CA Civil Code and I know I only have to pay through my 30 day notice as we are no-term month-to-month, which would mean I pay through 7/13 not the entire month of July. His argument seems to rest on the idea that our chats via the internet were a formal notice. I have rented apartments for nearly a decade and have never experienced something like this and am unsure of how to handle this one. I like these people but am very surprised after trying to talk to him about this and showing him our original chat and my words of "depends on ... will tell you in timely manner if something changes" and reminding him of my verbally telling him that I would give him a formal written notice when I had a SPECIFIC date etc. doesn't seem to matter to him. Despite the fact that he is now being supremely rude to me, accusing me of trying to scam him, and is lamenting how he never raised the rent (on an already expensive place) for the last two years....I still want to do the right thing. He won't even accept my formal notice now and told me to send it via certified mail. These people live 20 feet from me. I do not believe our friendly banter was a legal notice that I am moving and I never intended it to be ... Am I nuts?
Sara Gebhardt: You are not nuts. Let's start there. I don't know the ins and outs of California's tenant laws, but you should definitely seek help from your local housing office. From my view, it seems you are of the right mind that until you gave official written notice, your move-out date was unresolved. The "notice via informal IM/verbal conversations" probably would not fly in a court of law; however, if he has the transcripts, a judge may feel differently. The best way to proceed is to contact a tenants' rights group in your area. Also, be sure to check your original lease to see if he had a term stating you needed to send the letter by certified mail, as well. It is tough that you will have to end your relationship to your landlord's this way, but do not give in to his demands until you have sought legal advice.
Hi! I love your columns and chat - I haven't needed advice before, but I am getting ready to move out of a large complex into an apartment within a house (house converted to many individual apartments), which is being rented to me by an individual. It appears that the current tenet won't be out until the end of the month and I HAVE to move in the first few days of July since my current lease will expire. What's an individual landlord's responsibility to clean, repaint, etc.? It just doesn't seem like he'll have time to do that kind of cleaning before I move in.
Also, he has a very basic lease that I have signed that states the move-in date, lease length and amount of rent. Is it common to ask for a lease that gets into specifics - response time to broken items, notification before entry, etc? I've always lived in big complexes with spelled out landlord/tenet responsibilities, so this is brand new to me - any advice you have would be a huge help! Thanks!!
Sara Gebhardt: Hi, there. Thanks for following my column. When an apartment turns over, a landlord is responsible to clean and get the apartment ready for the next tenant. Even private owners can arrange to have this sort of thing done quickly, so make sure you tell him about your intention to move in right away. Most likely, he has planned for this, but just in case, give him some warning that he will need to have it done before your move-in date. As for your lease, you should probably ask to have it bulked up with the issues you've mentioned. Whatever terms are absent from your lease will still be required by housing laws. If nothing is written about notification before entry, for instance, your landlord would still be required to follow local laws. It would just help to know that both of you are aware of these laws and have agreed to them in your lease.
Arlington, Va.: I don't understand -- if Breaking a Lease is living month to month, why would she need to break the lease?
Sara Gebhardt: Absolutely... Thanks for noticing. "Breaking a Lease" may be confused about whether he/she is on a month-to-month or a year-long lease. If month-to-month, then 30 days is usually all one would have to give to leave. So, she/he wouldn't need a reason beyond the desire to leave.
I've been living in my Alexandria apartment for seven months now, and our apartment managers refuse to fix our windows that leak every time it rains. We've asked them about the delay, and every time they say they're waiting on contractors, and that they've ordered new bricks which haven't arrived. Meanwhile, the leaks have caused paint damage, an ever increasing buildup of mold, and would've damaged the carpet and some of personal property had I not put down plastic and moved my electronics. I checked the handbook and called the local office that handles tenant-landlord issues. Is there anything else I should do to get the apartment company to fix the leaky windows? Would I be liable if I just went to a home-store and purchased materials to try and fix the window myself?
Sara Gebhardt: You checked the handbook and called the local office and what happened? Did you file a complaint against your landlord? Just calling and reading won't make your landlord step into action. You could mention that you have investigated their responsibility to fix the issue and are contemplating filing a complaint. That may get them to take your problem seriously. And I don't know if you'd be liable for trying to fix it yourself, but float the idea to management if you can't get them to fix it within a reasonable time.
Apt: Renter in Virginia should google "Virginia tenants rights handbook": it tells you everything you need to know.
You MAY break a lease in Virginia as long as you find a renter acceptable to your landlord.
Sara Gebhardt: You can indeed find the state housing rules online. Local jurisdictions may have additional provisions. And landlords may have their own standards for choosing replacement tenants, so really the best thing to do is talk to your landlord about your options and offer to help find someone to take your place. It is possible, but there is not hard-and-fast way out of a lease unless you pay the early termination fee or fall into a special category (like the earlier mentioned military service or a death of a lease-holding tenant).
For San Diego: You don't have to send termination notice by certified mail (unless you have a lease requiring it). You can hand deliver it or "regular" mail it. Whether he acts as though he didn't receive is irrelevant; if he sues for remainder of month, he will find himself out of luck. What a shmuck.
Read up, if you haven't:
Sara Gebhardt: You said it. I didn't. Thanks for helping out our chatter!
Washington, D.C.: I'm the renter who wrote in last time because my landlord is an excessive hugger. I'll have to say that I took your advice and sent him the rent check for this month just so I could avoid the awkwardness of his "greetings." I guess it went okay because I haven't heard anything, although I do have stuff I want him to fix and am sort of apprehensive to ask just in case he is a sexual harasser at heart. Do you have more words of wisdom?
Sara Gebhardt: I am glad to hear that the tactic of avoiding personal contact with your landlord worked when you paid you first rent check. As long as you are paying and paying on-time, you can continue to do this to stave off any discomfort you may feel with your landlord. However, since you do depend on him to maintain your home, you will need to figure out how you will be in his presence should he come over to fix things. You could, if you trust him, schedule repairs for when you're not there--but in the event you have to show him issues, then just have a friend around for support. It may be that your landlord is just friendly and demonstrative, but if you don't like that, you can continue to avoid it even in his presence by being cold, stand-offish, and surrounded by witnesses!
Arlington, Va.: I'm currently renting a condo in Arlington, with three months to go on my lease. My landlord wants to sell the condo and not renew my lease for another year. I know that showing the unit at open houses is written in the lease, which is fine, but my landlord is giving me what I think are unreasonable requests, like insisting the apartment be clean and tidy, moving furniture around, making me take my dog away, etc. I'm still living here and paying rent!
Why should I "help" my landlord sell the condo by making it look nice with my fancy furniture? I'm not getting anything out of it. Plus, I'm already being inconvenienced. Do I have to do any of this? Personally, I think the landlord is a fool to start showing her place with me still living there, but, hey, in a crashing housing market, I guess sellers are desperate!
Sara Gebhardt: You need to follow the lease provisions. So, go ahead and agree to let her show the place while you live there, but do not find it necessary to clean up or move furniture or remove your dog. You are right, you are still a tenant and her need to sell the apartment cannot disrupt your tenancy. You may be able to broker a deal with her if she is that desperate to sell--if you want, you could offer to arrange things to her liking for a cut in rent or some other benefit that might make it worth it to help her.
Breaking a Lease: My lawyer told me the landlord is obligated to accept if you offer a financial remedy. That is, they can't claim in court you cost them money or owe them money because you offered a financial remedy (new tenant) and they refused. If you offer to find one, they can require he/she pass their credit check, but they have to accept him/her if he/she does. So you advertise at the local medical school, get a quiet student with a good loan and you're good to go; I've done it plenty of times.
Sara Gebhardt: You have to make sure the tenant is suitable to a landlord, so that a landlord cannot argue that the outgoing tenant did not provide a suitable incoming resident. But you're right that the best thing to do is find a good tenant to replace you and make sure the landlord does not lose any funds in the process. If a landlord is not out of money and forges a new lease with someone, there is no reason he/she would even take someone to court.
Hugging Landlord: I'm usually OK with my landlord coming into my apt to do repairs when I'm not there, but if there was the slightest chance he was a stalker, I wouldn't let him near my lingere drawer unsupervised!
Sara Gebhardt: Well that's a whole other issue. Wouldn't you rather him gawk at your underwear than you? I suppose that's a personal choice. From the descriptions, it doesn't sound like this guy is a "stalker." That would take it to a whole new level, since he both knows where she lives AND has a key.
Attorney: Hey there- I'm a lawyer and I can tell you that, unless otherwise required in your lease or other written agreement, certified mail generally is not required. Regular mail is deemed to be sufficient. You may want to mail from a post office though (rather than just sticking a stamp on it) and keeping the receipt. Never hurts to have as much documentation as possible.
Also, "notice" means formal written notice. A conditional oral or even e-mail conversation ("depends on...," "if I can...," etc.") does not constitute notice.
Sara Gebhardt: Thank you for that.
Re: Excessive hugger: If my landlord made me that nervous, I'd have to move. It's creepy. If your gut is telling you something, listen.
Sara Gebhardt: Yes, listen to your guts. They tend to speak the truth. Or at the very least, keep you from unnecessary paranoia.
RE: Arlington: Ask the landlord to pay for a weekly cleaning service if she wants it clean.
Sara Gebhardt: Right, it's easy to hire a cleaning service--this is what most landlords do before new tenants move in.
Washington, D.C.: I played a great game at a bar in the city a few nights ago, shuffleboard; and word on the street is that there is an apartment complex that has a shuffleboard table as an amenity. Can you give me the name of that complex?
Sara Gebhardt: I'm not really sure why this newfangled "shuffleboard" game is so great.... I'd generally not answer this type of question, but I have actually heard about this game in one complex in Lorton (the Met at Lorton Station, I believe). And, since it is in a lobby/Great Room type setting, I'm pretty sure it's not the old school shuffleboard on pavement, which I perfected as a child at my grandparents' Florida community.
"Landlord is obligated to accept": What kind of lawyer are we talking about here???
"My lawyer told me the landlord is obligated to accept if you offer a financial remedy. That is, they can't claim in court you cost them money or owe them money because you offered a financial remedy (new tenant) and they refused."
A landlord doesn't have to commit to an early termination fee outside of a lease agreement. A landlord is free to seek rent through whenever the place is re-rented, plus re-rental costs (marketing fees, etc.) and is obligated to re-rent as soon as possible.
Your post doesn't mention what -kind- of "financial remedy".
"If you offer to find one, they can require he/she pass their credit check, but they have to accept him/her if he/she does."
Not so. Just passing a credit check doesn't mean the person isn't an unsavory type with a cruddy rental record or bad rental references. A landlord is only obligated not to -unreasonably withhold- consent of a sublet.
Sara Gebhardt: This is exactly why I do not speak as a lawyer, and think anything you read here should be investigated, since we don't know who is writing in. In any case, offering to help your landlord NOT lose money in a transaction is a way to convince her to let you out of the lease. I'm just sayin'...
Sara Gebhardt: Well, that's it for the chat today. I've run out of time. I will try to answer those questions I didn't get to in my upcoming columns. Feel free to communicate with me via email (aptlife@gmail.com) should you have problems before my next chat, next month. Take care until then.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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Immigration Overhaul Bill Stalls in Senate
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A tenuous compromise to overhaul the nation's immigration laws collapsed last night when senators from both parties refused to cut off debate and move to a final vote, handing the unlikely alliance of Democratic leaders and President Bush a setback on a major domestic priority.
The defeat came after months of painstaking negotiations and weeks of debate as a 45 to 50 procedural vote fell well short of the 60 votes needed to break the filibuster. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) then pulled the bill from the floor, while holding out hope that the Senate could resurrect the measure within weeks.
"There's no reason to be upset. I think that we have to look toward passing this bill," Reid said after 9 p.m., even as he catalogued a long list of futile efforts at compromise. "It's something that needs to be done."
But he was quick to place responsibility for the defeat on Bush, who had made passage of the measure a top legislative goal. "The headlines are going to be, 'The President Fails Again,' " Reid said. "It's his bill."
With Bush out of the country this week, he left the lobbying on the bill to key aides, including Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. They watched from Vice President Cheney's ceremonial office just off the Senate chamber last night as the bill stalled.
Thirty-seven Democrats, seven Republicans and independent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) voted to break the filibuster. Thirty-eight Republicans, 11 Democrats and independent Sen. Bernard Sanders (Vt.) voted against it. Maryland's two Democratic senators voted yes. Virginia's Republican senator, John W. Warner, and its Democratic senator, James Webb, voted no.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said that the issue is far from dead and that administration officials are taking heart from the fact that both Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) indicated they would bring the matter back up for consideration.
"The process has demonstrated that there is a strong bipartisan majority in the United States Senate that wants to see bipartisan, comprehensive reform," Stanzel said. "We will continue to work with members of the United States Senate to address concerns and ensure that we secure our borders, strengthen the interior enforcement, enact a temporary-worker program and address the millions of undocumented workers that are already here in this country."
Legislative advocates also declared the battle not over. "Hope is a powerful thing, and it will not be deterred," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.), the deal's chief Democratic negotiator. "The issue will not go away, and we will not give up the fight."
But Democratic leaders were quietly pessimistic. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) said Bush could count on 175 to 180 Democrats to support a similar comprehensive immigration bill in the House, leaving the White House to deliver at least 40 Republicans in a body that has been far more polarized.
"If Bush could not get the votes in the Senate, what was he going to do in the House?" Emanuel asked.
The Senate measure would have coupled tighter border security and a crackdown on the hiring of illegal immigrants with generous new avenues for such immigrants to stay and work legally. But the bipartisan compromise suffered a fatal blow just after midnight yesterday when the Senate voted to end a new guest-worker program after five years.
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The latest news and analysis from the Washington Post on the national debate over immigration.
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Icy Island Warms to Climate Change
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QAQORTOQ, Greenland -- The biggest island in the world is a wind-raked place, gripped by ice over four-fifths of its land, prowled by polar bears, its coastlines choked by drifting icebergs and sea ice. Many of its 56,000 people, who live on the fringes of its giant ice cap, see the effects of global warming -- and cheer it on.
"It's good for me," said Ernst Lund, a lanky young man who is one of 51 farmers raising sheep on the southern tip of Greenland. His animals scramble over the cold granite hills of a dramatic fiord, his farm isolated from the nearest town by a long boat ride threading past drifting mounds of ice, followed by a jolting truck trip along seven miles of gravel road.
VIDEO | Researchers are studying the Jakobshavn Glacier in Greenland to find out if climate change is causing it to melt more rapidly than in previous years.
"I can keep the sheep out two weeks longer to feed in hills in the autumn. And I can grow more hay. The sheep get fatter," he said.
In few parts of the world is climate change more real -- and personal -- than here. The Arctic is feeling the globe's fastest warming. At a science station in the ice-covered interior of Greenland, average winter temperatures rose nearly 11 degrees Fahrenheit from 1991 to 2003. Winters are shorter, ice is melting, and fish and animals are on the move.
A rapid meltdown and fast-sliding glaciers in Greenland could raise sea levels around the world and flood coastal cities and farmland. The infusion of cold water could jolt the Gulf Stream, alter weather throughout the Northern Hemisphere and scatter fish and marine stocks.
Yet this sweeping reworking of humanity's global accommodations will likely be fickle. While Greenland has many people who fear what warming will bring, it has quite a few others who reckon they may do quite well by it.
Kim Hoegh-Dam is betting a fortune that the changing climate will bring the cod back to Greenland. The effusive 44-year-old businessman has lined up more than $1 million to buy a small fleet of cod trawlers and three processing plants.
"Global warming will increase the cod tremendously and will bring other species up from the south," he said with confidence.
Hoegh-Dam's ancestors have lived for 200 years in Qaqortoq, its colorful wooden houses climbing steep hills that the Viking Eric the Red scouted more than 1,000 years ago. In times past, Qaqortoq grew rich on cod; in the early 20th century, the town boasted Greenland's first public bath, available to residents three times a year -- once more annually than was common at baths in sophisticated Copenhagen. The big whitefish fed Europe and nurtured New England, becoming the mainstay of Greenland's economy.
But in the late 1960s, the Greenland cod catch plummeted, and in 1991 the cod disappeared altogether. Researchers say it was a double blow of overfishing and a 4-degree drop in the water temperature because of shifting currents. Hard-pressed watermen eventually turned their boats and production plants to shrimp, now Greenland's chief export.
The seas around Greenland now show the highest temperatures since the 1960s. A trawler sent with government inspectors to test the old cod grounds off eastern Greenland this year made a biblical catch. The holds were filled with 25 tons of cod in one hour, and the crew had to stop fishing.
Conservationists are cautious. "If you start fishing this, you could stop the cod from building up," said Holger Hovgard of the Greenland Institute for Natural Resources in the capital, Nuuk. And if the seas warm enough to bring back cod, he asked, what happens to the cold-loving shrimp?
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QAQORTOQ, Greenland -- The biggest island in the world is a wind-raked place, gripped by ice over four-fifths of its land, prowled by polar bears, its coastlines choked by drifting icebergs and sea ice. Many of its 56,000 people, who live on the fringes of its giant ice cap, see the effects of gl...
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Sheriff Releases Paris Hilton . . . For Now Anyhow
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LOS ANGELES, June 7 -- It is Day One of mansion confinement for Paris Hilton. Electronic monitoring system? Activated. Mrs. Beasley's Gourmet Cupcakes? Delivered. Her walled enclave in West Hollywood? Surrounded.
By cameras. Around noon, a crazed scrum of photographers was fighting to capture the drama of a guy arriving at chez Hilton with a carton of organic dog food, presumably for Tinkerbell, the love-starved Chihuahua.
Be mad! Be glad! You don't get a vote. She is out of the slammer. Hilton was released from the county jail early Thursday because of an undisclosed medical condition and will serve 40 days confined to her yellow-ribboned home in the hills above Sunset Strip. Think about it this way: Paris is, like, totally grounded.
But wait. News Flash! Late Thursday Hilton was ordered back in court for a 9 a.m. hearing Friday -- and she might get sent back to jail. Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, whose office prosecuted Hilton, was enraged that she was sprung by the sheriff because of a medical condition, and so Delgadillo filed a motion to Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer asking the court to return Hilton to the clinker. Earlier, Sauer's spokesman said that while the judge was disappointed that Hilton was released to house arrest, there wasn't anything he could do about it. Judges sentence. Sheriffs incarcerate. So it's a legal cliffhanger.
Early Thursday, the 26-year-old hotel heiress and party girl was affixed with "an ankle bracelet and sent home," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore at a news conference outside the women's jail in Lynwood, where Hilton had resided since she turned herself in on Sunday night after attending the MTV Movie Awards.
What medical condition could be so serious it could not be treated by the medical staff at the Century Regional Detention Facility, which houses 2,200 inmates, many of them mentally ill, addicted or in poor health? "I can't specifically talk about the medical situation other than to say that, yes, it played a part in this," said Whitmore, who stressed that Hilton was not "released" but "reassigned" to home confinement. That would be home confinement with mocha and strawberry cupcake delivery.
Whitmore said he understood the media interest in the mystery medical condition but "privacy concerns" kept him mum. An hour later, publicists for the TV show "Entertainment Tonight" blasted out a mass e-mail stating that "Hilton family sources confirm exclusively to Entertainment Tonight that Paris Hilton has been released from jail due to suffering from an extreme rash on her body."
Extreme rash? Interestingly, the women's jail has played host to an especially persistent antibiotic-resistant infection of staphylococcus bacteria, according to the Los Angeles County Public Health Department. But Whitmore ruled out staph as the medical malady that freed Hilton.
But wait. An hour later, the investigative gossip Web site TMZ.com reported that law enforcement sources told it that "Hilton's medical condition was purely psychological and that she was in peril of having a nervous breakdown, and that's why she was released early this morning." Meaning forget the rash story. It's all in her head.
Nervous breakdown? Interestingly, Hilton was visited in jail by her psychiatrist, Charles Sophy, whose own Web site reports that the celebrity shrink "has been interviewed by virtually every major magazine including but not limited to Parents, Family Circle, Men's Health, Intouch, Fast Company, Nickelodeon, and Instyle."
In an unrelated court matter, Sophy testified last month on Hilton's behalf that his patient was "distraught and traumatized" and consumed by "her fear of incarceration." Hilton "cannot effectively respond to examination as a witness or provide any significant input into her defense," stated Sophy, who had treated the multi-millionaire socialite for about eight months. Hilton was seeking to delay a $10 million civil suit brought against her by actress and diamond heiress Zeta Graff, who accused Hilton of spreading "vicious lies" about her. Hilton has denied that she ever said that Graff tried to grab her $4 million necklace. Meow!
Calls and e-mails to Sophy were not returned on Thursday. Neither did Hilton's publicist utter a word. Hilton's attorney, Richard Hutton, did issue a statement from his client thanking her jailers and the sheriff's department "for treating me fairly and professionally." She continued, "I am going to serve the remaining 40 days of my sentence. I have learned a great deal from this ordeal and hope that others have learned from my mistakes."
What exactly have these others learned? Time will tell. But Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was on the defensive already, saying that his department did not treat celebrities any differently from ordinary criminal-citizens. The headline for Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez's critique: "Paris's New Lap Dog Wears a Badge."
Also peeved was City Attorney Delgadillo, who prosecuted Hilton for violating her probation by driving with a suspended license after a plea agreement following a drunk-driving arrest. "My office was not advised of this action. We learned of it this morning through news reports, just like everyone else. Had we been provided with the proper notification, we would have opposed the decision on legal grounds," Delgadillo said in a statement, adding that he found the house arrest "puzzling."
Before her release, Hilton had been kept in 23-hour-a-day isolation in a small cell at the women's jail, and the gossip columns have alternatively reported that she was crying and not eating, or was holding up and doing fine. According to the sheriff's generous math, Hilton has served five days in jail (checking in late Sunday and out early Thursday), and will now have to remain in home confinement for another 40 days. She was originally sentenced to 45 days in jail. (In jail, she would have gotten out after 23 days because of assumed time off for good behavior.)
If Hilton leaves her home, her ankle bracelet should alert authorities, though it is common for offenders serving home incarceration to be allowed to leave their Spanish-style hillside mansions for necessities such as psychiatric and/or dermatological appointments -- and to return to court.
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It is Day One of mansion confinement for Paris Hilton. Electronic monitoring system? Activated. Mrs. Beasley's Gourmet Cupcakes? Delivered. Her walled enclave in West Hollywood? Surrounded.
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Official: Cheney Urged Wiretaps
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Vice President Cheney told Justice Department officials that he disagreed with their objections to a secret surveillance program during a high-level White House meeting in March 2004, a former senior Justice official told senators yesterday.
The meeting came one day before White House officials tried to get approval for the same program from then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft, who lay recovering from surgery in a hospital, according to former deputy attorney general James B. Comey.
Comey's disclosures, made in response to written questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, indicate that Cheney and his aides were more closely involved than previously known in a fierce internal battle over the legality of the warrantless surveillance program. The program allowed the National Security Agency to monitor phone calls and e-mails between the United States and overseas.
Comey said that Cheney's office later blocked the promotion of a senior Justice Department lawyer, Patrick Philbin, because of his role in raising concerns about the surveillance.
The disclosures also provide further details about the role played by then-White House counsel Alberto R. Gonzales. He visited Ashcroft in his hospital room and wrote an internal memorandum on the surveillance program shortly afterward, according to Comey's responses. Gonzales is now the attorney general. He faces possible congressional votes of no-confidence because of his handling of the firings of nine U.S. attorneys last year.
"How are you, General?" Gonzales asked Ashcroft at the hospital, according to Comey.
"Not well," replied Ashcroft, who had just undergone gallbladder surgery and was battling pancreatitis.
The new details follow Comey's gripping testimony last month about the visit by Gonzales and Andrew H. Card Jr., then President Bush's chief of staff, to Ashcroft's hospital bed on the night of March 10, 2004. The two Bush aides tried to persuade Ashcroft to renew the authorization of the NSA surveillance program, after Comey and other Justice Department officials had said they would not certify the legality of the effort, according to the testimony and other officials.
Ashcroft refused, noting that Comey had been designated as acting attorney general during his illness.
The episode prompted sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who questioned whether Gonzales and Card were attempting to take advantage of a sick man to get around legal objections from government lawyers. It is unclear who directed the two Bush aides to make the visit.
Democrats said yesterday that the new details from Comey raise further questions about the role of Cheney and other White House officials in the episode.
"Mr. Comey has confirmed what we suspected for a while -- that White House hands guided Justice Department business," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "The vice president's fingerprints are all over the effort to strong-arm Justice on the NSA program, and the obvious next question is: Exactly what role did the president play?"
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Vice President Cheney told Justice Department officials that he disagreed with their objections to a secret surveillance program during a high-level White House meeting in March 2004, a former senior Justice official told senators yesterday.
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Am I My Brother's Keeper?
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Remember Brandy, the teen R&B singer from the early '90s, who bounced around in her video singing about her cute little brother, Ray J, and how he was her bestest friend in the whole wide world and she would always be there for him through thick and thin til' death did they part? Well, forget about her, (though she's been in some hot water lately) it's the brother I want to talk about today.
Through the years Ray J has tried ever so hard to jumpstart his own entertainment career. He starred as Brandy's little brother in her now defunct sitcom, "Moesha". He's put out three albums to lukewarm reception, though one or two of his singles snapped off -- notably one with rapper (and plastic surgery addict) Lil' Kim, who he was also rumored to be dating. He starred in one or two other TV shows along the way, but he's never quite managed to get out from underneath the shadow of his big sis.
So, I'm guessing Ray J decided to take matters into his own hands and maybe that's what led to the sex tape scandal with socialite and Paris Hilton BFF, Kim Kardashian.
Ray J and Kardashian made the home video three years ago when they were a couple. Adult film company Vivid Entertainment Group paid someone that wasn't Kardashian $1 million for the movie, and then distributed it via the Web. Eventually Vivid paid Kardashian a grip o' money and agreed to stop selling the video. Meanwhile Ray J, who seemed on the cusp of doing a real Hollywood film with Grammy award-winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams, lost that gig because of the porn tape scandal.
But, hey, maybe he'll turn that lemon into lemonade. Rumor has it the sex tape imbroglio led condom-maker Trojan to offer him a deal as a spokesperson. Between that and his romance with newly-single diva Whitney Houston, that Ray J could be on his way!
And if none of that pans out, there's always running for mayor of Carson, Calif., to fall back on.
Guest Celebritologist Tanya Ballard manages longterm projects for washingtonpost.com and has developed a 10- minute jazz cabaret act entitled, "I"ll Think About That Tomorrow."
By | June 7, 2007; 11:00 AM ET | Category: Miscellaneous Previous: Report: Paris Checks Out of Jail | Next: Morning Mix: Isaiah Washington Cut From 'Grey's Anatomy'
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.
doncha think it's a little sad that the photo with the story isn't even a picture of him, but of his famous older sistah? yo. that's cold.
Posted by: methinks | June 7, 2007 11:32 AM
Posted by: petal | June 7, 2007 11:40 AM
"I've been through the ups and downs in Carson.
Well, now we know where he MADE the sex tape!
Posted by: Bored @ work | June 7, 2007 11:45 AM
Okay, I'm late on the Ray J and Witney Houston thingy... wth is she thinking now? Isn't she old enough to be his mother?
Posted by: like_sunshine71 | June 7, 2007 12:02 PM
And as for Yolanda Adams, she has a reputation to uphold. If she doesn't want to act in a movie alongside a porn star, I can't say that I blame her.
Posted by: like_sunshine71 | June 7, 2007 12:05 PM
lemons into lemonade. hehe. that was intentional wasn't it?
Posted by: Anonymous | June 7, 2007 12:09 PM
Well in true hollywood tradition you can be famous for much of nothing...hence Paris, Carmen Electra and both the Nicoles. So keep making easy money Ray J. In the words of Tupac "I ain't mad at ya!"
Posted by: SMA | June 7, 2007 1:34 PM
What on earth led to this post?
Posted by: ATL | June 7, 2007 1:39 PM
What on earth led to this post? Posted by: ATL>>>
Probably the total whackness of the whole thing. Or Tanya N. Ballard already had it prepared when the Paris Hilton news broke and figured 'what the hey! let's give the celebritologists something else to read.' I thought it was hilarious.
Posted by: methinks | June 7, 2007 2:06 PM
This guy is worst than Bobby Brown. At least, Bobby had a career, but Ray J stars in a sex tape and sponge off his family's fame. Is he a friend of Paris?
Posted by: Lisa1 | June 7, 2007 2:08 PM
the whole thing is ridiculous.
why is kim kardashian sleeping with ray j. in the first place?
did you hear that she filed a tro in court to prevent ray j. from further releasing the tape?
is it true that whitney and ray j. are living in ray j.'s momma's house?
these are life's important questions, people.
ps hi tanya! it's stace from swb. you're a rockstar btw.
Posted by: ladystace | June 7, 2007 2:12 PM
I understand that this comment may make me sound like the biggest loser...however I don't think Ray J played Moesha's younger brother- I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be her cousin or something.
Posted by: DC | June 7, 2007 2:13 PM
No, D.C., the truly SAD news is one, that I watched the show up til it was finally cancelled and, two, that I remember this storyline: Moesha's dad cheated on her mom and the Ray J character turned out to be his son from that "union."
Posted by: Tanya B. | June 7, 2007 2:27 PM
Wow, Ray J and Whitney H. what else is there to say?
Posted by: Joanna | June 7, 2007 3:02 PM
That Ray J. I tell you that boy doesn't know what he wants to do with his life, first a singer, then a rapper, now a porn star.
Posted by: Michelle S. | June 7, 2007 4:11 PM
That Ray J. I tell you that boy doesn't know what he wants to do with his life, first a singer, then a rapper, now a porn star.
Posted by: Michelle S. | June 7, 2007 4:11 PM
Michelle S - you forgot politician on your list!
Posted by: jlr | June 7, 2007 4:54 PM
Every comment about the sleaze-bucket 'life-style' of rappers and wannabes has been uttered a million times and counting. There is no bottom to the cesspool these weasels inhabit so why even take note of it anymore. So another pile of roadkill behaves like a hyena in heat. Ho hum. Tell me something new.
And is there a more self-destructive 'celebrity' on this or any other planet than Whitney Houston? If she asked me, I'd order her to go to New Zealand for a year, observe the sheep, breath the fresh air, and don't do nothing except hang out. Throw a shrimp on the barbie, quaff a local brew, gain some weight, and experience 'normal'. For a change. whew.
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Posted by: qggptmsdcn | June 11, 2007 3:33 AM
im sure i saw her profile on hookuphotel.com lol or whatever adult dating site my boyfriend checks out when im not around. what a sleeze....
Posted by: Louise | July 4, 2007 10:06 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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This Is Your Elite Flier Speaking
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Scrunched in the packed coach cabin, J.P. Maxwell eyed the lone empty seat in first class. An elite flier on Continental Airlines, he was upset. Maxwell was convinced he should have been automatically upgraded for the recent four-hour trip.
During the flight, the Internet entrepreneur hacked out a 526-word missive that he later posted on a popular online chat room, http://www.flyertalk.com. "I consistently pay several hundred more to fly [Continental] and this is what I get?" Maxwell vented on the site.
Lurking in the chat room was Scott O'Leary, a customer service guru at Continental who spends several hours each day prowling such Web sites for customer complaints. O'Leary quickly discovered that Maxwell had never been told that he had been upgraded and had been left to languish in coach. With the passion of someone who had discovered a major flaw in the airline's operations, O'Leary alerted company executives to prevent similar foul-ups, ensured that Maxwell got a free upgrade and posted an explanation for the mistake in the chat room.
The recent exchange highlights the growing importance that airlines are putting on monitoring travel chat rooms, often the only forums where far-flung travelers can trade horror stories and swap tips. Flyertalk alone has more than 130,000 members, and thousands of others visit the site each day to read the postings.
Representatives of Continental's competitors say they also monitor the blogs and chat rooms to quickly pick up on problems. US Airways, for example, is eliminating a $25 fee it used to charge its top fliers to switch their flights at the last minute in response to complaints posted in chat rooms, said Elise Eberwein, a senior vice president at the carrier.
American Airlines' customer service managers and spokesmen visit the sites because they "give you a quick pulse check on the industry," said Roger Frizzell, vice president of corporate communications, adding that the company is careful in how it responds to online commentary because the anonymous nature of the sites can sometimes lead to "wild accusations without any fact or merit."
United Airlines' customer-service specialists have similar concerns about the anonymous nature of the airline blogosphere. To get a better gauge of what its customers think, the airline created its own version of the chat rooms in April and invited 200 of its highest-mileage fliers to join the private discussions, the carrier said. United representatives said they pose online questions to the customers and monitor their complaints. "We view it as a very rich way to get data," said Barbara Higgins, vice president of customer experience.
Still, none of the carriers has weighed into the often passionate, quirky and nit-picky airline blogosphere like Continental. The airline has a long history with customers who populate the blogs and chat rooms, particularly those who frequent the Continental forum on Flyertalk, a free-wheeling site for road warriors founded in 1998.
The airline has sponsored two events in recent years for Flyertalk members (known as Flyertalkers) at its headquarters in Houston, drawing more than 200 people who paid their own way to each get-together. At the meetings and in private e-mails, some Flyertalkers pestered Continental chief executive Lawrence W. Kellner to get his company more involved in the chat room.
Kellner eventually acquiesced, but only after finding the perfect candidate to join the forum, where customers spend hours chatting about upgrade policies, the best airport lounges and strategies for earning extra frequent-flier miles. It did not take Kellner long to turn to O'Leary, 35, a Continental marketing director and admitted airline geek whose sole career goal growing up was to work for a major carrier.
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HOUSTON Scrunched in the packed coach cabin, J.P. Maxwell eyed the lone empty seat in first class. An elite flier on Continental Airlines, he was upset. Maxwell was convinced he should have been automatically upgraded for the recent four-hour trip.
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Two NATO Soldiers Are Killed in Afghanistan
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KABUL, June 6 -- Afghanistan's recent spate of violence claimed the lives of two more NATO soldiers Wednesday, while the death toll in June among insurgents rose to 200.
In northern Afghanistan, a radio station owner was gunned down -- the second death of a female reporter in a week. Elsewhere, U.S.-led coalition and Afghan troops backed by airstrikes killed two insurgents and detained 19.
Both military and insurgent operations are intensifying, raising doubts about the prospects for stability in Afghanistan more than five years after a U.S.-led invasion drove the Taliban militia from power for sheltering Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network.
Two soldiers from NATO's International Security Assistance Force died in "separate engagements with enemy fighters" in southern Afghanistan, a military statement said. It did not provide their nationalities or specify where the fighting took place.
The deaths brought to 77 the number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan this year, according to an Associated Press count. Six have been killed in the last six days, including at least four U.S. soldiers. At least 38 American troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year.
On Wednesday, three gunmen killed Zakia Zaki, owner and manager of Peace Radio in the northern province of Parwan, in her house in front of her 8-year-old son, provincial Gov. Abdul Jabar Takwa said. Zaki had led the radio station since it opened after the fall of the Taliban, Takwa said.
"The people were happy with her radio station, and she was providing information for Parwan, Kapisa and Kabul provinces," the governor said.
Another reporter, Shokiba Sanga Amaaj, was shot in the back in her house in Kabul on Friday by two male relatives, said Gen. Ali Shah Paktiawal, the Kabul police director of criminal investigations. She was a newsreader for Shamshad TV.
In the central province of Uruzgan, insurgents attacked troops from the U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces in the Khas Uruzgan district on Tuesday, and two suspected fighters were found dead later and nine "enemy fighters" were detained, a coalition statement said.
To the southeast, coalition and Afghan troops on Wednesday raided a suspected Taliban hideout in Zabol province, detaining 10 suspected fighters, the coalition said. Southern and eastern Afghanistan are at the center of the Taliban-led insurgency against Afghan and foreign troops.
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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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Doctor Says Avandia Maker Intimidated Him
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A prominent doctor who sounded an early alarm about a widely used diabetes drug testified yesterday that he was intimidated by the manufacturer when he raised concerns about the drug's safety.
John B. Buse of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, the incoming president of the American Diabetes Association, told a congressional hearing that officials at SmithKline Beecham began pressuring him in 1999 after he questioned whether Avandia might cause heart problems.
Buse said company officials considered his actions "scurrilous" and implied that he might be held accountable for a $4 billion drop in the drug firm's stock.
"I was characterized as a liar and I was characterized as being for sale," Buse told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which released a letter that he wrote in response.
"Please call off the dogs. I cannot remain civilized much longer under this kind of heat," Buse wrote.
Moncef Slaoui of GlaxoSmithKline, the company's new name after a merger, expressed regret about the episode, attributing it to the "passion" of officials at the time.
"I probably would not have done it the same way," Slaoui said. "We regret Dr. Buse felt pressured."
But Slaoui defended the drug's safety, saying numerous studies have shown no increased risk of heart attack.
"The overall safety of Avandia is comparable to other available oral anti-diabetes medicines," he said.
The revelations came during a tense four-hour hearing focused on how the Food and Drug Administration handled safety concerns about Avandia.
The drug, which has been used by 7 million people worldwide, including about 1 million Americans, was approved in 1999 to help patients with the most common form of diabetes control blood sugar levels. Doctors and patients taking the drug have been scrambling to decide what to do since the New England Journal of Medicine published an analysis on May 22 of 42 studies that concluded that Avandia increases the risk of heart attack by 43 percent.
Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) criticized the FDA, saying it "dropped the ball" by not requiring the company to examine the drug's potential heart attack risks.
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A prominent doctor who sounded an early alarm about a widely used diabetes drug testified yesterday that he was intimidated by the manufacturer when he raised concerns about the drug's safety.
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It's Not Napa, but It's Near
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For a Washingtonian, there's one very important thing about Virginia's wine country: It's a lot closer than California.
You can sleep in on a Saturday morning and still be at a tasting counter by lunchtime. You can work your way through several friendly and free (or close to it) winery visits in a day. Forgot the bread and cheese? No worries; someone will sell it to you.
With some planning, you can have dinner at one of the nation's most acclaimed restaurants. Even that sky-high bill seems less painful when compared with the cost of a coast-to-coast plane ticket.
In a matter of decades, the Virginia wine industry has grown from oddity -- there were six wineries in 1979, according to the Virginia Wineries Association -- to, well, an industry, with 122 wineries as of last year. (California has 1,867.) And many are eager for you to visit. They really, really want you to like them.
Last weekend, to celebrate our anniversary, my husband and I visited half a dozen Blue Ridge wineries, as well as a meadery and a buffalo farm. We toured a historic mansion and had a world-class dinner. And we were still home in time to watch TV on Sunday night.
Try doing that when you have to allow two hours to clear airport security.
The tour guide at Barboursville Vineyards in Orange County could have been speaking for all the state's eager-to-please vintners when he told visitors, with only a touch of defensiveness: "We make good wine in Virginia -- and better all the time. Yeah, I know they pay me to say that, but I really believe it."
Barboursville, which supplied the wine for a reception last month during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Virginia, sits between the homes of two great anti-monarchists, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The 19th-century presidents used to stop over at Gov. James Barbour's house when they were on their way to visit each other.
Jefferson's Monticello is an architectural wonder, and he also helped design the homes of both Madison and Barbour. Madison's Montpelier is in the midst of an ambitious renovation that has removed extensive 20th-century updates to restore the house to its appearance in Madison's day. Barbour's house, about 13 miles to the south, burned down in 1884; the picturesque brick ruins remain part of the estate that has become Barboursville Vineyards.
The winery, one of the state's oldest -- it was founded in 1976 -- was our destination after Montpelier, because if it's good enough for the queen, it should be good enough for me. And the weekend winery tours are free, shorter than the tour of Montpelier, and educational in their own way.
You don't have to take the tour to try a tasting, which costs $4 per person. For that, you get a souvenir wineglass and a printed list with the names of the wines, descriptions and prices. Start with the white wines, work your way up through the reds and end with the sweet dessert drinks.
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Find Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland travel information, including web fares, Washington DC tours, beach/ski guide, international and United States destinations. Featuring Mid-Atlantic travel, airport information, traffic/weather updates
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What's the Deal?
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· Pay for five nights and get two additional nights free at the Turks & Caicos Club on Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales. Or spend 10 nights at the 21-suite hotel and receive four extra free nights. The deal applies to stays in July, August and October. Nightly rates start at $495 for an oceanfront one-bedroom. Book by June 30 at http://www.turksandcaicosclub.com/. Resort info: 888-482-2582.
· Get free international air to Buenos Aires with Discovery World Cruises' Antarctica trip. The Antarctica 1 tour, departing Dec. 12, includes three nights' hotel in Buenos Aires; round-trip air from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina; and a 10-night cruise round trip from Ushuaia to Antarctica and the South Shetland Islands. Price starts at $4,550 per person double; book by June 29. Airfare to Buenos Aires is good from BWI, Dulles or Reagan National and is worth about $1,200. Use promo code DISANFREE2. The cruise line is offering similar savings on a longer Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia Island cruise departing Nov. 26. Info: 866-623-2689, http://www.discoveryworldcruises.com/.
· With SureCruise.com, book a balcony cabin on a select Carnival cruise in September and receive 60 minutes of private digital golf instruction. For example, a seven-night Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Glory departing Port Canaveral, Fla., on Sept. 1 is priced from about $859 per person double (plus $55 taxes) for a balcony cabin. The golf lesson can be taken by one person in a 60-minute block or by two people each for a half-hour; value is about $90. Call 877-346-3433 by June 13 to book.
· The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has a slate of summer travel offers, including a cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Paradise Island, Bahamas. The two-night cruise aboard the Imperial Majesty Cruise Line's MV Regal Empress starts at $218 per couple for June-August sailings; usual starting price is about $129 per person in August and $149 per person in June and July. Taxes are $30 extra. Savings increase with level of cabin. Go to http://www.sunny.org/summer to download a coupon, then call 877-772-4625 to book.
· Ethiopian Airlines has launched a last-minute sale to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Round-trip flights from Washington Dulles start at $1,274 (plus about $195 taxes); fares on other airlines start at $1,955. Depart by June 15; no advance purchase required. Availability is limited. Info: 800-445-2733, http://www.ethiopianairlines.com/.
· Continental (800-523-3273, http://www.continental.com/) is offering introductory fares on its new service to Loreto in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The round-trip fare from BWI, Dulles or Reagan National, connecting through Houston, is $353, including $95 taxes; fare on other airlines starts at $664. The deal is good for travel through September; flights operate Thursdays and Sundays. Also, receive one free night (daily rate starts at $130 plus $16 taxes) during a five-night stay at the Inn at Loreto Bay; contact 866-956-7386, http://www.innatloretobay.com/.
· Aer Lingus has sale fares from Washington Dulles to Dublin or Shannon for August and September travel. Fare for nonstop flights to Dublin is $578, including $80 taxes; fare for connecting service to Shannon is $601, including $101 taxes. On other airlines, lowest fare for connecting service is $668 to either city. The deal is good for travel Aug. 6-Sept. 30; some dates are sold out. Purchase by June 5 at http://www.aerlingus.com/, or pay $32 more by calling 800-474-7424.
· Nordique Tours has a deal for fall travel to Prague. A three-night package with round-trip airfare from Washington Dulles to Prague and lodging at the Hotel Apollo or the Hotel Stirka is $520 per person double (plus $287 taxes and fuel surcharge). Travel Monday-Thursday from Oct. 29-Dec. 13. Priced separately, airfare is about $899 and the hotel about $172 for three nights, for a savings of about $177 per person. Info: 800-995-7997, http://www.nordiquetours.com/.
· Lion World Tours and South African Airways are offering a South Africa in Style package for travel Dec. 1-15. The six-night trip, priced at $1,999 per person double (plus $330 taxes and fuel surcharges), includes round-trip airfare from Washington Dulles to Johannesburg; four nights at the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World; round-trip flight from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit; two nights at the Jackalberry Lodge in the Thornybush Game Reserve; transfers; 10 meals; and game drives. Priced separately, air and hotel would cost about $2,542. Info: 888-722-4872, http://www.visitsaonsaa.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 Sheraton Yankee Clipper Hotel in Fort Lauderdale , Fla., is celebrating its 50th anniversary with rates of $19.57 per night (plus about $2 taxes) June 8-10 and Sept. 14-16. The newly renovated hotel will also offer rates of $50 per night (plus about $5.50 taxes) Aug. 3-5 and Aug. 17-19....
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Message for Mr. Putin
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IN THE PAST few days, the anti-Western rhetoric of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which had been rising in pitch for several months, has reached Soviet levels of shrillness. He accused the United States of "imperialism" and "diktat" and threatened to target Europe with new Russian weapons. In an interview with foreign journalists, he cynically mocked Western democracy, saying that U.S. "torture, homelessness, [and] Guantanamo" and Europe's "harsh treatment of demonstrators" have left him as the only "absolute and pure democrat" in the world.
If the Cold War were still on, Western leaders would probably find it relatively easy to rebuff such barbs at today's summit of industrialized democracies in northern Germany. But this is a different era, and Mr. Putin himself will attend the summit, a member of a club -- the Group of Eight -- in which he clearly doesn't belong. His presence should remind the other seven members of how much has gone wrong in Moscow since they decided in 1998 to offer Russia membership in the hope that it was evolving into a liberal democracy. It should also give them the opportunity to make clear to Mr. Putin that his belligerence will not return his country to great-power status.
It's hard to know the real objective of Mr. Putin's bombast. In recent days the Kremlin's tone has become so blatantly propagandistic that some observers believe it is driven entirely by domestic politics. Mr. Putin is due to step down as president in nine months; though he has engineered the political system to "elect" whomever he chooses, his impending departure seems to have touched off power struggles in the corrupt clique around him, as well as waves of paranoia about domestic and foreign opponents.
Mr. Putin may be hoping, however, to create rifts between European governments and the United States, or between Western Europe and former members of the Soviet bloc that have joined NATO and the European Union. That would explain his insistence that the Bush administration's plan to locate a small missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic poses a critical threat to Russia, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. If so, the effort is beginning to backfire, as Mr. Putin himself seemed to acknowledge in his latest interview. Oddly, he suggested that the U.S. initiative had been launched precisely to provoke Russia's reaction and thus unite the West against Moscow.
The dilemma for the West is that Mr. Putin continues to be cooperative on a handful of crucial issues, including the effort to stop Iran's nuclear program. That's why President Bush still insists on calling the Russian president "Vladimir" and has invited him to the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport next month. Pragmatic engagement makes sense so long as it continues to get results. Two crucial tests will be Russia's posture on a new U.N. sanctions resolution against Iran and a Security Council vote on independence for Kosovo.
But the West cannot afford to respond to Mr. Putin's bluster with appeasement. The missile defense initiative should proceed or not on its own merits (some legitimate questions have been raised by NATO members and Congress); outreach by NATO and the European Union to neighbors suffering from Russian bullying should be accelerated, not stopped. Support for independent civil society and human rights groups in Russia should be increased -- not cut, as in the administration's budget proposal for next year. Mr. Putin should get the clear message that repression at home and Soviet-style diplomacy abroad will make his country less rather than more influential in the 21st-century world.
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Russia's international cooperation is crucial, but Vladimir Putin's bombast must be answered.
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The Democrats' Leap of Faith
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You know it's a different kind of candidate forum when Hillary Clinton allows that she sometimes prays (no doubt, she says, to some divine eye-rolling) "Oh, Lord, why can't you help me lose weight?" and describes how "prayer warriors" sustained her through the public dissection of her husband's infidelity.
When Barack Obama muses on the nature of good vs. evil. When John Edwards recounts that he "strayed away from the Lord" in adulthood, only to find that "my faith came roaring back" after the death of his 16-year-old son.
This is not Michael Dukakis's Democratic Party. Instead, as was shown by Monday night's forum on faith, sponsored by CNN and the liberal evangelical group Sojourners, it is a party on a mission: to make inroads into Republicans' ability to attract and, more important, turn out religious voters.
"The biggest thing is that it happened," Mara Vanderslice, a Democratic consultant who headed John Kerry's 2004 efforts to connect with religious voters, said of the event. "Think how far we've come from just a couple of years ago, when Republicans claimed religion and religious Americans."
Why sweat the God gap? Voters who attend worship at least once a week account for 40 percent of the electorate, according to exit polls, and they tilt heavily toward the GOP. In the 2004 presidential election, the 16 percent of voters who attend church or other services more than once a week went 65 percent to 35 percent for George W. Bush; the 26 percent who attend weekly went 60-40 for the president.
The Democrats have been working on their religion problem for several years, sometimes with more clunkiness than conviction: Think Howard Dean in 2004 offering up Job as his favorite book in the New Testament. Yet with the exception of Bill Clinton, the party's presidential candidates since born-again Jimmy Carter have not been particularly comfortable in religious settings or, even more, talking about religion.
For the 2008 campaign, the Democrats have the advantage of -- you might say they are blessed with -- three front-running candidates for whom religion isn't a matter of conversion on the road to Des Moines.
"I come from a tradition that is perhaps a little too suspicious of people who wear their faith on their sleeves," Hillary Clinton told the crowd at George Washington University, invoking her Sunday school lessons about the Pharisees' ostentatious religiosity. But it is impossible to understand Clinton without going back to her roots in the Methodist Youth Fellowship and the abiding influence of that teaching.
Edwards, raised a Southern Baptist and now a Methodist, is the most disposed to explicitly religious language, and to connect that with his antipoverty agenda. "We are all sinners," Edwards said in response to a question about his biggest sin. "We all fall short, which is why we have to ask for forgiveness from the Lord."
Obama, a member of the United Church of Christ, was the most restrained -- perhaps because of the questions he was asked, perhaps because he chose to filibuster through his allotted 15 minutes. This diffidence was odd, since he wrote movingly in his autobiography about his spiritual awakening and, at last year's Sojourners' conference, spoke passionately on the role of faith in public life.
In the 2008 campaign, said David Kuo, former deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, it's the Democratic candidates who sound like evangelicals, and the Republicans -- Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain -- who sound like secularists.
"There's this great irony that the Democrats have learned Bush's lesson on faith this time around better than the Republicans," Kuo said. "You've got Romney terrified of talking about his faith, Giuliani who wants to talk about religion even less than Romney does and McCain, who comes from a generation of public reticence in talking about his faith."
Still, for all the Democrats' overtures to religious voters in 2006, the payoff was limited. Democrats gained slightly among religious voters but even more among the most secular.
The University of Akron's John C. Green, an expert on religion and politics, said that while Republicans in 2006 mostly kept their hold on evangelical voters, Democrats were more successful in peeling off white Catholics, who went 54 percent to 45 percent for the GOP in 2004 and 50-49 Democratic last year.
Indeed, Democrats' best hopes for 2008 and beyond may not be in mobilizing a "religious left," which will inevitably be smaller than its conservative counterpart -- Kuo calls it a "corner grocery" to the right's "Wal-Mart." Rather, the Democrats could make inroads by luring moderate evangelicals and Catholics who once voted Democratic but have drifted away.
Will this work? Think of it as the Democrats' own faith-based initiative.
Subscribe to the podcast of this column athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/podcast. The writer's e-mail address ismarcusr@washpost.com.
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The Democratic party is on a mission: to make inroads on Republicans' ability to attract and turn out religious voters.
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Copyright Silliness on Campus
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What do Columbia, Vanderbilt, Duke, Howard and UCLA have in common? Apparently, leaders in Congress think that they aren't expelling enough students for illegally swapping music and movies.
The House committees responsible for copyright and education wrote a joint letter May 1 scolding the presidents of 19 major American universities, demanding that each school respond to a six-page questionnaire detailing steps it has taken to curtail illegal music and movie file-sharing on campus. One of the questions -- "Does your institution expel violating students?" -- shows just how out-of-control the futile battle against campus downloading has become.
As universities are pressured to punish students and install expensive "filtering" technologies to monitor their computer networks, the entertainment industry has ramped up its student shakedown campaign. The Recording Industry Association of America has targeted more than 1,600 individual students in the past four months, demanding that each pay $3,000 for file-sharing transgressions or face a federal lawsuit. In total, the music and movie industries have brought more than 20,000 federal lawsuits against individual Americans in the past three years.
History is sure to judge harshly everyone responsible for this absurd state of affairs. Our universities have far better things to spend money on than bullying students. Artists deserve to be fairly compensated, but are we really prepared to sue and expel every college student who has made an illegal copy? No one who takes privacy and civil liberties seriously can believe that the installation of surveillance technologies on university computer networks is a sensible solution.
It's not an effective solution, either. Short of appointing a copyright hall monitor for every dorm room, there is no way digital copying will be meaningfully reduced. Technical efforts to block file-sharing will be met with clever countermeasures from sharp computer science majors. Even if students were completely cut off from the Internet, they would continue to copy CDs, swap hard drives and pool their laptops.
Already, a hard drive capable of storing more than 80,000 songs can be had for $100. Blank DVDs, each capable of holding more than a first-generation iPod, now sell for a quarter apiece. Students are going to copy what they want, when they want, from whom they want.
So universities can't stop file-sharing. But they can still help artists get paid for it. How? By putting some cash on the bar.
Universities already pay blanket fees so that student a cappella groups can perform on campus, and they also pay for cable TV subscriptions and site licenses for software. By the same token, they could collect a reasonable amount from their students for "all you can eat" downloading.
The recording industry is already willing to offer unlimited downloads with subscription plans for $10 to $15 per month through services such as Napster and Rhapsody. But these services have been a failure on campuses, for a number of reasons, including these: They don't work with the iPod, they cause downloaded music to "expire" after students leave the school, and they don't include all the music students want.
The only solution is a blanket license that permits students to get unrestricted music and movies from sources of their choosing.
At its heart, this is a fight about money, not about morality. We should have the universities collect the cash, pay it to the entertainment industry and let the students do what they are going to do anyway. In exchange, the entertainment industry should call off the lawyers and lobbyists, leaving our nation's universities to focus on the real challenges facing America's next generation of leaders.
The writer is a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He represented one of the defendants in MGM v. Grokster, a landmark case concerning peer-to-peer file sharing.
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Despite a student shakedown campaign, dorm dwellers are going to copy what they want, when they want, from whom they want.
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G-8 Leaders Trade Conflicting Views on Warming
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HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 6 -- As thousands of protesters clashed with police nearby, President Bush and leaders of other industrial nations traded markedly opposing views here Wednesday on how to combat global warming.
Despite the refusal of the United States, China and some developing countries to agree to calls for mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, Bush expressed optimism that the summit of the Group of Eight countries would result in agreement for a common strategy.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, host of the gathering at this Baltic Sea resort, has said she wants action on global warming to be the centerpiece of the meeting. She has pushed for specific numerical targets for lowering gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050 and holding temperature rises to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
As an alternative, Bush has offered to convene a series of meetings among the world's 15 top greenhouse gas-emitting nations with the goal of reaching consensus on nonbinding goals for reducing the pollution. Scientists say the gases are the prime cause of the current warming trend.
Asked by reporters whether he could relent and sign on to Merkel's goals, Bush said: "No. I talked about what I'm for. Remember? I said I'm for sitting together with the nations to sit down and discuss a way forward."
During the first day of the summit Wednesday, the United States and Russia toned down their rhetorical sniping, pending a meeting Thursday between Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bush emphasized that his global warming proposal is not intended to undercut the United Nations-led process for forging global action on the issue, which many environmental activists suspect.
Bush and Merkel had a working lunch at the outset of the summit, and afterward both leaders emphasized their points of agreement. "There are a few areas here and there we will continue to work on, but I trust that we will work out joint positions," Merkel said.
Bush has opposed U.S. participation in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which sets binding targets on countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But his new plan, he said, is intended to complement the U.N. process for forging goals after Kyoto expires in 2012.
"This will fold into the U.N. framework," Bush said. "And that enables us to get China and India at the table to discuss how we can all move forward together." Under the Kyoto agreement, China and India are exempt from mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
While the summit participants disagree on binding goals for addressing climate change, they all agree that they share a goal of addressing the problems, which German officials call significant progress.
As the world leaders met, thousands of protesters eluded police to converge on a seven-mile-long fence that the German government had erected around the hotel and conference center in Heiligendamm.
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HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 6 -- As thousands of protesters clashed with police nearby, President Bush and leaders of other industrial nations traded markedly opposing views here Wednesday on how to combat global warming.
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Romney Stresses Differences With Two GOP Rivals
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MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney advocated a policy of attrition to deal with the more than 12 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally, insisting that they can be slowly repatriated simply by enforcing current law or changing provisions of a controversial bipartisan plan pending in the Senate.
Romney said he had no desire to "round them up as one big group" and send illegal immigrants back to their native countries. Instead, he said the idea is "to take people who are here today and working here and replace them gradually and humanely with our own citizens as well as with legal immigrants who come in to take their place."
The former governor offered his views on immigration, health care and his leading opponents for the Republican presidential nomination during an interview for the washingtonpost.com's video interview program, "PostTalk."
Romney dismissed claims by proponents of the Senate's compromise bill that solving the immigration crisis is a difficult challenge requiring a delicately balanced coalition. "This is not rocket science," he said. "Getting the Iranians to not build a nuclear bomb? That's hard. Stopping the jihad? That's hard. But enforcing our border is relatively easy, relative to those things."
Romney said there is plenty of blame to go around for the failure to solve the problem of illegal immigration, saying the Bush administration, prior administrations and Congress had all failed to step up to the challenge. "They just have not been willing to do what's necessary to end illegal immigration," he said.
Romney's remarks on immigration came less than 24 hours after Republicans' third presidential debate, in which he passed on an opportunity to directly criticize Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) -- a leading advocate of a comprehensive reform bill and one of the governor's main rivals for the GOP nomination.
But in today's interview, Romney was more vocal about his differences with McCain, particularly on campaign finance reform.
"Senator McCain promoted the McCain-Feingold bill, which I'm afraid has made things worse, not better," he said.
The law, Romney said, has not stopped the flow of money but has shifted power from candidates and political parties to more shadowy organizations called 527s, which are exempt from the fundraising limits in the bill.
McCain also opposes these groups, known for the section of the tax code that governs their activities. When Romney was asked about McCain's shared opposition to 527s, he replied, "The law that he passed that is in place now in our country has created a circumstance where those 527s rule the day. That's what he put in place."
McCain's campaign quickly struck back, seeking to paint Romney as a flip-flopper on the issue.
"It comes as no surprise that Governor Romney fails to mention his past support for campaign finance reform when he attacks John McCain," said McCain spokesman Matt David. "Whether it's campaign finance reform, immigration or abortion, Romney's shifting positions and intellectually dishonest attacks illustrate his willingness to say and do anything in an effort to win the nomination."
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MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney advocated a policy of attrition to deal with the more than 12 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally, insisting that they can be slowly repatriated simply by enforcing current law or changing provisions of a controversia...
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Giuliani, McCain to Pass on Iowa Straw Poll
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In a conference call with reporters, Giuliani campaign manager Mike DuHaime said the campaign still will participate in the Iowa Republican caucuses, which currently are scheduled for January. He said the campaign will use the money it would have spent in Ames this summer to campaign more effectively later in the year, when it counts.
"We are 100 percent committed to winning the Iowa caucuses in January," DuHaime said. "We are going to take all the resources that were budgeted and use them to [to win the caucuses]. The best way to do that is to dedicate those resources to the caucus."
The McCain campaign announced plans to skip the Ames straw poll after the Giuliani news. McCain campaign manager Terry Nelson said in a statement that "in light of today's news, it is clear that the Ames straw poll will not be a meaningful test of the leading candidates' organizational abilities."
Giuliani had signaled earlier that he might not participate in the straw poll, which demands a massive organizational effort by campaigns. More than 50,000 people are expected to show up at the convention center there, and the candidate best able to cajole his supporters to the event will win.
DuHaime said that could take as much as $3 million and a large investment of time and other resources. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the leading fundraiser on the Republican side, is investing heavily in the contest.
The decision by Giuliani, who leads the GOP field in opinion polls, and McCain is likely to sharply reduce the influence of the straw poll, which traditionally has winnowed the Republican field in the months before the primary season begins in earnest. Democrats do not have an equivalent straw poll in the summer.
Actor and former GOP senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee, who is exploring a presidential bid, has not said whether he will participate in the straw poll. But his decision to delay his entry into the race until later this summer is said by some advisers to be an indication that he will not.
That would leave Romney and several of the lesser-known candidates in the contest.
Former Iowa congressman Jim Nussle, who is a Giuliani adviser, said the August contest will remain important for what he called "second tier" candidates looking for attention and money.
"That's the one thing that at least with Rudy Giuliani is not necessary," he said.
Giuliani is likely to face questions about whether he can win the Iowa caucus. In recent polls in the state, he comes in a close third behind Romney and McCain. He has hired fewer staff in the state, though DuHaime said Wednesday that the campaign will soon begin moving more people there.
Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said his candidate is "going to keep traveling across Iowa and will continue to work hard to grow our campaign organization there."
"As for campaigns that decide to skip Ames," Madden said, "it has probably become clear to them that Iowa voters want to see conservative change in Washington, and if a candidate stands before the voters of Iowa without a conservative record or a conservative message, it makes it very hard for them to compete for support there."
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Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2006 elections,campaigns,Democrats,Republicans,political cartoons,opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy,government tech,political analysis and reports.
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Letters Cast Light on Cheney's Inner Circle
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For nearly seven years, the office of the vice president has been a virtual black hole for information about the Bush administration. But yesterday, a series of letters aimed at securing leniency for Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, provided a small, if selective, window on the world of Cheney and his aides.
Lewis A. Hoffman, the vice president's White House physician, asked Judge Reggie B. Walton to understand "the mindset that was pervasive" in the vice president's office after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the "real fear about what the future held."
"I can tell you for certain that Mr. Libby worked himself to exhaustion day after day," Hoffman wrote in a letter dated April 26. "This is a testimony to his devotion to our nation and the Vice President. I also believe that such continuous stress and total exhaustion is just the setting where a person might honestly confuse what he said to who on what day."
Elizabeth A. Denny, who worked with Libby as the vice president's social secretary, wrote that her "heart broke" the day Libby walked out of the White House after his indictment on perjury charges in 2005. "I could feel a vacuum sucking the wind out of our office, out of the White House," she said. "I could feel his absence immediately in a very large way. I still can't figure it out."
The letters were among more than 150 released by the U.S. District Court in Washington shortly before Walton sentenced Libby to 30 months in prison and ordered him to pay a $250,000 fine.
Most came from former colleagues and law partners, friends, neighbors and players in Libby's regular touch football game -- as well as a collection of prominent conservative intellectuals -- who urged the judge to take into account what they described as a lifetime of selfless public service and devotion to family. Some appear to have been solicited by Libby's lawyers; other letter writers said they were writing voluntarily to try to provide a fuller view of Libby's life.
"I regard him as among the most gifted and valuable public servants of his generation," wrote Norman Podhoretz, the former editor of conservative opinion journal Commentary. "I find it inconceivable that a man of his sterling character, who is also famous for his lawyerly scrupulousness, could deliberately have told lies to a grand jury, or for that matter to anyone else."
A smaller number came from ordinary citizens who expressed outrage over Libby's actions and urged the stiffest possible sentence.
"The message sent by this man's actions and the posturing of his cronies that Mr. Libby has been convicted wrongfully for innocent misstatements, at most legal technicalities, is an appalling approval of outrageous behavior that undermines the justice system and undermines faith in government," wrote Steven C. Hychka, whose home address was blacked out by the court, as were all the others.
The writers included some of the most prominent names in conservative thinking about foreign policy, as well as current and former senior government officials -- Donald H. Rumsfeld, Paul D. Wolfowitz, Gen. Peter Pace and Henry A. Kissinger.
"He is a man of strong views, some of which I do not share," Kissinger wrote. "But in my observations, he pursued his objectives with integrity and a sense of responsibility. I would never have associated his actions for which he was convicted with his character. . . . Having served in the White House and under pressure, I have seen how difficult it sometimes is to recall precisely a particular sequence of events. This does not justify the action, but it might help you consider mitigating circumstances."
Cheney did not write a letter. His spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the case, saying his statement after the sentencing -- which lamented the sentence and praised Libby -- spoke for itself. She said she did not know whether aides wrote letters on their own or were solicited by Cheney's lawyers.
Some letters came from prominent Democrats, including Richard Danzig, secretary of the Navy during the Clinton administration, and James Carville, who signed a supportive message with his wife, Mary Matalin.
Several letter writers, even some who indicated they disagreed with Libby, said they found Libby to be a man of uncommon decency. "While he has been portrayed in the press as an ideologue and highly partisan, this characterization is very far from the truth in all of my dealings with him over the years," wrote Francis Fukuyama, a prominent foreign-policy thinker. "To the contrary, in my discussions with him on issues from Middle East diplomacy to his work on the Cox Commission to the Iraq war, he has always been open to different views and notably without rancor."
Like Kissinger, other letter writers sought to buttress a major line of Libby's defense, that he innocently forgot some of his conversations in the Valerie Plame case because of his crushing workload. John R. Bolton, the former U.N. ambassador, wrote of how "information flowed across his desk on a daily basis like water coming out of a high-pressure fire hydrant, with more demands for action than could humanly be met."
"In the face of all these demands, keeping every detail straight is impossible," Bolton wrote.
Others offered details of what they described as Libby's crucial role in key administration decisions. Former ambassador and White House aide Robert D. Blackwill called Libby a "crucial voice" in President Bush's decision to accelerate transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqis after the ouster of Saddam Hussein.
"Sadly I believe that Mr. Libby's premature departure from the Administration has been a major reason for the downward spiral of the situation in Iraq and the consuming mess in which we find ourselves today regarding that country," he wrote.
Many letter writers expressed frustration over the Libby saga's conclusion. Former senator Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.) wrote that he "shall always remain eternally puzzled how the situation ever 'came to this.' Some are of the opinion that he has 'fallen upon his sword' and yet, it is my perception that the sword has fallen upon him!"
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Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2006 elections,campaigns,Democrats,Republicans,political cartoons,opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy,government tech,political analysis and reports.
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In the West Wing, Pardon Is A Topic Too Sensitive to Mention
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The sentence imposed on former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby yesterday put President Bush in the position of making a decision he has tried to avoid for months: Trigger a fresh political storm by pardoning a convicted perjurer or let one of the early architects of his administration head to prison.
The prospect of a pardon has become so sensitive inside the West Wing that top aides have been kept out of the loop, and even Bush friends have been told not to bring it up with the president. In any debate, officials expect Vice President Cheney to favor a pardon, while other aides worry about the political consequences of stepping into a case that stems from the origins of the Iraq war and renewing questions about the truthfulness of the Bush administration.
The White House publicly sought to defer the matter again yesterday, saying that Bush is "not going to intervene" for now. But U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton indicated that he is not inclined to let Libby remain free pending appeals, which means the issue could confront Bush in a matter of weeks when, barring a judicial change of heart, Cheney's former chief of staff will have to trade his business suit for prison garb. Republicans inside and outside the administration said that would be the moment when Bush has to decide.
"Obviously, there'd be a significant political price to pay," said William P. Barr, who as attorney general to President George H.W. Bush remembers the controversy raised by the post-election pardons for several Iran-contra figures in 1992. "I personally am very sympathetic to Scooter Libby. But it would be a tough call to do it at this stage."
At the same time, some White House advisers said the president's political troubles are already so deep that a pardon might not be so damaging. Those most upset by the CIA leak case that led to the Libby conviction already oppose Bush, they noted. "You can't hang a man twice for the same crime," a Republican close to the White House said.
The issue comes at a time when the Bush administration already has been trying to deflect allegations of cronyism stemming from the dismissals of U.S. attorneys. After resisting months of bipartisan calls for Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales's resignation, the White House had hoped that the matter was fading from the headlines and was relieved that the latest corruption news was the bribery indictment of a Democratic congressman, William J. Jefferson (La.).
But Walton's decision to sentence Libby to 2 1/2 years in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice refocused attention on the administration and touched off a new debate. Libby supporters kicked off a bid to lobby the White House for a pardon. Barely an hour after the sentence was handed down, the conservative National Review posted an editorial on its Web site headlined "Pardon Him."
The magazine contended that Libby had been "found guilty of process crimes," even though the special prosecutor never brought charges relating to the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame's name: "He is a dedicated public servant caught in a crazy political fight that should have never happened, convicted of lying about a crime that the prosecutor can't even prove was committed."
The Weekly Standard followed with a cutting article accusing Bush of abandoning Libby: "So much for loyalty, or decency, or courage. For President Bush, loyalty is apparently a one-way street; decency is something he's for as long as he doesn't have to take any risks in its behalf; and courage -- well, that's nowhere to be seen. Many of us used to respect President Bush. Can one respect him still?"
Some former Bush administration officials joined in. "I think the prosecution was unwarranted, and I think a pardon would be exactly the right thing for the president to do," John R. Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations, said by e-mail.
Democrats asserted that a pardon would be an outrage. "Serious offenses resulted in the appropriate sentencing of Scooter Libby today," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). "The president must not pardon him." Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) added: "The Libby case revealed the lengths to which the Bush administration went to manipulate intelligence and discredit its critics."
Joseph C. Wilson IV, Plame's husband, said a pardon would be improper. "My view of this is that given the supervisory-subordinate relationship that existed between Cheney, the president and Libby, they should recuse themselves," he said. "It's Ethics 101."
The politics of pardon played out last night, sharply dividing Republican presidential candidates debating in New Hampshire. Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said that they would seriously consider pardoning Libby. "What the judge did today argues more in favor of a pardon because this is excessive punishment," Giuliani said. Romney said the prosecutor "clearly abused prosecutorial discretion." Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) said he would wait for the appeals.
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) and Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.) said flatly that they would pardon Libby, while former Wisconsin governor Tommy G. Thompson called the sentence "not fair" without committing to clemency. Four candidates rejected a pardon or sounded negative: Reps. Duncan Hunter (Calif.) and Ron Paul (Tex.), and former governors Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and James S. Gilmore III of Virginia. Former Tennessee senator Fred D. Thompson, a presumed candidate who did not take part in the debate, is a member of Libby's legal defense fund and has called for a pardon.
If Bush were to decide to pardon Libby, he would have to short-circuit the normal process. Under Justice Department guidelines, Libby would not qualify for a pardon. The guidelines require applicants to wait at least five years after being released from prison. The review process after the submission of an application typically can take two years before a decision is made. During more than six years in office, Bush has pardoned just 113 people, nearly a modern low, and never anyone who had not yet completed his sentence. He has commuted three sentences.
But the president's power to pardon federal crimes under Article II of the Constitution is essentially unrestricted, so he can ignore the guidelines. Other presidents who did so stirred furors, most prominently when Gerald R. Ford pardoned his Watergate-stained predecessor, Richard M. Nixon; when George H.W. Bush issued his Iran-contra pardons; and when Bill Clinton in his last hours in office pardoned financier Marc Rich, Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, his brother Roger Clinton and scores of others.
The current president has not ruled out a Libby pardon but tried to put off discussion of it. Informed of the sentence while traveling in Europe yesterday, Bush sent out a spokeswoman to say that he "felt terrible for the family" but would wait to see what happens when Walton holds a hearing next week on whether Libby goes to prison during his appeal. "The president has not intervened so far in this or any other criminal matter, and so he is going to decline to do so now as well," Dana Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Cheney's office declined to comment beyond giving a statement in which he praised Libby and expressed hope that he would avoid prison. "The defense has indicated it plans to appeal the conviction in the case," Cheney said. "Speaking as friends, we hope that our system will return a final result consistent with what we know of this fine man."
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Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2006 elections,campaigns,Democrats,Republicans,political cartoons,opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy,government tech,political analysis and reports.
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Democrats and Healthcare
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Read today's column: Health-Care Reform Needs Holistic Approach (Post, June 6).
About Pearlstein: Steven Pearlstein writes about business and the economy for The Washington Post. His journalism career includes editing roles at The Post and Inc. magazine. He was founding publisher and editor of The Boston Observer, a monthly journal of liberal opinion. He got his start in journalism reporting for two New Hampshire newspapers -- the Concord Monitor and the Foster's Daily Democrat. Pearlstein has also worked as a television news reporter and a congressional staffer.
His column archive is online here.
Princeton, N.J.: Hello Steve. I know we basically disagree on this topic. I will not repeat the statistics about the basic inefficiency of our present system which you so blithely ignore, but will content myself with sniping at some points in your current column.
1. You say doctors are opposed to reform. Most of the facts I have sent you come from www.pnhp.org. pnhp stands for "Physicians for a National Health Plan."
2. You have often accused me of political naivety in advocating an efficient single payer system. In your column you end with a laundry list of good deeds various special interest groups should perform. I think it is politically naive to expect them to do so.
3. You never explain why health care should be supported mostly by the US business community to its competitive disadvantage as compared with businesses in other countries.
4. You say that insurers should realize that they will maximize their profits best if they manage health care well. The trouble with this is that it does not appear to be true.
That's enough for now. Maybe I add some more during the chat. - Len
Steven Pearlstein: I'm afraid once again you fail to rise to the level of moderately convincing.
1. Yes, there is a surprising amount of support among physicians, particularly primary physicians, for a national health plan. But the main medical groups don't support it. In fact, the AMA is painfully uninvolved in the health care debate because the profession is so split on so many issues. But as David Leonhardt very nicely reminds us in a good column in this morning's NY Times, docs have a lot to do with the waste and inefficient use of scarce resrouces in our medical system. They don't follow best practices, because we haven't done a good job of researching them and communicating them to docs in a way that they are willing to accept, and we don't compensate them more if they follow them.
2. Those list of good deeds that you think they won't accept. Trust me, I've talked to all the groups and they are willing to accept those things now as a part of an overall reform program. So it is not only naive -- its news I'm giving you here.
3. You are right that our privatized system putys our companies at a bit of a disadvantage, but not as much as you think. Foreign companies support their system through higher taxes, some of which are rebated on exports (but that is another issue). One way to reduce this burden is to have tax money used to lower the cost of private insurance a bit, which is what the Kerry, now Edwards and Obama, "reinsurance" scheme would do. It is a good idea, most experts support it, and it will be part of the reform.
4. It is absolutely true that we don't have a compensation system that rewards insurers and, more to the point, providers for practicing evidence-based medicine. That is the key to reform. The fact that they don't do it now is merely a statement of the problem.
Reston, Va.: I have a simple thesis for health care:
1. Individuals should be directly responsible for Primary Care Physician, no employer, insurance or government
2. Specialist should be covered by insurance provided by employer or individual.
3. Hospitals should be covered by Medicare and run by local governments like schools. It is a public service.
4. Drugs should be paid by individuals. May be employer (Savings account) or government will help.
Bottom line - empower individuals and local governments to address health care needs. Federal and state should only assist.
Steven Pearlstein: Some interesting ideas there, but the evidence is that if you require individuals to pay for too much of primary and preventive care, they won't do it and it will increase costs when they get much sicker. But I agree that more responsibility, financial and otherwise, should fall to individuals, within the context of a good managed care system that gives them good information ont he cost benefit of doing things and not doing them. One thing I disagree with is to put specialists on full insurance reimbursement. Overuse of specialists is already a cost driver in the U.s. system, and you want to put the brake on that, not remove the cost sharing we already have.
Southeast: I can't believe the salaries of the ordinary folks in the business. Don't get me wrong--doctors deserve 200k a year. A respiratory or physical therapist does not deserve to earn 60-90K. They might get a masters but most just have an undergrad. I could learn what they do in 2-3 years.
The salaries are just one reason why it is so bad out there. It will not change, either. Humans are designed to want to survive. This is why there are nurse jobs in even the smallest town in the U.S. with a good wage.
Steven Pearlstein: Its true that medical salaries are out of whack -- specialists get too much, primary care physicians too little, nurses too little. Don't know about physical therapists.
Silver Spring, Md.: Steve - great column today.
I still think I'm with Hillary because I feel like she's lived through one disaster on health care and knows better what the pitfalls are. The clout of these entrenched groups is difficult to estimate.
One thing you didn't mention when you enumerated the groups that will have to accept compromises is the general public. Controlling costs and following evidence based care decisions may entail individuals accepting more responsibility for themselves. Maybe not demanding and receiving the latest, but not necessarily the most effective test (I'm thinking of a recent article in the Health Section about a woman on a quest for an MRI when she'd been advised to merely have a 6 month follow-on), being told/forced to make lifestyle changes instead of drug/surgical solutions.
With so much spending going towards treatment of chronic conditions I think it will be hard to hold down costs and extend coverage to all without individuals making the difficult changes to their own lifestyles.
While I think there is saving to be gotten from the bloated health-care delivering institutions I also think consumers will find they have their own changes to make.
Steven Pearlstein: Consumers will have to change their behavior and expectations in order to have a universal system we can all afford. That requires rationalization, or rationing to use the less polite word. And the people who will be doing that rationing will be the insurers, although hopefully better than they did it during our last attempt at managed care. This time they will rely on specialty medical societies to determine the best practices, based on scientific evidecne of medical efficacy and cost-benefit analysis. They will have professionals communicate with docs if they are not following protocols, not clerks. And they will have both financial carrots and sticks at their disposal. Or to put it another way, consumers won't do it on their own. They--and we-- will need the help of the insurers who are being portrayed as the bad guys but are, in fact, already doing some the best work in this area.
Staten Island, N.Y.: For the first time in my life I am paying directly for a health insurance policy. It's not for me but for my daughter who aged out of my own and my wife's policy from our jobs. The payment is for a continuation of my policy under COBRA and will expire next November when we will have to pay full market rate for her. The irony of this, to me at least, is that my wife and I are covered by three policies, my work, my wife's work and tri-care because I am retired from the US Army. Why can't we just schmooze some of the excess coverage my wife and I have over to my daughter?
To me, the question facing the country is not health care per se, but the financing of it. Making young people like my daughter pay the equivalent of a weeks wages for a months coverage when they are at the lowest point of their earnings potential and are far less likely to access the health care system is just unfair. It is the main reason so many young, healthy people are self underwriting.
Steven Pearlstein: You are right about all of it. Not sure what we can do, within the context of a privatized system, about the overlapping coverage, unless you want to get into payments from the one employer who covers to the one employer who doesn't. That's tricky. As for young people, it is imperative that we get them into the system, if for no other reason than we need them to contribute premiums when they are healthy to help pay for the people who are sick, which they will be some day. We ought to have low premium-high deductible policies, however, available to them, which is not the case in many states. And if they are really low wage, they need some sort of subsidy from taxpayers, which is a feature of nearly every Democratic reform plan.
Great Falls, Va.: I enjoyed Friday's deregulation column, but had a quibble or two. Early in the piece, you acknowledged that Maryland's higher prices were partially because of the increased cost of oil and natural gas, while Virginia relies more prominently on cheaper coal and nuclear power. First, I doubt Maryland is running any oil-fired plants, so the cost of oil is probably irrelevant. But more important, I think you neglected to make the point that there is a cost to the political decisions that a state makes. You would NEVER get a new nuclear plant built in Maryland because of the political atmosphere. That's fine; a state is entitled to make that choice ... but it has consequences. Chief among those consequences is an increased vulnerability to the cost of natural resources. If you ask me, Maryland's higher rates are simply a term of the bargain it has struck over the past few decades.
Danvers, Mass.: The extra share of GDP we spend compared to western countries with universal care and better results goes into somebody's pocket. (4 percent to 6 percent GDP excess cost.) I guess you're fingering the docs, the hospitals, the drug co's the insurers.
These guys under the current system expect an unending stream of these profits to flow their way. To get them to go along, don't we have to pay them off? And how much does it have to be to get them to give up all that future dough?
Steven Pearlstein: That's an interesting way of looking at it. I think you have the magnitudes about right. And squeezing out some of that waste will result in lower incomes and profits for providers. But since you do this over time, it won't be all that painful. And probably even more of the "savings" will come from reduction in the number of people involved in the process, number of hospital beds, number of MRI machinees than there otherwise would have been. To that extent, it won't be that painful. Those people who would have been working in the health care system will be doing something more productive, and so will the investment.
Really? Anything else in your crystal ball? Who's going to win the world series this fall?
Steven Pearlstein: Red Sox, of course.
Great Falls, Va.: Gee, without the drug companies and the oil companies, we'd be living in a utopia, huh?
Steven Pearlstein: Who said that?
Falls Church, Va.: Steven, I approached your column with great interest today as I have been following the developing debate on health care reform. I have to ask that when your focus was on bi-partisanship and including all the players, why you didn't even mention the Healthy American's Act? It is the first comprehensive bi-partisan bill (Sen. Bennett has recently co-sponsored) in over a decade on this issue, and if you listen to Sen. Wyden's rhetoric since he introduced it last December, every group from the drug companies, providers, hospitals and insurers you mention, to the trial lawyers and labor unions will have "skin in the game". This proposal seems to be exactly what you were writing about - Am I missing something?
Steven Pearlstein: I didn't mention it, but I am certainly aware of it (I met with Sen. Wyden about ti) and think it is can be considered the first rough draft of what we are heading toward. He, and Bennett, have done a great job. And it is that proposal that has attracted the attention of both the White House, in the person of Al Hubbard at the National Economic Council, as well as the National Federation of Independent Businesses, in the person of its new chief executive, Todd Stottlemyer. And I'm sure there is a lot in the plan that the Business Roundtable, AARP and the SEIU could agree about.
Santa Fe, N.M.: In considering the idea of "holistic health care", why is it that none of the candidates (on either side) have a stated position on mental health and substance abuse insurance parity -- particularly in the private sector - or on how the prevention and/or treatment of mental health and substance abuse issues can have a direct positive impact on an individual's physical health?
Steven Pearlstein: Actually, I think all the Democrats have mentioned more parity for mental health and substance abuse. But I have to say we should be careful about this. People who have problems with substance abuse, or people with serious mental problems deserve coverage. But the rest of us shouldn't have to pay for Woody Allen's 5 years of psychotherapy. And unfortunately, the mental health establish has done a lousy job of helping us draw a reasonable line somewhere, hiding behind the hackneyed defense that doctors and patients are in the best position to decide what is medically necessary. This is another example of what I said before, that the docs are missing in action on this health care debate.
DC: The reason why a lot of the dem candidates plans won't work is simple ... nobody is willing to take a step back for the greater good when it comes to medical care. Meaning, we are the only country in the world were 80-year-olds have replacement surgeries. Where no matter how old you are, insurance or the gov will pay for large operations late in life.
Yes, it is a disgrace we have so many uninsured, but how many of us would be willing to reduce the quality of car we receive for the greater good? That's what it would take for a single payer system. I for one am not.
Steven Pearlstein: You can have some of the advantages of a single payer system, in which care is rationed according to evidence-based medicine, without actually having a single payer system, but maintaining the mixed system we have today. Medicare and Medicaid should take the lead in establishing the best practice protocols, and once they do, the private insurers will be able to fall back on them and improve them. But without that political and research backstopping by the government, the insurers will be left hanging out there, vilified by politicians like Ted Kennedy and Pete Stark, who have a ridiculous hatred of managed care, and moviemakers and journalists who will make hay of any denial of care. And as you point out, the hardest decisions will be involving end of life care.
On that last point, I learned last week that the reason there are now privatized fee-for-service plans under the Medicare Advantage Program (the fastest growing segment of that program) is not because the industry asked for it, but because the right to life movement wants it. Why? Because they don't want to be forced into managed care plans that won't cover end of life treatment that is considered to have low benefit relative to cost.
Rockville, Md.: Since I just retired and now have Medicare and a good Blue Cross policy I kept from my FDA days, I am happy with my insurance. How likely is it that a future health system will include me? Will Medicare be part of the new future?
Steven Pearlstein: Yes and yes. One of the political lessons from 1993 is that there are lots of middle class and wealthy people who are quite satisfied with their health care, and any reform should leave them alone as much as possible.
Washington, D.C.: Your column raises the prospect of my doctor saying "you need back surgery" and my HMO saying "no you don't." Haven't we already gone through this scenario, with the HMOs being demonized as soulless cost-cutters denying needed care? How does one re-package managed care so that it's not politically DOA?
Steven Pearlstein: I hope I've addressed that already, but let me reiterate: the HMO has to have good evidence to back up its decision, the government has to endorse it, and it has to be communicated in the right way to patients and doctors. If we don't do this, there can be no effective reform and universal coverage will become a financial timebomb. This is the crucial point of health reform: to rationalize care. HMOs did it badly last time, but for all their ham-handedness, it actually worked in slowing utilization and premium increases. And when everyone switched to PPOs, with no management, utilization and premiums resumed their previous steep upward paths.
Falls Church, Va.: Very good column today, but I'm conflicted over your point about the expensive medical treatments driving up the cost of coverage. Aren't catastrophic costs the area where a person needs insurance the most? If we put into place a universal system that doesn't cover such costs, then people with means will buy supplemental coverage, won't they? And then we're back to a two-tiered system for rich and poor.
Steven Pearlstein: I think you misunderstand. Nobody is suggesting that catastrophic coverage -- coverage for expensive, serious illnesses or accidents--should be curtailed. It should be what health insurance is all about. The stuff that might not be covered is the stuff between preventive medicine and catastrophic. In that realm, the evidence is taht cost sharing helps to rationalize utilization.
Princeton, N.J.: Hm-m-m, you say
1.Yes, there is a surprising amount of support among physicians, particularly primary physicians, for a national health plan.
3. You are right that our privatized system puts our companies at a bit of a disadvantage, but not as much as you think.
4. It is absolutely true that we don't have a compensation system that rewards insurers and, more to the point, providers for practicing evidence-based medicine.
And you say _I_ am not convincing.
Steven Pearlstein: And your problem with that....????
Washington, D.C.: I have two questions. First, do you know what percentage of the uninsured in this country are illegal immigrants? Second, do you think it is at all realistic for our government to try to get Mexico to reimburse the states for at least some of the costs of health care for uninsured illegal aliens, on the grounds that we (US taxpayers) are paying for health care that the Mexican government otherwise would have to provide? Thank you.
Steven Pearlstein: Of all the problems with our health care system, this is really small potatoes. But I will say this: once there is a mandate for everyone to buy insurance, and for every employer to offer it, low-wage immigrants may wind up the winners. Why? Because they will get health insurance along with government subsidies to pay for it.
Alexandria, Va.: My view is that universal care should be treated by the government putting money into a health account for each citizen while they are young, followed by requiring that they contribute to that account from wages.
At least a guaranteed renewable catastrophic policy would be strongly encouraged from birth together with one of several possible means to encourage preventive care. The policy premiums could be paid from the health account.
Many of the problems you discuss in your column, Steve, would be solved by the market under such a system; and doctors would flow to the ghetto and rural areas and to weekends because the inhabitants would have sufficient money to raise prices enough to encourage doctors to practice there.
Steven Pearlstein: As our correspondent from Princeton is quick to point out, I believe we can use market mechanisms to insure a health care system that is innovative and competitive on price and quality and gives people choices. But please, please let's set aside this fantasy that if we only used tax-free accounts and remove all regulations, the market would solve this. That has been the Bush approach and it is not only a badly flawed policy prescription, but it has even less political support than national health care. Health care is simply not amenable to a pure market solution, for all sorts of reasons, the first of which is that, as a civilized society, we don't let people go without treatment even as we let them go without other goods and services. Nor should we. IT is also complicated, and people don't make the right decisions which not only cost them, but cost the rest of the people who finance the system. And we want to have doctors, hospitals and providers who think about something other than profit and income maximization. So this is my plea: please put these fantasies aside. They really get in the way of Republicans participating in a constructive way in the health care reform debate. They are a fantasy of think tanks, not the real world.
Ottawa, Canada:"Doctors and hospitals know that, in the future, they will be have to give up some of their autonomy..." What autonomy are you talking about? Doctors in the U.S. spend large amounts of time arguing with insurance companies about what treatments they can provide patients without going over the limits of the insurance coverage.
Steven Pearlstein: Please. Doctors have incredible autonomy. There is no other way to explain the huge variation in practice patterns that the researchers at Dartmouth Medical School have documented year after year. It is not patients that decide what is done, for the most part. It is the doctors who decide or heavily influence the decision. The insurers have been pushed back so far that their "restrictions" are fairly tame.
Rockville, Md.: Interesting that you berate Dems for the rhetoric given at the debates, but don't provide specifics about what the Dems plan to do about health care.
I've read HRC's plan to cut the costs of health care and her plan covers many of the things that you cite in the article, i.e. evidence-based health care, promotion of prevention. Have you actually taken the time to read her plan or the other Dems' plans? If not, why not?
Also since you're a reporter, do you know when the next 2 parts of her health care plan will come out? thanks
Steven Pearlstein: Of course I read her plan, and Obama's and Edward's. And there is nothing I wrote to suggest that they don't include these things. They now represent the political and expert consensus on what needs to be done, which is why I can say, at the end of the column, that all these interest groups are now willing to come to the table.
Gaither, Md.: Steven, thanks for your column. Don't take the comments and criticisms too personally. It is a hot hot topic. My question is twofold. Do you think that the '93 health plan was substantively good and just the presentation/promotion/timing was bad, or was it bad bad bad? Where/how can I obtain a copy of that 'Hillary' plan?
Steven Pearlstein: Don't know about where to obtain a copy. But you make a good point: all of the various plans being tossed around today are variations on the Clinton proposal for managed competition. The problem with the Clinton plan is that it went two or three steps too far. It tried to nail down every eventuality and solve every potential problem with insurance markets. And the coverage it wanted to offer everyone was too rich, at least to start out. There was also the political calculation that it was better to have an employer mandate rather than an individual mandate. In hindsight, its pretty clear you need an individual mandate (a la Mass, Calif) with subsidies and a mandate that employers participate in some fashion.
Reston, Va.: Thanks for your response. You are correct about specialist. When I came to this country in the 60s we used to have BC/BS to take care of basic medical and hospital for all the citizens of a state and Major Medical for expensive procedures for those who can afford. Private insurances entered and cherry picked the basic services and destroyed the simple system. It is the same they are trying with Electric utilities. There are some things in society that require public and private cooperation with public oversight. Health care is one of them...
San Juan Capistrano, Calif.: Although most proposals would perpetuate the private insurance plans, that model is obsolete. Private insurers cover the healthiest sector of society: the healthy workforce and their young healthy families through employer-sponsored plans, and exclusively healthy individuals in the individual insurance market. Premiums are barely affordable for this healthy sector. Impose mandatory guaranteed issue and community rating and premiums will be unaffordable for average-income families. We will not get around this dilemma until we decide to adopt a universal risk pool and fund it equitably (i.e., progressive tax policies). Private insurers may still have a role in claims processing and information management, but we have to give up on the idea that they should continue to manage our system of fragmented risk pools.
Steven Pearlstein: I don't think you are right about that, although it is a debatable point. A private system with mandatory issue and community rating (with regulated premium variations for age and smoking, etc)should create very large risk pools, which is what you are after. And if there is a federal reinsurance program to cover the most expensive cases, financed by the government in some fashion (like a tax on all health services), then you do create a universal risk pool.
Falls Church, Va.: Does the split among doctors correspond to specialists vs. primary care? I.e., specialists oppose single-payer since they would take the biggest hit to income, while primary-care doctors might even benefit financially?
Arlington, Va.: Definitional question: What does "deregulation" actually mean in the context of electricity? If rates are capped to consumers, and utilities are restricted in the sorts of supply contracts they can execute, what is being deregulated? I don't mean this as a rant; I'm honestly curious.
Steven Pearlstein: What is deregulated is that rates are not fixed absolutely by the government in a system that guarantees the utility a specified rate of return. In a strict sense, it is partial deregulation, or managed competition, if you will.
Baltimore County, Md.: I don't think taking personal responsibility for health care is going to be universally acceptable when the deck is so stacked against the individual right now. I am tired, period, of having to take individual responsibility for everything. I work a long week, am old, and was turned down for an individual policy (no health insurance available through work) and frankly, I don't have the energy to explore alternative options, like the state fund they mentioned in the reject letters. (BTW, reason for rejection is a barely too high BMI, not any pre-existing conditions). Also, what's reasonable to you for health care insurance expenses may not be to me. Because I work hard, and housing costs are high in this area, I don't see myself affording a $300 payment per month for basic high-deductible care on a $40K salary.
Should I be working to pay only my rent, utilities, and health care insurance? Sorry, not enough incentive for me. I want to have disposable $$, and if I die before reaching Medicare age, so be it.
Steven Pearlstein: Well, that's a point of view. Not sure if it is universally shared, however.
Troy, N.Y.: Hi Steve. I read your column last night online and noticed the headline this morning is different. Is portraying the drug industry as anything less than villains that unpopular? I'm pretty sure that drugs are only about 10 percent of the expenditures in health care, so I've always wondered why they seem solely blamed for high costs.
Steven Pearlstein: They are a big fat political target because of they enjoy very high profit margins and returns on equity relative to other industries, because they are spending lots of money on advertising and marketing that increases utilization of drugs in ways that are not always cost-efficient and because they have been politically thuggish here in Washington rather than engaging in an intellectually honest debate. Their answer to every issue, every criticism, every proposal is that anytime you regulate us, you are going to kill the innovation of the industry and kill people. There is some truth to it, but things are more complicated than that, and they have refused to engage in a public discussion of how drugs ought to be priced, marketed, etc. Their idea is to let the market do everything. But, of course, these are companies that survive because of government-funded basic research, government-given monopolies in the form of patents, and government-paid insurance for half of what they sell.
Maybe a little time under "universal healthcare" systems of The Czech Republic, Poland and even western socialized healthcare countries might give one a different perspective. It sure soured me on the prospect of trying to make it available to everyone. I am afraid there are winners and losers in all aspects of life.
Steven Pearlstein: Merci for injecting that dose of reality into our conversation. I hope Mr. Princeton is still listening.
Greenwich, Conn.: Under our current system, a huge proportion of our health insurance premiums pay for marketing, lobbying and executive salaries. Please explain why our health insurance premiums should pay for these things rather than health care.
Steven Pearlstein: First of all, that is not factually true. It is not a huge portion of our premiums. That's not to say that executive salaries, marketing and lobbying are excessive. But if you were to eliminate it all, my guess is it wouldn't even eliminate one year's worth of health care inflation. Sorry.
Princeton, N.J.: To get away from sniping. I agree with a lot of what you say, but I think it is a lot harder to do than you believe. In the long run (more than 20 years), we have to do what you say. But in the short run, we can solve a lot of our current health care problems by simply putting in a more efficient system like every other developed country. In health care WHO ranks the US 37th, above Bolivia, but below Slovenia
Steven Pearlstein: Those statistics are a wonderful statement of the problem: we spend the most and get the least.
Annapolis, Md.: Good Morning, Steven.
Thanks for another thought provoking column. I have two comments.
1. I have spent large portions of my life self-insured. I've usually bought these policies through BC/BS, Aetna, or some other large provider. I'm in Maryland, healthy in my early 30s. I've never paid more than $2400/yr for an 80-20 PPO. Yet I am always hearing about the lack of affordable health insurance. Why don't more people take advantage of policies like the ones I have been living with?
2. I very much favor the idea of moving normal healthcare out from under the insurance umbrella. For normal maintenance and preventive check-ups, we should all just be willing to go to the doctor and pay the bill. However, GPs can not go on charging $100 or more for a 10 minute or less office visit. My child's pediatrician charges $140/visit, but accepts about $50 from insurance. Why don't they and all other doctors just charge the $50? Think how much we could all save by skipping the long route of billing and filing to receive reimbursement! This kind of thing makes no sense, and I've never been able to get a doctor to explain it to me.
Steven Pearlstein: Your second point is a good one: we have to get away from the variable pricing model that disadvantages people who are self-employed or work for small companies. Its crazy. And your first point, about the effectiveness of a high-deductible, low premium policy is spot on. That needs to be the basis for what is mandated for all individuals as a minimum (as long as standard preventive care is included). I'm in total synch with what you say, even if Senator Kennedy will get all red in the face and yell about how terrible is would be if any plan is not as comprehensive as the one enjoyed by all members of Congress.
Washington, D.C.: Think a large part of the problem is the high insurance that these doctors pay, caused in large part by trial lawyers. And guess what the politicians that are looking out for us, are mostly lawyers.
Steven Pearlstein: Actually, I should have mentioned that even the Democrats now concede we need a better system for handling medical errors, so that docs and hospitals don't have such a big incentive to deny that they happen and try to cover them up, and insurance policies aren't so expensive. Variously they talk about more regulation coupled with mandatory arbitration of disputes, which presumably will greatly reduce the punitive damages. All that is a positive development (even Edwards, the former trial lawyer, concedes some reforms are necessary). But that said, let's not overstate the importance of malpractice premiums and defensive medicine in driving up medical costs. It is not insignificant, but it is hardly the big explanation for our higher medical costs. That's another right wing fantasy.
Steven Pearlstein: We've actually exceeded our alloted time. Thanks for that good discussion. "See" you next week, I hope.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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Lebanese Military Has No Deadline
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The remarks in a cabinet session Monday by Gen. Michel Suleiman, commander of the Lebanese army, suggested that expectations of a climactic push by the military into the camp may prove unfounded. Clashes erupted May 20, and since then, the army has besieged Nahr al-Bared, a warren of cinder-block buildings and narrow alleys where an estimated 250 fighters of Fatah al-Islam have holed up.
"Our chronometer is off, time is irrelevant to us. This operation will go for as long as it has to go," a military spokesman said Tuesday on customary condition of anonymity. "We don't care about the time."
Volleys of gunfire and the occasional crack of tank and artillery shells reverberated across the camp again Tuesday. It was the fifth day of fighting since a tenuous truce collapsed, although its intensity, as on Monday, was less than in earlier days. Building after building in the camp -- less than one square mile along the Mediterranean Sea -- bear scars of the fighting, many of them collapsed, cratered or chiseled by gunfire.
Officials of the mainstream Palestinian Fatah faction said several fighters of Fatah al-Islam had surrendered their weapons Tuesday inside the camp and returned home. The group draws its fighters from Lebanon and across the Arab world. Col. Khaled Aref, Fatah's representative in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon, said those surrendering were all Palestinian.
The clashes have killed 45 soldiers, at least 20 civilians and perhaps 60 militants, although exact figures are difficult to come by given the lack of access to the camp in recent days. Relief officials say anywhere from 3,000 to 8,000 Palestinian residents are still trapped in Nahr al-Bared, many of them running short on food, water and fuel.
"We can't reach people and we can't gain access to where the wounded are," said Igor Ramazzotti, a delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross. "There's a lot of rubble in the street. That's made it almost impossible to drive into the camp."
So far, people across Lebanon's normally bitterly divided political spectrum have given at least tacit support to the army's operation. But while many analysts understand the army's reluctance to risk more soldiers fighting in dense quarters, some have expressed concern that the consensus could break over time. Others have suggested the army runs the risk of bolstering the appeal of the fighters among radical elements as they hold out under the barrage.
Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese general and analyst, speculated that the army, long ill-equipped, faced a window of 10 days to bring the clashes to an end.
"It is not advisable to routinize the situation. It's going to be a war of attrition, and you can't hold the army alert for a long period of time," he said. "You can't let a long period of time pass where you have more political complications that can hinder you."
Along the tattered highway outside Nahr al-Bared, where Lebanese residents appeared fervent in their support of the army's actions, young men milling near military positions tried to outdo each other in their prescriptions for what should follow.
"God willing, they'll drive them all into the sea," said Mohammed Taleb, a 37-year-old resident, pointing toward the Mediterranean.
"Like they massacred the army, I want to see the army massacre them," added his friend, 21-year-old Moussa Youssef, sitting across from him. As for the thousands of civilians still in the camp, he added, "The innocent have already 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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Grand Jury Indicts School Official in Teen Sex Case
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A Prince George's County grand jury indicted school board member Nathaniel B. Thomas yesterday, alleging he had a sexual relationship with a teenager he once taught.
Thomas, 26, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of third-degree sex offense.
According to the indictment and charging documents, Thomas had sex with the former student at least three times from August 2004 to October 2005, when the boy was 14 and 15 years old, and allowed him to watch pornographic videos.
An investigative report ordered by the Board of Education said Thomas met the former student while he was a freshman at Forestville Military Academy. The student, now 17, graduated from Forestville last week.
State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D) called the allegations "shocking" and said Thomas "used his authority" to establish the relationship. "We'll move very aggressively in this case," Ivey said at a news conference.
Thomas's lawyer, Bruce L. Marcus, said he had not had a chance to review the indictment.
A graduate of Suitland High School, Thomas taught at Forestville from 2003 to December 2004. According to the school board's investigative report, he resigned soon after the parents of two other students said he made inappropriate remarks and references to homosexuality in the classroom.
Thomas was elected to an at-large school board seat in November. The board's report said he continued to have a relationship with the student, who volunteered in his election campaign and kept in phone contact with Thomas from January to April.
Thomas has also been under investigation over relationships he had with an 18-year-old senior at Forestville and the board's student member. The report said Thomas played "truth or dare" with the students and served them alcohol. The report said he took the 18-year-old to a conference in San Francisco in April without his parents' permission.
The two students and Thomas have said no sexual contact occurred, and the case is not being treated as a criminal matter. Both students graduated from Forestville last week.
The board unanimously recommended last month that the Maryland State Board of Education expel Thomas from office on the grounds of "immorality and misconduct." Any decision to remove Thomas from office must be approved by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D).
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A Prince George's County grand jury indicted school board member Nathaniel B. Thomas yesterday, alleging he had a sexual relationship with a teenager he once taught.
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Clinton, Edwards and Obama Discuss Their Faith at Forum
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In an unprecedented forum, the three leading Democratic presidential candidates described how faith influences both their politics and their personal lives, with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton responding to a question about her husband's infidelity by saying, "I'm not sure I would have gotten through it without my faith."
"I've had a grounding in faith that gave me the courage and the strength to do what I thought was right, regardless of what the world thought," Clinton (N.Y.) told a crowd of more than 1,000 in an auditorium at George Washington University.
At the forum, organized by Sojourners, a liberal evangelical group based in Washington, Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and former senator John Edwards (N.C.) each stood on stage separately for 15 minutes to answer questions from moderator Soledad O'Brien of CNN and a group of ministers and religious leaders. The questions were wide-ranging, from the role of evil in the world to perhaps the most pointed of the night, when Edwards was asked to name the biggest sin he had committed.
"If I had a day in my 54 years where I haven't sinned I would be surprised," he said, declining to specify. "I sin every day; we are all sinners."
Only the top three candidates in the Democratic field were invited to the event. That all three attended underscores the party's efforts to win over voters interested in issues related to moral values -- particularly white Catholics, an important swing vote in recent years.
None of the candidates offered answers that strayed far from Democratic Party orthodoxy, but their openness in discussing their faith was unusual. Clinton and Edwards said they pray daily, and Edwards added that "prayer has played a huge role in my life, it keeps me going." He said prayer helped him handle the death of his 16-year-old son Wade in 1996 and most recently the diagnosis of a recurrence of breast cancer in his wife, Elizabeth.
Clinton described herself as a "praying person," and credited her ability to get through difficult times to her "extended faith family" and what she described as "prayer warriors" -- friends and strangers who have prayed for her over the years. She said she prays for courage and discernment and joked that some of her prayers were "trivial and self-serving," including requests to lose weight faster, that inspire "eye-rolling" from God.
The questions were not the same for each candidate, and Obama, who of the three has spoken the most about his faith in campaign appearances, said the least about his religion in this forum. He instead discussed his belief that evil exists in the world and said "there is a moral element" to his view that pay for corporate chief executives has become excessive. He repeatedly invoked the biblical phrase "I am my brother's keeper."
Edwards, while noting that his oldest daughter supports same-sex marriage, said he supports only civil unions.
Obama answered a question about the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians by casting blame on both sides, saying, "There is no doubt Palestinians have been put in situations . . . we wouldn't want our own families put in," but adding that Israelis have been the victims of terrorist attacks.
Clinton indicated that she thinks that both sides in the abortion debate should be more willing to compromise, a stance she has taken consistently throughout her career but has rarely spoken about in her presidential campaign. "In talking about abortion being safe, legal and rare, I mean rare," she said in response to a question on the subject. "The pro-life and pro-choice communities have not been willing to find much common ground."
The candidate forum was part of an annual Sojourners conference called Pentecost, where leaders on the religious left gather. Obama spoke at the event last year.
Since 2004, Democrats have extensively debated how to win over religious voters. Strategists say their candidates' goal is less about appealing to conservative white evangelicals -- who according to exit polls cast almost 80 percent of their votes for Bush in 2004 -- and more about capturing moderate Catholics and mainline Protestants.
The three leading Democratic presidential contenders have all hired religious outreach advisers, although it is unclear if these aides have the kind of influence that the campaigns' liaisons to labor groups or more traditional constituencies enjoy. In 2004, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) had a religious outreach council advising his bid for the White House, but he ignored many of its ideas, including delivering a speech at a major Christian college.
Whether the candidates hire staff in the early primary states to focus on religious outreach will be "one indicator of how seriously they will take that," said Mara Vanderslice, who conducted religious outreach for Kerry.
Yesterday's forum underscored an unusual dynamic of the campaign: that in many ways the Democratic candidates are more eager to discuss their faith than the Republicans are. On the GOP side, former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) rarely discuss their faith publicly, while former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's Mormonism makes many religious conservatives uneasy.
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In an unprecedented forum, the three leading Democratic presidential candidates described how faith influences both their politics and their personal lives, with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton responding to a question about her husband's infidelity by saying, "I'm not sure I would have gotten throug...
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TBS's 'House of Payne': A Little More Humanity Would Make It Habitable
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"House of Payne," premiering tonight on cable's TBS, is not an irreparably terrible sitcom. Unfortunately, though, the repairs could take years.
That operation would have to start with the premise, of which there barely is one: Three generations of an African American family share -- sometimes -- what looks like an enormous house in the Atlanta suburbs, and things sort of happen to them. Some things happen repeatedly, such as the patriarch of the family telling everybody to "get out" or "go home," apparently desiring the company of none of them.
His wife -- jolly, rotund and religious -- laughs merrily as this insufferable crosspatch snarls and growls at son Calvin and nephew C.J., as well as C.J.'s family: wife Janine and cute kids Malik and Jazmine. What, one wonders, draws them back to a house dominated by such a bitter, crotchety old man? He has the kind of disposition people assume TV critics have (not that there isn't plenty of cause for that).
At times one wishes that, yes, "House" were Payne-less.
Tyler Perry, the highly regarded writer and performer who created the series, might have based it on his own and other folks' memories of growing up. Perry, however, should have worked harder at finding compensating virtues in the characters -- especially "Pops" -- and at giving the audience more reason to care what happens to them. In addition, the show is shot in Atlanta, and no matter how hard Turner Broadcasting insists to the contrary, the city just hasn't the talent and facilities to be a sitcom production center.
It's evident from the pilot tonight (another, unpreviewed, episode will be shown immediately after) that the show's ensemble has a long way to go before jelling as a believable unit. Acting styles conflict or seem barely to exist. However one might long for the series to succeed, artistically and otherwise, it's being produced on a scale too minimalist even for a cable channel.
Perry himself appears in the pilot -- by far the brightest spot in the show -- in drag as Madea, a very tall and broad-shouldered old lady whom he has played before (leading TBS to call the portrayal "now legendary," which might be a trifle premature). Perry is a show all by himself, and when he's on-camera, everyone else in the cast merely gets in the way. Unfortunately, Perry also wants to be sometime writer, director and executive producer of the series -- a case of too few cooks spoiling the broth.
LaVan Davis stars as fireman Curtis "Pops" Payne (hence title), a weak link that ought to be a pillar of strength. Davis doesn't give a performance so much as shout out angry lines of dialogue and then fade back into the scenery. Payne's obvious sitcom predecessors are Archie Bunker and Fred Sanford, but as cantankerous as those men were, glints of decency and humanity shone through. Pops is essentially glintless, at least so far.
To confuse things, an actor named Allen Payne plays Pops's nephew C.J., a remarkably subdued dude considering all the bellowing he must endure; Demetria McKinney is wife Janine, with reliable child stars Larramie Doc Shaw and China Anne McClain as their son and daughter. Cassi Davis is enormously lovable as big Mama, but she doesn't stand up enough to her bullying spouse, and in too many scenes, she's relegated to peeking into the living room from the kitchen.
When the plot of tonight's episode finally surfaces (Malik is being robbed of his lunch money at school each day -- and by a girl), it's reiterated innumerable times before anybody even hints at pursuing a resolution. It never really comes, although perhaps the storyline is picked up again in the second installment.
Two future episodes, made available for preview, deal with the unlikely subject of Janine's becoming a crack addict. Huh? It's commendable to try to introduce serious and topical material in sitcoms, but the way it's done here is awkward and cringe-inducing.
One could list all the ways in which the show comes up short, but the prescription is really simple if "Payne" is to survive and endear itself to a sizable audience: Everything about it needs a little improvement -- except for the things that need a lot of it.
House of Payne (30 minutes) premieres tonight at 9 on TBS with two episodes.
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"House of Payne," premiering tonight on cable's TBS, is not an irreparably terrible sitcom. Unfortunately, though, the repairs could take years.
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Let's Get This Party Started. Please.
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An enlightened vandal is on the loose in Atlantic City.
The oceanside billboard was vast and white, stripped by the elements of its previous ad, and featured three lone phrases of black graffiti:
A summer reading list for fanny-packed boardwalkers. Existential, beatniky, absurd. Like Atlantic City. Which is why I love it.
On my first trip there two years ago, I remained ensconced in the womb of Donald Trump, simpering as my fortunes rose and fell, adoring every minute of it. This time, though, I returned with two friends to experience the world off the casino floors, to gamble not just with my money but with my mojo, to dive into the night life and test the city's promotional boast: Always Turned On.
Always turned on? We would see.
If the buzz is to be believed, then the cluster of buildings at Atlantic and Mount Vernon avenues is the manifestation of the motto. It's the site of the Surfside Resort Hotel -- which includes a sun deck with a pool and outdoor bar -- and a pair of contiguous dance clubs called Studio Six and Club Tru. In theory, it's one square block of everything a guy could want: places to swim, eat, drink, dance and collapse, all within walking distance of casinos and the boardwalk.
When we arrived on a recent Friday night, the pool was tarped. Club Tru was closed for renovations. Maybe a mid- to late-summer reopening, said a receptionist. Okay, fine. Parking was free and easy, our room at the Surfside wasn't as horrendous as some Internet reviews had warned, and Studio Six was still open.
We popped in there around 11:30 that night. A DJ pumped a Jackson 5 remix onto an empty dance floor. Empty except for the barfly.
"You want me to take a picture?" the barfly asked, sidling up. Sure, we said, handing her a camera and posing. She held her arms up, took a picture of herself and cackled. We decided to leave Studio Six.
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Atlantic City claims that it's 'Always Turned On.' We put it to the test.
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A Big Enough Stick for Sudan
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The greeting given to visitors at the presidential palace in Khartoum, Sudan, is an exercise in intimidation. You pass guards in white uniforms with AK-47s, walk under a pair of enormous elephant tusks, then file past a machine gun emplacement. Guests are reminded they have entered the rebuilt palace where Gen. Charles Gordon -- the British father of humanitarian interventionism -- was killed in a 19th-century Islamist uprising. The message of warning to a new generation of Western idealists is given and taken.
Immediately after Sept. 11, 2001, the regime in Khartoum, which once sheltered Osama bin Laden, was suddenly cooperative -- fearful of being visited by the fate of Afghanistan. By the time I met President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2005, the fright had worn off. The regime felt shielded from pressure by close relations with China -- its main market for oil -- and by solidarity with Arab governments. Bashir dismissed accusations of genocide in the Western province of Darfur as "legitimate defense operations" and boldly pushed for an end to American sanctions on his country.
Traveling in Darfur a few days later, I got a whirlwind tour of hell. These "defense operations" involve the use of local militias to destroy village after village, sending millions into densely populated camps. The outskirts of those camps are ruled by brutal mounted militias that use rape and murder as tools of intimidation.
During that visit, it was clear that 15,000 to 20,000 U.N. peacekeepers, armed with attack helicopters and a mandate to protect civilians, could make a difference. That mission was eventually approved by the U.N. Security Council. But leaders of the regime have obstructed the deployment of that force at every turn, fearful it might eventually be used to arrest them on charges of genocide.
Yesterday's welcome announcement by President Bush of stronger American sanctions against Sudan, and new efforts in the Security Council to internationalize those sanctions, is an attempt to break this resistance. Within the administration, most concede these actions by themselves will not be enough. But the effective use of this stick -- banks expelling Sudanese accounts worth hundreds of millions of dollars -- might make the threat of other, heftier sticks more credible in the future.
The new sanctions were opposed by the U.N. secretary general, the Chinese, the Saudis and the Egyptians, who all want "just a few more weeks" to perform diplomatic miracles. But there is also a gathering coalition for stronger action that includes the United States, Britain, Denmark, some African countries -- and now France. The new government of Nicolas Sarkozy is reviewing its Darfur policy and has signaled a willingness to join the U.N. peacekeeping force and perhaps to establish humanitarian corridors in eastern Chad.
Past the current round of sanctions, the choices become more difficult. One option is to keep sanctions in place, reengage the government and the rebels in negotiations, and wait until the conditions for a genuine peace ripen. In this view, the cost of patience is relatively low -- humanitarian conditions in the Darfur camps have actually improved recently by most measures. The cost of military confrontation could be high, if it causes the regime to expel the thousands of humanitarian aid workers who keep millions from starvation.
The problem with waiting for peace, as one administration official put it to me, is that "the regime only responds to pressure. It has no record of responding to positive moves." So the other option is to set out on a ladder of escalation that will compel acceptance of the U.N. force and the disarmament of the militias. This approach would eventually involve the threat of force by a coalition of the willing -- not invasion and occupation, but a no-fly zone and perhaps a blockade. It would also require a clear message to the regime that menacing the refugees would bring terrible consequences. The more credible this threat of force, the more likely that the regime complies without the use of force.
Given other commitments, the U.S. military has been reluctant to even plan for these contingencies. But this leads to the strangest of situations: The French may now be more willing to act against genocide in Darfur than is the Pentagon.
The choice here is far from obvious. Escalation has risks; if not done in earnest, it is better not to begin at all. America is understandably weary and distracted. But a question hangs over the history of our time: Are we too tired to oppose genocide?
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America will finally take stronger action against Sudan -- but Americans may be too weary to care.
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PRESIDENT BUSH'S announcement yesterday of new sanctions against Sudan because of the continuing genocide in Darfur was well justified and -- after more than a month's delay to allow for fruitless diplomacy -- overdue. It was also out of sync with the disturbing position of China, whose cooperation is essential to bringing sufficient pressure to bear on the Sudanese regime.
On the same day that Mr. Bush extended U.S. economic sanctions to 31 more Sudanese companies and three individuals, China's new African envoy held a news conference at which he argued that more foreign aid and investment, not sanctions, is the right medicine for the regime of Omar Hassan al-Bashir. As it is, Sudan sells 60 percent of its oil and 40 percent of its total exports to China, which has invested heavily in Sudan's oil industry and sold weapons to its army. As long as Beijing continues this lucrative partnership, U.S. sanctions, already in place for a decade, are unlikely to prove effective.
Worse, China seeks to discount well-documented atrocities by the Sudanese government, which have recently included the attempted bombing of rebel commanders meeting to discuss a peace deal, as well as raids on villages in southern Darfur. In a just-concluded tour of the region, Chinese ambassador Liu Guijin said he "didn't see a desperate scenario of people dying of hunger." He couldn't have been looking very hard: The United Nations says 250,000 people have been displaced in Darfur since last fall, adding to more than 2 million already crammed into miserable and insecure camps. Deliveries of food and other aid have frequently been disrupted in recent months, according to aid groups.
Mr. Bush said yesterday that the United States will press for a new U.N. Security Council resolution that would include further sanctions on Sudan and an enforceable ban on offensive military flights over Darfur. Though Britain and the new French government strongly support such action, the resolution will go nowhere without a change in Chinese policy. That's where the good news from Mr. Liu's news conference comes in. He declined to say that his government would veto a new resolution, and he was obliged to respond to the growing campaign to connect China's support for Sudan to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. "Linking China's approach to the Darfur issue and the Olympic Games is totally untenable," he protested. And if China uses its veto to stop a new U.N. resolution? Its leaders should be made to wonder what will be "untenable" then.
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Chinese cooperation is essential to ending the misery in Sudan -- and the U.S. should ensure that it's forthcoming.
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The Attack Ads Will Come to Order
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2007060119
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Sue Bell Cobb's first campaign, in 1982, cost $5,000. Last year's price tag was $2.6 million -- and Cobb, a Democrat, wasn't the big spender. Her opponent, Republican Drayton Nabers, raised nearly $5 million for the primary and general elections.
"A conservative leader, fighting for our values. A family man and the author of a book on the importance of biblical character," one of Nabers's television ads proclaimed. Not all the commercials were so uplifting. Nabers's primary challenger labeled him soft on crime in an ad that featured an ominous photo of a hand holding a knife.
The general election was equally slashing: Nabers's ads accused Cobb of being "bankrolled by liberal personal injury trial lawyers and casino interests." Cobb, who won, said that Nabers had been "caught taking tens of thousands from PACs controlled by Exxon's lobbyists."
Modern-day politics as usual? Sadly, yes -- except that the campaign was for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. And while the race was particularly noisy -- almost 18,000 television ads, more than in the three previous elections combined -- it wasn't particularly surprising. Judicial elections have taken on the trappings of ordinary political campaigns, complete with consultants, slick mailings and big media buys. A 2006 Georgia Supreme Court race featured robo-calls by former attorney general John Ashcroft.
Things are getting worse by the election cycle. Television ads ran in 10 of 11 states with contested Supreme Court races, compared with four of 18 states in 2000, according to a report by Justice at Stake, the Brennan Center for Justice and the National Institute on Money in State Politics.
Time was that judicial candidates left the really nasty stuff to outside groups and political parties. In 2006, judicial candidates ran 60 percent of the negative ads, compared with 10 percent two years earlier. At a conference last week by FactCheck.org, campaign consultants reported with satisfaction that their once diffident clients had realized they couldn't hide behind their robes.
"Elections for the judiciary have become like all other elections," said Allan Crow, who helped Georgia Supreme Court Justice Carol Hunstein win reelection. "You either allow the opposition to win by running their negative ads or you fight back."
"Negative" is too pallid to capture the nasty tone of some ads. They pluck out and twist individual rulings, some dictated by precedent, to smear candidates. In the Kentucky Supreme Court race, one candidate said Circuit Judge Bill Cunningham "tried to make six rapists eligible for parole. One had been out on parole for only 12 hours when he raped a 14-year-old and made her mother watch." The ad made it appear that Cunningham was responsible for the rape, when that crime had occurred years earlier. This is Willie Horton Goes to Court.
Not that the positive spots are especially comforting. They trot out qualities that ought to be irrelevant -- does it matter that Cobb plays piano for her church? -- and make assertions problematic for those pledged to not prejudge cases. "I'm pro-life," Nabers assured Alabama voters. "Abortion on demand is a tragedy, and the liberal judicial opinions that support it are wrong."
You might hope that spending by business groups and trial lawyers would at least cancel each other out. But business groups, particularly the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, have become outsize players in judicial campaigns. In 2006, business interests contributed 44 percent of the money raised by state Supreme Court candidates.
The paradox of judicial elections is that voters simultaneously demand this system and distrust it. The Annenberg Public Policy Center found that nearly two in three preferred to elect judges rather than have a merit system in which governors choose from a list developed by a nonpartisan committee. Yet seven in 10 believed that the need to raise campaign funds would affect a judge's rulings. Even without the impact of campaign cash, it's easy to see how judges facing reelection might think twice before issuing a decision that could be fodder for a 30-second spot.
There are some hopeful signs amid the sludge. Judicial candidates raising more money won 68 percent of the time in 2006, down from 85 percent in 2004. Last month, New Mexico followed North Carolina's lead in adopting public financing for judicial campaigns.
Yet the judicial arms race is creeping further down the ballot. Illinois last year saw a $3.3 million campaign for a seat on the state's intermediate appeals court, and a $500,000 trial court race. "Judicial elections are becoming political prizefights where partisans and special interests seek to install judges who will answer to them instead
of the law and the Constitution," warns former U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Prizefight is right -- except in these brawls, the legal system ends up with the black eye.
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Judicial campaigns are becoming just as nasty and misleading as elections for, well, most other offices.
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Income Gap - washingtonpost.com
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Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein was online Wednesday, May 30 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the disappearing middle class.
Read today's column: Fair to Middling in the Middle Class.
About Pearlstein: Steven Pearlstein writes about business and the economy for The Washington Post. His journalism career includes editing roles at The Post and Inc. magazine. He was founding publisher and editor of The Boston Observer, a monthly journal of liberal opinion. He got his start in journalism reporting for two New Hampshire newspapers -- the Concord Monitor and the Foster's Daily Democrat. Pearlstein has also worked as a television news reporter and a congressional staffer.
His column archive is online here.
The New Reality: I think the most petrifying part of life today is the need for a substantial amount of cash on hand for an unexpected crisis.
I think that life is getting so expensive that you have to think about what "could" happen and make sure you are covered with significant (to you) amounts of cash on hand (easily accessible) and great insurance coverage. If that means you have to save a lot of your income and bonuses for years while living in a modest home, avoiding having kids, no cable, clothes on sale, etc. then that is just the way it has to be.
Steven Pearlstein: I would hope that not having kids isn't a common economic choice. But your point about having a savings account to handle the unexpected bad things that happen is something many people forget.
Laurel:"And when he does, it turns out that the median income for the "typical American family" jumps to $63,000, which in most parts of the country buys a pretty comfortable middle-class lifestyle."
But are $63,000 jobs available in the same places where $63,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle? I know I'd be pretty well off taking my $95k GS-13 job and moving to Arkansas, but my employer's telecommuting plan doesn't extend that far. (Then I'd actually be well off.)
I know that when calculating the cost of living, housing prices are not included in the calculation. They use a "rental equivalent" and treat the house purchase as an investment. This prevents housing prices from distorting CPI.
But it also doesn't take into account very big regional differences in real-life living costs. The cost of living is very strongly dependent on the ability to earn a living.
Steven Pearlstein: This is an age old problem that we'll never fully solve. In theory, of course, if a region gets too expensive, it gets uncompetitive and businesses move their operations elsewhere. But in reality, things are sticky. Businesses have their local networks of suppliers and customers that they don't want to uproot. People don't want to uproot. So relative prices are slow to smooth out.
By the way, rental equivalent isn't totally unrelated to house prices. Rental and owner-occupied housing are, to a degree, substitutes for each other, so the price of th the one affects the other. Also. the price of land is included in both, which is a big factor in overall price of a house in hot markets.
Manassas, Va.: Hi, Dr. Pearlstein:
Are illegal immigrants included in this study? After all, most of them are vastly poor and would lower the average US earnings per year.
Steven Pearlstein: I believe the study, based on a census survey, includes all workers living here.
Columbia, S.C.: Why is it that each time we have a republican president, the income gaps widens to a high heaven?
Steven Pearlstein: Please, let's not blame this on Bush. It is a longterm phenomenon that spans many different presidencies and, in fact, many countries. It is a private sector phenomenon. The data in the article is also pre-tax data, which means it is before the effects of the Bush tax cuts.
South Riding, Va.: How much of a role do the expenses related to modern technology impact the shrinking middle class. Even if my income has managed to keep up with inflation, I have many more expenses today than I did last year. I realize, that I may be able to live without a subscription to Netflix, Tivo, Digital Cable, cellular service with text messaging, and DSL internet access to name a few items. With the new technologies, also comes the need to pay for credit reports and credit monitoring to watch for signs of identity theft.
Steven Pearlstein: Not a big factor, sorry. Technology also allows you to save money and improve your standard of living. Otherwise, you wouldn't buy it.
Dayton, Ohio: A recent report, "Economic Mobility: Is The American Dream Alive and Well?," (an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts: http://www.economicmobility.org/) raises concerns regarding the "... continuing ability of all Americans to move up the economic ladder" and calls into question whether the American economic meritocracy is still alive and well. Your comments regarding economic mobility in the United States? Thank you.
Steven Pearlstein: There are some studies that show a slight decline in mobility, within a generation and among generations. It is a worry, particularly if education, personal connections and certain social skills are a big determinant in economic success, and if attaining these is determined by what schools and universities you go to. That's why keeping public school systems attractive to everyone is important, because they are an essential part of an equal opportunity and meritocratic society. If wealthier people can use their money to assure their kids get into the best educational tracks through private schools, whose graduates get a disproportionate number of places in the best colleges, whose graduates in turn get disproportionate numbers of places in the best professional and graduate schools, then we've got a problem.
Arlington, Va.: Whoa, wait a minute. Since when did $90,000 become the upper limit for middle class? The problem with defining the middle class is that it doesn't factor in where you live. My husband and I make just over six figures combined, but there's no way anyone would peg us as upper class, especially living in this area, where we have $200k in student loan debt and can't even afford the mortgage on a two-bedroom condo. Sure, if we lived in Omaha or Topeka, we'd be sitting pretty, assuming we could find jobs that paid the same there. So where do we fit in? Late-20s, graduate degrees, drowning in student loans, priced out of the housing market like most first-time buyers in this area, and hit with the marriage tax penalty. Yet because our income surpasses some arbitrary limit, we're not middle class? This is what scares me about a potential democratic President and Congress--they think I'm one of the "wealthy" who is ripe for a tax hike, yet nothing could be further from the truth. We're not poor, but we're not rich either. That's what I call middle class.
Steven Pearlstein: Hold on now. There is no precise definition of middle class, and obviously costs of living and wage rates vary widely by region. But if you are doing a national study, you have to use national data and use some cutoffs. It is not perfect, obviously. By the way, Democratic candidates don't think people who make $90,000 are wealthy. They generally come from the EAst and West coasts, so they know better.
Lefty from Princeton: Again, I think you are missing the point. If you look at wealth inequality from an historical point of view, you will see that countries with a vast difference in the percent of wealth held by the upper 1 percent (say) as compared with the lower 90 percent (say) soon go down the tubes. The reason is that wealth translates into political power, and soon the country is making decisions that benefit the top 1 percent and not the country as a whole. This is discussed in detail in Kevin Phillips' "Wealth and Democracy." Since this is a feedback situation, it tends to happen and has at least started to happen several times in our history. The strength of America has been that just when the trend starts to enter the strong feedback stage, something has happened that redistributes the wealth. The rise of unions and FDR are two such examples. What we have to worry about is that the trend of wealth piling up in the top 1 percent or 0.1 percent is increasing and we see the country taking positions that benefit only the Rich. Two examples are taxing dividends and capital gains at a lower rate and the attempt to abolish the estate tax. I am sure you can come up with many more such examples.
Steven Pearlstein: That is a big danger, no doubt about it.
Danvers, Mass.: If everyone did better at the same rate in the economy over time, their incomes would grow at GDP per capita rates. Inequality would not change. Everyone would do better than inflation.
Over the last 30 years, it is only the top 20 percent of earners who have done better than GDP per capita. The bottom 20 percent has not done as well as inflation.
This may help explain why Rose's middle class from $30k to $90k has shrunk and his high class has grown. With break even in this redistribution process at the 80th percentile, lots of people are falling behind, not behind inflation, but behind their neighbors.
Steven Pearlstein: As Rosen points out, you have to be careful about GDP per capita growth as the only benchmark. Changes in household size can can have a big effect on living standards, and that needs to be factored in.
Alexandria, Va.: This past weekend I went to my nephew's graduation from Cornell. The president of the university gave the commencement speech about wealth inequality and how it was now the responsibility of these newly minted Ivy League graduates to solve the problem. One factoid so impressed him, he repeated it for emphasis. Namely, that the top 350,000 taxpayers in total made the equivalent of the bottom 1.5 million taxpayers. He asserted that this kind of severe stratification was unhealthy for American society. It wasn't clear if he was calling for somehow lowering the income of the top 350,000 or increasing the income of the bottom 1.5 million. In light of your column today, what's your take on that kind of analysis?
Steven Pearlstein: Not sure about the data, but I suspect the top 350,000 make more than the bottom 10 million, actually. He understates the problem. That said, this is the inequality that the labor markets are now producing, and you want to be careful about tinkering with that too much. You could make it possible for unions to organize again in the U.S. You could mandate health benefits and pension contributions. But the effects would be modest. The effects of globalization, consolidation, more intense market competition are such that they are producing big winners at the top of many industries, to a degree at the expense of everyone else. The only thing you might want to do is redistribute some of those winnings after they are made through the tax and benefit system.
Southern Maryland: Middle class holding on.
Comparing my life to my parents, I am not doing as well. My father worked and my mother was a stay at home mom versus both of us working. Parents paid off their mortgage after 10 years versus our 30 year mortgage. Parents had more saved with old fashioned US Saving Bonds than we do with 401k, IRA's etc. Parents graduated from high school versus college educated children. We aren't trying to keep up with the Jones. We just want to do better than the previous generation not worse.
Steven Pearlstein: That may be true. On the other hand, you may have a bigger house, more cars, more televisions, more vacations than they did. You surely receive more health care than they did, because there is now so much more that medicine can do, which is a good thing, but costs money. So I wonder if you are really less well off.
One other point: there were large number of jobs for semi-skilled workers back in the 50s and 60s that paid solid middle class wages. These were companies that earned economic rents (high profits) because they operated in protected markets, and they shared these rents with workers (usually because unions demand they share them, but also because it was the norm of corporate behavior to do so). Now, the rents are gone, the unions are weak or gone, and the norms of corporate behavior are gone. And it is possible that, because of that, you did have a more comfortable life as a child than you do now.
New York, N.Y.: Very interesting column today. Just a comment: I think that it is not only the acknowledged disparities (married, single) etc. that create the unease people have with the overall economic situation, but also the seeming precariousness of it.
If you're in your forties or younger, virtually everyone you know who is your age has experienced layoffs or lack of access to health care for one reason or another. Even my friends with high income professions and marital stability have experienced job loss and health care/insurance woes. Those setbacks may be temporary, but they leave a lingering angst that never goes away. They also leave financial scars, particularly debt. The upbeat analyses don't take into account the human phenomenon that once you've seen the shadow of the wolf at the door, you're afraid of wolves.
Philadelphia, Pa.: My husband and I both have masters degrees and live close to a major city. I have noticed that compared to the 90s it has been more difficult to get a well paying job, despite our education. Specifically, my husband, who has a degree in HR, has been shuttling from one dead end job to another. No one wants to hire him because he is "overqualified" what should he do now to update his skills without leaving work for a long period of time? Also, why does it seem like jobs are paying less then they were in the 90s?
Steven Pearlstein: Jobs aren't paying less -- the economywide data is clear on that. But in some professions, there may be a situation where the number of jobs in the middle ranges has decreased, with more jobs above and more below. That's quite common. And perhaps you or you husband is in one of those job markets.
Burke, Va.: Hi Steven, Very interesting article. I do have to question your conclusion made in the article, "And when he does, it turns out that the median income for the "typical American family" jumps to $63,000, which in most parts of the country buys a pretty comfortable middle-class lifestyle."
How do you define 'a pretty comfortable middle-class lifestyle"? What does that look like? I'd argue that in many more parts of the country than you allude to that even $63K doesn't make one "pretty comfortable".
Steven Pearlstein: Own a home. Have at least one car. Cable, air conditioning. Can take a summer vacation of a week or two, and visit the inlaws at Christmas. Can eat out once every couple of weeks. Obviously, this is all very subjective, and varies by region. But to say that 63,000 doesn't buy hardly anything is probably overstating things a bit.
Charleston, S.C.: Years ago I read an article in The Economist about the characteristics of a third-world country, one of which was a small, ineffectual middle class, along with a small wealthy and powerful upper class and masses of poor people. Is this where we are heading? What has caused this? Merely natural progression or eight years of erosion of the middle class by Bush? Can we recover?
Steven Pearlstein: Look, can we drop the Bush thing here. It really is not adding to the discussion. He's wrong about not raising taxes on the very rich, he's wrong about inheritance taxes, but those are not the basic problem here. Let's stay focused, shall we?
Yes, what you describe is the typical developing country social model, which evolves over time as the middle class gets larger. But what is happening here is that the middle class is shrinking, but what we call the upper middle class is growing. If that is the basic story, I don't think we should call that a bad thing. That's a good thing. It would be better if the bottom were shrinking and more people graduating into the middle class. But its not like the middle class, as a whole, is falling down. To the degree it is shrinking, it is because people are falling UP.
Capitol Hill: How do you reconcile Rose's findings with the recent report of the Economic Mobility Project (Morton and Sawhill) that American men in their 30s today are worse off than their fathers' generation?
Steven Pearlstein: I saw mention of that study but I haven't had a chance to read it in detail. I have one quarrel with it, namely that in today's economy, you would expect younger workers to earn less than younger workers of 30 years ago. That's because the wage scales were more compressed back then. As a result, the youngest and oldest workers were overpaid, the middle age workers were underpaid relative to their output, but if you stayed with the same company your entire career, it all averaged out. Today, nobody stays with the same company, and wages are more tied to productivity and skill at every age. So you might expect people under 35 today to be paid less.
Also, male wages have tended to correct downward as female wages have corrected upward. There was wage discrimination, and the women, in effect, used to subsidize the men. Now that this is correcting, male wages have been lagging a bit.
Washington, D.C.: Steven: Early submittal that I hope you can answer. I'd be curious about the basis for Rose's data correction for the "typical American family." My understanding is the "typical" family is less typical now, due to more never married households (some with kids). I believe unmarried heads of households make up over half of households now. Thus, Rose's apples-to-apples comparison of "typical American" families misses the bigger story on income. I'd be curious about whether, in his complete book, he compares other, atypical households and how they have done over the past 30 years, especially accounting for government and employer-provided benefits. Thanks for considering this question.
Steven Pearlstein: He makes that important adjustment you refer to, for household size, that very much impacts standard of living. And by doing that, he gets a better way to compare living standards over time. So he does just what you want him to.
Atlanta, Ga.: I must admit, when I saw the discussion topic: income gap, I thought: oh, no not another diatribe about how the middle class is shrinking and we have to do something about it (your fellow columnist, Robert Samuelson, has a great article on basically that topic, although it has to to do with gas prices, today).
The truth is, everyone does better, even when 'just' the top earns more. We are doing so much better than 20 or 30 years ago, when houses were smaller, people thought of certain things as luxuries (cable TV, the internet, cell phones). Also, clothes were MUCH more expensive. No one talks about that, or about how food was more expensive (even though prices have been rising lately, but really, not so much).
Honestly, most countries (all countries?) in the world have a much larger income/wealth gap. Nowhere near what we have.
Steven Pearlstein: Actually, other industrial countries have smaller income gaps because of unions, labor rules and social norms that frown on excess compensation and keep wage structures pretty compressed.
Gaithersburg, Md.: Oops -- I don't know if my interrupted question got sent or what. Anyway, very simply -- I've seen stats showing that the median income adjusted for inflation hit a peak in the early 70s and been declining since. And I've seen lots of other measures showing that the separation between the top 20 percent and the rest of the population has greatly increased since the Reagan Revolution.
Steven Pearlstein: You can find a data set to prove almost anything, but as Rosen very carefully demonstrates, it is just not true that American living standards for the typical or median household haven't improved since the 1970s. Has the growth been unevenly distributed since then. Yes. But stagnant? That's overdoing it.
Falls Church, Va.: You wrote: "the negative opinions that many Americans hold about the economy and jobs generally stand in sharp contrast to the opinions they hold about their own job and their own economic prospects."
Does this reflect media influence? Not so much an ideological bias, but just an institutional bias toward bad news seeming more newsworthy and therefore getting too much emphasis?
Steven Pearlstein: Maybe the press is guilty of some of that, yes.
Raleigh, N.C.: Good morning! Very provocative, informative article. As a card-carrying liberal, I may have to re-think many of my positions on a variety of issues.
However, I think your article glossed over a very important issue, namely, income security. While the data you present on incomes are certainly good news, my perception is that the Dems' message resonates because the middle class lifestyle is less secure than it once was. That's due to the health care problem, internationalization of white collar jobs, etc. But it's real. Even if Person X hasn't been affected, he goes to church with Person Y who has been laid off or plunged into financial crisis by health care bills. So while Person X is doing pretty well, he's afraid of becoming Person Y.
I guess this isn't a question, but rather a comment intended to elicit a rebuttal.
Steven Pearlstein: Yes, the sense of economic security is less, and it is hard to pick that up in the economic data, but you do see it in the polling data on economic outlook.
Washington, D.C.: Alan Reynolds recently wrote a column which showed that the top fifth's share of disposable income was 44.9 percent in 2004 - essentially unchanged from the 44.8 percent figure of 1993.
In a Feb. 6 Wall Street Journal article with David Henderson, he demonstrated that the top 1 percent's share appeared to increase only because the CBO incorrectly adds an unbelievably huge and rising share of corporate profits to top incomes. Even with that overestimate included, however, the top 1 percent's share of after-tax income increased from 8 percent in 1979 to 12 percent in 1988 and was still 12 percent in 2003. Is Reynolds correct?
Steven Pearlstein: Have no idea. But I think the data, on the whole, is pretty clear that the people at the very top have been running away with an increasingly disproportionate share of the productivity gains in recent years.
New York, N.Y.: Steve, I generally agree with the premise of your article that the middle class is not caving in. However, what's changed over the last number of years is that many of us (middle class or not) are a few small steps away from real trouble. Serious health problems or a job loss could be a catastrophe.
With this in mind, its shameful that we spend our time and money giving tax breaks for private equity funds and for capital gains. By no means am I saying bleed the wealthy, but lets have policies that make some sense. Thanks!!
Steven Pearlstein: There's a lot we could do to make the tax code fairer and, in the process, redistribute some of that money going to those at the very top.
Philadelphia, Pa.: RE: Falling Up
How much of this is wealth has been generated through the credit and real estate bubble? How quickly will those upper class fall back into middle class? And, how many in the middle class will fall to the bottom? As debt becomes more expensive I fear our increasing consumer-driven economy will show that the Democrats are not so far off the mark as the study suggests.
Steven Pearlstein: It is a worry worth having.
Washington, D.C.: Steven, just wanted to thank you for a thoughtful analysis. It's great to see someone get beyond political rhetoric and examine the facts.
New York, N.Y.: What's with the Bush obsession? Steve, from your readers it seems like he's at fault for everything. I think one of the biggest risks to the middle class is the upcoming and inevitable crisis with Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. And that's not even touching how the states are mortgaged up the wazoo for employee pensions and benefits.
Steven Pearlstein: That point about public employee pensions is one that most people are unaware of.
Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: Hi Rick, In your column you write that Rose's research adjusted for the increase in spousal work hours -- but what of total work hours? Those two factors -- more women entering the workforce and everyone working longer hours -- I had thought were behind increases in household income. Also, increases in productivity have been huge recently, yet increases in wages not so huge, if measurable at all. How does one explain this conundrum?
Steven Pearlstein: There is a cyclical quality to the productivity story, so it is only late in the business cycle that the gains to workers show up in their paycheck. The lag, in fact, has been getting longer. So you are only now seeing wages (and benefits, dont forget them) rising. Whether the share of GDP going to profits will turn down toward the norn, we'll have to see. Right now it is at record levels.
Of course, that deals with the question of labor's share of output. Then there is the question of how labor's share is divided, and we have been talking today about how the share of the people at the very top has been rising. But its probably not true that NONE of the productivity gains have gone to the average worker. What is true is that less of it is going to the average worker than in the past.
Bow, N.H.: Why remove households headed by a person under 29? There are, for better or worse, a lot of single women under 29 who have school-age children.
Steven Pearlstein: Obviously. The reason for removing them is that the "average" or "median" data is often used, in a political context, to talk about what's going on in the "typical" household of mom and dad and two kids (which, as you point out, represent a shrinking part of the mix). And so it is often useful to know what is going on in those typical households. That's the reson for segmenting the data like that.
Okay, Okay, It's Not Bush's Fault: Can we at least blame Reagan?
Silver Spring, Md.: As a technical person I love data but I think these discussions often lose the detail of wage income versus unearned income. Some folks like to keep the focus on wages (I'm thinking of flat tax proponents). But I would guess that the very wealthy have a lot of unearned income that is tougher to accurately tabulate (I'm thinking of all of that 'estate planning' that goes on).
If you're a family living paycheck to paycheck, it's harder to take advantage of the ultimate tax shelter (death). OK, I'll go back to looking for those family farms affected by the death tax.
Steven Pearlstein: Good point. Also, the data that Rosen uses doesn't include capital gains, which in recent years, is a big deal.
Alexandria: Those jobs in the low-end of "upper class," aren't they the ones that expect uncompensated overtime? Are we better off after salaries are adjusted to actual hours worked?
Steven Pearlstein: Some people think not.
Princeton, N.J.: Under Eisenhower the top marginal income tax rate was 91 percent and dividends and cap gains were taxed as regular income. Sweden has an overall tax rate of 50.2 percent and their GDP growth averaged 2.5 percent during the last 10 years. The corresponding figures for the US are 26.4 percent and 2.1 percent. I think it is clear what to do about wealth inequality.
Steven Pearlstein: If you mean raise taxes on the rich, I'm sure we need to do some of that. But if 50 percent is your upper limit, which seems to me a good one, adding 35 percent federal and 10 percent state gets you pretty close. Going back to 39 percent, as under Clinton, is probably the right idea.
Laurel:"The only thing you might want to do is redistribute some of those winnings after they are made through the tax and benefit system."
But since the wealthy make much of their income through investments, shouldn't there be a way to structure the tax system so that investments that help middle-class Americans would be taxed less highly than investments that don't?
I mean, it probably helps the economy more to build a factory than speculate in foreign currency, so can't we try to encourage the "right kind" of investment income?
Steven Pearlstein: Nice idea in theory, but it probably won't work so well in real life. Tax systems are best when used to raise money efficiently and fairly, not "manage" the private economy or correct for market imperfections.
Washington, D.C.: Hi Mr Pearlstein, I grew up here (lived here 32 years), and cannot afford to buy in the modest middle class neighborhood that my parents live in (they wouldn't be able to buy their house now, either). Both my husband and I have doctoral degrees (he's a PhD, I'm a DVM), and we are considering leaving this area so that we can find a house without an hour's commute.
My question is this--do you think in the long term that places (such as DC) are going to suffer a significant "brain drain" in the coming years because it is too expensive to live here? (or will there always be enough highly paid people to afford it?)
Steven Pearlstein: Probably will work the other way, actually. Washington is so expensive now because of housing costs that only those who earn big money will be able to live here. And that means higher education levels, not lower. I suppose it matters what advanced degree you have. A PhD. in classical literature probably will find Washington a very expensive place.
Steven Pearlstein: That's all for today, folks. Hope to "see" you next week.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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 business columnist Steven Pearlstein discusses the disappearing middle class.
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Supreme Court Upholds Limits for Pay Bias Lawsuits
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Washington Post Supreme Court reporter Robert Barnes was online Wednesday, May 30 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the court's decision in a gender discrimination case, as well as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's sharply-worded dissent and growing frustration as the only woman on the court.
Over Ginsburg's Dissent, Court Limits Bias Suits (Post, May 30)
Robert Barnes: Good afternoon and thanks for tuning in to our Supreme Court chat. I'll answer what I can about yesterday's ruling and also anything else about the court and its current term. And if there are some things I don't know -- the list is very long -- maybe we'll throw it out to the crowd. There are already a number of questions, and I'll get to as many as I can in the next hour.
Rockville, Md.: The most basic question: Why did the Congress establish the 180-day requirement that is the crux of the problem in the current case? The facts in this case seem so commonplace; 180 days seems absurdly too few. How did this timeframe come about?
Robert Barnes: There are a number of questions about this, so I'll try to answer this one. I'm not sure of the legislative history, but Justice Alito said in the majority opinion that it was to insure the prompt processing of complaints. He agreed that 180 days was "short by any measure" but added "this short deadline reflects Congress' strong preference for the prompt resolution of employment discrimination allegations through voluntary conciliation and cooperation."
Washington: What is the language in the current law that describes when the 180 day "clock" starts? I'm curious if it simply wasn't defined or if the definition was vague.
Robert Barnes: The appeals court that overturned the jury verdict said the law requires that a suit be filed within 180 days "after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred." Because Ledbetter could not prove a specific act of discrimination occurred within the 180 days before she filed her suit, the court ruled against her.
New York: It seems like the majority opinion means newly-hired women will have to either within months of being hired "rock the boat" about whether their salary is commensurate with males, or just eat the loss. The former seems unlikely in the real world, so I was wondering whether you know how many of the Justices have worked "on the ground" in the private sector, and have experience with the private workplace?
Robert Barnes: Well, certainly many of them have worked in the private sector, although all of the current justices were judges immediately before joining the court. At least I think I'm right about that.
Washington: The plaintiff was from Alabama, as am I, and the press there is quoting attorneys there as saying "we still have the equal pay act of 1963" -- either implying that Ms. Ledbetter sued under the wrong statute or that at least there is still a remedy at law. Is that true, and if so, why would that be?
Robert Barnes: Ledbetter sued both under Title VII and the Equal Pay Act. At an early stage of the proceedings, a judge dismissed her complaint under the EPA and allowed the Title VII suit to go forward. Ginsburg said during oral arguments that she thought Ledbetter might have a better claim under the EPA, which does not require filing a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or proof of intentional discrimination. "If Ledbetter had pursued her EPA claim, she would not face the Title VII obstacles she now confronts," Alito wrote
Manassas, Va.: While I agree that the ruling is not very nice for the plaintiff, The Post's intro of "the 5-4 ruling that puts a time limit of 180 days to file a pay discrimination suit" is misleading. The court simply found that in accordance with the statute she had to file within 180 days. The way to fix this is to change the law, not to argue with the findings of the court, or the subjective "fairness" of the decision.
Robert Barnes: You are right that the court did not impose the time limitation, Congress did, and if Congress is unhappy with the decision it can change the law. That happened in 1991 when Congress disagreed with a court decision about elements of civil rights law. As Ginsburg said, "the ball lies again in Congress' court."
Wayne, Pa.: I have two points: With respect to Ledbetter v. Goodyear, the concept of equitable tolling seems applicable there, especially when there is a cumulative effect of the discrimination. Regarding general civil rights and discrimination lawsuits, I think we have seen the end result of conservative dominance of the courts. One of Nixon's goals when he nominated William Rehnquist was to see the fairly expansive Civil Rights rulings of the Warren Court rolled back. Your comments?
Robert Barnes: I think it's natural for a president to want to appoint justices who share his (should we add now, her?) views about the law. It just doesn't always work out that way.
San Diego: As you highlighted the "as written" portion of the decision, any idea if the law is going to be amended? I agree with the Court that an open-ended period for discrimination suits may be too long, but six months is unrealistically short. Five years seems more reasonable for employer and employee.
Robert Barnes: I don't know if it will be changed, but several members of Congress -- Sen. Clinton's was the first press release I received -- said they would sponsor legislation. But this is also a very important decision for business, which believes that a ruling the other way would have opened the door for complaints from long ago.
About the 180 days: A private-sector employee has to file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (or state or local fair employment commission) within 180 days of the alleged unlawful employment practice. It does not sound burdensome to me, and it does prevent stale claims. In the federal sector, an employee must contact an EEO counselor within 45 days of the alleged unlawful employment practice.
Robert Barnes: I'll post this and then a "reply" from another reader
St. Simons Island, Ga.: The majority's reading of the statute effectively nullifies it. The majority states that it was the intent of the party who initially set the plaintiff's lower salary that resulted in the violation, thus requiring her to file the claim within 180 days thereafter. Of course, the objective evidence of wage discrimination only can be discernable through time as the disparities become apparent. Unless the person setting the salary announces his intent to discriminate (not too likely) how could it ever be established within the 180-day period? To say that this is a strained reading of the statute would be charitable.
Robert Barnes: Y'all should be on the court.
Washington: I dislike Supreme Court reporting that centers around margins (i.e. 5-4). A close decision is as legitimate and precedent-setting as a 9-0 decision. Your story today focuses on Ginsburg's dissent rather than the majority opinion, which matters a great deal more. Why, in your reporting, did you concentrate on a decision margin rather than the substance of a case?
Robert Barnes: Well, I hope you did learn something about the substance of the case from the article. To me, Ginsburg's dissent from the bench -- her second in a relatively short period of time -- said something important about the way the court is changing and the emerging frictions. I thought it was as interesting as the specifics of the case. Others could disagree -- and have. And while you're right that a 5-4 decision is precedent just as a unanimous one is, it is also easier to overturn with a relatively small change in personnel. The decision upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act is a good example. It will be interesting to see what happens to other issues decided by a 5-4 margin in which Justice O'Connor was in the majority.
Minneapolis: Ginsburg's dissent is, to me, representative of an activist's complaint that the Court majority interpreted the law instead of overriding it and creating a new "more fair" law. ... Shouldn't her complaint be against the legislative branch and not her fellow judicial branch members?
Robert Barnes: That is certainly a popular view among some. Ginsburg claimed the court's reading of Title VII was "parsimonious," a good legal word I always have trouble spelling.
Re: 180 days: But shouldn't be 180 days from having knowledge of the unfair pay practice? If I just find out today that my male co-worker makes significantly more than me, that should start the clock.
Robert Barnes: Well, the majority said that's not what the statute says. Ginsburg seemed to say she would be more generous than that, because a woman might not want to go to court immediately because of a small pay discrepancy, but would if the pattern continued over time.
Atlanta: There appears to be a belief that had Justice O'Connor still been on the bench that the Ledbetter case would have turned out differently. Yet my recollection is that O'Connor dissented from the majority opinion in the Amtrak v. Morgan, which approved the application of the continuing violation doctrine in hostile environment cases. On what basis is it that people now believe O'Connor would have viewed a discriminatory pay case in a different light?
Robert Barnes: You're right -- the majority in that case was Thomas, Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg and Breyer, with O'Connor concurring in part and dissenting in part. Remember though that O'Connor has been both praised and criticized for deciding only the case that was in front of her. Perhaps there is a feeling she was "gettable" on this case, or that her philosophy changed since that 2002 decision.
Philadelphia: I guess the only way around the pay equity between the genders is to have all salaries be public. Otherwise, how do I know what others are being paid?
Indianapolis: The question before the Court was not whether there would be a 180 day deadline for filing -- that bright-line rule was established by Congress and not challenged here. The question was at what point the clock begins to tick. On that point, Congress did not speak with clarity and courts have had to do their work. To permit readers to form a true understanding of this issue, it is important to characterize the question with precision.
My take -- in practical effect, this decision should lead minorities, women, etc. to have a hair trigger for filing EEOC claims any and every time any worker is afforded a bigger wage increase. Businesses should stop and think about the nightmare that would render.
Robert Barnes: That's an opinion others have shared, but you put it very well.
Arlington, Va.: Let's not forget that this affects government employees as well. Government discrimination is often more difficult to prove than private sector discrimination, and limits your future employability in other ways.
Robert Barnes: I'm not sure I understand why it is more difficult to prove.
Falls Church, Va.: I've been working in the D.C. area since 1980 as a professional. I've been chased from the Federal government by affirmative action, worked in the private sector for 8A companies whose owners are getting rich while I can't start an 8A company, and heard many many stories about white males with far more qualifications working under less-qualified minorities or women because of needed diversification. So Ginsburg's rebuttal is nothing to my ears.
Robert Barnes: I don't think you'd find a justice who didn't think women and men should be paid equal wages for the same work. Goodyear argued that Ledbetter was paid less because she was not as good a worker, but the jury that heard the evidence disagreed, and awarded her $3.5 million, which was reduced by the judge to $360,000
Central Ohio: For the first time in our nations history, we now have a Catholic majority on our Supreme Court. Yet it appears to be taboo in the press to acknowledge this aspect of the new majority. So far, when this new majority has come together in its decisions, its rulings seem to favor the Vatican's positions on abortion, the death penalty and the status of women. Recently there has been some controversy about whether politicians who deviate from the Vatican's teachings should be given communion. I believe this has been left up to local Bishops to decide, and I think I read some where that the Pope said that politicians who deviate in effect excommunicated themselves, so there is no need for the Church to do it. Do you have any thoughts on why this new majority is seldom if ever identified as Catholic, and on whether it will pose a threat to our tradition of separation of church and state?
washingtonpost.com: Did Justices' Catholicism Play Part in Abortion Ruling? (Post, April 30)
Robert Barnes: I believe your assertion is wrong. The same majority that upheld the abortion procedure ban is also the most reliable in upholding death sentences.
Washington: I want to correct an emerging misconception that an employee who suspects pay discrimination has to go to court (i.e. sue his or her employer) within 180 days. They can go to the EEOC or local fair employment commission, who must then investigate or attempt to conciliate the charge.
Robert Barnes: We'll let that be the last word. Thanks very much for stopping by. The current term will be completed at the end of June, and we'll learn a lot more about this newly reconstituted court by then. I hope we'll have more chances to talk about it.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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 Supreme Court reporter Robert Barnes will be online to discuss the court's decision in a gender discrimination case, as well as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's sharply-worded dissent and growing frustration as the only woman on the court.
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The Great Escape
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For years, when people would ask what my plans were for the future, I would say something about my goals as a writer, then add, "And someday I'll quit my job and go to Latin America for six months." It was a real desire, yes -- but a pipe dream.
Until I actually did it. Saved money, sold my car, had a yard sale, put stuff in storage, rented my condo, designated my boyfriend as power of attorney (just in case) and flew to Guatemala.
The pre-trip planning was filled with anxiety: Would I run out of money? Would I, nearing age 35, be the "old" traveler staying in hostels? Was this career-ending suicide?
Answer to all of the above: No.
Leaving the real world behind to travel for more than the standard two-week vacation isn't hard to do -- a few days into my trip in November 2005, I realized the angst was for naught. And it's less expensive than most people think. With a little courage, frugal budgeting and, in some cases, home-equity refinancing, people of all backgrounds -- successful, career-minded folks with a healthy dose of wanderlust -- are taking the plunge.
Anne Morgan Scully, president of McCabe World Travel in McLean, says she and her colleagues in the industry have seen an increase in families taking long trips, such as spending the summer in China, India and Japan. "This didn't happen five years ago," she says. "This is new."
The payoff is a unique opportunity to see other countries, or your own, in ways that simply aren't possible with a limited number of vacation days. These trips are educational endeavors filled with lessons on culture, language, history, science and independence. Think of it as an adult study-abroad program.
Sean McIlvain, a 41-year-old Washington graphic/Web designer, spent three years "thinking, talking big and planning" for a 10-month around-the-world backpacking trip. When his day job became less than desirable, he quit. "I bought the round-the-world ticket two weeks later."
McIlvain, who left town in July 2005, says he met plenty of Europeans who were traveling for long periods. "These were people of all ages, walks of life, men and women of varying professional backgrounds," he writes in an e-mail. (The two of us, in fact, met for the first time in a hostel in Arequipa, Peru -- even though we live just blocks apart in Washington.) "The stereotypical backpacker is the dread-headed, crusty hippie type," he says. "These people surely exist, but many backpackers are normal people with a desire to learn about the world outside of their home country."
I Think I Can, I Think I Can
The first step to taking a long -- and long-dreamed-about -- trip is to believe in it. Vince Meldrum and Janalee Jordan-Meldrum rented out their Arlington home in December 2005 to spend a year in Mendoza, Argentina, with their then-3-year-old daughter, Mia. They come back to Washington periodically to visit, and every time, Meldrum says, someone walks up to him and comments, "I so wish I could do that; I just don't have the ability." It's a mind-set he and Jordan-Meldrum probably shared, he says, before they moved to the land of Malbecs. "The biggest piece of advice I would give: Just believe you can do it."
Gabrielle Sedor seconds that. She and her husband, Michael Sedor, then both 29, said goodbye to full-time office jobs in March 2004 and set off on a 20-month cross-country trip to visit every national park, monument, battlefield and historic site in the United States. "We saw people home-schooling their kids, traveling the country along with us," she says. "We saw people hiking with babies on their backs. . . . Every excuse that you can come up with, we saw people disproving it."
Okay, fine, say you, the reader weary of the daily grind, but how can I possibly afford it? This was the sticking point for me. But once I got serious about saving and calculated how much I would need for a budget-minded trip with the occasional splurge, my travels no longer seemed the stuff of trust funds and fairy tales.
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Find Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland travel information, including web fares, Washington DC tours, beach/ski guide, international and United States destinations. Featuring Mid-Atlantic travel, airport information, traffic/weather updates
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Zoellick Debuts As Bank Nominee
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Robert B. Zoellick, freshly anointed by President Bush as his choice to lead the World Bank, yesterday spoke in conciliatory tones about healing the rifts left from the tenure of the previous appointee, Paul D. Wolfowitz.
"The World Bank has passed through a difficult time for all involved," Zoellick said at a morning announcement at the White House. "There are frustrations, anxieties, and tensions about the past that could inhibit the future. This is understandable but not without remedy. We need to put yesterday's discord behind us and to focus on the future together."
VIDEO | President Bush on Wednesday tapped his former trade chief and No. 2 diplomat, Robert Zoellick, to run the World Bank, embarking on a healing process to mend wounds inflicted by outgoing president Paul Wolfowitz.
Zoellick, a former U.S. trade representative and deputy secretary of state, said he would spend the coming weeks sounding out bank staff, development experts and governments around the world on what the World Bank should focus on, while courting support.
"I need to learn more," Zoellick said, adding that he hoped to "build consensus about the direction of the institution."
Zoellick also said he would lead the bank as an internationalist. "I'm pleased and proud to be an American, but it's a different role in an international institution," he said.
Early indications were that Zoellick's nomination had eased tensions, with many world leaders expressing their support of it.
In Europe, where Wolfowitz and his role as a chief advocate for the Iraq war provoked hostility, many noted Zoellick's experience as a diplomat.
"I hope that Mr. Zoellick will reestablish -- or establish -- confidence," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Germany's development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, who had called for Wolfowitz's resignation and even uninvited him from a meeting to discuss Africa, praised Zoellick as "a good candidate who brings a large measure of international experience with him," according to Reuters.
African officials noted Zoellick's focus on their continent during his time at the State Department. But some African leaders, even while praising Zoellick, assailed the tradition under which the United States selects the World Bank president. Developing countries have long said the arrangement marginalizes their interests.
South Africa, which chairs a bloc of 20 industrial and emerging nations including Brazil, China, India and Russia, reiterated the group's calls that the next World Bank president be chosen not in deference to the White House, but in an open process.
By rule, Zoellick will be considered by the bank's executive board with any other nominees. By tradition, he is -- as the choice of the U.S. president -- the presumptive World Bank president. Senior bank officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, said Zoellick's approval was all but certain.
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Robert B. Zoellick, freshly anointed by President Bush as his choice to lead the World Bank, yesterday spoke in conciliatory tones about healing the rifts left from the tenure of the previous appointee, Paul D. Wolfowitz.
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An ATM That's Out of Money
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For a long time, Paul and Amy Woodhull's house on Capitol Hill was a honey pot. Through multiple refinancings over nearly a decade, they pulled out money to fix it up, buy a car, pay down credit cards, buy three other properties and improve them, too.
Now the pot is dry. The Woodhulls are feeling squeezed by bills, but with interest rates up and home prices down, they're reluctant to touch their home equity again. They called their six children into a family meeting recently, and Amy laid down new rules: No more impulse purchases or frivolous shopping trips. "We're going to have to save our pennies," she declared.
That seems to be the new motto in many an American household.
For years, as the bull market in housing gathered steam, people used their homes as glorified ATMs, pulling out money for all sorts of reasons. The trend helped support continued economic growth and recovery from the 2001 recession.
But now people are reining in their spending, raising concern that their collective decisions could nudge a sluggish U.S. economy into recession.
Already, a small slowdown in the growth of consumer spending and a big plunge in home construction helped cool U.S. economic growth to a weak 1.3 percent annual rate in the first three months of this year. The nation's retail sales fell in April, and many retailers are reporting disappointing sales so far this month.
Economists are dividing into two camps: the highly pessimistic and the slightly pessimistic.
The gloomier analysts predict the overstretched consumer will soon pull back sharply, no longer able to tap rising home equity to make up for lackluster wage growth, rising debt-service costs and gasoline topping $3 a gallon.
In this scenario, rising home foreclosures and tightening lending standards will prolong the housing downturn. As consumers and businesses curtail spending, unemployment is expected to rise above 5 percent by year-end from a low 4.5 percent now.
"The consumer has been spending beyond his means and is now on the ropes," said economist Nouriel Roubini, chairman of consulting firm Roubini Global Economics. His warnings have been dismissed by many mainstream economists, but he turned out to be right last summer when he predicted a more severe housing slump than commonly expected. Now, he said, "I see a quite significant chance of recession, well above 50 percent."
But many other economists, including those at the Federal Reserve, are not quite as worried. They think the surge in home sales and prices earlier this decade boosted consumer spending on the margins. Meanwhile, the primary drivers of consumer spending are employment and income growth, which have held up over the last year, they say.
Consumer spending did slow in the first quarter, but to a strong 3.8 percent annual rate of increase from a torrid 4.2 percent pace at the end of 2006. Now many analysts expect consumer spending to lose steam, likely rising at a pace below 3 percent in coming months. That would hold economic growth to a moderate pace, but wouldn't be a severe enough pullback to pitch the nation into a recession, they say.
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For a long time, Paul and Amy Woodhull's house on Capitol Hill was a honey pot. Through multiple refinancings over nearly a decade, they pulled out money to fix it up, buy a car, pay down credit cards, buy three other properties and improve them, too.
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Earl Ubell, 80; Reporter on Science and Health
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Earl Ubell, 80, a journalist who covered the leading health and science breakthroughs of the postwar age with a lively and effective style, died May 30 at a nursing facility in Englewood, N.J. He had Parkinson's disease and dementia.
Mr. Ubell, who had a physics degree, first came to prominence as science editor at the old New York Herald Tribune from 1953 until the paper folded in 1966. At the newspaper, he won a prestigious Albert Lasker medical journalism award for his series of articles about heart attacks.
He later became a science reporter and news director at broadcast network affiliates in New York and spent many years simultaneously as health editor at Parade magazine. He also wrote several books for juveniles and one aimed at adults called "How to Save Your Life" (1973).
Writing about science, Mr. Ubell constantly faced a dilemma: how to convey information to lay readers as well as editors who tended to view health and medical coverage as a necessary but often incomprehensible, jargon-filled area. This attitude was perhaps best exemplified by a Herald Tribune city editor who once said, "Anything that ends in 'ology' we give to Earl."
Mr. Ubell's skill was translating science into English. He detested many conventional journalism practices, including the "inverted pyramid" style of news writing that places the key information up high and becomes increasingly less urgent.
"It says, 'The more you read me, the less interesting I get,' " he told an interviewer.
His stories often tended to feel like features instead of hard news. He began his front-page account of the first Sputnik flight in October 1957 this way: "Our planet has a new moon tonight." This is often cited as one of his best opening lines, which he considered amusing because the story was cobbled together at the last minute.
When the news broke, Mr. Ubell was at a conference at the Soviet Embassy in Washington honoring the International Geophysical Year. He immediately went about the conference asking Soviet scientists and bureaucrats about the space launch.
Richard Kluger wrote in a history of the Herald Tribune that Mr. Ubell "dashed to the Tribune bureau and without clips or supporting data at his fingertips wrote up one of the big stories of the century mostly out of his head." Kluger, the Herald Tribune's onetime book editor, added that Mr. Ubell's story was "written with a panache that made the [New York Times's] conventional factuality look positively arid."
While at the Herald Tribune, Mr. Ubell interviewed physicist Albert Einstein and wrote about Jonas Salk's work on a polio vaccine and James Watson and Francis Crick's discovery of the structure of DNA. He was one of the early chroniclers of sex researcher Alfred Kinsey and was credited by Kluger for his tasteful yet frank analysis of Kinsey's research that very likely was among the first times the word "orgasm" ran on the front page of a family newspaper.
Besides winning a 1957 Lasker Award for his reporting, he received a journalism prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1960 for a story about theoretical astrophysicist Thomas Gold's work on steady-state theory that tried to explain the universe's origin and continuous creation.
Mr. Ubell was known for an impertinent style of asking questions that aimed to puncture lofty claims and jargon. Stuart H. Loory, a former Herald Tribune colleague who later became a CNN executive, called Mr. Ubell "an enfant terrible who did not like being pushed around."
Earl Ubell was born June 21, 1926, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Russian-Jewish immigrants. He spoke Yiddish until he went to school and then became fluent enough in English to become managing editor of the high school newspaper.
He joined the Herald Tribune as a messenger in 1943, then rejoined the staff as a reporter after returning from Navy service during World War II. He received a bachelor's degree in physics from City College of New York in 1948.
As a newspaperman, he became an authority on X-ray crystallography, a technique to view atomic and molecular structures, and was invited to study at Nobel laureate Linus C. Pauling's lab at the California Institute of Technology. He later worked for brief periods at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Mr. Ubell told Kluger his lab work "was an invaluable way of understanding what drives" scientists.
Besides a stint in the mid-1970s as news director at WNBC-TV, he spent the remainder of his career as science editor at WCBS-TV. He retired in 1995, having completed a two-part series about his struggle with Parkinson's disease.
He was a former president of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. With his wife, he founded the Center for Modern Dance Education, a nonprofit community arts school near his home in Hackensack, N.J.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Shirley Leitman Ubell of Hackensack; two children, Lori Ubell of Portland, Ore., and Michael Ubell of Oakland, Calif.; three brothers; three stepsisters; three grandsons; and four great-grandchildren.
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Get Washington DC,Maryland,Virginia news. Includes news headlines from The Washington Post. Get info/values for Washington DC,Maryland,Virginia homes. Features schools,crime,government,traffic,lottery,religion,obituaries.
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Ernst & Young Partners Charged
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Four current and former Ernst & Young partners were charged yesterday with conspiracy and other crimes, accused of peddling abusive tax shelters to the accounting firm's moneyed clients in the latest advance in the government's largest-ever tax fraud investigation.
Federal prosecutors did not definitively resolve the probe of Ernst, one of the nation's four biggest audit firms, leaving open the prospect that the firm could be subject to possible financial penalties and other punishment. But high-ranking officials, including three lawyers, face more than a decade in prison if they are convicted.
Authorities singled out Robert Coplan, former director of Ernst's Center for Wealth Planning and a onetime official at the Internal Revenue Service; Martin Nissenbaum, who leads Ernst's personal income tax and retirement planning practice; Richard Shapiro, a tax partner; and Brian Vaughn, a former tax partner.
Each of the men worked in an Ernst unit known as VIPER, an acronym for Value Ideas Produce Extraordinary Results. From 1998 to 2004, they helped wealthy individuals slash or eliminate taxes they owed by creating off-the-shelf tax products that brought Ernst millions of dollars, government lawyers said.
Three of the men used a tax shelter in 2000 to evade their own taxes, according to Michael J. Garcia, the U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. In all, that shelter helped them and eight other Ernst executives skirt nearly $4 million in tax liabilities.
Garcia said that activity by the Ernst executives "far exceeds the bounds of legitimate tax planning and reflects flagrant disregard of the law."
Ernst & Young, which paid $15 million to settle related allegations with the IRS in 2003, said it had long ago disbanded the unit involved in the shelter work. Two of the partners charged yesterday had been on paid administrative leave under the terms of the firm's partnership agreement since August 2006, according to Ernst spokesman Charles Perkins. Two others had already departed the firm.
"Ernst & Young has cooperated with the government from the beginning of its investigation," the firm said in a statement. "We have voluntarily made many changes and enhancements to our tax practice."
Each of the men pleaded not guilty in proceedings before a federal judge in New York yesterday afternoon. Lawyers for the executives said they were disappointed by the government's decision to proceed with the case.
Ernst generated nearly $125 million in fees through the sale of four tax strategies mentioned in the indictment, prosecutors said. The executives allegedly worried about putting some of the deal terms in writing and leaving PowerPoint presentations in the hands of clients, according to memos and e-mail messages cited in the indictment.
They allegedly worked in tandem with willing law firms that blessed the tax strategies in exchange for fees of $50,000 to $100,000 apiece. The deals were designed to look like money-losing investments that would create phony losses for people facing taxable income of $10 million or $20 million, according to the indictment.
Coplan and Vaughn are also charged with misleading IRS investigators as part of a 2002 audit the agency conducted into Ernst's sale of tax shelters.
Criminal charges against Ernst itself appear unlikely given recent decisions by federal prosecutors in New York, who expressed concern that an indictment could drive key accounting and law firms out of business.
But the firm could face other sanctions. For instance, the government reached a $456 million settlement with accounting firm KPMG in 2005, but it has also filed criminal charges against 16 former officials there in a case that has yet to go to trial.
Last week, Garcia announced he would not seek an indictment of Chicago law firm Sidley Austin for its role in approving abusive tax shelters for clients.
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Four current and former Ernst & Young partners were charged yesterday with conspiracy and other crimes, accused of peddling abusive tax shelters to the accounting firm's moneyed clients in the latest advance in the government's largest-ever tax fraud investigation.
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Man With Rare TB Detained, Isolated
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The federal government last week detained and quarantined an Atlanta man who had spent nearly two weeks traveling in the United States, Canada and Europe with "extensively drug-resistant" tuberculosis, a rare and often fatal form of the infection, officials said yesterday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed an "order of isolation" on Friday after catching up with the man, who had flown into Montreal the day before and then driven to New York City. He was flown in a government plane on Memorial Day to Atlanta, where he is now undergoing treatment.
Although states occasionally use their authority to forcibly detain and treat patients with infections, this was the first time since 1963 the federal government has done so. The last case involved suspected importation of smallpox, a disease eradicated in the 1970s.
The CDC and the two airlines that transported the man twice across the Atlantic are laboriously trying to learn who had close, prolonged contact with him during the trip. Those people will then be contacted by local health departments -- potentially dozens of them on two continents.
"We don't think, from past scientific investigation, that their risk is high. But we want to offer them the chance to be tested," CDC Director Julie L. Gerberding said yesterday afternoon in a news briefing.
Although many details of the patient's recent activities were unknown or were not being disclosed yesterday, officials said the man had recently been diagnosed with TB and knew he should not travel when he left the United States on May 12.
After testing revealed his tuberculosis was extensively drug-resistant, he was contacted in Europe by health authorities and told not to take a commercial flight home -- advice he ignored.
Martin Cetron, a physician who directs the CDC's division of global migration and quarantine, said he spoke to the man by phone Friday and told him to go to a New York hospital. The man went willingly.
While the man had broken the "covenant of trust" that is usually sufficient to keep infectious TB patients from willfully exposing others, "from our perspective no laws were broken here," Gerberding said.
TB cases that are resistant to the two first-line classes of drugs and to at least two second-line classes have been detected in 37 countries and are increasing worldwide.
It is especially a problem in places such as South Africa and the former Soviet Union where TB treatment is inadequate, or prevalence of HIV infection is high. An outbreak killed 52 of 53 people it infected in a rural hospital in South Africa in 2005 and 2006, according to reports last summer. XDR-TB, as it is known, is rare in the United States, with only 49 cases detected since 1993, of which at least 12 were fatal, according to a CDC report in March.
Earlier this month, public health officials in Arizona obtained a court order allowing them to confine and treat a 27-year-old dual Russian-U.S. citizen who had undergone months of TB treatment in Russia, where he had often been homeless. He is undergoing treatment for XDR-TB in a Phoenix hospital.
In most people, the body's immune system controls the TB bacterium on its own, forcing it to become "latent," or inactive. Drug resistance does not make that less likely, nor does it make the microbe inherently more virulent or contagious.
Instead, XDR-TB's danger stems from the fact that when it does cause active illness, the infection is very hard to cure. That, in turn, increases the risk it will be passed on to someone else and that patients ill from it will die.
XDR-TB often occurs in prison populations and in people infected with HIV, but officials yesterday would not say whether the quarantined patient had either of those risk factors. He was described as a resident of the Atlanta area; his name, age and race were withheld.
Officials at the CDC and the Public Health Agency of Canada sketched this account of the case yesterday: The man was diagnosed with tuberculosis when he had an abnormal chest X-ray, which was done for another reason. A laboratory culture revealed TB bacteria in his phlegm. But he had no symptoms from the illness, and in particular no fever or cough.
He flew from Atlanta to Paris on May 12 on Air France Flight 385, arriving the next day. He flew back from Europe on May 24 aboard Czech Airlines Flight 0104, which departed from Prague. That flight arrived the same day in Montreal. He left Montreal in a rented car and drove to the United States, entering at Champlain, N.Y. The man's wife was with him in New York and accompanied him in the CDC plane to Atlanta. Where she met him -- or whether she traveled to Europe with him -- was unclear yesterday.
Officials did not say how many other countries he visited in Europe.
Brief or long-distance exposure to people with infectious TB rarely results in transmission of the microbe. Health authorities want to trace the people who sat in his row and two rows in front of and behind him on the transatlantic flights. Studies have shown that risk of infection is very unlikely outside that zone of exposure, or even within it for short periods of time.
Those passengers will be skin-tested to see if they have recently been exposed to the TB bacterium. If they have been exposed, they will be treated with anti-TB drugs.
Gerberding said the man had relatively little TB bacteria in his phlegm, a finding that makes it less likely -- although far from impossible -- that he would transmit the infection to someone else.
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The federal government last week detained and quarantined an Atlanta man who had spent nearly two weeks traveling in the United States, Canada and Europe with "extensively drug-resistant" tuberculosis, a rare and often fatal form of the infection, officials said yesterday.
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Thai Court Disbands Party of Ex-Premier
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BANGKOK, May 30 -- A court disbanded the political party of Thailand's ousted prime minister Wednesday, barring him and 110 party executives from politics for five years for violating election laws.
The ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal followed a guilty verdict against the Thai Rak Thai party for financing obscure parties to run against it last year to get around election turnout rules. The court also disbanded three smaller parties, two of them hired by Thai Rak Thai.
The ban is a stunning end for a party that two years ago was the most powerful in Thailand. Its demise began after the military overthrew Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September. The bloodless coup followed demonstrations by tens of thousands of people demanding Thaksin's resignation and accusing him of corruption.
"The defendant is responsible for holding up democratic ways" but instead used parliamentary elections "only as a means to achieve totalitarian power," Judge Vichai Chuenchompoonuj said.
The April 2006 balloting was annulled by the courts, leaving Thailand with a caretaker government.
The tribunal's decision, which cannot be appealed, was greeted with shock and tears at Thai Rak Thai headquarters, where hundreds watched the proceedings on television. Party leaders, however, urged supporters not to protest.
"We want to insist that we will not protest the ruling," Thai Rak Thai leader Chaturon Chaisaeng told reporters. "We know you are confused, some are disappointed. But we ask you to be patient and be prudent. As long as people have faith and belief in our party platforms, there will be a way out."
Before the ruling, Thaksin had also appealed for calm from exile in London. "We have to respect the rules of the game. That is, the rule of the law," he said.
Thai Rak Thai became the first party to win an absolute majority in parliament in 2005, and it remains popular with rural voters.
Earlier Wednesday, the court cleared Thailand's oldest political party of election law violations, bringing cheers and chants of "Democrats fight on" from crowds gathered at the Democrat Party headquarters.
The court ruled that the party had not maligned Thaksin or urged voters to cast a "no" vote. It also acquitted the party of using a smaller party to trick Thai Rak Thai into election law violations, and ruled that it had not obstructed a parliamentary candidate from registering in a southern area.
"Today is the day many of us have been waiting for," said Abhisit Vejjajiva, Democrat Party leader. "From tomorrow on, we have much to do, and our priority is to bring back democracy to the country and go forward with the elections."
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BANGKOK, May 30 -- A court disbanded the political party of Thailand's ousted prime minister Wednesday, barring him and 110 party executives from politics for five years for violating election laws.
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Obama Says Washington Is Ready for Health Plan
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Obama, who is among the front-runners for the Democratic presidential nomination, offered few new ideas in laying out his plan to expand health insurance and to greatly reduce health-care costs. Instead, he cast his proposal in the themes that have defined his candidacy: optimism and a desire to move beyond partisan politics. He offered ideas that have long been proposed to solve one of the country's most vexing problems: increasing subsidies for those who cannot afford insurance but do not qualify for public programs, spending more federal money on disease prevention and making health records electronic.
"We now face an opportunity -- and an obligation -- to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health-care debates," Obama told a crowd of medical professionals. "It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair."
Referring to the failed effort of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), one of his 2008 campaign rivals, to reform health care in the early 1990s, Obama said that achievements nationwide in recent years by Democratic and Republican governors show that expanding health care is no longer too politically dangerous. "We can do this," he said. "The climate is far different than it was the last time we tried this, in the early '90s."
The proposal, part of a series of speeches Obama has given over the past several weeks after he faced criticism from some party activists for speaking too much about his popular themes of hope and optimism rather than policy plans, in many ways resembles the ideas of some of his challengers. It comes as all the Democratic candidates, looking for advantage in a tight primary contest, are trying to find ideas that will connect best with liberals who want to see more aggressive action in expanding health care and ending the war in Iraq.
Like former senator John Edwards (N.C.), who outlined his health-care goals in February, Obama would pay for his plan, which could cost more than $50 billion, by increasing taxes for people earning more than $250,000 and reversing tax cuts that President Bush approved. Obama would require almost all employers to offer insurance to workers or face a tax penalty, an idea that many businesses abhor and that is also in Edwards's proposal. This employer mandate drove much of the opposition to the Clinton plan in 1994.
Like Clinton, who in a speech last week laid out some of her health-care ideas, Obama is focused as much on reducing the costs for those who are insured as on expanding coverage to the estimated 45 million Americans who are not. He called for the federal government to pay part of the costs for patients with chronic illnesses, so that employers would not have to do so, but also emphasized the importance of preventive care. It is important to "listen to our wives when they tell us to stop smoking," he said, referring to his own unhealthy habit.
Like many Democratic politicians, he blamed drug and health insurance companies for stopping the passage of more expansive health-care proposals.
The lack of new ideas in Obama's health plan in part reflects his approach. He has emphasized his freshness as a rationale for his candidacy, but that freshness has been much more about his tone and his rhetoric about hope and bipartisanship than his policy proposals, which have largely mirrored those of his 2008 rivals and the ideas that Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) offered in the 2004 presidential race.
One concept that Obama's plan does not include is a popular idea from both Democrats and Republicans who work on health-care issues: an "individual mandate" that would require every American to buy health insurance. A landmark plan that was approved in Massachusetts last year made such a requirement, and without it, health experts say, Obama's plan is unlikely to create universal health coverage, although his advisers estimated that it would provide insurance to almost all Americans. Edwards's proposal calls for such a mandate and Clinton is likely to include it in hers as well, her advisers said. Obama would require only that all children have health coverage.
The Clinton and Edwards campaigns quickly criticized Obama for not offering a plan that would require insurance for all. "Any plan that does not cover all Americans is simply inadequate," said Mark Kornblau, an Edwards spokesman.
Obama's advisers argued that such a mandate is less important than adding subsidies and other ways to make health care more affordable. The senator's aides estimated that his plan would save the average family $2,500 per year and would allow those without insurance to buy it through a new health-care option that would resemble the one federal employees can choose. They said it would create a national health entity from which people could buy private insurance plans.
"The key is not the mandate," said David Cutler, an economics professor at Harvard, who advised Obama on the plan. "It's the affordability and the accessibility."
Obama's allies described his proposal as far-reaching and achievable. Obama made a similar argument, telling the crowd in Iowa City that voters are tired of candidates who "offer up detailed health-care plans with great fanfare and promise, only to see them crushed under the weight of Washington politics and drug-insurance-industry lobbying once the campaign is over."
Bacon reported from Washington. Staff writer Christopher Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
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IOWA CITY, May 29 -- Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) echoed familiar Democratic themes on Tuesday in calling on businesses, insurance companies and lawmakers to reject the "failed politics" of past debates and overhaul the nation's health-care system to cover every American.
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Putting His Wealth to Work To Improve Urban Schools
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He counts the Prince George's County school superintendent and D.C. school board president among his disciples. He has advised the D.C. mayor on cuts in school system bureaucracy. He and a better-known West Coast entrepreneur are spending millions to persuade the next president of the United States to improve teacher quality and lengthen school days. He is spawning a new generation of school administrators who hail his name.
He is a billionaire, like his ally Bill Gates.
The question is: Can Eli Broad succeed in his campaign to help America's schools shed years of bad management practices and avoid the pitfalls of divisive community politics?
After creating two Fortune 500 companies -- residential developer KB Home and insurer SunAmerica -- the results-focused Broad has decided to use his money and expertise to help urban school systems tunnel through a mountain of obstacles that have long held back student achievement.
He and his wife, Edythe, have committed more than $250 million to school improvement projects since 1999, and they plan to spend most of the Broad Foundation's $2.25 billion in assets on education. The Los Angeles couple, along with Bill and Melinda Gates, are widely considered the most influential public education philanthropists in the country.
Broad (rhymes with road) has provided much of the money and advice behind efforts to bring business practices -- including freedom from what he considers meddlesome school boards -- to New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Now he has turned his attention to the District. His conversations with D.C. officials, Broad watchers say, are likely to bring more money and expertise to efforts to overhaul the school system.
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's plan to take control of the D.C. schools is just what Broad has been recommending for many troubled urban systems. In January, Fenty (D) quizzed Broad on guidance he has given New York school leaders in recent years as a large number of central office personnel have been moved to other jobs or out the door.
"I think there is a big opportunity here," Broad said of Fenty's plan in an interview with The Washington Post. "But I told him I am concerned with this board of education."
Broad said Fenty told him: "They are not going to have much power."
Broad replied: "Yeah, but they're going to have a bully pulpit to create a little mischief here."
As it happens, D.C. Board of Education President Robert C. Bobb is a graduate of a Broad urban school executive program. This month, Bobb drew notice for raising concerns about Fenty's takeover plan with a U.S. senator at a delicate moment, before an implementation bill had cleared Congress. But Bobb said in an interview that he did not agree with Broad's view that the board's activities might get in the way of school improvement.
Bobb also said he supports Broad's many educational initiatives, among them the 10-month leadership academy he attended in 2005. The academy, Bobb said, taught him a lot about the use of data and getting access to experts and other resources. "He is putting his money where his mouth is," Bobb said.
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He counts the Prince George's County school superintendent and D.C. school board president among his disciples. He has advised the D.C. mayor on cuts in school system bureaucracy. He and a better-known West Coast entrepreneur are spending millions to persuade the next president of the United States...
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'Hidden Palms': Teen Soap All in a Lather
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Life is rough for affluent teenagers. Take poor rich Johnny, who is forced to move with his mother and stepfather from one deluxe suburb to another. When he tries to take pictures of the girl next door, she shuts her blinds. And when he comes upon his despised stepfather, the seemingly well-meaning loser tries in vain to win Johnny's approval.
"Hidden Palms," the teenage soap in which those and other sorry events transpire, is the latest bit of pubescent pandering from the CW network, a rather shaky enterprise whose target audience appears to be, in the lingo of another decade, lots of crazy, mixed-up kids.
Even that lax lot might find too little in "Palms" to engage or titillate. Various plot strands could have been culled from the cutting-room floors at "The O.C." or "Melrose Place" -- and that's pretty crummy culling.
The central figure around whom various crises whirl is the aforementioned Johnny Miller (Taylor Handley), who often walks around with a dizzy, goofy grin on his face. One of his nemeses is young Cliff Wiatt (Michael Cassidy), such a rotter that he kicks a friendly if yappy dog. Of the squeaky-shiny suburb in which the boys find themselves, Cliff scowls: "People come here to die."
Johnny, poor dear, has sought relief as well as solace in the dread Bottle. He's a recovering alcoholic who dutifully attends AA meetings and tries to stay clean and sober.
The show does provide real reasons to feel sorry for Johnny. Death haunts him; not only did he witness his father's suicide a year earlier, but he also learns that the house into which he and his mother and stepfather move was the site of yet another suicide. A young man about Johnny's age died tragically in the very room that's now Johnny's.
Obviously Johnny needs a nice happy, upbeat girlfriend to pry him from the jaws of despair. Amber Heard as Greta might do the trick, except she's so infernally kooky and twee. She has more eccentricities than the entire Addams family. Johnny doesn't appear to stand much of a chance of emerging from the situation intact, yet more often than not he flashes that foolish, oblivious, happy-go-lucky grin.
His father's parting words had urged him to lay off trigonometry and other esoteric forms of math (numbers are "too damn accurate," Dad advised) and instead "be creative, feed the soul . . . play an instrument or paint something."
What to paint? Maybe the kitchen walls; this house could use some color.
Some young viewers might possibly identify with Johnny and his trumped-up traumas, or find something instructive or edifying in Greta's grating life lessons, but too often the characters appear to have originated in Column A or Column B of the standard family-trauma potboiler -- with some actors serving more as decoration than as characters contributing to the drama. That is, if there were drama -- instead, it's just an icky, sticky void.
Some of Johnny's chats, and innermost-thought exchanges, do have fleeting peeps of truthfulness in them, but the empty outweigh the heavy by a long shot.
"Hidden Palms" makes its many like-tempered predecessors -- from "The O.C." (from which Handley and Cassidy came) to "Dawson's Creek" (from which "Hidden Palms" writer Kevin Williamson came) to "One Tree Hill" -- look virtually Eugene O'Neilly by comparison.
You're likely to find more fascinating figures and intriguing dramatis personae in the latest catalogue from J. Peterman, and somehow Peterman comes off as more emotionally authentic.
Hidden Palms (one hour) airs tonight at 8 on the CW.
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Life is rough for affluent teenagers. Take poor rich Johnny, who is forced to move with his mother and stepfather from one deluxe suburb to another. When he tries to take pictures of the girl next door, she shuts her blinds. And when he comes upon his despised stepfather, the seemingly well-meani...
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Bush AIDS Plan Gets Bipartisan Praise
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President Bush's call for a doubling of the U.S. commitment to battling the global AIDS crisis was met yesterday with broad support uncommon in Washington. International aid organizations, advocacy groups and members of Congress from both parties offered praise for the proposal -- even if some argued that the proposed increase is insufficient.
Speaking in the Rose Garden yesterday, Bush called on Congress to increase the funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to $30 billion over five years, beginning in October 2008. In his State of the Union address in 2003, the president promised $15 billion to fight AIDS over the five years ending in September 2008 -- then the largest financial commitment by a nation to battling a disease.
The increased commitment Bush is asking for would pay for AIDS treatment for 2.5 million people in 15 countries -- more than double the 1.1 million who now receive treatment through the program.
"This is a promising start, but yet without further action the legislation that funded this emergency plan is set to expire in 2008," Bush said in calling for expanding and extending the program.
Bush's statement was immediately applauded by members of Congress, as well as by representatives of international aid organizations and other advocacy groups.
"With the energy and resources provided by PEPFAR and other programs, there has been impressive progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS worldwide, but the battle is far from won," said Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee's Africa subcommittee. "Right now, only a small percentage of those who need lifesaving drugs are receiving them, while millions more are contracting this preventable virus every year."
Natasha Bilimoria, executive director of the District-based Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria, also praised the president's statement. The program, she said, "has made a lifesaving difference to millions of people suffering from HIV/AIDS around the world."
Through last September, the U.S. initiative was paying for anti-retroviral treatment for 822,000 people in the "target countries" -- 12 African nations, plus Guyana, Haiti and Vietnam. The program also pays for drugs for 165,000 people elsewhere in the developing world, and it has provided short courses of medicine to more than 500,000 pregnant women -- a strategy that has prevented about 100,000 infections to newborns, program officials say.
Globally, about 40 million people suffer from HIV/AIDS, a number that has been increasing despite growing treatment and prevention efforts.
Though many advocates praise PEPFAR, they have criticized the program because nearly 7 percent of the money is tied to abstinence education. They call it ineffective and have said they will seek a change when the program is reauthorized by Congress. Also, some have been critical that only a fraction of the money supports multinational efforts to battle AIDS.
In his remarks, Bush did not acknowledge any critiques, focusing on the lifesaving achievements of PEPFAR. "When I took office, an HIV diagnosis in Africa's poorest countries was usually a death sentence," he said, adding that the billions spent on the program are slowly changing that. "This investment has yielded the best possible return: saved lives."
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President Bush's call for a doubling of the U.S. commitment to battling the global AIDS crisis was met yesterday with broad support uncommon in Washington. International aid organizations, advocacy groups and members of Congress from both parties offered praise for the proposal -- even if some...
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Bush Chides GOP Critics of Immigration Plan
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GLYNCO, Ga., May 29 -- President Bush lashed out at critics within his own party Tuesday, accusing Republican opponents of distorting the immigration deal he negotiated with leading congressional Democrats and playing on the politics of fear to undermine public support.
In stern tones normally reserved for the liberal opposition, Bush said conservatives fighting the immigration proposal "haven't read the bill" and oppose it in some cases because "it might make somebody else look good." Their "empty political rhetoric," he said, threatens to thwart what he called the last, best chance to fix an immigration system that all sides agree is broken.
VIDEO | President Bush on Tuesday attacked opponents of an embattled immigration deal in Congress.
"If you want to kill the bill, if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick out one little aspect out of it," he told thousands of trainees at a federal center here that prepares Border Patrol officers. "You can use it to frighten people. Or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all, so the people who wear the uniform in this crowd can do the job we expect them to do."
The president's rhetoric underscored the bitter crossfire among Republicans over immigration and the enormous challenge Bush faces in trying to rally his party behind what may be the most significant domestic initiative left in his presidency. The White House has been pressing conservatives to fall in line, sending emissaries to meet with lawmakers and activists, but many on Capitol Hill and on the presidential campaign trail have ignored the administration's pleadings and rushed to denounce the deal.
Although the proposal has the support of key Democrats, most notably Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.), the White House recognizes that the chances of pushing it through depend on winning enough Republican support. Bush's trip to Georgia opened a campaign intended to undercut the criticism that has consumed conservative talk shows and Web sites and to educate the public about a complicated bill.
But conservatives bristled at his remarks. "I don't think name-calling does any good at this point," said David A. Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union. "What they've done from the very beginning is say, 'This is the way we want it done, and anyone who disagrees with us is outside the mainstream.' . . . It's been badly handled. They'll be lucky, given the attitudes in the country, to come up with anything."
Brian Darling, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation, said he and his colleagues not only have read the bill but also have posted it on the think tank's Web site. "Most conservatives have very strong feelings that this bill contains amnesty . . . and no yelling and screaming by the administration is going to change our minds," he said.
As for the charge of scare tactics, Darling said: "Honestly, I really think people should be frightened. This bill would be the most dramatic change to immigration law in 40 years, and no one seems to understand what's in the bill. . . . The American people should be frightened by the closed-door process that was used and by the ramifications."
The proposal would require that thousands more Border Patrol agents be hired and hundreds of miles of fencing along the frontier with Mexico be erected. After the government made progress in meeting those goals, in theory as soon as 18 months, the legislation would introduce a guest-worker program, allowing some immigrants into the country temporarily. And it would provide the 12 million illlegal immigrants a chance to earn legal status if they have jobs, pass a criminal background check and pay a fine, and eventually gain even permanent residency if they pay a steeper penalty, learn English and return home first.
The essence of the debate among Republicans centers on whether that constitutes amnesty, as critics maintain. Bush insists it does not because the illegal immigrants would have to pay for their actions first. "This bill is not an amnesty bill," he said in his speech here. "If you want to scare the American people, what you say is 'The bill's an amnesty bill.' It's not an amnesty bill. That's empty political rhetoric trying to frighten our fellow citizens."
Bush's speech at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center was his fullest defense of the immigration deal since it was reached two weeks ago, and his tone was striking. Although he did not single out whom he had in mind as he complained about scare tactics, the criticism he sought to rebut was that coming from his own party.
"I'm sure you've heard some of the talk out there about people defining the bill," he said in front of a huge U.S. flag and "Strengthen Our Borders" banners. "It's clear they haven't read the bill. They're speculating about what the bill says and they're trying to rile up people's emotions. This is a good piece of legislation."
For support, he brought with him two Cabinet secretaries and two senators, highlighting in particular Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), both of whom were born in Cuba and emigrated to the United States. "I want to mention those two men," Bush said, "because to me they represent what the immigration debate is all about -- will we be a welcoming place, a place of law that renews our spirit by giving people a chance to succeed?"
Yet the text and setting were intended to emphasize not the welcoming but the tough elements of the plan, challenging the perception that the government has not done enough to crack down on illegal border crossings and employment of undocumented immigrants. The federal center here trains officers from 83 law enforcement agencies, including the Border Patrol, and Bush toured a mock land border crossing and a mock airport passport-control station.
For the benefit of cameras, he handed fake documents to a uniformed officer, who greeted him with "Welcome to the United States, sir." The trainee then asked him questions and received answers before fingerprinting and photographing the president and finally stamping his documents.
Bush said previously that he knows he needs to get an immigration bill to his desk by August, before the 2008 presidential campaign would make it too hard to get a measure approved.
In recognition of that uphill fight, he used the word "courage" six times to describe what would be required for lawmakers to vote for his plan. And it was a measure of Bush's problems within his own party that the strongest voice of support he received Tuesday came from Kennedy, the arch-liberal and bête noire of American conservatism.
"The president is right that this bill is our best chance to fix our broken system," Kennedy said in a statement. He added: "Despite the clear urgency, there are forces at play that could hinder our efforts: bumper sticker slogans that aim to divide us further, strong feelings on the many sides of this issue, and a tendency to shelve these tough issues for another time."
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GLYNCO, Ga., May 29 -- President Bush lashed out at critics within his own party Tuesday, accusing Republican opponents of distorting the immigration deal he negotiated with leading congressional Democrats and playing on the politics of fear to undermine public support.
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Debate Could Turn on a 7-Letter Word
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2007052919
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When organized opponents of the immigration bill being debated in the U.S. Senate want to rally the troops, get the e-mails churning and the congressional switchboards lighting up, they almost invariably invoke the "A-word."
In Web sites, speeches and news releases, critics of the legislation attack it as a form of "amnesty." They argue that it would reward 10 million to 12 million immigrants who entered the United States illegally and would encourage others to sneak in, too.
When organized supporters of the bill respond, they consistently deny that it offers anything remotely like amnesty, or blanket forgiveness. Instead, they use the "L-word," describing an orderly process of legalization that would take at least eight years. The process would include a series of temporary visas, payment of hefty fees and a return by the head of the family to his or her native country before applying for permanent residency.
But despite supporters' emphasis that the bill involves fines, waiting lists and background checks, and despite polls showing most Americans favor some form of legalization, the specter of amnesty has persistently haunted the debate -- and could jeopardize the bill's chances for passage.
"Anything that allows illegal immigrants to stay and become legal is amnesty," said Jessica Echard, executive director of the Eagle Forum, a national conservative group. "We're not saying they should deport everyone. We are saying let's turn off the spigot, start enforcing laws on the border and in the workplace. Then we will see the illegal population shrink on its own."
"Certainly, this is amnesty," said Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations for a group called NumbersUSA that strongly opposes the Senate bill. "In our view, it is rewarding lawbreakers with the objective of their crime: giving them a job. The message to would-be illegal immigrants is: Come on in, if you are looking for a job you will get it."
Opponents are able to successfully invoke amnesty in part because of the historical record: The U.S. government has offered seven amnesties to various categories of illegal immigrants in the past 20 years, benefiting 5 million people. In some cases, the amnesties were linked to political debates in the United States or conflicts in the immigrants' home countries.
Supporters of the proposed legislation say its provisions are entirely different from earlier laws. For one thing, they say, the requirements for becoming legal were much less burdensome and costly under the amnesty laws. Under the Senate bill, illegal immigrants already in the United States could apply for a temporary visa that would permit them to live and work in the country as long as they pay a series of fees and renew the visa every two years. After eight years, the head of the family could return to his or her native country and apply for permanent U.S. residency. To supporters, that's a far cry from amnesty.
"It is stunning how potent this piece of the debate has become and fascinating that such a poisonous term is being used this way, because nobody is proposing anything that even resembles an amnesty," said Cecilia Muñoz of the National Council of La Raza, a group that strongly advocates a legalization program. "We are giving people a chance to earn their legal status, not giving it away."
"Amnesty is where someone comes in illegally and gets in front of others and immediately becomes legal," said Gustavo Torres, director of CASA of Maryland, a nonprofit group that helps illegal immigrants. "This is totally different. You have to pay a fee, learn English, go through the system. It can take up to 13 years to become a resident. Even if you call it amnesty, I think most Americans are sophisticated enough to understand what Congress is trying to do. They are not going to be scared away."
In the 1986 amnesty, close to 3 million illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico and Central America, were allowed to become permanent residents if they could prove they had lived in the United States for at least four years. In 1994, a second amnesty allowed another half-million to remain in the country by paying a large one-time fine. In 1997, another law granted amnesty to about 1 million Central Americans.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that has often been critical of liberal immigration policies, the 1986 amnesty carried a hefty price tag. That included more than $100 billion in social assistance programs and services over 10 years, $8 billion in public costs for illegal immigrant children and job displacement of an average of more than 187,000 U.S. citizens and legal immigrants each year.
"The amnesties population brought little human capital," the center stated in a 10-year report on the 1986 amnesty, adding that the majority of beneficiaries did not learn to speak English well after five years and that most remained in low-skilled jobs. Granting amnesty also encouraged other illegal immigrants to come, the report said, because they were "convinced the United States will eventually do it again."
For illegal immigrants in the Washington area, the suggestion that they are being offered amnesty draws looks of bewilderment and incredulity. In a parking lot in Falls Church, where dozens of Hispanic men gather daily in hopes of finding a job, conversation last week focused on the pitfalls of the new legislation, especially the fees -- totaling more than $6,000 -- and the requirement of returning home to apply for U.S. residency.
"It would be better than being hidden all the time. But no one will accept such a program because of the fear that if we have to leave the country, they won't let us come back," said Fernando, 34, a plumber from Peru who requested that his last name not be used. "I miss my kids all the time . . . but there is no way I can afford to go home to Lima and get stuck. There are so many people with no jobs at all."
Benito, a 50-year-old man from Honduras, was just as blunt. He said the economic situation in his country was so dire that he recently left his family and small cattle farm to seek his fortune as an illegal worker in the United States, even as the government is cracking down on such workers and their employers.
"Believe me, we all want to be legal. It is much harder now to get real jobs because the companies are all afraid," he said, referring to work site raids and arrests by immigration agents across the country in recent months. "It was a very difficult decision to come here, and I would love to have steady work. But if there is no guarantee I can come back, I am not interested."
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When organized opponents of the immigration bill being debated in the U.S. Senate want to rally the troops, get the e-mails churning and the congressional switchboards lighting up, they almost invariably invoke the "A-word."
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The Storm Over Immigration
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2007052619
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THE VIRULENCE and breadth of opposition to the Senate immigration bill has kicked up a dust storm of dogma that has obscured the real stakes and potential of the legislation.
Critics on the right howl that the bill offers "amnesty" to 12 million illegal immigrants who in fact would face a long, onerous path to earned citizenship. But those critics are loath to acknowledge that deporting 12 million people, including droves of workers on whom the American economy relies, is economically suicidal, pragmatically unfeasible and morally repellent. Critics on the left decry the bill's convoluted system for dealing with future guest workers, without recognizing that it would leave them no worse off than they would be under the admittedly dysfunctional status quo. What critics on all sides overlook, in shrilly focusing on the bill's deficiencies, is that its defeat would leave this country with an immigration dilemma that is growing rapidly and is poisoning political discourse in states and localities from coast to coast.
A clunky compromise, the Senate immigration bill weighs in at well over 300 pages and is more easily dealt with by sound bites ("Amnesty!") than by analysis. There is no denying that it is full of flaws and that it would establish some rules and procedures that may not work (measures such as kicking out guest workers for a year between three two-year stints of employment and expecting them to stay out), and others that are simply mean-spirited (such as requiring illegal immigrants already here to leave the country and reenter in order to "reboot" and legalize their status). Many of the bill's segments and provisions could benefit from debate, scrutiny and revision.
But those who cite the offending sections and insist on the bill's defeat must explain how that would leave the country in a better posture. The practical effect of a defeat would be to leave the country without any resolution to the current non-system of immigration for at least two more years, and possibly for much longer -- an outcome the American public clearly doesn't want.
For years there has been hand-wringing over the death of bipartisanship in Washington politics and over the rise of the politics of uncompromising ideology. In the Senate immigration bill, there is a glimpse of what bipartisanship looks like in the real world -- an ungainly, imperfect hybrid that goes some distance toward tightening border security, clearing the backlog of visa applications, and providing a future for 12 million immigrants already in this country, including many who have been here since childhood. The wiser course is to work for improvements, not to sound the death knell for legislation that holds the promise of a better future.
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THE VIRULENCE and breadth of opposition to the Senate immigration bill has kicked up a dust storm of dogma that has obscured the real stakes and potential of the legislation.
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Immigration's Future
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2007052619
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The immigration deal the Senate produced last week is far from perfect, and its critics, left and right, make many valid points. But much of the criticism misses the forest for the trees. Left out of the debate: the historic scope and significance of the deal -- its ambition to deliver an immigration system that grapples with globalization and the choices it poses for America.
As usual, those yelling "amnesty" are the loudest voices. But they are increasingly out of sync with the public on immigration. Poll after poll in the past year shows 60 to 85 percent of voters in favor of an overhaul that would allow illegal immigrants to earn their way to citizenship by meeting certain requirements -- generally far less stringent requirements than those in the Senate compromise, which includes a $5,000 fine, at least a 13-year wait and a trip back to the immigrant's country of origin.
More striking still, even many voters who consider earned citizenship "amnesty" so badly want the immigration problem solved that they no longer care about the label. According to the Tarrance Group and Lake Research Partners, 33 percent of the public think earned citizenship is "the same as amnesty." But a full 62 percent of even these people support the program anyway, compared with 29 percent who oppose it. In other words, less than one-third of one-third of Americans -- just under 10 percent -- agree with the talk-radio hosts screaming "amnesty" to block an overhaul.
As for the right's new argument that requiring illegal immigrants to register and undergo security checks is amnesty, that's preposterous. Even registering -- as distinct from citizenship -- will cost $1,000. And surely it would be good for the country to know these workers' real names, vet their backgrounds and get them paying their full freight in taxes.
But the amnesty crowd isn't only wrong and out of sync, it's also focused on the wrong part of the deal. The 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country are here illegally because our current immigration system doesn't let in enough legal workers to meet the labor needs of our growing economy. Of course, we have to clean up the mistakes of the past and find an appropriate way to deal with those who came illegally in recent decades. But this is much less important than the larger question of how to structure the system going forward so that we don't make the same mistake again.
And this, to its credit, is what the bipartisan Senate group has tried to do by asking: How many workers do we need? Should they come on temporary or permanent visas? Can we find a way to take advantage of the modern world's increasingly integrated labor markets and still make choices about whom we want as citizens?
Last year's Senate bill hid these critical questions under a euphemism: a "temporary worker" program that would have allowed temporary workers to stay on permanently if they wanted to. And many of those questioning this year's deal have yet to grapple squarely with the hardest choices. True, as critics say, our immigration system has traditionally been based on family ties. And newcomers' extended families often function as a social safety net, helping them do better than they would as individuals struggling alone. But surely family ties are not the only criteria that should guide us in deciding what mix of immigrants best serves our country's interests.
The Senate didn't get all the answers right. I don't think the compromise strikes the right balance between skilled and unskilled, or between temporary and permanent. And it fails to own up to the full extent of our labor needs by providing enough green cards. Much as we need doctors and engineers, we also need farmhands and construction workers. And I worry that the Mexican dishwasher who starts out on a temporary visa, works hard and eventually rises to kitchen manager won't stand a chance in the competition for limited permanent slots.
Still, unlike many critics, the Senate reformers are asking the right questions. And even if their answers fall short, they have jump-started a long-overdue debate.
The writer is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
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The immigration deal the Senate produced last week is far from perfect. But much of the criticism ignores the historic scope and significance of the deal -- its ambition to deliver an immigration system that grapples with globalization and the choices it poses for America.
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The Reliable Source
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2007052619
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In today's today's Reliable Source: Local gal Tessa Horst gets the final rose and the big proposal on "The Bachelor"; her beloved didn't seem to have a clue her granddad is a billionaire! Fred Thompson plays Ulysses S. Grant, in case you didn't think he looks presidential enough. And an Obama aide gets punched in the face by a New York Jet.
In recent days: The Bush twins are back!; Backstreet Boy Nick Carter finally gets to work helping the dolphins; and Boyd Tinsley celebrates fellow hemp enthusiast Thomas Jefferson. Also: We chase an art napper through the night on our very first ransom drop. And finally: Who's talking -- Rahm Emanuel or Tony Soprano? Take our quiz.
Amy Argetsinger: Good morning everyone. Lots of good questions today -- but we could always use more.
Georgetown, D.C.: Somebody important was in the Barnes & Noble in Georgetown today -- I saw his/her security detail outside -- dressed in khakis and navy jackets with a traingle shaped pin in orange and black. Any idea who it was in the area?
Amy Argetsinger: Uh, no. And I actually did some research on this but couldn't see any sign of any notable doing a reading or signing there. You should have done some asking around for us while you were there!
Khakis and navy jackets -- that actually doesn't sound like a security detail so much as a fraternity-rush crowd at a steeplechase.
Monica! Monica!: So what's the scoop on Washington's newest Monica? I could stare at Monica Goodling all day. I hear she gives good ... testimony. Hot! Hot! Hot!
Amy Argetsinger: She's the lady of the hour, huh? And you can see her testifying live right now from our homepage... Seems kind of earnest, though.
Capitol Hill, D.C.: I have been watching CNN all morning wondering: who will play Monica Goodling in the movie (or TV movie)? Any ideas?
washingtonpost.com: Live Video: Monica Goodling Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee (washingtonpost.com, May 23)
Amy Argetsinger: Roxanne says Chloe Sevigny.... anyone else?
Amy Argetsinger: And Korin says that Teri Polo ("Meet the Parents") would play her.
Col. Doe: What army did Randy Jackson join? That thing he wore last night made him look like one of those colonels who used to lead right-wing military juntas against democratically elected Marxist governments in Africa.
Amy Argetsinger: Silly -- obviously he joined Sgt. Pepper's army.
Washington: Is it true that Tom Cruise had blocks on the pedals of his bike so that his legs could reach?
Roxanne Roberts: Why so mean? What did Tom ever do to you? (Aside from the ticket price for "Eyes Wide Shut"?)
Laurel, Md.: According to the IMDB, in 2001 Fred Dalton Thompson played the voice of Andrew Jackson in "Rachel and Andrew Jackson: A Love Story."
Roxanne Roberts: Does that give the other wannabes equal time on radio debates?
Eastern Market: I was confused reading your paper this week. In last week's chat, you were talking about Bill Richardson's very funny campaign ads that have been running over the past few weeks. But then I read yesterday that he just declared his candidacy. Were these ads running before he decided to run for president?
Amy Argetsinger: I was confused too! But you know, it suggests a good strategy. Richardson should try announcing his candidacy every three weeks or so.
Washington: How short is Eliot Yamin? Blake?
Amy Argetsinger: Dubuious Internet sources suggest they're both in the range of 5-6, 5-7.
Laurel, Md.: You said Giada is shorter than expected. She's way taller than Rachel Ray though. Even still, Giada is not known for her being tall -- she's known for two things large, one being her head and another being something that can't be mentioned here but that she displays prominently on her cooking show. I think Nigella Lawson will give her a run for her money though.
Amy Argetsinger: Welcome to the chat, Food Network fetishists. Are you talking about.... her chicken cutlets? No reason we can't discuss here.
Roxanne Roberts: People! We're grown-ups here. We're talking breasts! Big breasts! Giada, bless her heart, is adorable but a distant second to the bountiful boobaliciousness of Nigella. That woman is like a ripe peach about to burst from her skin.
Woodbridge, Va.: Valerie Bertinelli cracks me up. She's what, 45, or so, and still cute as the dickens.
Amy Argetsinger: Isn't she adorable? She's just bursting with charisma and likeability. I met her at the Bloomberg party after the White House Correspondent's Dinner, and in a surge of Veuve Cliquot-induced sisterly good vibes I told her I predict she'll have her own talk show in six months, and she graciously acted like she knew what I was talking about. I still think it's true.
Potomac, Md.: So to contrast with her being shorter than we would think, was Giada's head larger than we thought? Honestly, I'm not sure that it's possible...
Roxanne Roberts: It's huge! And she has the widest smile of any human being I've ever seen. Good for a chef, I'd imagine.
Fairfax, Va.: I wanted wanted to say that Andy and Tessa made a great couple! I just wanted to wish them the best. He made a right choice. Also, is it really true that Tessa Horst's grandfather is the richest man in Hong Kong? Where did the source come from? And who is her grandfather if that is the true.
Roxanne Roberts: Congrats to both of them, and I hope it lasts. (Always the romantic!) Don't know if Tessa's grandad is the richest man in Hong Kong, but he's right up there. Can't reveal our source (the family is very hush-hush about it) or his name but it's indeed true.
New York, N.Y.: I went to UVA at the time the DMB went from local Tuesday night band to Gods of those clad in plaid. Boyd used to hang out in our apartment on random occasions when he climbed through our fire escape. The man does enjoy his doob and I don't think I ever saw him sober. Funny note: he used to bring with him a nice little glass pipe with his initials carved on it. It had been given to him by John Popper - who had the pipe monogrammed after Blues Traveler.
Amy Argetsinger: Good times. And I remember seeing him play the fiddle at Macado's, back before the Dave Matthews Band ever existed. Have I mentioned that a friend of mine dated him for, like, six weeks, before he became famous. I do wish I could tell you more... .
Washington, D.C.: Glad to see the twins back in the Style section. It has been much too long. I thought one or both of them were vegetarians. Am I thinking of Chelsea?
Amy Argetsinger: We're delighted to see the twins back in town. Chelsea reportedly became a vegetarian in her teens but no idea if it lasted or if it was just a phase.
New York, N.Y.: Playing Monica Goodling: Either Janel Moloney or Emily Procter both of West Wing fame. If you could combine the two it would be perfect. Emily usually comes across as too smart to play Goodling. Janel is better for the deer-in-the-headlights look. But Procter's got the accent.
Washington, D.C.: I can't believe Dan Rather was in the WCL cafeteria yesterday! The only celebrities we got during my time there were Supreme Court justices.
Amy Argetsinger: So jaded. Most law students around the country would be thrilled to have a boring old Supreme Court justice in their cafeteria.
Syracuse: Which future First Lady would be the most fun to cover? (No fair saying Bill, that's cheating). Michelle Obama? Elizabeth Edwards? Cindy McCain? Judith Stish Ross Nathan Giuliani?
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, easily Dennis Kucinich's wife, that hot young redhead who stands about a head taller than him.
Roxanne Roberts: I pick Judy Giuliani. She likes the spotlight as much as Rudy which would lead to all sorts of trouble. Rudi adores her, the stepkids can't stand her...she's a goldmine of material for us.
Re: chicken cutlets: My dad and brother call those "Giada's recipes." I'd be grossed out if I didn't think it was so funny. If you can get past the whole Giada persona thing, her cooking show is pretty good.
Roxanne Roberts: But CAN you get past the whole persona thing?
Food network: Nigella started the trend. Rachel continued it, apparently with racy pictures and Giada defined it. What is it? Well, Culinary Porn of course.
Roxanne Roberts: Porn? Only they go topless. Then again, this is cable....
Washington D.C.: I have a really unimpressive voice but am going to a karaoke bar -- any suggestions?
Amy Argetsinger: It's all about confidence, originality, and knowing both your vocal range and the song's melody. "Sugar Magnolia" is harder than it looks -- covers too many octaves -- while "You Shook Me All Night Long" might leave you unable to talk the next day. "Jesse's Girl" is probably safer. Don't sing "Stop in the Name of Love" or "Let's Get It On" -- totally unoriginal. Try "Mr. Brightsides" by The Killers -- it knocks people out, and yet really only covers about the same four notes. Lots of advice for you -- I am also available for coaching, at reasonable hourly rates.
Washington: With "The Sopranos" leaving the air in a couple weeks, is there a chance HBO could start a reality TV show called "The Emanuels"? Judging by language alone, this would blow away anything David Chase could write.
Roxanne Roberts: How about a spin-off? "Mr. Soprano Goes to Washington." I like it.
Amy Argetsinger: If you haven't yet, go back and read our Sunday column on Rahm.
Washington, D.C.: The Twins were also at Smith Point on Friday night. Apparently, Jenna was really getting down like a crazy lady on the dance floor. Those 'Horns really know how to party, huh?
Roxanne Roberts: EXCUSE ME----this is, what, WEDNESDAY? You're telling us now? We read e-mails on weekends! And who's got the pictures on the cell phone! You call yourselves gossips?
Washington: I looooooooooooooved the whole ransom piece on the missing Tim Tate sculpture! And because of those articles I discovered the work of this talented artist, and he's now in my collection!
washingtonpost.com: Artsy High Jinks (Post, May 17)
Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for writing in, Tim! You're the best!
Georgetown, D.C.: FYI The same security detail (or high school wrestling team with earphones) was outside Dean and Deluca around 9 a.m.
Playing Monica Goodling: Andy Dick in drag?
Amy Argetsinger: You're so mean.
Georgetown, D.C.: I know you don't do sports -- but the hot question today around town is whether Green and Hibbert are going to stay at Georgetown. Any buzz on your phone lines or e-mail about this?
washingtonpost.com: Hoyas' Decisions Expected Today (Post, May 23)
Amy Argetsinger: Huh, I don't really know. I should call Roy's mom again -- talked to her during NCAA tournament, and she could not have been nicer. Both Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert are from here, you know.
Having sited Dan Rather at AU, I found him to be quite fit and distinguished for 75 years old. He was cordial and not pretentious about his status. Just a regular guy with no prima donna or ego action. It was a pleasure and all in the cafeteria respected his lunchtime without interrupting him. In bidding farewell, he thanked his tablemates (students and the faculty member being interviewed) graciously.
Thanks for the articles and the chats. You rock.
Amy Argetsinger: Thank you. And thank you for allowing us to rock.
RE: First Ladies: But what about Fred Thompson's trophy wife?
Roxanne Roberts: She's busy being a mom to a small child and keeps a low profile---but could do that young Jackie thing if he gets to the White House.
Georgetown: They weren't frat boys - one was a woman who was talking into her sleeve and they all had the special earpieces.
Amy Argetsinger: Still -- khakis and blue blazers. You with me on how this is not the usual security-detail garb?
Rachel Ray: Our local TV station promotes Rachel Ray's show by saying she's "sexy." Really? Rachel Ray is sexy? I see nothing sexy about Rachel Ray (and I'm a guy). Am I missing something?
Roxanne Roberts: I'm with you. She's cute enough, but that voice! Fingernails on chalkboard is sexier.
Cornfields of the Midwest: What are your thoughts on World Bank Wolfie's lady friend? I personally think that if it takes an abuse of power to get a girl that is clearly out of your league, more power to you.
Amy Argetsinger: Kind of romantic, really. You think she's out of his league? I mean, no offense but... they seem to be pretty well in each other's leagues.
Washington, D.C.: So that was Tessa's sister's house in DC? WHOA. Huge! What does she do?
Roxanne Roberts: Actually, we're not sure who owns the house. Like we said, the family keeps a low profile, which is why we were surprising Tessa even agreed to go on the show.
Germantown, Md.: Hi girls! Were Tom and Katie (excuse me, um, Kate) spotted anywhere else besides Georgetown and biking along the C&O Canal this weekend? that's the most exciting local celebrity sighting I've heard in quite awhile!
Amy Argetsinger: We didn't hear of any other sightings, and frankly we're kind of alarmed that no one sent us the photos of their waterfront visit. Am guessing that perhaps the crowd was made up of out-of-towners who simply didn't know any better. They also dined at Old Angler's Inn.
I have a really unimpressive voice but am going to a karaoke bar -- any suggestions?: choose groups songs and get your pals up there with you
Amy Argetsinger: Nah, that's for cowards.
Smooth as cornsilk: Can the World Bank pick a better president than Jim Leach? How can we get on that bandwagon?
Amy Argetsinger: Nice guy. Used to be my congressman back during my Iowa days.
D.C.: Has Carol Joynt started dating again since her husband died?
Roxanne Roberts: Carol keeps pretty busy running Nathan's and raising her son. If there's anyone special, we haven't heard.
Valerie Bertinelli cracks me up. She's what, 45, or so, and still cute as the dickens.: Yeah, but stop with the babydoll voice. I hate to hear women talk like that. Be a W-o-M-A-N
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, and she's 47.
Barney Frank: I'd vote for Bobby Flay. His man boobs are the best on television, with Simon a close second.
Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for sharing.
movie in town?: There are some big truck with lots of cable inside, set up by 12th & E. Any idea if there's a new movie filming nearby?
Amy Argetsinger: No idea -- there are a lot of things that look like movie shoots that aren't. Steve Carrell is supposed to be back here to film "Get Smart" but that's not until next month.
Monica Goodling role: How about Sarah Paulson, late of "Studio 60 on Sunset Strip"? She already has experience playing a right-wing Christian blonde hottie.
Amy Argetsinger: And she's available, too, now that "Studio 54 on the Santa Monica Freeway" or whatever it was called, got cancelled.
Midland, Tex.: What is your opinion on Jenifer Aniston and Brad Pitt?
Roxanne Roberts: This is a leftover question from two years ago? I predict those crazy kids will go the distance, and his new flick, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" will be HUGE.
Baltimore: Re Mrs. Thompson and the "young Jackie thing." I think that only works pictorially if the president looks like Jack Kennedy -- tousled, thatchy Irish hair, killer ironic smile, etc. Fred Thompson, who may be a perfectly nice man, looks like a basset hound that hasn't slept for a week.
Amy Argetsinger: You see today's column? You don't think he has that presidential look -- i.e., Ulysses S. Grant?
New York City: According to Page 6, Wolfie and his gal pal with the raise are kaput.
Amy Argetsinger: Maybe. Maybe not. Page Six's source of information here is the blogger who keeps claiming that Laura Bush has moved into the Mayflower because George is having an affair with Condi, so... make up your own mind.
I mean, really -- the Mayflower? That still cracks me up.
Roxanne Roberts: That being said, telling the world your beloved is so bitchy you alone can deal with her....well, that might put a damper on the romance. Or maybe it was the socks with holes.
Reston, Va.: Karaoke: There is nothing more pathetic than watching someone do karaoke who can actually sing. You can just picture their broken dreams. Karaoke is for crappy singers only. Then it's funny, not sad.
Amy Argetsinger: I remember watching a girl with a fantastic voice belt out Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." But the hilarious thing was, she could only do the chorus -- no one knows how the melody is supposed to go in the verses. So it was this crazy audience experience of cheering for her during the choruses and just cringing for her thorugh the rest.
Northwest, D.C.: Monica Goodling = Lisa Kudrow
Amy Argetsinger: Hey, I'd see that. Anyone watch her in "The Comeback"? She was fantastic.
Washington, D.C.: Tom Shales teasingly referred to Brett Ratner as one of the creepier big shots in Hollywood. Truly, this is saying a lot. But, pray tell, what makes the man so creepy?
Amy Argetsinger: He just is. He's a 38-year-old guy who hangs out with Lindsay Lohan. Creepy.
next ex-Giuliani: If Giuliani is elected president and follows his own pattern of divorcing his spouse (or she follows her pattern)...omg, can you imagine a president in divorce court? I imagine that the two would probably stick it out until the end of his term/second term, but MAN, all the teeth grinding and cathartic shopping trips and forced niceness during state occasions...do you think one of them would take up permanent residence in the Lincoln bedroom? Man, now you ladies got me all excited....
Roxanne Roberts: Okay, you're getting a little ahead of yourself....but you're starting to think like a gossip columnist.
Pleasant Prairie, Wisc.: Does Charlie Rose have a girlfriend?
Roxanne Roberts: He's been dating Amanda Burden, New York City's director of the department of city planning, forever. The good news: They're both in love with him.
...in a surge of Veuve Cliquot-induced sisterly good vibes...: What a great turn of phrase.
AND something I plan on achieving real soon.
Amy Argetsinger: And you know what? If you only drink champagne over the course of a night, you don't get a hangover.
Pittsburgh: I watched Ann Curry "interview" Angelina Jolie on the "Today Show" this morning. First of all, she can't interview her way out of a paper bag, and second, she spends five minutes talking about how terrible it must have been for Jolie to lose her mother, then she gets all sappy apologetic when Jolie starts to cry.
Jolie must like her to conduct interviews because she knows Curry will be sympathetic and "aren't you just wonderful" with her, but jeez, Curry is beyond awful.
Oh, and while Angie looked wonderful, she needs to eat. Maybe she can plan to do some of that when she takes a year off from acting.
Amy Argetsinger: Sorry I missed it...
W and Condi?: I thought she was was with the foreign minister of Canada. Or is that old news?
Roxanne Roberts: Never news. But he is cute.
The Emanuels: Yes, the Emanuels are endlessly fascinating, but we already had Josh Liman on "West Wing" (based in large part on Rahm, though cleaned up, languagewise, for network TV) and still have Ari Gold on "Entourage" (based on Ari E., and definitely not cleaned up). How much more do we need?
Amy Argetsinger: Okay, okay, we are very impressed by your show-offy knowledge of Emanuel influences in popular culture. Thanks for sharing, Rainman.
Poor Lane: So does Lane Garrison take on his "Prison Break" character in real life? I wonder if he'd be a megastar in jail since all of them must've watched it. But then again, didn't he snitch in the show? Uh-oh. I bet he runs away to a foreign country before he has to go inside since he "knows" what it's like.
Amy Argetsinger: Why can't they put him and Paris Hilton in the same cellblock and make a reality series about it?
Washington, D.C.: I noticed a Scientology tent on the Mall around 14th and Constitution over the weekend. Were they required to there since Tom Cruise was in town?
Re: First Ladies: Could we have a president whose children don't speak to him? Rudy's don't. His daughter Caroline uses her mother's name, just like Patti Davis did. But this sounds substantially more messed up than the Reagans ever were. Caroline didn't tell her dad when she was accepted to Harvard -- that's harsh.
More fun for you if Rudy is elected!
Roxanne Roberts: How soon we forget: The Reagan family was almost Gothic in the off-stage fueding ---plenty of furious "I'm not speaking to him/her" episodes.
Amy Argetsinger: We agree completely. Check out this roundup we did a couple weeks ago of the presidential candidates with the most gossip-column-worthy kids.
washingtonpost.com: Kids R Us: White House Life After Jenna and Barbara (Post, April 15)
Amy Argetsinger: here it is
You know that Pure Prairie League will be at Birchmere on Saturday? I'm sure that "Amy" will be one of the highlights.
Amy Argetsinger: I think I hear that song just about enough already. But thanks.
This just in: Hugh Laurie got knighted. He's great and all, but really, what's with the actors getting high state honors? Are they just the only ones we hear about? Or is no one else doing anything noteworthy?
Amy Argetsinger: Actually, Queen Elizabeth hands out scads and scads of these O.B.E.s every year, but we only sit up and pay attention when it's a household name, like an actor or a musician.
Anyway: Congratuations Hugh Laurie! Anyone else remember when he used to play Bertie Wooster in the Jeeves and Wooster shows with Stephen Fry? He was all British back then.
Jolie : Jolie really does not interview well anyway. When I worked for the media and she came by for an televised interview she was a basket case off the set, and could barely hold it together. Just staring off into space. She seemed nice enough though.
Amy Argetsinger: She can pull it together when she wants to. The couple of times I've seen her she's like a beacon of intimidating poise.
Brooklyn, N.Y.:"He's a 38-year-old guy who hangs out with Lindsay Lohan. Creepy."
I'm sure there's more to it than that. I'm 34 and I'd "hang" with her if I could. Certainly that's rather low on the Creep-o-meter for Hollywood, don't you think?
I'm thinking there must be something else - more along the lines of Phil Spector creepiness.
Roxanne Roberts: We'll corner Shales the next time he comes in and get the dirt. Yeah, I'll take a director who sleeps with starlets over a wacked-out gun freak any day of the week.
New York City: Please tell me something weirder than Terra Jole, a.k.a. Britney Spears's mini-me
Amy Argetsinger: You know, I didn't even know about this until you told me and I Googled her. Guess they should take my license away.
Re: Romney: Why are Mormons so often gorgeous-looking? Is it something they do in those temples? The holy undergarments?
Amy Argetsinger: It's all that clean, healthy living. Possibly we'd all look like that if we didn't drink.
I [Heart] Bertie Wooster: Sigh. He's dreamy.
Roxanne Roberts: Another hour when you could have been outside on this fabulous spring day! Have a swell Memorial Day weekend, and keep those cell phones or computers (reliablesource@washpost.com) handy for sighting of the Bush twins, Wolfie and his old (or new) love and anyone else we might fancy. See ya next week.
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David Iglesias on U.S. Attorney Firings, Goodling Testimony
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The Next Best Path: Warming to Limelight, Dismissed U.S. Attorney David Iglesias Forges a New Future (Post, May 22)
San Rafael, Calif.: Mr. Iglesias: As a retired Navy commander, and a conservative Republican, I say put into action your Tom Cruise's plea to Demi Moore: "I'm going to put Jessup on the stand." I don't agree with your statement that the entire Republican establishment views you as a "traitor." You'll have more supporters than you think if you challenge Domenici in the next primary.
David Iglesias: Commander: Thank you for your support. I've been touched by the tremendous level of support I get from people on the street, in restaurants, gyms, airports, parking lots, etc. While I respect the political process and know there are many honorable public servants in Congress, I have no intention of running for office.
Tampa, Fla.: Mr. Iglesias, thank you so much for agreeing to appear on this forum to answer questions. I am deeply impressed by your integrity. You deserve much better than what you have gotten.
My question has to do with Monica Goodling and her immunity deal. Is her immunity a complete immunity? In other words, can she testify about anything -- including her possible role in hiring/firing nonpolitical Department of Justice employees based on party affiliation -- with immunity? Or his her immunity limited to events regarding the firing of the U.S. Attorneys only, leaving her susceptible to having her testimony used for an indictment for improper political considerations in the assistant U.S. Attorney hiring/firing process?
David Iglesias: Right, DoJ would have avoided this scandal had they treated us with professionalism and decency. They could have thanked us for our service and asked how much time we needed to find jobs. Rather, they treated us disrespectfully then lied about our performance under oath. They have no one to blame but themselves for this scandal.
Regarding the immunity deal, Ms. Goodling only may be prosecuted for perjury. Her immunity protection is complete. If you have further questions I'd recommend taking a look at the immunity agreement, which is a public document and probably is posted online.
Anonymous: This is a comment, not a question. As a Democrat I wanted to just mention that this whole investigation has proved at least one thing to me: there are indeed principled, ethical Republicans out there. It sincerely is refreshing to be reminded that people have ethics before their political party. So, thanks.
David Iglesias: Thank you. I have lots of friends who are committed Democrats. I learned a while ago that labels are deceiving, that a person's actions are what counts.
Pittsburgh: In The Washington Post article "The Next Best Path" (May 22,2007), you seem genuinely surprised that you might be treated well by Democrats and poorly by Republicans. "The people who stuck it to me are people who share the same values. The people who have helped me ... have value systems different than mine." Can you explain what you meant? My husband and I voted for Ronald Reagan twice and George H.W. Bush once. Since then our little military family has voted Democratic, although we consider ourselves independents. It seems to us that the Republican Party has had a great deal of success branding itself as the party of moral superiority whether that designation is deserved or not. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
David Iglesias: I've learned a lot of lessons in this scandal. Among those is that people of different beliefs, creeds and political affiliations are all capable of trying to do the right thing, of seeking the truth and of treating people decently.
The old adage of the GOP being the party of "family values" was contradicted by what happened to my colleagues and I. They did not practice kindness or compassion. My party talked a good game, but as to this experience, did not play a good game.
Chicago: Thank you for your honest and ethical public service. Is there any chance you will be summoned for military duty in Iraq?
David Iglesias: Every Guard or Reserve military member may be mobilized into service. I knew that back in 1989 when I joined the Navy Reserve after nearly four years of active duty. If that happened I would go and do my duty, as have more than 500,000 Guard and Reserve members.
Sewickley, Pa.: I am watching Ms. Goodling's testimony to the Judiciary Committee on C-SPAN. She has admitted that she crossed the line with respect to civil service laws when she asked nonpolitical applicants for Department of Justice positions about their political activities/affiliations. Will her limited immunity deal apply to these violations?
David Iglesias: Yes, her immunity agreement should cover that.
Chicago: As prosecutors, you and your colleagues have had a lot of experience listening to witnesses or suspects change their stories under questioning. Let's forget, for a moment, the underlying subject of this matter. Tell me what you -- as an experienced prosecutor -- would make of any witness/material witness/suspect changing his story as much as Attorney General Gonzales has during the past few months. If he were a suspect in an embezzlement case, for example, or a bank heist, whatever the crime ... and he went back and forth on the basic facts, different people's roles, his inability to account for his "whereabouts," etc. ... would that send a signal to you that he was "guilty" (for lack of a better term)?
David Iglesias: Any witness that keeps changing his story as to basic facts is an unreliable witness. You have to decide if you want to put this person on the stand because of credibility issues. You have to have a frank discussion with them before they testify because you know you can't put a witness on the stand that you believe may be lying.
Washington, D.C.: Why do you believe you were fired? I have heard reasons from other ranging from politics to voter fraud cases to Indian gaming connections. Why do you think you were let go?
David Iglesias: Three reasons: not filing voter fraud cases in the 2004-2006 timeframe; not indicting Manny Aragon/courthouse corruption cases before November 2006 (which would have inured to the benefit of Rep. Heather Wilson); being an "absentee landlord," which may refer to my reserve military status -- which is why I authorized OSC to investigate the matter.
Philadelphia: One of the most troubling aspects of the management of the DOJ by Gonzales is the apparent lack of ethical standards by which any attorney, no matter their rank, would abide. Would you comment, please, on the Ashcroft hospital visit, as it relates to lawyerly conduct or lack thereof? Thank you!
David Iglesias: Not sure this is an ethics problem -- I'd have to research that. I do know that it shows an appalling lack of humanity. Where is the conservative compassion that my party talks about in this scenario?
City with a large U.S. Attorney's Office: Mr. Iglesias, as a former assistant, I am wondering what your take is on the idea that the handling of the U.S. Attorney firings might filter down to line-level federal prosecutions. It was my experience that before juries, our credibility and the credibility of our Office was absolutely critical. But I am wondering whether you think jury pools have followed the scandal closely enough for it to have it become a factor in an ordinary federal case?
David Iglesias: I sure hope not. Federal prosecutors have to be perceived by the public and juries as "untouchables" who never factor in politics. We'll have to wait and see. I trust U.S. Attorneys include a few voir dire questions to make sure potential jurors don't have biases as a result of the scandal.
Mauldin, S.C.: Why should we care more about a wealthy attorney being fired than a Ford autoworker? All the investigations that were in works will continue, with the U.S. Attorneys or without them. A U.S. Attorney certainly can get another position easier than the autoworker. This is pure political theater from one side of the aisle.
David Iglesias: Ford workers make a great product, but they do not administer justice. Our Constitution deals with lofty ideals that prosecutors deal with every day. We take away people's lives, liberty and property. Serious stuff. This is not political theater and I applaud Congress for looking into it.
Rockford, Ill.: Will you be filing a civil wrongful termination suit against the DOJ?
Washington, D.C.: Very cool that you are doing this chat. I am half-listening to the hearing today, and get the sense we will be no closer to the bottom of this issue. What do you think it will take to finally answer all the questions pertaining to the DOJ?
David Iglesias: Monica has dropped the dime on DAG McNulty, so that's one thing I've learned. Want to get to the bottom of this? Get Rove and company in to testify under oath.
West Texas: I have only heard a few minutes of Ms. Goodling's testimony. She seemed to say that she did not know where the list(s) for firing came from, but she knows it did not come from the White House. Is this an official, rehearsed Department of Justice response? It sounds a lot like the responses from Gonzales. If not from the White House, where else could the names come from?
David Iglesias: If names weren't placed on the list by DoJ, the only possible place to look is the White House.
Peaks Island, Maine: Re: the following from yesterday's Washington Post piece by Sridhar Pappu:
"Rogers has another view of the situation. He said Iglesias was unaware of both widespread complaints and news reports on public corruption. He also says that Iglesias's mismanagement allowed the statute of limitations to run out on a number of cases. "He's made a whole collection of statements that have gone unchallenged," Rogers says."
What is Rogers talking about in speaking of the statute of limitations running out on cases?
David Iglesias: I was quite aware of the public corruption coverage by the local media. I read the paper every day.
Not sure what Rogers means by the statute of limitations running out on some cases; he may be referring to my office not being able to file some counts because of the statute running out. That's not an uncommon problem in white collar cases.
Princeton, N.J.: I'm a Hispanic and I'm very disappointed and extremely disillusioned with Alberto Gonzales, the first Hispanic to become the country's Attorney General. What effect will this scandal have on other aspiring Hispanics in the future?
David Iglesias: I hope this scandal does not have a chilling effect on other Hispanics/Latinos seeking public office.
Philadelphia: Thank you for your military service and your service to the DOJ. I live in a city where there recently have been several public corruption cases. It has crossed my mind that because they were Democrats, that maybe Rove had something to do with bringing those prosecutions. But, I decided, "nahhhh!" On the other hand, the Democratic king-maker of this region, Vince Fumo, recently was indicted. Certainly, regional Democrats can make a case that politics entered into the indictment. Will you comment?
David Iglesias: I'd need to know a lot more about the Fumo matter before commenting. In our corruption cases, we prosecuted public officials regardless of party affiliation. In fact, a New Mexico Democrat State Auditor gave us some information we used to prosecute some of his elected colleagues.
Pittsburgh: Does it work to the career prosecutors' advantage to have Attorney General Gonzales stick around? It seems to me the Attorney General and White House would have a very difficult time pushing or quashing investigations or prosecutions for political reasons during Mr. Gonzales' remaining tenure.
David Iglesias: Good question. Interesting perspective. At this point, I can't imagine any interference from DoJ and the WH on corruption cases.
Washington, D.C.: Can you comment on something? Perhaps I'm making sweeping generalizations in this question, but it seems that the "pursuit of immigration cases" keeps coming up, especially with Carol Lam. But that seems a little suspect to me. We have a White House that is not aggressive towards illegal immigration (at least from Mexico). And our Attorney General is the product of such leniency. I don't know, it just seems like a convenient excuse in order to justify her dismissal.
David Iglesias: Ms. Lam should not have been forced to resign. She was doing a great job especially as to corruption cases. Every U.S. Attorney had the autonomy to set local priorities and set prosecution thresholds. Her thresholds were different than mine, which is fine because San Diego has different problems than New Mexico. I do not question her immigration performance any more than she would question my Indian Country prosecutions.
Washington, D.C.: What is your opinion as to why there have been five different chiefs in the Public Integrity Section in Washington during the past year-and-a-half?
David Iglesias: I didn't know we had. I'd need more facts before I comment.
Silver Spring, Md.: My understanding of the duties of a U.S. Attorney is that you are appointed through a political process, but once in office, politics takes a back seat to enforcement of the law. Would you say this is true? What do you think happened at the DOJ? Do you think it was operating in a hyper-politicized environment? I am a young attorney, and, at this point, I would not take a job at the DOJ knowing what I know now about how it's run. (Of course, I'm a Democrat and apparently wouldn't be hired anyway.) Thanks for speaking publicly about your experience. To me, this matter transcends party lines -- it's really about personal integrity and respect for the law.
David Iglesias: Right. Check out a posting that Harvard Law School did a couple of weeks ago. Prof. Fried, I think. He says U.S. Attorneys are like federal judges, we come into our jobs through the political process, but then are required to stay out of politics. Main Justice is more politicized now than it has been in the past, but be patient, that will change.
Richmond, Va.: Were you a U.S. Attorney during John Ashcroft's tenure as Attorney General? If so, did you notice any changes in the way the department set and communicated priorities when Gonzales took over as AG?
David Iglesias: Yes, I served under Mr. Ashcroft as well. I did not notice any changes in how priorities were communicated. I did find, however, Ashcroft's staffers to be older and more professional.
Chicago: While I feel that this matter (i.e. the firings of you and your colleagues) should be thoroughly investigated, I also am concerned about how much this might be diverting the DOJ's attention from some other serious matters. For example, I am told that even during the week of the horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech, the Attorney General kept preparing for his appearance before Congress. Isn't the AG spending far too much time defending himself? (My opinion is that this all the more reason that he should resign).
There are only so many hours in a day ... what isn't getting done? How many hours of DOJ staff time has been spent helping the AG prepare for his testimony, press conferences, hunt for memos and e-mails, etc.? I'd prefer that they were hunting for criminals or coming up with new policies to stop gun violence.
David Iglesias: Good arguments. Can't say that I disagree with them.
Washington, D.C.: I'm on your side, but it seems clear -- as Gonzales has alleged -- that the political contacts made to you by Wilson and Domenici should have been reported. Don't you see that?
David Iglesias: Yes, I should have reported them. I volunteered this information to the media as the scandal began. Not sure it would have made a difference, as Paul Charlton did report a similar contact and there is no record of his reporting to DoJ. Also, he got fired anyway...
Salem, Ore.: First, let me say how sorry I am that you and your colleagues have been so poorly treated. My question has to do with this administration in general. Do you have issues with their performance overall, or just in the area where it directly has affected you, i.e. only with the questionable ethics of the Justice Department?
David Iglesias: Thank you for your support. I only intelligently can comment on the performance problems of the Justice Department, as I have first hand knowledge of it.
Pleasanton, Calif.: How much of the politicization of Justice do you attribute to the party that was in power for the last six years, and how much do you attribute to this administration?
David Iglesias: I think any party in power for six years that places too much emphasis on loyalty and which is not checked by a House or Senate would have had similar problems.
Boston: I believe we have heard the AG and now Monica Goodling state that they did not know how the list of attorneys to be fired was developed, yet they both stated that the White House was not involved. Does this seem like a strange statement? If they do not know about the development of the list, how do they know the White House was not involved?
David Iglesias: The list did not appear magically. Someone compiled it and if DoJ didn't do it, then the White House did.
Cheyenne, Wyo.: It was reported today that Wyoming's U.S. Attorney, Matt Mead, was on one of the first lists for consideration. This was a surprise to many of us and is hard to figure out. Have you learned what the White House originally sought to gain by carrying out these mass terminations? What political benefit did they think they would accrue by firing many of their own appointees?
David Iglesias: Matt Mead is a stand-up guy and I enjoyed serving with him. What political gain could be served by firing appointees who were doing a good job? None. It was a terrible miscalculation.
Las Cruces, N.M.: Good afternoon, Mr. Iglesias. Will Arlen Specter ever learn how to pronounce your name?
David Iglesias: I sure hope so, it's not any harder to say than "Specter"...
South Orange, N.J.: Do you believe the Attorney General still can lead the Department of Justice effectively?
David Iglesias: Please see my op-ed today in the L.A. Times.
Rochester, N.Y.: Most employees are "at-will" employees and can be fired for no reason at all or any reason that is not a statutory violation, and this happens thousands of times every day. Why do you think you deserve to be treated differently than every other at-will employee?
David Iglesias: Because, as Sen. Specter and AG Gonzales have stated, there are some inappropriate reasons to force U.S. Attorneys out, such as trying to derail or interfere with ongoing cases or investigations. I believe that to be the case with Ms. Lam, Mr. Bogden, Mr. McKay and I.
Re: Military Service: Will you be staying in the Reserves? My husband has twenty years in between the regular Army and the Reserve; he is up for a promotion he has wanted all his career but will not stay in. Will you?
David Iglesias: Yes. I love the Navy and have enjoyed my 22 years of service. I'd like to stay in the Navy Reserve until they throw me out at 30 years.
Baltimore: My sister works with a U.S. Attorney, and he's been heard muttering that this affair has brought his integrity into such question that he's disappointed that he was not on the list to be fired. Have you run into this sentiment among your former colleagues?
David Iglesias: I have heard of this strange "reverse presumption" sentiment. Too bad, I have the highest regards for most of the current serving U.S. Attorneys.
Murray, Ky.: I am an AP Government and Politics teacher. What constitutional lesson(s) should we take from this scandal? How would you impress upon students the importance of this exercise?
David Iglesias: The brilliance of separating our government into three co-equal branches. Our founders didn't trust one branch of government over another and now we can see the checks and balances in motion. It's a beautiful thing to watch!
Seoul, Korea: Can you define the illegalities that may have occurred in this scandal? If a prosecutor were investigating the firings, what would be the focus of the investigation?
David Iglesias: Investigators should look into witness intimidation, perjury and obstruction of justice issues.
Des Moines, Iowa: What should the Senate do with Sen. Domenici surrounding his conduct toward you?
David Iglesias: The Senate Ethics Committee has begun a preliminary inquiry.
Albany, N.Y.: Mr. Iglesias, I find all the adulation thrown your way misplaced. As I understand it, pressure was put upon you by Sen. Domenici and Rep. Wilson to bring charges with respect to the construction of the Bernalillo County courthouse before the 2006 election. In that election, Heather Wilson was battling for her political life, and she undoubtedly thought these charges would help her.
Everyone now acknowledges that those phone calls were improper. Yet you failed to report them to your superiors at the Justice Department, as required, and failed to make them public. Had you done what was required of you, the improper pressure that you now complain of would have been public and the voters of New Mexico's first congressional district would have had the facts before they voted to re-elect Rep. Wilson. Some would say that you had the election in your hands, and you dropped the ethical ball. To me, you are not a hero, sir.
David Iglesias: U.S. Attorneys can't play politics, we do law enforcement. I could not do anything to affect the outcome of the election. I'm glad I eventually spoke out and the vast majority of Americans, I suspect, agree with me.
Missoula, Mont.: Mr. Iglesias, what do you think of both the Republican and Democratic questioning today. How would you do it different?
David Iglesias: Missoula: Great town, by the way. The Committee did a fine job of questioning Ms. Goodling.
Cleveland: Do you believe that Monica Goodling's background truly qualified her for a position as a senior counsel to the U.S. Attorney General, or was she simply a beneficiary of political patronage?
David Iglesias: I'd like to see her resume first. Washington is full of young people with little experience but who have a burning desire to serve the public. I think that's a good thing -- you just have to make sure they aren't in over their heads.
New York: Given the James Comey testimony, and the serious senior DOJ political appointees from the first term who had left in the wake of those events, do you think former Attorney General Ashcroft ever will comment? Having read the discovery in the Fitzgerald case, I respected Mr. Ashcroft for reusing himself when he realized that there was possible perjury in the initial investigation of the Plame matter.
David Iglesias: I seriously doubt Ashcroft will be testifying.
Washington, D.C.: Hi there. Just wondering if you are watching the Goodling testimony, and if so, what your general reaction(s) are.
David Iglesias: I learned that DAG McNulty was briefedappropriately by Goodling.
Jerusalem (U.S. Citizen living abroad): What role do you understand the White House and specifically Karl Rove and Harriet Miers to have played in the firings? Thank you for the opportunity to ask you questions.
David Iglesias: There is circumstantial evidence pointing to Rove and Miers. Without their direct testimony under oath, we may never find out what role they placed in the scandal.
Chicago: Mr. Iglesias, when you were nominated for the U.S. Attorney position, were you asked whom you had voted? Do you think it's appropriate for "political appointees" to be asked this question?
David Iglesias: I was not asked who I voted for. I don't have a problem with this question provided it is limited to political appointees.
Concord, N.H.: Disregarding what Wilson and Domenici may have done in your particular case, am I correct that the president could fire you (and the other U.S. Attorneys) for any reason or no reason at any time? If that is so, then why don't they just say that and point out that any reason may include political considerations?
David Iglesias: You're not hearing the "any reason" argument anymore. Both Specter and Gonzales listed inappropriate reasons to sack U.S. Attorneys.
Midland, Texas: Mr. Iglesias, Have you heard from your former colleagues (U.S. Attorneys) who remain in office, and have they been supportive?
David Iglesias: Yes, I have, and the support has been tremendous. Even had dinner with one a couple of weeks ago. The morale among U.S. Attorneys is rock-bottom now because of the scandal.
Washington, D.C.: Has your view of the GOP changed in light of your treatment of late? Have employment prospects improved with this publicity?
David Iglesias: I'm a disaffected Republican. My party doesn't practice what it preaches as to compassion. That being said, this scandal has resulted in unimaginable employment possibilities. Good really can come from bad.
Chicago: Is it the policy of the U.S. attorneys specifically to avoid filing politically sensitive indictments shortly before an election, or is the policy simply to disregard the election cycle and file indictments without taking into account the timing of elections? For example, would it also be wrong to delay an indictment until after an election specifically so the news won't break before the election?
David Iglesias: It's the official policy of DoJ to not file indictments that could affect the outcome of an election.
Sausalito, Calif.: Please explain so nonlawyers will understand why a U.S. Attorney must not file charges -- for voter fraud or anything else -- without what he or she believes is evidence of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Also, do you think Bush is keeping Gonzales because he needs an Attorney General who is a patsy? Bush and Rove dare not risk an honest AG, and the Senate won't confirm another patsy who will follow orders. Thus, Gonzales is stuck there like a lightning rod until Bush's term is over.
David Iglesias: Sausalito: another great town. The law requires prosecutors to only file cases they can prove beyond a reasonable doubt. To not do so subjects the prosecutor to "malicious prosecution" lawsuits.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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David Iglesias, one of nine U.S. Attorneys fired last year in a move that has sparked a political firestorm for the Bush administration, will discuss the firings, his life now, and Wednesday's testimony on the Hill by Monica Goodling, the former Justice Department liaison to the White House.
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Free Range on Food
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2007052619
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A chat with the Food section staff is a chance for you to ask questions, offer suggestions and share information with other cooks and food lovers. It is a forum for discussion of food trends, ingredients, menus, gadgets and anything else food-related.
Each chat, we will focus on topics from the day's Food section. You can also read the transcripts of past chats. Do you have a question about a particular recipe or a food-related anecdote to share? The Food section staff goes Free Range on Food every Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET. Read about the staff of the Food section.
Joe: Hello, chatters. Welcome to Free Range on another glorious spring day. Can you feel the long weekend coming? We can -- and are anxious to grill some burgers, slather on some homemade ketchup, and even bake our own buns now that Tony Rosenfeld and Rose Levy Beranbaum have inspired us! What's on your holiday menu -- have you fired up the grill yet? We're happy to welcome Tony to today's chat -- send all things burger our way and we'll steer you in the right direction. And we have giveaways, natch. For our favorite two posts, we have: -- "The Stubb's Bar-B-Q Cookbook" by Kate Heyhoe, which Bonnie featured in today's Dinner in 20 Minutes recipe (for Toasted Pecan Burgers). OR -- Our collection of Pyrex's new Accents collection, which puts wider nonslip handles and bottoms on a baking dish, pie plate and mixing bowl with spout. (Do I smell hamburger buns baking?) Enough windup; let's light the coals, preheat the oven, pour the sweet tea, and get started.
Clifton, Va.: I use a custom mix of ground chuck about 65% and ground sirloin for taste from the Organic Butcher. Prime dry aged humanely raised organic beef. I form the aptties and let them rest and bring them up close to room temp. I pat the patties dry and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I then throw on the Weber. No gas or Kingsford briquets but real hard wood charcoal. And no you dont need to peek to see if the burger is done correctly. I cook mine to somehwere between rare and medium rare. I can tell by touch. Cant you or you really shouldnt be writing for the Food section. Then topped with some locally made sheep's milk or cheddar cheese. Heinz catsup no organic or specialy catsup this is America you all with some grilled onions and mushrooms. If you use a gas grill or have to peek to check doneness then you are a threat to this nation's security.
Tony Rosenfeld: Well, I would start by saying you must have some pretty happy eaters at the dinner table because your method for grilling burgers (as well as the toppings) sounds really tasty! You raise some good points about the merit of cooking over hardwood charcoal (I agree nothing beats it for flavor) and working with good, organic beef. On my good days, I, too, can check a burger's doneness by feel, though I will admit that I do like to take a peek as well. For me, it's kind of like having an eraser on a pencil - it ensures you can correct any under-cooked mistakes. With some of the recent, food-bourne illness problems, I find it's important to make sure that a burger is properly cooked, especially if I'm serving young people. As for the gas-grill issue, the surveys indicate that we are increasingly becoming a nation of gas grillers so when I develop recipes, I like to keep all those folks in mind. Hey, they love burgers, too!
Joe: Tony exhibits such grace in the face of snarky hostility, doesn't he?
Chevy Chase, D.C.: Instead of the typical burger, I'd like to do steamed crabs for a Memorial Day get-together. I've got a great recipe, but I need the crabs. How expensive are they this year? Where can I get fresh, live crabs in DC - on a holiday?
Walter: Crab prices go up on holidays when demand is also high. With that said, Captain White Seafood City (202-484-2722), at the Maine Ave. Wharf in Southwest, will be open and have jumbo males for $245 a bushel, medium males for $115 a bushel.
Denver, Colo.: Shouldn't all our food products have the source of its contents labeled? I do not feel comfortable buying prepared "convenience" products. I'd rather buy my own ingredients and do it simpler. I was shocked to see a pound of black beans with Walmart's house brand coming from China. Don't we grow beans in the US??
Bonnie: Let the legislation and home-grown efforts begin. You're shocked? Walmart and China have been good for each other, productwise, it seems. I share your discomfort, particularly after hearing Post reporter Rick Weiss in a radio interview on his excellent, scary stories about attempts to export foods/additives that are dangerous.
Turkey burgers need love too: Submitting early with my plea. Let me first say: I DID a recipe search for turkey burger recipes that the Post has run before, and yes, many of them look (and taste) delicious. The feta-herb burger is great. But how about an all-American nod to the non-beef eaters out here who love a simple, hearty turkey burger but who can't get beyond hockey-puck status?
As the girl at the BBQ who cringes when her over-cooked turkey burger gets flipped with the beef-encrusted spatula by the grillmaster, I'd love to find a really great, moist burger recipe that will appeal to my beef-eating brethren but that doesn't go the "ethnic" route. I love the different varities myself, but when cooking for a crowd, I need something that will be both healthier (poultry!) and traditional for the purists. (And delicious.) Thanks for your help!
Bonnie: You've got 2 other options in the Recipe Finder database...Asian Turkey Burgers and the more recent Seared/Roasted Turkey Burgers, which I tested and found pretty moist (but you'd have to translate to grill heat).
Tony Rosenfeld: Hi there, I'm with you on being a lover of turkey burgers. To be honest, I never was until recently when we started carrying them at our restaurants up here in Boston, and since then I'm hooked. In the restaurants, we like to grind the turkey (thighs) and pack the patties ourselves. This gives the turkey burgers a nice, light texture. At home you're better off buying the turkey pre-ground. Try to look for ground turkey that doesn't have any saline solution or water added (this can give your turkey burger an overly rubbery, deli-luncheon meat texture). Also for best flavor, try to find ground turkey that's either from the thighs or a mix of breast and thigh meat. I've found Wholefood's ground turkey to be quite good. As for flavorings, I like to keep the actual patties themselves relatively simple. I might mix 1 Tbs of dijon mustard, a handful of thinly sliced fresh chives, and some salt and pepper with the ground turkey and then form into 5-ounce patties (you might want to form them on a lightly oiled baking sheet as ground turkey can be softer and harder to work with than beef). As for the cooking, I'll be honest and say that because of this soft texture, I find that turkey burgers do best cooked in a heavy skillet on the stove-top where you won't deal with any crumbling issues and where they also tend to stay moist. If you do want to cook them on the grill, make sure the grill grates are clean, properly heated, and lightly oiled. And for the toppings, you're best off keeping things simple - lettuce, tomato, onions - as turkey is pretty mild and doesn't want to be overpowered. Enjoy!
washingtonpost.com: Asian Turkey Burger Recipe Seared and Roasted Turkey Burgers Recipe
Washington, D.C.: Can people who are gluten-sensitive eat injera bread made with teff?
Walter: We called gluten guru Danna Korn, author of Living Gluten-Free For Dummies (Wiley, 2006)and a "huge fan of teff. It's a nutritional powerhouse." But Korn says to beware of injera -the Ethiopian pancake and household bread, which is most often made with some wheat flour. "It's a no-no," says Korn.
University Park, Md.: Hoping someone can make a suggestion for me... I'm going to Shanghai in the fall and wanted to sample some of the cuisine here before I go. Where in DC should I add to my list? Many Thanks!
Walter: There is no restaurant in the Washington area, as far as I know, that features foods of Shanghai. But at the popular, Taiwan-style Bob's Noodle 66 in Rockville (301-315-6668) they serve stinky tofu (fermented bean curd) which is much loved by the people of Shanghai.
Washington, D.C.: It has been far too long (years! ) since I've cooked at home. But I'm thinking about getting back into the swing of things. All I have in my fridge (I think) is some sour milk, a couple of beers, champagne, and a moldy lemon!
That's how far out of touch I am with cooking at home! Where do I possibly begin on restocking and getting up to speed in a smart manner that will help me cook good stuff without a lot going to waste?
Bonnie: Former Food staff writer Judith Weinraub wrote a comprehensive piece on the New American Pantry a while back, and there's a list of basics that went with it. Links coming up:
washingtonpost.com: The New American Pantry
Bonnie: And here's that list: Taking advantage of storage shelves, the refrigerator and the freezer, the new American pantry emphasizes healthful selections from basic food groups and flavor boosters from regional cuisines all over the world. It includes: * Many more grain products, such as tortillas, rice noodles, grits, and a variety of rices and pastas. Whole-grain products now run the gamut from breads, crackers and dry cereals to bulgar, oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, barley and quinoa. * A wider variety of vegetables (especially dark green and orange varieties), both common and of ethnic origin: spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, bok choy, sugar snap peas, Japanese eggplants and fava beans, to name several. Seasonal fresh products are always recommended, but a wide selection of vegetables is also available frozen, canned and dried. Avocados and olives are also healthful; while higher in fat than other vegetables, that fat is considered healthy in limited amounts. * More fruits, including seasonal fresh, frozen, canned and dried. * Lean meats, poultry and fish. Fresh is best, but flavorful frozen fish is available in some stores. It's also easy to wrap chicken parts carefully for quick defrosting and cooking. * A broader range of dairy products, including yogurts, ethnic cheeses (such as feta, mozzarella, ricotta, and manchego). * A variety of beans (such as lima, navy, white, black, as well as soybean products such as tofu), legumes (lentils, split peas) and nuts (especially walnuts and almonds). * Garlic, onions, shallots and ginger. * Oils, vinegars, herbs, spices, salsas, sauces, pastes and flavorings from around the world, from the familiar to the more exotic. A wide range of Hispanic and Asian choices is available at most supermarkets and specialty stores. -- Judith Weinraub
Bethesda, Md.: I was in Maine this past weekend and found ramps in a gourmet shop. I was told they came from Vermont and that they are the morels of the onion family. Is there a place in the Washington area where they can be found? Have you seen them on seasonal restaurant menus?
Bonnie: When ramps, a.k.a., wild leeks, pop up in the early spring, morels are not far behind. They've enjoyed a cool season this year but chef Jeff Buben at Vidalia (1990 M St. NW) thinks this may be the last week they'll be around -- at least for retail foragers like us. He says they've been running at about $14 to $15 per pound (30-40 count)at the Dupont Circle farmers market. Vidalia's been pretty ramp-happy, though, and you can currently enjoy pickled wild ramps as part of a special onion sampler and a side dish with ramps and morels. Sounds like we just missed a lovely ramp-top vichysoisse. So, Beth, what did you do with yours once you found them?
Washington, D.C.: Hello Foodies -- Enjoyed Ms. Wolf's story on tracking down elusive recipes, but I fear Germaine Swanson can't rightly claim first use in the US, or even DC, of the phrase "Pan Asian" to describe her Burleith restaurant's menu offerings.
As a Washington native, I fondly recall frequent visits in the '60s and '70s to Jenny's Pan Asian Restaurant, where I discovered the joys of Korean Bul Gogi, Pad Thai and an array of Cantonese treats. Jenny's was up a couple of steps in an old townhouse somewhere between the Old Executive Office Building and GW. It was a favorite stopping place en route to another late, lamented pleasure dome, the Circle Theater.
I'm curious if anyone else out there remembers other memorable Jenny's fare.
Joe: Thanks for the memories, WDC -- anybody else remember Jenny's? Walter says he thinks it opened in the 1950s, in the 1700 block of F Street NW?
Annapolis, Md.: Aloha! I have recently gotten interested in making salad dressing as it is so much fresher and better than store bought. Trouble is... I really hate mustard and that is ruling out a lot of recipies for me. Any suggestions besides the usual EVOO and champagne vinegar, etc combo?
Tony Rosenfeld: I understand your aversion to mustard. It can be a little strong for many a palette. Mustard is an important building block in many vinaigrettes as it helps emulsify, or bring together, the oil and vinegar in those mixtures. You can try leaving it out of these recipes - you will notice that the oil and vinegar quickly separate, so just give a mustard-less vinaigrette another good whisk before dressing a salad. I would also suggest that you just "dress" a salad the way I do most nights. Dissolve about 1/2 tsp. salt in a couple of Tbs. of good vinegar (red wine, balsamic, white wine are great), toss with a large bowl of washed greens, drizzle with some good extra-virgin olive oil (somewhere between 2 to 3 times as much oil as vinegar), and toss again. Taste for salt and add pepper if you like. Folks can have their supermarket bottled vinaigrettes, but I'll take this type of salad myself.
Joe: You're in luck, Annapolis, because David Hagedorn wrote a great piece about vinaigrettes in mid-April. We don't want to clog the chat with all the links right now, I'll include my favorite, the Brown Butter Vinaigrette. You can also go to the Recipe Finder and search for vinaigrettes, and they all should come up -- sherry, Greek, pancetta, raspberry, and champagne!
washingtonpost.com: Brown Butter Vinaigrette Recipe
Vienna, Va.: This isn't a question, but rather an amusing anecdote involving Pyrex. This past Christmas, I brought my dog, my mother's Pyrex baking dish, ingredients to prepare a corn bread pudding, and a bunch of gifts to my parents' house. My mother came outside upon my arrival to help me carry things inside, and she took the dog's leash and the Pyrex dish that was filled with two cans of corn and two eggs. Just as I started to warn her to be careful of the eggs in the dish, the dog jerked on his leash and my mother dropped everything she was holding onto the driveway. The Pyrex dish shattered, the cans dented and rolled under my car, and one egg smashed into the concrete. The other egg, however, survived just fine.
Joe: Wow! I think you (and your mother) need some new Pyrex, don't you?
Bethesda Mom: I could have used a baking dish with a non-stick handle after almost dropping one last week!
One of my favorite things to grill is fresh pineapple.
Remove skin and core pineapple.
Cut in fairly thick (1/2 inch) slices.
Mix honey with fresh-squeezed lime juice & chopped fresh mint and marinate pineapple for 30 minutes or so, reserving liquid.
Grill on well-oiled grill over medium heat until lightly browned/charred.
Put 2 slices in a bowl, top with vanilla ice cream, and garnish with whole mint leaf.
This is ridiculously easy (even easier if you buy a pineapple that is already peeled and cored), and is a great ending to a dinner made on the grill. It makes a lovely presentation, leading guests to think you've gone to a lot of trouble.
Joe: Yum! This definitely puts you in the Pyrex running. (No offense to previous chatter, but a recipe MIGHT trump an entertaining story.)
I have seen numerous recipes that call for wheat berries and was wondering where to find them. I have searched everywhere from Safeway to Whole Foods and can't seem to locate them.
Walter: It's time to visit MOM-My Organic Market with locations in College Park, Rockville, Frederick, Columbia and Alexandria at 3831 Mt. Vernon Ave.(703-535-5980). In the bulk section, they have soft, white wheat berries (best for breads) for 99 cents per pound and hard, red wheat berries for 49 cents per pound (best for porridge).
Washington, D.C.: Foodies: My husband and I are heading to Yountville/Napa, CA, next week. We have reservations at Domaine Chandon's Etoile (mostly because it was 1,000 points on Open Table, I must confess), and also at Bouchon. Are these OK? Any recommendations for casual lunch spots (think takeout/picnic fare). Thank you! !
Walter: For Napa news we put in a call to Sue Conley, co-owner of Cowgirl Creamery and award winning cheese maker with shops in Pt. Reyes Station, Ca. and downtown Washington. Sue likes your choices. She would add Bistro Jeanty, in Yountville, for "great" steak tartare, french fries and butter lettuce salad. Up in St. Helena, Sue says Go Fish is the "talk of the town for sushi."
About the crabs...: Can I buy by the dozen, or do they typically sell only by the bushel?
Walter: Captain White sells swamp dogs (the largest crabs) for $70 per dozen and jumbos for $55.
Vienna, Va.: Okay, here's a recipe for you:
1 Sweet mother (moderately ripe)
1 Feisty dog, leashed and ready to bolt
1 Driveway (the hard variety)
1 Pyrex baking dish (extra fragile)
Place cans of corn and eggs in Pyrex dish. Give filled dish to sweet mother. Place feisty dog's leash in mother's hand. Alarm dog.
Joe: To quote Randy Jackson from Idol, you are in it to win it! Nicely done.
Just Saying: I hate the way the poster who makes the most blatant request for the prize ends up getting it. For the record some of us could think up good reasons too but still respect what our mammas taught us: it's rude to ask for something like that.
Joe: You're just saying, and we're just listening. Good point.
Ann Arbor, Mich.: Hello! We are headed out this weekend for some car camping. I received an old-fashioned camp kitchen for Christmas this year and cannot wait to use it for the first time.
A camp kitchen is one of those sturdy wooden boxes that holds all of your kitchen gear. You can only make or inherit one of these, and my boyfriend and brother made this one. It is big enough to set your Coleman stove on top for cooking.
Does anyone have some good camping recipes for me? I have cast iron cookware, including a Dutch oven and large and small frying pans. I also have hotdog roasters and heavy-duty foil. And a coffee percolator. And one of those mini-grators. And all sorts of other things, including a hook for a lantern.
I am so excited about this camping trip I can hardly work.
Bonnie: Impressive (and weighty) check list. Here's a simple, fun recipe/camping food story we ran a few years ago:
washingtonpost.com: Omelet In a Bag; An Ingenious Breakfast For the Great Outdoors
Bethesda, Md.: Loved the burgers issue today (looking forward to trying out the cuke relish this weekend! !)! I am trying to be conscious of the impact my food decisions have on the environment and have been mulling over this with regard to grilling for a while. My question - what is the most environmentally friendly grill type - charcoal, electric or gas? Any thoughts or directions as to sources to look into would be helpful.
Joe: My Texas brethren will kill me for admitting this, but as much as I love my (hardwood) charcoal for grilling, gas is more environmentally friendly. Wood and charcoal send soot into the air. And don't forget that hardwood charcoal comes from wood that has to be cleared somehow. According to a piece we saw on Grist.com, though, Char-Broil has some wood grilling chips and other products that have been certified as rainforest-friendly. I sadly have no grill at the moment, so it's not an issue for me -- although if I did, it would be charcoal. (I don't own a car, so I'm ahead in the "carbon footprint" game, anyway, aren't I?) Besides, this is depressing -- somebody gimme some barbecued baby-backs to make me feel better!
Favorite flourless desserts?: You mentioned flourless desserts a few weeks ago. What are your favorites, and where can I find some good recipes?
Need to sate my summer sweet tooth this weekend!
Bonnie: Since I have the recipe-attention span of a gnat, an Elinor Klivans recipe for Blackberries in Mascarpone Cream is my current flourless fave. Thank goodness for berry season. Her recipe and a few others will be in the section next week. You've got to have the recipe for Memorial Day? Okay, you wrangled it out of me. For 4 servings, it's 2 cups of fresh blackberries (washed), 8 ounces of mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup of cold heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoons cassis liqueur. Whisk together the non-berry ingredients until the mixture's smooth. Alternate layers of berries and the mascarpone mixture in goblets and end with a few berries on top. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or even overnight. Two words: woo Hoo.
Joe: I must concur. I tasted this when it came back into the office, and I have two additional words: Wow Wee. (Okay, I realize that's normally one word, but ...)
Washington, D.C.: Okay, I know it's a Tom question, but his chat doesn't seem to be on today so here goes...I want to go to Baltimore's Little Italy this weekend for both dinner and good shopping (olive oil, herbs & spices, etc.). I've heard Sabatino's and Chiapparelli's are both good, what do you think? Any other recommendations? I don't want to spend a fortune on dinner, but want really good Italian. Maybe good veal parm?
Walter: I'm an old Sabatino's (901 Fawn St.; 410-727-9414)fan who loves this family-style restaurant's red sauce dishes. Start with the Bookmaker's salad of chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onion, radish, large shrimp, salami and provolone cheese dressed with a creamy blend of grated cheeses and a touch of orange zest. Oh, and ask for a table in the Mirrored Room-that's where all the regular customers dine. For shopping, don't miss Casa Di Pasta (210 Albemarle St.)for fresh-cut pastas and Vaccaro's (222 Albemarle) for cookies and cannolis.
Bonnie: There's also some good shopping at Il Scalino Market e Salumeria, on South High Street (410-547-7900) -- speck, fregola, some imported stuff you don't usually find.
Washington, D.C.: I have a turkey burger recipe (from the Post years ago) that incorporated ricotta cheese to keep the burgers moist. Am I recalling correctly?
Jane: Yes, you are. In a story in 1998 headlined "Building a No-Beef Burger," the writer had this advice: "....Well-done turkey burgers can be very dry. Even with lean (not extra-lean) ground turkey, the burgers will taste more like overcooked meatloaf than a juicy hamburger. The solution turns out to be fairly simple: Add ricotta cheese. It keeps turkey burgers moist without altering their meaty flavor." For burgers using 1 1/3 pounds of lean ground turkey (a blend of white and dark meats is best), add 1/2 cup of ricotta, plus a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Grill or pan-sear.
Washington, D.C.: What a wonderful story on fully homemade hamburgers today! I loved it! Great work. I can't wait to whip some up this summer. Any ideas for great sides to go with those burgers? I have a recipe for fries with sea salt and truffle oil, but I'm not happy about having to deep fry. Can potatoes still get crispy even in the oven, perhaps with some broiling?
Tony Rosenfeld: Hi, There are all sorts of things that go wonderfully with grilled burgers, though I'm kind of partial to potato salad and cole slaw. We actually ran some of my recipes for each in today's Post, though becuase of space issues, they didn't appear in all issues (you can go online to find those recipes, though). As for baked fries, they can get crispy, though I've found you need to use a double-cooking process for best results. This is similar to frying, where many cooks like to twice-fry French fries. For baked fries, this double-cooking process ensures that they don't get overly dried out. A resting period between the two baking periods allows the juices in the potatoes to redistribute and it also allow you to raise the heat on the oven so the cooked spuds can properly brown and crisp in the final stage of cooking. To bake fries, first cut a couple of pounds of Russet potatoes (Idaho's work best as they have the highest percentage of potato solids) -- I like to leave the skins on for flavor. Then toss with a couple of Tbs. of olive oil and a tsp. or so of kosher salt. Transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and bake in a 375F oven until cooked through. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool to room temperature (you can refrigerate at this point and hold for up to 1 day). Raise the heat of the oven to 450 (or 425 if you have a convection oven), toss the potatoes with another 1 Tbs. of oil and salt to taste, and then set atop a baking sheet with a wire rack set on top (this will allow the air to circulate all around the fries). Bake until they crisp and brown, about 10 minutes. Enjoy.
washingtonpost.com: Creamy Buttermilk Potato Salad With Fennel and Fresh Herbs Recipe Vinegary Montreal Slaw Recipe
NoLo, D.C.: For the person searching for ramps, if you can't wait to make to one of the local markets, I saw ramps at the P Street Whole Foods yesterday.
Bonnie: Right you are! That store has 1 pound left, at $9.99, with no plans to get any more in.
Washington, D.C.: Thank you, Bonnie, for the wonderful memories! I was scanning the food section when I did a double-take--the Nankin! It was my grandmother's favorite restaurant and a must diversion whenever we visited.
I wanted to see the recipe for the Chow Mein, and noticed no mention that it could be found online. Although I suspected as much, and have since found it. I haven't searched yet, but wanted to also see Tony's cole slaw recipe...is that online as well? If not, could he post it here?
Joe: Glad you liked Bonny Wolf's piece -- and that you found that Nankin recipe. Indeed, you'll see that we just posted that Montreal slaw recipe, too, on the chat above.
Washington, D.C.: The first poster's dinner guests might like the burgers, but I'd eat as fast as possible and hightail it out of there so as to avoid the company. Is he kidding?! Anyway, I have a husband who cannot deal with mayo. What tasty burger sides can I make that don't involve the white creamy stuff?
Joe: I'm giggling and wincing at the same time at your first point, WDC, and for the second -- look up those two recipes we just posted for Tony's sides. Neither one uses mayo! The potato salad has sour cream and buttermilk, and the slaw uses vinegar and oil.
More ramps: We saw them at the Silver Spring farmers' market last Saturday. Surprisingly, didn't see any at the Takoma Park farmers' market on Sunday (surprising, since it's a bigger market). If you don't want fresh ones, necessarily, we bought my father a jar of ramp vinegar at a market in WV. He's a huge fan of the kick it adds to salad dressings.
Joe: At Dupont one of the farmers sells creamy ramp dressing, for another option.
Arlington, Va.: Grilling question about beef brisket... all the briskets I see at the grocery store have been packaged as corned beef. Is there any difference? Who has the freshest, best beef briskets for the smoker?
Bonnie: There should be regularly packaged (not vacuum-packed in solution) beef brisket in the USDA Grade A section of your grocer's meat department -- briskets should run about 5 pounds. It's not an expensive cut, but you could go to a purveyor like the Organic Butcher in McLean (703-790-8300) or Wagshal's Meats in NW (202-363-0777) and pick up a lovely example, I reckon.
Burger help: My husband loves burgers, but we don't have a grill, so I've gotten pretty adept at making them with a grill pan at high temp, then finishing them in the oven at high temp. My question is, though, why do they always seize up and become round? I try to be healthy, so use 93% lean beef. Is there a way to preserve the shape of the burger so they work well with the shape of the bun?
Tony Rosenfeld: I might have a couple of ideas for these shrinking burgers. The first would be to try - gently! - to press the meat into thinner patties. When exposed to high heat, protein strands tend to constrict making the beautiful patty you just formed, turn into a fat little puck. So making thinner patties will help. My other suggestion would be to lower the heat on the stovetop a bit. The higher the flame, the more likely that burger is to ball up on you. I've found somewhere between medium and medium-high to be just right.
Arlington, Va.: BTW, your burger column was far superior to Mark Bittman's in today's NYTimes!
Joe: Arlington, we think so, too. Not that we are (necessarily) prepared to best the talented Mr. Bittman week in and week out, but we are proud of what we did today!
Washington, D.C.: I would love to try grilling the vegetarian burgers I found in the recipe search. Are they substantial enough for grilling (i.e., won't fall apart through the grate)? If not, any suggestions for tweaking the recipe to make it grill-friendly? I have to say, grilling is one of the best parts of summer, whether you eat meat or not.
Jane: There should be no need to tweak the recipe, just the method. Try this: Coat a nonstick grilling grid with cooking spray, set the grid on a rack over your prepared fire and then put the veggie burgers on your grid. Brown the burgers over the hot part of fire for a few minutes per side, then move grid and all to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking, until the burgers are firm in the center.
Crystal City, Va.: I noticed at the end of the burger piece that Tony Rosenfeld is the author of a book on 150 things to do with roast chicken. Just out of curiosity, have you seen this book? I can't imagine how there could be 150 recipes based on that starting point.
Tony Rosenfeld: You know, when my book editor first suggested the idea to me, I have to agree with you that I didn't think there was 150 different things you could do with roast chicken either! But after getting into my kitchen to test and develop all those recipes, I can honestly say chicken is a wonderfully versatile ingredient. And no worries - there are no desserts in the book!
vinaigrettes: Unfortunately, or not, I'm allergic to many ingredients in store bought and restuarant preparations. (garlic, soy) One of my favorite dressings is balsamic, EVOO and maple syrup with salt and freshly cracked pepper. My backup at restaurants when necessary is a fresh lemon slice squeezed over the salad and sprinkled with olive oil, S&P.
Joe: With good enough oil and good enough vinegar, you're in great shape. Check out these ideas I offered as a companion to David's vinaigrettes piece.
washingtonpost.com: With Vinegar-and-Oil Pairings, A World of Variety on the Plate
Rockville, Md.: Can you please tell me how to cook chicken that does not end up tough? I started trying organic chicken, but even then it still was not too tender. Am I cooking it differently than I used to? Has chicken changed? What is the story here?
Tony Rosenfeld: This "toughness" you described in cooked chicken sounds like it could be dried out from over-cooking. To avoid this problem, perhaps the best investment you can make is an instant-read thermometer which will tell you the moment a chicken is properly cooked (160F for the breast and 165F to 170F for the legs and thighs) - you can find these thermometers at any kitchen store where they retail for about $10. Also, to avoid "tough" chicken, you can try and look for a younger bird. Older birds tend to have a slightly tougher texture, so look for a small chicken; a chicken's age determines its size, so one that's between 3 and 4 lb should be plenty tender.
Washington, D.C.: I second the poster who praised the Washington Post Food section over the New York Times' one. I read both, and I find the Post's to be much more satisfying, especially since the recent overhaul. It's fun, informative, colorful, interesting, and beatifully laid out.
Joe: Want some Pyrex? (Just kidding.) But thanks!
Question: First the question: regarding today's recipe for the hamburger buns, how do you recommend toasting the seeds? Oven? Stove top? Thanks!
Bonnie: More hands-on control with a nonstick skillet on the stove top. Plus, you can smell them -- the aroma's a good first indicator that the toasting's begun. Shake the pan and watch for the seeds to pick up color -- in a few minutes.
Washington, D.C.: I don't like to rant much in these discussions, but just this once I will. You've said before that because of space issues, some recipes are cut from certain editions. I've interpreted this to mean the DC edition, since it's always been the case that the recipe in question is missing from my Food Section. I really don't like this. Makes me feel like I'm subscribing to the "Montgomery/Prince George's/Arlington/Fairfax" Post and not the "Washington" Post. As subscribers, I feel we should all be entitled to good content.
Joe: Ah, WDC. We hear you. And appreciate your rant. If only we could solve this problem and provide the exact same content to all our readers. And we do our best. But the fact is, there are sometimes vast differences between the spaces we have for each of the three zoned editions, because of the differences in advertising in each. We go to great lengths when things are different to try to tell readers in each case what extra things are also available on the Web (that ran in one or both of the other zones). It may be cold comfort, but think about it this way: We could choose instead to have much less content overall, and then we'd have to pad things out mercilessly in some of the zones. We'd rather try to pack as much in as possible, even if it results in some of these differences. Does that make any sense?
oops: sorry, wrong Bonny (Wolf, not Benwick) See what happens when you're at work and trying not to make it appear as if you're actually online? But thanks for the recipe for the slaw, it looks great.
Bonnie: Editor Joe's having a tough time telling us apart, even tho I'm the one who's parked outside his office.
Joe: Hey, at least I spelled the names right! (Phew.)
mmm Stubbs: I remembered to buy Stubbs barbeque sauce a couple of years ago to put on some pulled pork I had made. I had prepared a NC vinegar sauce to go with the pork, but thought I should have a Q sauce to go with it too just in case someone didn't like the vinegar sauce. It was a family reunion and folks can be picky. Well the Stubbs sauce was such a hit, it was gone way before the my homemade vinegar sauce. But the real funny thing is my son now covers up the 2 s's in Stubbs so it says tubb, our family name. We will be having some "tubb" sauce this weekend with my slow cooked barbequed pork ribs. mmm Stubbs
Joe: Mr. or Ms. Tubb, I think you have yourself a book on the way...
re: Camping Food: This isn't an exact recipe (since I can't remember it very well) but it was the most sought after Dutch Oven dish in our troop when I was a kid.
Line Dutch Oven with foil.
2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cans of condensed cream of celery
3-4 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 package of Pillsbury biscuit
Throw everything into the lined Dutch oven except biscuits.
Put hot coals on top and bottom til mostly cooked (about 45-1 hour).
Put biscuits on top of the concoction in the dutch oven and then cook til biscuits are done.
BEST meal ever while cooking.
I'd also suggest finding somewhere that has a "pudgie pie" fork. You put in bread and whatever filling and cook over the fire. Easy and delicious!
Bonnie: When you say BEST, is that judgment current or informed from the kid perspective?
Arlington, Va.: What makes a cookie a cookie and a cake a cake? I ask because I made a cake recently and didn't have the correct-size baking pan, so I had about a cup of batter left over. I added some more flour to make the extra batter hold together a bit better, and dropped spoonfuls of it on a cookie sheet. Popped it in the oven while the cake was finishing up. They turned out okay, and I whipped some cream with vanilla and sugar to make sandwich cookies (and I was pretty proud of myself for coming up with a use for the remaining batter), but they lacked the characteristic bite of true cookies--they were, in essence, mini cakes. Is there anything else I could have added to make them more cookie-like?
Leigh: This is a bit of a large culinary chemistry question to tackle on a chat, but for the purposes of using extra batter I think the real thing you're dealing with is the extra eggs. Cakes tend to have more eggs and more liquid, i.e. milk or juice in cake batter than in cookie dough. If your conversion of adding flour still yields a bit of a cakie cookie (to be expected)make them into a trifle and layer with berries and whipped cream.
Alexandria, Va. - oven question: Good afternoon Rangers! I hope this can get in b/c asked Kim yesterday but didnt get through..this may seem pretty basic, but still a pretty new 'cook'... whenever i bake with a aluminum (the silvery type of pan - sorry for the lack of better words) or a non stick pan - for cookies or a meat to bake... but in the middle of the baking process (normally around 350 degrees), the sides or the corners of the pan will start curling up? is there a reason for that or am i baking with a wrong piece of metal... any recommendations on what type of pan to bake on? i have an electric oven (vs. a gas one) if that's any consolation... pls help! thank you so much!
Jane: Ah, I know that "boing" sound -- a pan warping in mid-bake. When your pan bends from the heat of the oven, it's generally because the pan's metal is too thin. The baking pans you find at grocery stores, for example, generally are too flimsy for the job. Stephanie at La Cuisine in Alexandria says you need to buy some heavy-gauge aluminum pans and baking sheets; in addition to not warping, they will bake better. So look for a nice, solid, heavy pan and your problem should be solved.
Wire rack?: From making fries in the oven: "Raise the heat of the oven to 450 (or 425 if you have a convection oven), toss the potatoes with another 1 Tbs. of oil and salt to taste, and then set atop a baking sheet with a wire rack set on top"
What kind of wire rack? Like the kind you use to let baked goods cool off? Would it withstand that kind of heat?
Tony Rosenfeld: I like to use a mesh wire rack. It's got a cross-hatched pattern so the fries won't fall through (the way the would with a basic cooling rack).
Little Italy: Sabatinos is skating by on its reputation - it used to be wonderful, but it isn't at the top of its game anymore. One I do like is La Tavola, which is often passed over because it is the first one you come to when walking over from the harbor. Also - at many of these places, be sure to ask the cost of the specials, because they often are well over the avg. entree price.
Walter: Thanks for the tip Little Italy. I'm headed out that way tomorrow night and I'll take a look at La Tavola.
Silver Spring, Md.: Assuming that this post isn't worthy of being awarded the new Pyrex baking dish with a non-stick handle , where can I purchase those in the local area? Are they pretty widely available? Thanks.
Bonnie: There's a Corningware factory store at Potomac Mills that has the new Pyrex stuff in stock (703-494-5589).
Joe: That's all the time we have today, all -- Thanks so much for your great questions and comments. If you want more burger-grilling ideas, tune in to Washington Post Radio (107.7 FM) today at 5:20 p.m. to hear Tony Rosenfeld. Thanks, Tony, for joining us today. Now for the moment you've all been waiting for (or maybe not): the giveaways! Big surprise: "The Stubb's Bar-B-Q Cookbook" goes to the chatter named Tubb, and the Pyrex set goes to the Vienna chatter who first told the story of the dropped dish and the broken egg, and then turned it into a recipe. Just send all your contact information to us at food@washpost.com (Vienna, you may have to swing by to pick this up). We'll be back next Wednesday. Have a great holiday weekend. Until then, happy grilling, smoking, baking, boiling, pan-frying and otherwise cooking, eating, and reading!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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A Perfect Burger, Top to Bottom
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2007052619
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I thought mastering the hamburger would be easy. After all, I had cooked for many years in fancy-schmancy restaurants. How hard could it be? So I agreed to take the culinary reins of a start-up burger chain in Boston with a couple of friends.
My first attempts in front of a captive audience were ego-bruising. Sure, I had flipped patties before, but these folks were looking for a magic touch -- some exotic grill marks or wild Benihana-style spatula trick -- that would demonstrate I really knew my stuff. Alas, I had no tricks that day and, even worse, I didn't know the basics. For one thing, the grill was too hot, causing the outsides of the burgers to burn and the insides to cook unevenly.
Since then I've had a couple hundred thousand chances to get the technique down and learn some burger secrets. The truth, though, is that they're not so much secrets as a basic understanding of the process. That, and a measure of restraint.
Even though it took me a whole lot of repetition in restaurants to master the grilled patty, a burger is perfect for home cooking. You don't need expensive industrial equipment or esoteric ingredients, just a grill and some good beef. Perhaps that simplicity is why Americans love making burgers. When it comes to grilling, they are our second-favorite thing to cook, just behind steaks, according to the market research firm Mintel. And if you combine a perfectly grilled burger with a few bright homemade toppings and summery sides, you've got the makings of the ultimate summer cookout.
Because grilling burgers is so simple, the small steps make the difference. Start with the meat. Grinding beef at home (see TIP at lower right) can ensure good quality, and it's not difficult if you use a food processor, but chances are you'll want meat that's already ground. In that case, go to a reputable source where the beef is ground daily; avoid prepackaged, preformed patties that offer uncertain flavor and texture.
Ground beef usually comes from one of three cuts: chuck, round or sirloin. Chuck is my favorite; it's a little fattier than the others, but that translates into great flavor. Ground beef from the round or sirloin tends to be leaner, a good thing if you're counting calories but a bad thing if you want the juiciest, most dynamic burger possible. My favorite is 85 percent lean ground chuck.
Once you've got the beef, you have to form the patties, an important yet underappreciated step. Use a scale to weigh the portions. That might seem fussy, but it ensures burgers that cook evenly. And resist any temptation to make monster mounds; six ounces (think just between a half- and a quarter-pounder) is just right.
Then work gently to make thin patties. If you really pack the burgers (particularly if you're using leaner beef), they will acquire a dense, meatloaf-like texture. Thin burgers cook quickly and don't ball up into fat pucks (heat tends to shrink the patties), plus you get a good balance of meat, toppings and bun in each bite. Gently press and stretch the patties, sprinkle them with a little salt, and make your way to the grill.
Time for more restraint. I understand the tendency to want to build a big ol' fire. But big flames are no better for your basic burger than for most things on the grill: They char the outside before the inside cooks through. A moderate, steady fire is the way to go, as it will slowly guide the meat to the desired doneness.
When you grill burgers, the less you fiddle with them the better. Leave them undisturbed for about 3 minutes so they get good grill marks and don't stick. Flip and continue cooking, perhaps with one or two more flips, until they're done to your liking. And take note: Although you've seen countless fry cooks do it, don't, under any circumstances, press the burgers while grilling. You might think you're facilitating grill marks or speeding up the cooking, but all you're really accomplishing is pressing out those precious juices -- and causing an upsurge of smoke in the process.
How much should you cook them? The U.S. Department of Agriculture takes a hard line, recommending that you cook ground beef all the way through (to a 160-degree internal temperature). That caution comes in response to periodic outbreaks of food-borne illnesses caused by commercially processed ground beef. Whole cuts of beef don't carry the same risk, which is another argument for grinding it yourself or buying it from a reputable source. If you like medium or medium-rare burgers, that is the safest way to get them.
Knowing when to pull the burgers off the grill can be tricky, whether you prefer them a touch pink in the center or cooked through but still juicy. Just as it's easier to jump off a slowly moving train than a speeding one, a moderate fire helps by giving you more wiggle room. With practice, you can check doneness by touch: a little give for medium and just barely firm for well-done. Until you get good enough at that, though, the best bet is to peek. Make a small slit in a thicker part of the burger. The interior will be light pink for medium or just browned all the way through, but still juicy, for well-done.
Once your burgers are cooked, it's time to dress them. You can top the grilled patties with lettuce and tomato, slide the lot between a bun and call it a dinner. No shame in that. But if you're having company over or if you're looking for a little more excitement, the minimal effort it takes to concoct your own condiments is worth it.
Green peppercorns, shallots and fresh thyme spruce up whole-grain mustard, while minced garlic, fresh lime and cilantro transform jarred mayonnaise into aioli with a kick. I'm quite fond of the bottled ketchup that I grew up with, though occasionally I like to make a spicy ketchup as a treat. I cook spices in a little oil with chopped onion and then stir in some tomato puree, vinegar, chipotle chili peppers and more, then cook until the mixture thickens into a vibrant paste.
By this point, I hope, you've solved the other crucial question: what to serve with the burgers. Potato salad and coleslaw are the quintessential summer sides, but I like taking each in a slightly unorthodox direction. In my versions, buttermilk, lemon zest and sour cream give the potatoes plenty of zip, and thinly sliced fennel and scallions offer crunch and a sweet, aromatic edge. Building on that theme of bright, acidic flavors to counterbalance the grilled beef, I like to make my mother's coleslaw, a vinegary Montreal-style take with thinly sliced bell peppers, grated carrots and shredded green cabbage.
That's my game plan. Follow it, and you, too, might be ready to open up your own burger chain. But I'd rather you kept the grilling to your back yard. Frankly, I already have enough competition.
Tony Rosenfeld, contributing editor at Fine Cooking and author of "150 Things to Make With Roast Chicken" (Taunton Press, 2007), grills burgers at b.good restaurant in Boston.
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I thought mastering the hamburger would be easy. After all, I had cooked for many years in fancy-schmancy restaurants. How hard could it be? So I agreed to take the culinary reins of a start-up burger chain in Boston with a couple of friends.
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Carolyn Hax - TELL ME ABOUT IT ® - washingtonpost.com
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2007052619
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Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.
Relax and enjoy. You're funny.
Or you're lying about having friends with kids.
Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.
I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.
So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.
It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.
It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.
Write to Tell Me About It, Style, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071, ortellme@washpost.com.
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Carolyn: Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . . Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists...
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Officials Describe Interference by Former Gonzales Aide
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2007052619
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When Jeffrey A. Taylor, interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, wanted to hire a new career prosecutor last fall, he had to run the idea past Monica M. Goodling, then a 33-year-old aide to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.
The candidate was Seth Adam Meinero, a Howard University law school graduate who had worked on civil rights cases at the Environmental Protection Agency and had served as a special assistant prosecutor in Taylor's office.
Goodling stalled the hiring, saying that Meinero was too "liberal" for the nonpolitical position, said according to two sources familiar with the dispute.
The tussle over Meinero, who was eventually hired at Taylor's insistence, led to a Justice Department investigation of whether Goodling improperly weighed political affiliation when reviewing applicants for rank-and-file prosecutor jobs, the sources said.
A 1999 graduate of Regent University law school in Virginia Beach with six months of prosecutorial experience, Goodling was among a small coterie of young aides to Gonzales who were remarkable for their inexperience and autonomy in deciding the fates of seasoned Justice Department lawyers, according to current and former officials who worked with the group.
She worked closely last year with D. Kyle Sampson, then the attorney general's chief of staff, sifting through lists of U.S. attorneys considered for removal, according to congressional interviews and Justice Department documents released to the public. Goodling also was central to the department's stumbling efforts to defend its handling of the firings of nine prosecutors, at times by attacking their reputations. She resigned in April.
Goodling is scheduled to testify today before the House Judiciary Committee about the firings, under an offer of immunity.
"All I ever wanted to do was serve this president, this administration, this department," Goodling tearfully told a senior Justice official shortly before she quit, according to a transcript of his interview released by the House committee last night.
Goodling's attorney, who has accused Democratic lawmakers of having already made up their minds about his client's role, did not return e-mail and telephone messages left at his office yesterday.
Goodling had been a divisive figure at the Justice Department since she arrived in early 2002, gaining a reputation for having a mercurial temperament and being prickly toward career employees, said numerous current and former officials who worked with her.
Goodling and Sampson "knew politics, not law," said Bruce Fein, a senior Justice official during the Reagan administration. "This extent [of] neophytes running the department is highly irregular."
Goodling started at Justice in a newly created position as senior counsel to the head of the public affairs office.
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Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2006 elections,campaigns,Democrats,Republicans,political cartoons,opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy,government tech,political analysis and reports.
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New Strategy for War Stresses Iraqi Politics
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2007052619
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Top U.S. commanders and diplomats in Iraq are completing a far-reaching campaign plan for a new U.S. strategy, laying out military and political goals and endorsing the selective removal of hardened sectarian actors from Iraq's security forces and government.
The classified plan, scheduled to be finished by May 31, is a joint effort between Gen. David H. Petraeus, the senior American general in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker. More than half a dozen people with knowledge of the plan discussed its contents, although most asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about it to reporters.
The overarching aim of the plan, which sets goals for the end of this year and the end of 2008, is more political than military: to negotiate settlements between warring factions in Iraq from the national level down to the local level. In essence, it is as much about the political deals needed to defuse a civil war as about the military operations aimed at quelling a complex insurgency, said officials with knowledge of the plan.
The groundwork for the campaign plan was laid out in an assessment formulated by Petraeus's senior counterinsurgency adviser, David J. Kilcullen, with about 20 military officers, State Department officials and other experts in Baghdad known as the Joint Strategic Assessment Team. Their report, finished last month, was approved by Petraeus and Crocker as the basis of a formal campaign plan that will assign specific tasks for military commands and civilian agencies in Iraq.
The plan anticipates keeping U.S. troop levels elevated into next year but also intends to significantly increase the size of the 144,000-strong Iraqi army, considered one of the more reliable institutions in the country and without which a U.S. withdrawal would spell chaos. "You will have to do something about the sucking noise when we leave," said a U.S. officer familiar with the plan.
The plan has three pillars to be carried out simultaneously -- in contrast to the prior sequential strategy of "clear, hold and build." One shifts the immediate emphasis of military operations away from transitioning to Iraqi security forces -- the primary focus under the former top U.S. commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. -- toward protecting Iraq's population in trouble areas, a central objective of the troop increase that President Bush announced in January.
"The revised counterinsurgency approach we're taking now really focuses on protecting those people 24/7 . . . and that competent non-sectarian institutions take the baton from us," said Kilcullen, offering an overview of the campaign plan.
In contrast, he said, U.S. operations in 2004 and 2005 "had the unintended consequence of killing off Iraqis who supported us. We would clear an area, encourage people to sign up for government programs, but then we would have to leave and those people would be left exposed and would get killed." The plan recognizes that there are too few troops to protect all of Iraq's population, and so focuses on critical regions such as greater Baghdad.
Next, the plan emphasizes building the government's capacity to function, admitting severe weaknesses in government ministries and often nonexistent institutional links between the central government and provincial and local governments. This, too, is in contrast with Casey's strategy, which focused on rapidly handing over responsibility to Iraq's government.
Such a rapid transition "was derailed as a strategy," said one person involved with the plan. Instead, he described the focus of the next 18 to 21 months as "a bridging strategy" to set the necessary conditions for a handover.
Finally, the campaign plan aims to purge Iraq's leadership of a small but influential number of officials and commanders whose sectarian and criminal agendas are thwarting U.S. efforts. It recognizes that the Iraqi government is deeply infiltrated by militia and corrupt officials who are "part of the problem" and are maneuvering to kill off opponents, install sectarian allies and otherwise solidify their power for when U.S. troops withdraw, said one person familiar with the plan.
"For the surge to work, Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus have to identify the Iraqi nationalists and empower them, while minimizing" two other groups -- namely, "the militant sectarians . . . and the profoundly, personally corrupt," said Toby Dodge, a Middle East expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London who recently returned from Iraq. Dodge, one of the assessment team members, was speaking in his capacity as an Iraq expert and declined to comment on anything about the plan.
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Top U.S. commanders and diplomats in Iraq are completing a far-reaching campaign plan for a new U.S. strategy, laying out military and political goals and endorsing the selective removal of hardened sectarian actors from Iraq's security forces and government.
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9 U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq; Abducted Soldier Found Dead
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2007052619
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U.S. military spokeswoman Lt. Co.. Josslyn Aberle in Baghdad confirmed Thursday that the body was that of Pvt. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, Calif.
Iraqi police said the body pulled from the Euphrates was partially clad in what appeared to be U.S. military pants and boots. It was recovered near Musayyib, about 45 miles south of Baghdad and about 20 miles downriver from where the May 12 abduction occurred, according to Capt. Muthana Ahmad, police spokesman in Babil province.
Reuters quoted a river patrol officer in Musayyib as saying the man appeared to have been killed about a week ago.
Four U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were killed in the ambush, and three soldiers were abducted, triggering a massive manhunt in a large area south and west of Baghdad by about 6,000 U.S. and Iraqi soldiers. U.S. officials said this week that they believed at least two of the missing men were still alive.
Also Wednesday, about 100 Iraqis were killed and 130 injured in mortar strikes, suicide attacks, car bombings, drive-by shootings and other violence across the country, according to law enforcement authorities and news agency accounts.
The military reported seven soldiers and two Marines killed in five incidents Tuesday, a particularly deadly day that underscored the increased vulnerability of U.S. forces as they take a more visible role in trying reduce suicide bombings, drive-by shootings, death squad massacres and other attacks that have become part of daily life in Iraq and its capital. The new mission, which involves about 28,000 additional U.S. troops in Baghdad and other parts of the country, was launched in mid-February and so far has had mixed success.
"As we all know, it's going to get harder before it gets easier," Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, told reporters. "Overall, we have not seen an increase in violence, just an increase in fights with terrorists and extremists of all affiliations. We now have more troops conducting more operations . . . resulting in more confrontations."
Eighty U.S. service members have been reported killed so far in May, an average of about 3.5 deaths per day. The month is continuing a trend of higher U.S. fatalities that began in December.
In the worst incident Tuesday, three U.S. soldiers were reported killed when roadside bombs struck their patrol, the military reported in a statement. Two soldiers and an interpreter were injured in the attack. The statement did not say where the incident occurred.
Two soldiers were killed and three were injured by an explosion near their vehicle in Baghdad province, the military reported. A soldier was killed by small-arms fire in western Baghdad, and a soldier was killed and another wounded when a roadside bomb exploded while they were outside their vehicle in southwest Baghdad, the military said.
Two Marines were killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar province west of the capital, a statement said.
No further details were available.
Also in Anbar, a Sunni Arab stronghold of the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq, 10 people in the same family were killed Tuesday night by a bomber who blew himself up in their home, according to provincial police Lt. Col. Jubair Rasheed al-Dulaimi. Many of the dead were women and children, he said.
The province has been praised recently by U.S. and Iraqi officials because local tribes have begun joining to resist the insurgent fighters. The family, Dulaimi said, belonged to a group called the Anbar Awakening Council that opposes al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Dulaimi said the family was at home in the Albu Ubaid area east of the city of Ramadi, about 55 miles west of Baghdad, when the bomber attacked. When neighbors -- including many police officers -- came to help, a second suicide attacker entered the house and detonated explosives, injuring six police officers, Dulaimi said.
In the worst attack on civilians Wednesday, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives vest inside a crowded cafe in Mandali, a town about 70 miles northeast of the capital near the border with Iran, killing at least 20 people and wounding 33 , according to provincial police Lt. Mohammed Haikman.
Washington Post staff in Iraq contributed to this report.
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BAGHDAD, May 23 -- Nine U.S. soldiers and Marines were killed in Iraq on Tuesday, and the military said that the body of a man found in the Euphrates River early Wednesday was that of an American soldier abducted during a deadly ambush south of Baghdad almost two weeks ago, U.S. officials said.
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A New Iranian Hostage Crisis
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Fanny Esfandiari, a 93-year-old great-grandmother with heart disease and bad eyesight, made a desperate trip to Iran's notorious Evin Prison earlier this month.
"I have to find my daughter," she told relatives reluctant to drive her. None thought it would be productive -- or worth the risks. A nephew finally agreed. He stayed in the car as Esfandiari slowly shuffled on her cane up to the hulking white stone compound in Tehran where Iran's kings and theocrats have incarcerated their most famous political prisoners as well as their toughest criminals.
Esfandiari asked to see her daughter, Haleh Esfandiari of Potomac, a scholar once described as the "gold standard" of Middle East analysts, who was detained by Iranian intelligence on May 8.
The elder Esfandiari was told to try the prison's high-security wing -- the infamous Ward 209. There, however, she was turned away, and slowly made her way back to her nephew's car.
So began a drama that is reviving the kind of anxious and angry passions last witnessed a quarter-century ago, when 52 Americans were held for 444 days in Tehran.
Over the past two weeks, Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden have demanded Haleh Esfandiari's release. The Senate and House are both preparing bipartisan resolutions calling for her freedom. The Senate's 16 female members jointly wrote U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon asking for his "urgent" intervention with Iran.
Editorials in top American and European newspapers -- as well as publications ranging from the Daily Princetonian to Glamour -- have angrily condemned Iran's action. American academics have announced boycotts of Iran and called for demonstrations against Iranian missions around the world, while the 2,700-member Middle East Studies Association wrote Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warning of the "chilling impact" of Esfandiari's imprisonment on scholars worldwide. The Kuwait Economic Society, Egypt's pro-democracy Ibn Khaldun Center and the American Islamic Congress have joined forces to launch a Web site, http://www.freehaleh.org, which has so far generated 1,400 letters to the Ahmadinejad government.
After Iran's judiciary announced last week that Esfandiari was being investigated for "crimes against national security," 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi agreed to take her case.
Esfandiari is a most unlikely hostage.
A birdlike powerhouse of a woman, weighing in at barely 100 pounds, the 67-year-old academic has quietly run the Middle East program at the Smithsonian's Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars for almost a decade. Few American scholars have done more than Esfandiari, a Shiite Muslim, to advocate "open debate and dialogue" between two countries that have been at odds for almost three decades, according to Wilson Center director and former congressman Lee Hamilton.
"The U.S.-Iranian relationship suffers from more than a quarter-century of no dialogue and no talks. She wanted bridges, not walls. She wanted people to talk, not dictate. She wanted people to listen and learn, not filibuster and spin," says Hamilton, who also co-chaired the Iraq Study Group, which urged the Bush administration to engage with Iran to help stabilize Iraq.
Iran's leading hard-line newspaper, Kayhan, now a mouthpiece for Ahmadinejad's government, alleged last week that Esfandiari was fomenting a "velvet revolution" in Iran and spying for the United States and Israel. Kayhan was, ironically, the place were Esfandiari got her start as a young journalist and met her husband, Shaul Bakhash.
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Fanny Esfandiari, a 93-year-old great-grandmother with heart disease and bad eyesight, made a desperate trip to Iran's notorious Evin Prison earlier this month.
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Angelina Jolie, Baring Her Soul On Behalf of 'A Mighty Heart'
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CANNES, France, May 22 We're invited to what the publicists describe as "an intimate press conference" with Angelina Jolie. They don't have to ask twice. Jolie walks into the seaside bungalow at the Hotel du Cap looking very movie star, very glamorous, very "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," thin as a razor, a pair of golden aviator sunglasses perched on her head and bronze Christian Louboutin heels. Dressed to Cannes.
One of the dozen reporters begins by asking who she is wearing, then jokes that they never ask the guys that.
"Except for Brad," Jolie says, laughing, flashing the big teeth, and thereby signaling that she is not unhappy to be here. That this could be okay. That we are not here with the icy distant planet Jolie, that actress who recently has appeared through the lens to be inscrutable, so wrapped in wrapping that she is unwrappable, just physically recoiling from the media's need to feed on any bit of exposed flesh, the relationship with Brad Pitt, the serial international adoptions, the baby-birthing in Africa, the globe-trotting Hollywood do-gooderisms, etc., etc.
Jolie is at the Cannes Film Festival to promote "A Mighty Heart," a small-budget project produced by Pitt (also here, for "Ocean's Thirteen") about the life and death of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter. The movie (a love story, a thriller, a police procedural) is told from the harrowing perspective of his wife, Mariane Pearl, whom Jolie portrays in the weeks between his disappearance in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2002 and his terrible end by beheading, which was captured on video. The film has been warmly received by the critics at Cannes, and they have praised Jolie and British director Michael Winterbottom for their restraint, for not turning the movie into a movie about Angelina Jolie. (Nor is the beheading shown; it is witnessed through the reactions of actors seeing the tape. Nor is Jolie's French accent a distraction.)
And her celebrity, it helps? "I would love to think it's a help, but sometimes it can be a distraction. With a subject matter and a character like Mariane, it has to be handled so carefully," Jolie says. "Because sometimes I'm so public in so many other ways, it could have hurt. I'm very conscious of that, more than feeling confident it would help. But now the film is made and we're very proud of it. I'm glad to do everything I can to bring attention to it."
Jolie recalls her three visits to Pakistan on humanitarian and refugee missions for the United Nations. The film depicts a complex Pakistan, beset by layers of intrigue, by anti-American jihadists, terrorists and their sympathizers, by corrupt officials, by double-dealers, but also people truly trying to help, including a Pakistani anti-terrorism captain who first appears to be a bad guy, then a good guy, who also tortures suspects to find Pearl.
"We'll see if I get my next visa to Pakistan," says Jolie, who continues: "It's a very balanced film," and "I have a love for that part of the world and I'm very sad how much every day it is breaking apart."
The film contains scenes of the actor playing Daniel Pearl, Dan Futterman (who was nominated for an Oscar for his "Capote" screenplay), that were shot in Karachi, portrayed as a chaotic megacity of great poverty and brutality, yet with moments of humanity and grace. Jolie did not work in Pakistan for the film (it was too dangerous, Winterbottom says), but shot her scenes in India, which serves as a stand-in for the site of the house-headquarters where Mariane Pearl and her colleagues gathered to await news of the reporter's fate. Pitt joined Jolie in India. "He's a really good producer," she says, "and he also spent most of the time at the hotel with our three kids, being an even better father."
What does Jolie hope for the film? "I think there is a bigger message. I think we're at a time in our lives where there is so much fear and there is so much anger and it's hard for people to calm down enough to have a dialogue about finding solutions, and I think she, Mariane, is a great example of that because she, under the most extraordinary circumstances, remained very focused on having sympathy for the other side, even after what they did to her husband." Jolie continues, "She said a few days after her husband was killed that she loved Pakistan."
Jolie met with Mariane Pearl many times and says they have become friends.
"This story and this time is something everybody remembers, even studio heads; they actually care about it. They care about Danny Pearl and they care about Mariane," Jolie says. "And even when we came to publicity, nobody asked for anything silly and nobody pushed."
And that is the atmosphere here at the Hotel du Cap for the minutes we spend with Jolie. Nobody asks about Brangelina. We ask if the Pakistani captain who ferreted out Pearl's killers had seen the film? "He saw it last night," Winterbottom says, "and said it was like reliving it." Jolie wonders whether we should put that in the newspaper and Winterbottom says it is fine. We like that Jolie is concerned about his safety.
She says she will finish up a film now shooting in Prague (the thriller "Wanted," with Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy), and that soon she and Pitt plan to take a year off. She will keep flying planes. She just got instrument-rated and Pitt now has a pilot's license. She says she takes precautions in her travels but will continue to see and experience the world. She might even learn how to cook. "I'll say to Brad I'd like to make us some eggs," Jolie says, "and he says don't."
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Search movie listings, reviews and locations from the Washington Post. Features national listings for movies and movie guide. Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/movies today.
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In Praise of Johnny Depp
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If you're asking Johnny Depp, the answer could only be "myself."
Not many 43-year-old men can successfully pull off the polo shirt/paramilitary/hippie/beatnik look, but then Depp is no ordinary man.
The actor, who first surfaced in 1984's "Nightmare on Elm Street" and unwittingly cast a spell over a generation of teen girls on Fox's "21 Jump Street," sported just such a look today in Tokyo while promoting the latest installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean." And rather than make him walk the plank for an outfit that would approach fug on anyone else, I find myself instead delighted by this man who isn't afraid of looking a little bit silly in support of his fierce individuality.
While most Hollywood men tend to stick with a safe less-is-more wardrobe for public appearances, Depp has dazzled red carpets for years with outfits dramatic, romantic, retro, whimsical, hip and even slimy. Quite a contrast when you look at Hollywood's other leading men, for instance, Brad Pitt -- who recently made the scene in Cannes looking like a Madame Tussaud's wax figure of a young Robert Redford.
A round of applause, please, for Johnny Depp -- who isn't afraid of being himself.
By Liz | May 23, 2007; 9:37 AM ET | Category: In Praise Of... Previous: Morning Mix: Jolie to Take Break From Filming | Next: 'Lost' Finale Countdown
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.
he'd look hot in a straight jacket reading the phone book.
Posted by: b | May 23, 2007 10:54 AM
I don't know that I find that characterization fair. Are you accusing Brad of not "being himself" because he doesn't dress like Johnny Depp? And if he is being himself by dressing that way, are you saying he's less of a person, or at least, an interesting person as a result? Maybe Johnny dresses strangely (by our standards) not to be different so much as attract attention to himself. And if that's the case, how is he any better than some shill like Bai ling (well, of course, besides talent)?
Posted by: DJ | May 23, 2007 11:02 AM
He is soooo at the top of my laminated list.... I simultaneously admire and hate Vanessa P who managed to snag him. Lucky lucky woman.
His hotness quotient is only magnified by his clear dedication to family and his williness to not just give in to 'the machine' that is hollywood.
Who else would be willing to take a character and turn him in to a fay Keith Richardson with blackend teeth and greasy hair and have people still want him?
Posted by: Johnny Depp Fan | May 23, 2007 11:03 AM
I love Johnny Depp for not following the typical handsome leading man route. Johnny moves to his own beat plus unlike Matthew McConaughey, Johnny believes in the power of soap and water.
Posted by: Lisa1 | May 23, 2007 11:07 AM
It never ceases to amaze me how thoughtful the guy comes across in interviews...he seems like a genuinely good guy and awesome (if a bit quirky, but that's part of his charm) human being, which I can't say for other people I've seen interviewed. Seriously, some day I'd love to sit down with him and pick his brain (not that he doesn't make good scenery, of course, but I get the feeling there's more to him) but I know I'll probably never get the chance. Oh well.
Posted by: | May 23, 2007 11:27 AM
Brad Pitt was steaming hot at Cannes. He looked lovey and retro, as does George Clooney in formal wear. What is wrong with simple and less-is-more? I think simple, elegant, and classic is usually a great way for both men and women to go. The outfit doesn't take over the person or make everyone notice and talk about it. I think "not knowing how to dress for an occasion" and "deliberately disrespectful" can be substituted for "showing his individuality" in many instances.
Posted by: | May 23, 2007 11:36 AM
While in general I do like Johnny , I can't figure out why he always wears that dirty, nasty tube-sock thingy wrapped around his left wrist. It's there all the time. What is it? Why?
Posted by: Kari | May 23, 2007 11:37 AM
Johnny Depp....*Homer Simpson drooly noise**
Posted by: Bored @ work | May 23, 2007 11:38 AM
HE IS HOT HOT HOT. Part of the allure IS that he is not afraid of looking silly or weird.
Posted by: fashionistadc | May 23, 2007 11:42 AM
Actually I wasn't that into him on "21 Jump Street". After he left and started doing quirky roles I must admit I got on the bandwagon. He seems intelligent, sincere and a barrel full o fun in the interviews. Oh and that voice, yum.
I'm willing to look past the getup from the last Oscars, even if he were to wears pleated pants. Now that's saying something.
Posted by: petal | May 23, 2007 11:46 AM
I like Brad Pitt (especially when he does his off-kilter stuff like 12 Monkeys or Snatch), but I gotta agree with Liz here. He looked stiff in that picture. He needs to turn on that great smile of his. He hasn't mastered the self-deprecation/irony look that Clooney lives in that makes Clooney look so perpetually comfortable and suave.
As for the lovely Depp....*sigh*. I have always loved him and his obvious lack of buy-in to the Hollywood image machine.
Basically, he does what he wants, says what he wants, wears what he wants, and is obviously comfortable in his skin. So whatever he wears always looks good as a result - even when it looks goofy ;) You gotta respect that.
Posted by: Chasmosaur | May 23, 2007 11:47 AM
I think that part of Brad's stiff look at Cannes may have had something to do with the seriousness of the film he is there with Angelina for. Even Angie is dressed rather conservatively in black. I think he was showing respect for the film and the subject (they were there with Mrs. Pearl on the red carpet and they are apparently good friends), so though he looked pretty stiff, I think it may have been appropriate in the situation.
Posted by: | May 23, 2007 12:24 PM
"A round of applause, please, for Johnny Depp -- who isn't afraid of being himself."
Amen to that! Yum yum yum ... love him because he IS himself.
Posted by: Catherine | May 23, 2007 1:05 PM
I like Deep, and more power to him for following his drummer. However I applaud Pitt for bringing back some class to Hollywood - there is a time and place for everything and Pitt certainly nailed a perfect look for the ocassion.
Posted by: RamblinMan | May 23, 2007 1:30 PM
Depp and Pitt are, by all accounts, both gentlemen, intelligent and interesting, and slightly more balanced than the usual Hollyweird loon scene. Both are also men of a certain age, aging gracefully. If Liz tips to one now, I am sure she means no disrespect to the other.
That said, I think I'd rather split a six-pack or bottle of wine with Depp. I respect Pitt, but he seems more conservative personally. And what's with that wife? Given (as he always points out) we don't know her or understand her... but also don't necessarily want to. Depp seems to have the whole enchilada.
Posted by: Bogota | May 23, 2007 1:47 PM
So much of the "look" is attitude and self-confidence, which he has in abundance. Either that or he is such a good actor that he can pull off attitude and self-confidence. He'd look good in anything. Or nothing. Especially nothing.
Posted by: DC Cubefarm | May 23, 2007 1:49 PM
depp is also a much,much better actor than brad pitt ('babel' notwithstanding.) if you've never seen johnny d. in 'ed wood' you're missing something special. in general i like his disheveled/sheveled look but must agree w/kari re: the tube sock/thingy/possible scrunchy. please by all that is holy, jd, lose it.
Posted by: methinks | May 23, 2007 2:11 PM
He looks like a dork, he needs to GROW UP and dress like an adult!
Oh and stop making sell out Disney movies and go back to making serious films, what a shame to see someone waste talent.
Posted by: Andrew | May 23, 2007 2:29 PM
Well, yes actually I was going to say, easy to dress "fun" when you are making a crappy Disney movie, not that he doesn't deserve to have some fun. But here's Brad Pitt, who probably will make a lot of money (as producer) on a movie about the decapitation of some one. Under the circumstances, dressing soberly is a good move.
Posted by: POS | May 23, 2007 2:35 PM
Amaazing how an ex-DRUG ADDICT, DRUNK, HOTEL ROOM TRASHER and USA basher like Johnny Depp can have his SINS erased just because he dresses up like a pirate.
Posted by: Any Morals Left? | May 23, 2007 2:48 PM
Johnny Depp is the coolest! I don't know what yur talking about! He is the best and sexiest actor. So, tell the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Alissa | May 23, 2007 2:48 PM
Johnny Depp is HOT, that's for sure, but it's conditional . There's the bad Johnny and the good Johnny. Bad Johnny needs to take a bath, wash his hair, use deodorant, and dress like an adult. Good Johnny.......yum is right.
Posted by: Depp conditional | May 23, 2007 3:11 PM
who cares what either of them weat it's what they say and what is in their heart that matters. Johnny and Brad are both great for the people they are and not their attire.
Posted by: dmv | May 23, 2007 3:15 PM
Johnny Depp is a tool bag. Pardon Brad for looking dignified...and not like a horse's ass [multiple times].
Posted by: Smoking Cupcake | May 23, 2007 3:28 PM
Depp wins on the aging gracefully tip. Between the kids & globe hopping w/Angelina, Brad isn't aging as well as he could.
Posted by: Bored @ work | May 23, 2007 3:33 PM
now, now....no need to throw brad p. under a bus to make johnny d. shine brighter.
i have loved johnny depp since i was college sophomore, hooked on jump street. yikes. that was 20 years ago! i'm married now to an awesome guy, with a kid on the way, but a girl can still dream about a little mash with edward scissorhands, can't she?
Posted by: wats | May 23, 2007 3:48 PM
Unless you're lucky enough to know Johnny, it's hard to know what to believe what is written & said about him. I read somewhere that Johnny sometimes dresses weirdly in the hopes of keeping people away and to deter them from relating to him solely on the basis of his natural beauty. Except for his well-loved shoes, I loved the way he looked at the Disneyland premiere with the blue aviator glasses. I also wonder what the white scarf thing is on his wrist - does anybody know? Also, why does there have to be a Johnny v. Brad competition? They're both handsome and great actors, just different (I think they're also good friends). Personally, I think Kate Moss should dress Johnny every day just for his fans' benefit. I love him more every day, especially because he's not perfect.
Posted by: Mary Reid | May 23, 2007 3:49 PM
the man looks younger and youger every year!!!
Posted by: Lindsay | May 23, 2007 3:51 PM
I think that even if Johnny Depp is 43 years old hes still sexy
Posted by: Nancy Vivian Soria | May 23, 2007 3:57 PM
a movie about decapitation? WTF? the movie is based on the BOOK by Daniel Pearl's WIFE, who consulted and loves the movie and no decapitation is shown. Get a clue before you mouth off.
and Brad has been hot since Themlam and Louise, Johnny since 21 Jump, but they both get better with age, as most men do. Lines and miles on the face are sexxxxxy. Also, Brad seems like an incredibly interesting guy. I'd like wine with both of them, actually.
Posted by: | May 23, 2007 4:18 PM
Don't make me choose. Brad is now old enough to be interesting-looking, not just conventionally handsome, while Johnny's personal style--odd as it can be--allows him to look like he actually has fun dressing up.
Posted by: JanetK | May 23, 2007 4:19 PM
Johnny Depp looks like an idiot
Posted by: | May 23, 2007 4:36 PM
I think I'd like a rotation of Johnny, Brad, George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Christian Bale on my plate.
Posted by: | May 23, 2007 4:38 PM
Since when is making a fun, family-oriented movie selling out, or a waste of talent? He's brilliant in the role, creating a dynamic character, and has said he loved that his kids could watch this movie and he could share it with them. I hate Disney-bashing simply because it's Disney (and yeah, all the "cool" people who think they know something about art do it). There are many great Disney films, and while I agree that lately they've made a lot of sequels (thanks to the now-out Eisner), it's a mistake to dismiss everything they do offhand. Making a movie about their own decades-old park attraction is actually new and very well written!
And Depp? Quite hot, indeed (particularly in all those Burton films)...
Posted by: No wasted talent! | May 23, 2007 4:38 PM
Kari - I think its a piece of cloth that his children have signed. Its something to do with his children anyway. :) I like it! Theyre like his trademark, along with his hats and glasses. :)
I dont really like Brad Pitt though so, meh!
Posted by: Sarah | May 23, 2007 4:59 PM
Put a different face on the body, and have that person walk into a store wherever you live. I think he'd be treated very badly, instead of being respected for being himself.
Posted by: MAS | May 23, 2007 5:08 PM
The piece material around his wrist is an old T-shirt that his son, Jack, drew on (or wrote on, I can't remember). So now he wears it all the time! Much like the bracelets that his daughter makes him that he wears all the time, too. Adorable!
Posted by: Socks | May 23, 2007 5:09 PM
The "ragged sock" around his wrist is something his son Jack made for him. He also wears bracelets that his daughter Lily-Rose makes. It's sweet and a further sign of his love and devotion to his kiddies. And the fact that Pirates has done well doesn't mean that he's a sell-out. There was no way of knowing how well the films would do; the fact that Disney is the distributor is irrelevant. Depp chooses films based on whether or not he enjoys the script and if he thinks he can bring something to the character. Never has he worked on a project for monetarily gain or popularity. While Johnny is beautiful, he has not used his looks to "cash in." Unfortunatily, Pitt has (i.e. Troy).
Posted by: Laura | May 23, 2007 5:20 PM
As I forgot to mention is my previous post in response to another poster regarding Mr. Depp's past: his past "sins" have not been erased or overlooked regardless of the release of "Pirates." He has repeatedly accepted full responsibility to to all mistakes committed and did it all without justifying his actions. He is aware of past mistakes but as he says, that part of his life was over the instant his little girl took her first breath of life. Everyone makes mistakes, as I'm sure the poster is too guilty of committing whether or not they were similiar in nature. Get off Johnny's back.
Posted by: Laura | May 23, 2007 5:35 PM
Posted by: Socks | May 23, 2007 5:50 PM
He is wearing one of the most popular brands in Japan among young people --> BAPE, and the logo is very prominently displayed (it looks like Che Guevara but it's actually an ape). So much for the generic Johnny Depp!
Posted by: Oh-sakaa | May 23, 2007 7:35 PM
I wear Oreo cookies and nachos on the red carpet. Yet, I don't get headlines. Why is that?
Posted by: J More | May 23, 2007 7:57 PM
No one said Johnny is "generic". He just is individualistic and mixes, matches (or doesn't match) whatever he wants to wear; and he looks hotter and hotter all the time. I love him. I love the way he doesn't give a **** what anyone thinks--he is HIMSELF!! He admits past "sins" as one poster mentioned, and he loves his family above all and has stated they come first no matter what even if he had to go back to selling pens. He is as solid as his Cherokee background and as intelligent as they come. I'd give anything I own or will ever own, just to have one day, one hour even, with Johnny!! I'd go to him in a heartbeat if I could, but I'm not stupid enough to think that will ever happen. However, I CAN enjoy interviews, movies, my photo collection, others' fan websites, comments and any other information I can get about this wonderful man. The ONLY drawback in my humble opinion is that he continues to smoke, and his language is a little bit on the raunchy side when not in the public eye as on TV (read the Rolling Stone latest issue with the interview with Johnny and Keith Richards). BUT,.....I'm in love with the man...what can I say????? I love Vanessa, too, but would trade with her any time if it were possible. Love Ya, Johnny---You Keep the Great Work Up!!!!
Posted by: sparrowWing | May 23, 2007 8:04 PM
I don;t get why you all talk about these mem in the first place. Do you talk about your fathers or husbands ot sons or bothers, like this,lets not forget they are just men doing a job, making movies. Yes one has a hyigene problem and the other is more into the image of the now wife, which we know will not last long in the hollywood world. Please remember they makes movies for money, like we work for a living.
Posted by: k | May 23, 2007 8:23 PM
Um, who cares???? Get a life people.
Posted by: Me | May 23, 2007 9:00 PM
Is that a Che Guevara patch on the sleeve of Dep's jacket? For all of you history impaired out there - the oh so cool revolutionary, Che, personally ran Castro's execution brigade in the early years after the revolution. Che personally squeezed the trigger on hundreds (and over-saw the murder of thousands) of Cubans whose crimes were speaking out against Castro's pre-revolutionary promises to bring real democracy to Cuba. Dep might be popular with the girls and a half decent actor, but he is as dumb as a brick when it comes to politics.
Posted by: Parker | May 23, 2007 10:00 PM
Corrected: Is that a Che Guevara patch on the sleeve of Dep's jacket? For all of you history impaired out there - the oh so cool revolutionary, Che, personally ran Castro's execution brigade in the early years after the revolution. Che personally squeezed the trigger on hundreds (and over-saw the murder of thousands) of Cubans whose crimes were speaking out against Castro's broken promises to bring real democracy to Cuba. Dep might be popular with the girls and a half decent actor, but he is as dumb as a brick when it comes to politics.
Posted by: Parker | May 23, 2007 10:03 PM
Cute'n sexy! People are not the same, some hottys can put on any outfit and look just fine others can't (that dosen't mean they are not hot.
Posted by: kicka**girlgamer | May 23, 2007 10:13 PM
''but he is as dumb as a brick when it comes to politics.'' so what he is cute and hot!
Posted by: kicka**girlgamer | May 23, 2007 10:17 PM
i love johnny depp. plain and simple. he looks great!
Posted by: emily | May 24, 2007 1:58 AM
I wish people would stop knocking the Pirate movies as if they were intended to be highbrow classics. They're great summer entertainment, I like the fact that they're longer than 75 min (you get more for your money, although for $300 mil, you'd think they'd allow more time for editing), and for those who are interested there's actually a lot more to the stories if you watch it more than 1 time and check out the writers' commentary. And they don't resort to juvenile toilet humor, ala Adam Sandler et al.
Posted by: Mary Reid | May 24, 2007 9:46 AM
You know, I am sitting here reading all these opinions about JD, and the ironic thing is that he will never read this, and even if he did, he wouldn't care what anyone thought of his clothes. That's what makes him awesome. Don't you realize that he is very intelligent, how many of us are talented in everything that the world holds. So what if Johnny isn't the most intelligent in politics, maybe it doesn't spark his interest. What I find funny is, someone who judges others, and can't use good grammar and punctuation but can throw out judgements. Sounds like we should all take a good look in the mirror before we judge anyone. We all have faults, and for those faults makes us humans. Cast the first stone if you are any better......
Posted by: KellyMarie | May 24, 2007 11:15 PM
i absolutely loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee johnny depp he is sooooo sexy and hot and absolutely love pirates of the caribbean 1 2 and 3!!!! i also love orlando bloom sooooooooooooo much!!!! even though i love him i think vanessa p is a nice women and shes really lucky!!!!!
Posted by: vanessa | May 27, 2007 8:26 PM
i only have 1 thing to say about Johnny Depp. HEE ISS A HOTTIEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: | May 27, 2007 8:28 PM
WHO EVER IN THIS WHOLE WORLD SAYS ANYTHING BAD ABOUT JOHNNY DEPP OR ORLANDO BLOOM THEY ARE DEAD TO ME OR I WILL KILL THEM MYSELF BECAUSE I LOVE THEM BOTH AND WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR THEM!!!!!!!!! SO DONT DARE SAY ANYTHING BAD OR YOU WILL GET A LITTLE VISIT FROM ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: | May 27, 2007 8:32 PM
i love the way he dresses He´s sooo hooott
Posted by: | May 27, 2007 10:28 PM
Posted by: | May 27, 2007 10:31 PM
What's with all this bashing? Even tough I'm more a fan of Mr. Depp, I think they are both easy on the eyes and fabulous actors. No one knows why they dress the way they do except themselves. And does their attire really matter? I forgot when wardrobe was a good judge of character. Just let them be.
Posted by: Just stop. | May 29, 2007 5:45 PM
What's with all this bashing? Even tough I'm more a fan of Mr. Depp, I think they are both easy on the eyes and fabulous actors. No one knows why they dress the way they do except themselves. And does their attire really matter? I forgot when wardrobe was a good judge of character. Just let them be.
Posted by: Just stop. | May 29, 2007 5:45 PM
What's with all this bashing? Even tough I'm more a fan of Mr. Depp, I think they are both easy on the eyes and fabulous actors. No one knows why they dress the way they do except themselves. And does their attire really matter? I forgot when wardrobe was a good judge of character. Just let them be.
Posted by: Just stop. | May 29, 2007 5:45 PM
What's with all this bashing? Even tough I'm more a fan of Mr. Depp, I think they are both easy on the eyes and fabulous actors. No one knows why they dress the way they do except themselves. And does their attire really matter? I forgot when wardrobe was a good judge of character. Just let them be.
Posted by: Just stop. | May 29, 2007 5:45 PM
"Put a different face on the body, and have that person walk into a store wherever you live. I think he'd be treated very badly, instead of being respected for being himself." To rebuttal that statement: but that's completely irrelevant to the situation- he's not any old rag from the streets. He's a well known, and reverd multi-million dollar actor, and people know who he is.
Posted by: | May 29, 2007 5:57 PM
"Put a different face on the body, and have that person walk into a store wherever you live. I think he'd be treated very badly, instead of being respected for being himself." To rebuttal that statement: but that's completely irrelevant to the situation- he's not any old rag from the streets. He's a well known, and reverd multi-million dollar actor, and people know who he is.
Posted by: | May 29, 2007 5:57 PM
"Put a different face on the body, and have that person walk into a store wherever you live. I think he'd be treated very badly, instead of being respected for being himself." To rebuttal that statement: but that's completely irrelevant to the situation- he's not any old rag from the streets. He's a well known, and reverd multi-million dollar actor, and people know who he is.
Posted by: | May 29, 2007 5:57 PM
JOHNNY DEPP IS THE DAMIST FRIGGIN SEXIEST THING ALIVE... <3<3<3 *Drools*
Posted by: Me | May 29, 2007 8:26 PM
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Posted by: jnkut whqeixrtv | June 2, 2007 6:31 PM
Caro Johnny Depp Sono il padre di Alice, una ragazzina di 14 anni che stravede per lei, Le sarei molto grato se potesse inviarle una sua foto, o meglio la foto di Jack Sparrow con dedica. Renderebbe felicissima mia figlia e di conseguenza me stesso. La ringrazio infinitamente e spero possa esaudire questo suo desiderio( lei non è a conoscenza di questa missiva e sarebbe una bella sorpresa). L'indirizzo email dal quale riceverà questa richiesta non è il mio in quanto non ho ancora il collegamento ad internet, per questo Le chiedo la cortesia di inviare la sua foto con dedica al seguente indirizzo postale:
DENARO ALICE VIA BENEDETTO MARCELLO N.30 90145 - PALERMO - ITALY
Complimenti per i suoi film.
Posted by: Maurizio | June 4, 2007 9:53 AM
That is why WE love you Johnny! You are the most down-to-earth,real,honest celebrity I've ever seen and I believe the entertainment industry has seen for decades! You shyness and modesty are part of your charm too,not to mention the hotness and sexy appeal you present on and off screen. And your acting is fabulous! It is great to know that an actor acts not only for glamor and fame but for the essence of acting itself! You know I totally love it whenever you always don't seem to know the right words to say ;) It is a rare quality of actors to want to constantly improve their acting and yet avoid the glitz and still real to others and oneself. I really respect your attitude towards life and fame. Your acting is really versatile and you have proven to the world that your acting is first-class!So we will support you and your movies no matter whether you get awards for Oscar or Academy Awards or not, coz you are already an acting master-class in our hearts! I LOVE your shyness and honesty, I think they are what makes you all the more charming! Keep it up Johnny! We luv ya!:)
Posted by: Angela | June 8, 2007 7:34 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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Music Group Offers Some Web Radio Sites a Break
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Small Internet radio stations were offered a break yesterday, when a recording industry group offered to reduce the royalties it collects for music played online.
Web radio stations are facing new and higher royalty fees starting in July, but many have protested that the higher fees -- triple current rates -- would put them out of business. Fans of online music stations are concerned that the fee increase would wipe out a nascent Web broadcasting industry that is exposing listeners to a wide range of music that is not often heard on terrestrial radio.
The fees were instituted by a panel of judges appointed by the librarian of Congress, at a rate recommended by SoundExchange, which collects online royalties for the music industry. Yesterday, SoundExchange offered to let broadcasters with less than $1.2 million in annual revenue pay a reduced rate.
"There's a sense in the music community and in Congress that small webcasters need more time to develop their businesses," John L. Simson, executive director of SoundExchange, said in a written statement. "We look at it as artists and labels doing their part to help small operators get a stronger foothold."
Under the SoundExchange offer, small webcasters would pay 10 percent of all gross revenue up to $250,000 and 12 percent of all gross revenue above that amount.
Michael Huppe, SoundExchange's general counsel, said the organization was influenced by a letter it received on Friday, co-signed by Reps. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.) and Howard Coble (R-N.C.), urging SoundExchange to "initiate good faith private negotiations." Berman is chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on courts, the Internet and intellectual property.
Pandora and Live365, two Web radio companies that have been lobbying Congress to get the new fees overturned, would be excluded, because their revenues exceed $1.2 million .
Jonathan Potter, executive director of the Digital Media Association, a trade group, said yesterday that he did not see how SoundExchange's offer would help build a thriving Web radio industry.
"Pandora has under a hundred employees, Live365 has 35. Under any definition of the word, they're small businesses, and yet they don't qualify," Potter said. "I don't see why SoundExchange sees this as having a positive impact on the industry."
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Small Internet radio stations were offered a break yesterday, when a recording industry group offered to reduce the royalties it collects for music played online.
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Hoyas' Decisions Expected Today
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Georgetown juniors Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert will announce whether they will remain in the NBA draft at a news conference this afternoon, and according to a source with knowledge of the situation, Hibbert will be returning to the Hoyas for his senior season.
The return of the 7-foot-2 Hibbert is a boost for a program that is coming off its first Final Four appearance since 1985. He and Green helped lead the Hoyas to a sweep of the Big East regular season and tournament titles and a 30-7 overall record, the fourth 30-win season in school history.
When Hibbert and Green submitted their names for the draft in mid-April, both players left open the possibility of returning to Georgetown for a final season. Neither player hired an agent at the time, and both players said they were still enrolled in classes and were on track to graduate on time.
Underclassmen have until June 18 to withdraw from the draft, which will be held June 28 in New York. The draft lottery was held last night, with the Portland Trail Blazers winning the top pick.
Most mock drafts have projected Green and Hibbert as lottery picks, forecasting Green to go between the seventh and 14th picks, and Hibbert between the fifth and 10th picks.
Hibbert has steadily improved each season since coming to Georgetown from nearby Georgetown Prep and could vault his way to the top of the 2008 draft with another season of similar development in college. Green, on the other hand, is considered to be the more NBA-ready player, and his stock might be at its peak now after a superlative junior season.
The 6-9 Green led the Hoyas in scoring (14.3 points) and was second in rebounds (6.4) and assists (3.2). He was named the Big East player of the year, as well as the most outstanding player of the Big East tournament and the NCAA East Region. He made three game-winning shots, two of them in the postseason, but scored just nine points on five shot attempts in the Hoyas' national semifinal loss to Ohio State.
Hibbert was second on the team in scoring (12.9 points), led the Hoyas in rebounding (6.9) and blocked shots (2.4), and was a unanimous choice for first team all-Big East. He had a terrific NCAA tournament, averaging a double-double (14.2 points and 10.4 rebounds), and against the likely top pick in the draft, Ohio State freshman Greg Oden, Hibbert had 19 points and six rebounds.
Last month, Green said there was a 70 percent chance that he would return to the Hoyas.
"School is only going to be here four years," Green said. "The NBA will be there forever. You can't just give up that. That's a big thought in this process."
Hibbert put his odds of returning at 50-50, and said his projected draft position would be a factor in the decision. There is a glut of talented big men in this year's draft: Oden, Florida's Al Horford and Joakim Noah, China's Yi Jianlian and Washington's Spencer Hawes.
"Do I want to go eight through 14, or do I want to go top three next year?" Hibbert said in April.
"That does play a factor in my decision. . . . I wouldn't want to be at the end of a bench on an NBA team, not being able to develop and show what I can do, so another year here would be great, obviously.
"But I'm just going to see if Coach thinks I'm ready. I would love to come back and get a national championship banner in here. We were close this year, but next year could be great."
Georgetown's top nine players are eligible to return next season, and the Hoyas will add two of the top guard prospects in the country: Austin Freeman, the All-Met player of the year from DeMatha, and Chris Wright, a three-time All-Met from St. John's.
Should Green return as well, the Hoyas could open the season as the top-ranked team in the country.
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Hoyas center Roy Hibbert reportedly will return to school for his senior season. Hibbert and teammate Jeff Green will announce their official intentions Wednesday.
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Blazers Hit Lottery, Sonics Get 2nd Pick
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The luck is in the land of lattes. In the most highly anticipated NBA draft lottery since LeBron James entered the league in 2003, the Pacific Northwest came out the biggest winner as the region is guaranteed Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.
With only the sixth-best chance of winning the lottery, the Portland Trail Blazers secured the No. 1 selection -- and an opportunity to draft a potentially franchise-changing superstar in either Oden or Durant -- in the June 28 draft in New York. And the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland's neighbor just 175 miles north up Interstate 5, claimed the second choice, despite finishing with the fifth-worst record.
Both teams managed to make surprising leaps over Memphis and Boston, the teams that finished with the two worst records.
"We couldn't be more excited. This has a chance to be a catalyst to take us to the next level," Portland General Manager Kevin Pritchard said in a teleconference last night. "This is huge. Unbelievably huge. Franchise-making. I don't how to make it any bigger than that."
Portland has the top choice for the first time since 1978, when they selected Mychal Thompson. The Trail Blazers had just a 5.3 percent chance to win the lottery after finishing 32-50 last season.
Oden, a first-team all-American from Ohio State, is generally considered the best big man to enter the league since Tim Duncan in 1997. The 7-foot center led the Buckeyes to the national championship game, in which he had 25 points and 12 rebounds in an 84-75 loss to Florida.
Durant averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds in his only season at Texas and swept every major player of the year award. The 6-foot-9 native of Suitland has been compared to all-stars Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady.
Pritchard said the team hasn't made a decision.
"I don't want to assume that we're going to take Oden first," Pritchard said. "Both of the players who are at the top of this draft have championship qualities. One is a center; one is a small forward. I'm the type of GM . . . I look at who's the best player available. I don't care what the position is."
The good fortune couldn't come at a better time for the Sonics, who are rumored to be moving if they cannot secure a new arena.
The Atlanta Hawks also caught a break. The Hawks, who landed the third pick, finished with the fourth-worst record but needed to finish in the top three to prevent surrendering the pick to the Phoenix Suns as compensation for the Joe Johnson trade two years ago.
Memphis finished with the league's worst record at 22-60 and had the greatest probability of winning the No. 1 pick (25 percent), but departing team president Jerry West was stunned when he heard the Grizzlies would get the fourth pick. Boston finished with the second-worst record (24-58) and was suspected of intentionally losing games in the last month in hopes of landing a high pick. The Celtics will have to settle for the fifth pick. Milwaukee, which had the third-worst record and won the lottery two years ago despite having the sixth-worst record, dropped to sixth.
The Trail Blazers were represented by reigning rookie of the year Brandon Roy, who cracked a huge grin when NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver pulled out an envelope to reveal that they would get the top pick.
"I was just happy to come here and maybe give us some luck," Roy said from the NBA TV studios in Secaucus, N.J.
"Rip City," Pritchard screamed, bringing back the slogan used when the Trail Blazers made it to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. "We're back."
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The Trail Blazers buck the odds and win the NBA draft lottery Tuesday while the league's two worst teams, Boston and Memphis, drop to fourth and fifth.
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Fierce, Busy Storm Season Ahead, Experts Say
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Far away, off the coast of South America, the waters of the Pacific Ocean are cooling ominously. In the Atlantic, the sea surface remains warm. And overhead, the atmosphere is evolving toward what forecasters said yesterday could be a dangerous hurricane season.
Experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- the parent agency of the National Weather Service -- said such factors indicate the 2007 hurricane season could have 13 to 17 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes. Of those, three to five could be major hurricanes.
The agency said past data also suggest the possibility of two to four hurricanes making U.S. landfall.
The announcement came in a news conference at Reagan National Airport amid dire warnings from a host of federal government officials about complacency after last year's relatively quiet season, in which no hurricane made landfall on a U.S. coast. It was only the 12th year since 1945 that had no U.S. hurricane landfalls.
"Last year was an unexpectedly easy season," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday. "There's no guarantee that this season is going to be anything less than tough. . . . It is a big mistake to count on being lucky. You're much better off preparing yourself for the worst, and then if you get lucky, that's a bonus."
The NOAA hurricane forecast was the latest this spring to predict a stormy season. An average season has 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and two of those becoming major storms, NOAA said.
Last year had 10 named storms and five hurricanes -- two of which were major, Category 3 or higher, said forecasters at Colorado State University.
In April, Colorado State experts predicted 17 named storms for this year, nine hurricanes and five major hurricanes. The university plans to update its forecast next week, with little change expected.
On May 8, AccuWeather.com, the weather agency based in State College, Pa., predicted 13 or 14 named storms for this year, with three or more Category 3 hurricanes and six or seven storms making U.S. landfall. A day later, the season's first named storm, subtropical system Andrea, formed off the Georgia coast and quickly dissipated.
Forecasters are still smarting from erroneous predictions that much of 2006 would be a busy hurricane season. "Our August-only forecast was a bust," Colorado State's experts said at the end of that season.
They were fooled by the rapid and unforeseen development over the summer of El Niño -- a warming of the water in the Pacific off the coast of South America. Such warming can produce wind conditions over the Atlantic Ocean that are detrimental to hurricane formation.
El Niño is waning, experts said yesterday, and that and other evidence points to this year's forecast.
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Far away, off the coast of South America, the waters of the Pacific Ocean are cooling ominously. In the Atlantic, the sea surface remains warm. And overhead, the atmosphere is evolving toward what forecasters said yesterday could be a dangerous hurricane season.
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Britain Seeks Extradition of Ex-KGB Agent
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In Moscow, Russian officials immediately responded that they had no intention of turning over Andrei Lugovoy, who met with Litvinenko at central London's Millennium Hotel for tea on Nov. 1, the day he became ill.
The Russian constitution bans the extradition of its citizens, Russian officials said. Analysts in Britain and Russia predicted that Lugovoy would never face justice in Britain. Still, British officials said they intended to pursue a case that left a trail of radiation around London and lingering tension between the British and Russian governments.
In Russia, Lugovoy was quoted by Russian news agencies Tuesday as saying that he had no motive to kill Litvinenko and that the British case against him is "political."
"I'm a victim, not a perpetrator, of a radiation attack," Lugovoy told Russian television. "Within the next week we'll make a statement regarding events in which Litvinenko and myself were involved last year. I think I'll say a few things which will be sensational to a British audience."
British doctors said Litvinenko, 43, a British citizen who himself had worked in Russian intelligence, was poisoned by the radioactive isotope polonium-210-- the cup and teapot he used were later found to be "smoking," according to people close to the investigation. His body began wasting away and the exceptionally fit man faded into a ghostlike figure as his organs shut down. He died Nov. 23.
His death led to the temporary grounding of several airliners on which suspects had flown and triggered fear among hotel guests, waiters, hospital workers and others who had contact with Litvinenko. Hundreds of people, including some in the United States, were tested for radiation poisoning. British officials said that 17 were found to have traces of polonium-210 in their systems but that it posed no significant health threat to them.
"I have today concluded that the evidence sent to us by the police is sufficient to charge Andrei Lugovoy with the murder of Mr. Litvinenko by deliberate poisoning," said Ken Macdonald, director of public prosecutions. He called Litvinenko's slaying an "extraordinarily grave crime." Following British judicial practice, he gave no details of the evidence.
Putin, who is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a summit of industrial nations in Germany next month, had no immediate comment on the prosecutors' move.
Lugovoy, 41, was one of two Russians whom British detectives interviewed in Moscow after finding a radioactive trail that appeared to match their movements. German authorities said they found traces of polonium-210 in a Hamburg apartment that the second man, Dmitry Kovtun, visited before flying to London. He accompanied Lugovoy to the meeting with Litvinenko at the Millennium Hotel's Pine Bar.
Macdonald did not mention Kovtun on Tuesday. A person close to the police investigation said prosecutors felt they had the strongest evidence to pursue a murder case against Lugovoy.
Litvinenko was a lieutenant colonel in the Federal Security Service, or FSB, a domestic intelligence service and a successor agency of the KGB. In the 1990s, he fell out with his superiors and spent months in jail awaiting trial on charges of abusing his position. He was acquitted and fled in 2000 to London, where he was granted asylum.
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LONDON, May 22 -- British prosecutors demanded Tuesday that Russia extradite a former KGB agent to stand trial for murder in the sensational radiation poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Senate Approves D.C. School Takeover Plan
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The U.S. Senate unanimously approved D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's school takeover legislation yesterday after a hectic day of negotiations with city officials, leaving the mayor one signature away from taking control of the troubled public education system.
The bill awaits final authorization from President Bush, who could sign it by the end of the week, District leaders said. Under that scenario, Fenty (D) would assume authority over the 55,000-student school system by the end of the standard congressional review period, probably around June 14.
But even as the mayor drew nearer to completing his takeover, a new challenge emerged when the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics ruled in favor of a city resident who is seeking to force a referendum on the legislation.
Mary Spencer, who has grandchildren in the public school system, will have a chance to collect the roughly 20,000 signatures of registered voters she would need for a referendum. Spencer will have about one week to complete the task, beginning June 4, said William O'Field Jr., spokesman for the elections board.
If Spencer is successful, the takeover could be placed on the ballot for an August special election that has been scheduled to fill an open school board seat.
Fenty said in a statement that the city intends to challenge the elections board's ruling in court.
"We think the . . . decision is wrong and will be overturned," he said. "We remain focused on the substance of our education plans and look forward to having our education reform bill in place as soon as possible."
Fenty is seeking to reduce the power of the D.C. Board of Education and put himself in charge of the school superintendent, budget and capital program. The D.C. Council approved the bill last month, and the House of Representatives ratified it two weeks ago.
But the bill had a tougher course in the Senate, where it faced three challenges, including two that were resolved yesterday.
Fenty began the morning with a phone call to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who had placed a hold on the legislation last week over concerns about whether the city's state education functions would have enough autonomy from the rest of the school system.
Landrieu lifted the hold after receiving assurances from Fenty that he and Board of Education President Robert C. Bobb, who had brought the issue to Landrieu's attention last week, would find a resolution after Fenty took over the schools.
Moments after Landrieu acquiesced, Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) placed the third Senate hold on the bill, exasperating D.C. leaders.
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The U.S. Senate unanimously approved D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's school takeover legislation yesterday after a hectic day of negotiations with city officials, leaving the mayor one signature away from taking control of the troubled public education system.
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Cheney And the Saudis
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2007051519
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may make the headlines with her high-profile diplomatic missions to the Middle East. But for a glimpse at the hidden power plays, follow Vice President Cheney's trip this week to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi King Abdullah has emerged over the past nine months as the Bush administration's most important and strong-willed Arab ally. He launched an aggressive campaign last fall to contain Iranian influence in the Arab world and, in the process, buttress American interests in the region despite U.S. setbacks in Iraq. It's Cheney, whose blunt, unsmiling demeanor matches Saudi notions of American gravitas, who manages the Abdullah account.
The Cheney visit is aimed partly at mutual reassurance. Both sides want to reaffirm the alliance, despite disagreements over Iraq policy and the Palestinian issue. The Saudis also want to establish an additional channel for communication so they can avoid misunderstandings that have sometimes arisen when the primary intermediary is Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the freewheeling former Saudi ambassador to Washington who is now national security adviser.
Abdullah had seemed to be distancing himself from Washington in some recent comments. In February, he broke with U.S. efforts to isolate the radical Palestinian group Hamas by sponsoring the Mecca Agreement that created a Palestinian "unity government" fusing Hamas with the more moderate Fatah. In March, he surprised U.S. officials by calling the military occupation of Iraq "illegitimate" in a speech to an Arab League summit in Riyadh. He also nixed plans for a White House dinner in April.
Abdullah's criticism of the "illegitimate" American presence in Iraq reflects the Saudi leader's deep misgivings about U.S. strategy there. Saudi sources say the king has given up on the ability of Iraq's Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, to overcome sectarian divisions and unite the country. The Saudi leadership is also said to believe that the U.S. troop surge is likely to fail, deepening the danger of all-out civil war in Iraq.
The Saudis appear to favor replacing the Maliki government, which they see as dominated by Iranian-backed Shiite religious parties, and are quietly backing former interim prime minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite and ex-Baathist who has support among Iraqi Sunnis. Allawi's advisers say that his strategy is to exploit tensions within the Shiite religious alliance and form a new ruling coalition that would be made up of Sunnis, Kurds and secular Shiites. Allawi's camp believes he is close to having enough votes, thanks in part to Saudi political and financial support.
The Bush administration appears to have little enthusiasm for an Allawi putsch, despite its frustration with Maliki. U.S. officials fear that a change of government in Baghdad would only deepen the political disarray there and encourage new calls for the withdrawal of troops.
The ferment in the region is driven partly by the perception that U.S. troops are on the way out, no matter what the Bush administration says. To dampen such speculation, Bush is said to have told the Saudis that America will not withdraw from Iraq during his presidency. "That gives us 18 months to plan," said one Saudi source.
The heart of the U.S.-Saudi alliance is a new effort to combat Iran and its proxies in the Arab world. This began after last summer's war in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed Shiite militia, Hezbollah. Working closely with the United States, the Saudis began pumping money to Lebanese Sunni, Christian and Druze political groups that could counter Hezbollah's influence. The Saudis and Americans also cooperated in aiding Lebanon's Internal Security Force, the national police that effectively reports to the Sunni prime minister, Fouad Siniora.
Saudi-American cooperation against Iran has also extended to Yemen, where they have jointly assisted the Yemeni government in cracking down on an Iranian-funded group linked to followers of Shiite cleric Hussein al-Houthi, who was killed in 2004.
A final topic likely to be on Cheney's agenda is Syria. The Saudis support the administration's new effort, launched last week by Rice, to seek Syrian help in stabilizing Iraq. Indeed, the Saudis began moving to ease tensions with Syria at the March Arab League summit, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad privately apologized to King Abdullah for calling him and other Sunni Arab leaders "half men" because they didn't assist Hezbollah during the Lebanon war. U.S. officials believe, however, that the Saudis are continuing their contacts with Syrian opposition groups.
Saudi Arabia once conducted its political machinations behind a veil, quietly doling out cash in an effort to buy peace. Perhaps the worst mistake made by Iran's firebrand president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is that he frightened the Saudis into abandoning their traditional reticence -- and into secret strategy councils with the hard-nosed Cheney.
The writer co-hosts, with Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria, PostGlobal, an online discussion of international issues athttp://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal. His e-mail address isdavidignatius@washpost.com.
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For a glimpse at hidden power plays, keep your eye on Vice President Cheney's trip this week to Saudi Arabia.
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China's Trade Time Bomb
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2007051519
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It sometimes seems as if almost everything we buy comes from China: DVD players, computers, shoes, toys, socks. This is, of course, a myth. In 2006, imports from China totaled $288 billion, about 16 percent of all U.S. imports and equal to only 2 percent of America's $13.2 trillion economic output (gross domestic product). Does that mean we don't have a trade problem with China? Not exactly.
China is already the world's third-largest trading nation and seems destined to become the largest. On its present course, it threatens to wreck the entire post-World War II trading system. Constructed largely by the United States, that system has flourished because its benefits are widely shared. Since 1950, global trade has expanded by a factor of 25. By contrast, China's trade is mercantilist: It's designed to benefit China even if it harms its trading partners.
There's a huge gap in philosophy. By accident or design, China has embraced export-led economic growth. The centerpiece is a wildly undervalued exchange rate. Economist Morris Goldstein of the Peterson Institute thinks the yuan is 40 percent cheaper than it should be. The resulting competitive advantage props up exports, production and jobs. Since 2001, China's surplus on its current account -- the broadest measure of its trade flows -- has jumped from $17 billion to $239 billion. As a share of China's GDP, it has zoomed from 1.3 to 9.1 percent. These figures include Chinese firms and multinational companies doing business in China.
Despite popular impressions, China's trade offensive hasn't yet seriously harmed most other economies. For example, America's current account deficit (to which Chinese imports contribute) was $857 billion last year, up from $389 billion in 2001. Still, that hasn't stymied job creation; the U.S. unemployment rate is 4.5 percent. And world economic growth has accelerated.
But what's been true in the past may not be true in the future. The huge U.S. trade deficits, fed by Americans' ravenous appetite for consumer goods and heavy borrowing against rising home values, stimulated economies elsewhere, including China's. Now that stimulus is fading as U.S. home prices weaken and consumers grow more cautious. For China to expand production, demand must come from its own consumers or other nations -- or some other country's production must be displaced. There's the rub.
Even Chinese officials favor higher local demand. But either they can't or won't stimulate it. Personal consumption spending is a meager 38 percent of GDP; that's half the U.S. rate of 70 percent. The Chinese save at astonishingly high levels, partly because they're scared of emergencies. The social safety net is skimpy. Health insurance is modest: Out-of-pocket spending covers half of medical costs, reports economist Nicholas Lardy of the Peterson Institute. There's no universal Social Security, and only 17 percent of workers have pensions. A mere 14 percent are covered by unemployment insurance.
The surplus of personal savings, supplemented by business savings and foreign capital, means that Chinese and multinational firms can build more factories -- and that raises the need to export. A low currency thus serves two roles: as an inducement to attract foreign investment, and as a tool to balance the economy and to check popular discontent. But for the rest of the world, the consequences are potentially threatening. As China moves up the technology chain, it may become the low-cost export platform for more and more industries. This could divert production from the rest of Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.
It is not "protectionist" (I am a long-standing free-trader) to complain about policies that are predatory; China's are just that. The logic of free trade is that comparative advantage ultimately benefits everyone. Countries specialize in what they do best. Production and living standards rise. But the logic does not allow for one country's trade systematically to depress its trading partners' production and employment. Down that path lie resentment and political backlash.
Everyone complains about America's trade deficits, but they actually symbolize global leadership. Access to the U.S. market has promoted trade by enabling other countries to export. But the deficits cannot grow indefinitely. Imagine now a trading system whose largest member seems intent on accumulating permanently large surpluses. Nor, it might be added, are surpluses ultimately in China's interests. They drain too much of its production from its citizens and contribute to growing domestic economic inequality. What everyone needs is more balanced Chinese economic growth, less dependent on exports.
Given the immense stakes -- literally the future of the global trading system -- the Bush administration has been too timid in pushing China to change. The Treasury Department won't even declare China guilty of currency manipulation. No doubt doing so would irritate the Chinese. But avoidance is no solution; the longer these problems fester, the more intractable and destructive they will become.
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On its present course, China threatens to wreck the entire post-World War II trading system.
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The Reliable Source
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2007051519
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In today's Reliable Source: Who was who on the guest list for Queen Elizabeth's state dinner, and how the heck did they score an invite? Also: Paris Hilton rehires that publicist she fired for giving her bad legal advice, and Nick Cannon enlists a Time Square Jumbotron for a super-romantic proposal to his Victoria's Secret model-girlfriend.
Recently: Barbara Bush appears HBO pulls the plug on those of you who want to watch The Sopranos at your neighborhood bar Cate Edwards lands a sweet summer gig, Obama and Kerry dine strategically, and Norah O'Donnell is totally about to pop with those twins of hers
Finally, if you were disappointed by the D.C. Madam story, maybe you can console yourself with our review of the much hotter sex scandals from Washington's days gone by.
Amy Argetsinger: Good morning everyone. I'm gratified to see all the questions this morning. Roxanne is "stuck in traffic" or "under the weather" or something like that and will hopefully be joining us later in the hour.
Arlington, Va.: Why wasn't Jenna B. at the white-tie affair on Monday night? Is she still somewhere in South America?
Amy Argetsinger: Jenna Bush so far as we know is still in Panama, working on that book project of hers, due out in the fall.
Washington: Ladies, is it me or does Jay Blount look like a young George W. Bush? Barbara hasn't done too poorly with this one. What's the story on Jenna and her love life? Great chat. Did either of you get to the big white-tie dinner? How was it up-close-and-personal? Do you think W, Condi, Cheney and Colin had a reunion chat? Enjoy the chat and the articles as well.
washingtonpost.com: A Royal Date for Jay Blount (Post, May 8)
Amy Argetsinger: I was thinking the exact same thing. The family resemblance is uncanny -- they could be cousins, don't you think? That's not really so unusual, though, is it? Guys always marry their mothers, girls always date guys like their fathers.
Meanwhile, Jenna so far as we know is still happily long-distance-dating Henry Hager, the son of a former lieutenant governor of Virginia who is currently at U-Va's Darden School.
Roxanne covered the white-tie dinner (which, alas, does not mean sitting down to the meal), so when/if she shows up, remember to ask her how it was.
Wilton Manors, Fla.: What's the scoop about Liz Cheney not bringing her one-and-only wife to the Queen's dinner, instead bringing Phil Perry (her beard?!).
Amy Argetsinger: Ah, someone's a little confused here. Phil Perry is the husband of Liz Cheney, better known as "the straight one." I believe you're thinking of Mary Cheney, who actually brought her partner Heather Poe to a past state dinner or state-like dinner -- but who at the moment is so close to her due date I'm not surprised she was not in attendance.
Chesapeake, Va.: Barry Gibb sounded like Darrell Hammond doing his Sean Connery impersonation on "American Idol" last night! Last night's performances were so so lackluster all around, but it seemed like Blake in particular just didn't want to be there anymore. Undecided if he actively tanked (the coronation songs seem like a very bad fit with his style) or if he's just lonely without his BFF.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh my god, I was thinking the same thing. That was weird. The Gibbs aren't Scottish, are they? (Hmmm -- they're from Isle of Man which... is close, anyway). That whole lateral "s" thing going on. Fascinating.
Blake needs to cool it with the beat-boxing. That whole "ehn-ehn ehn-ehn ehn-ehn" riff was distracting. A friend of mine has been trying to figure out what '80s singer ("Wham!-era" is how she put it) he sounds like. I think maybe it's Paul Young. Anyone else?
Follow-up from last week: Hook: Just saw the article in the Food section and that picture of chef Barton Seaver. Do you know anything about him -- single, etc.? He's quite the looker! "Amy Argetsinger: He is smokin' hot, that's about all I know. And a very good chef -- I'm a fan of the food at St. Ex. and Pilar, where he used to work." He's a local boy (St. Albans Class of 1997) -- maybe worth being a bold-faced name in a future column?
washingtonpost.com: At the End of the Line (Post, May 2)
Amy Argetsinger: We'll do our best.
Hall of Shame: I can't remember her name, but that Hill intern whose steamy blogs got published everywhere, her supervisor was basically pimping her out -- shouldn't she be included? She is/was not much of anybody, but she implicated all kinds of higher-ups ... shouldn't she at least get an honorable mention?
Amy Argetsinger: Our chatter is referring to our Sunday column, which provided a review of the really hot D.C. sex scandals from the good-ol' days, all of which make the Madam story look like -- well, like the Jessica Cutler/Washingtonienne saga, which was entertaining at the time but didn't really add up to much. There were no big names, no illegal doings -- just a kind of indiscreet girl who happened to work on the Hill who wrote about her lively "dating" life on her blog.
I don't remember the bit about her supervisor "pimping her out." If there's something wrong with your boss trying to fix you up -- well, I need to have a talk with some folks around here.
Washington: The Big House changes a person -- Paris will learn how to pick locks, make a shiv from a fork and make phony IDs. Still, I can see a whole series of softcore films coming out of this: "They put her behind bars ... but no one could chain her desires!" Is doing time a positive career move for Paris?
Amy Argetsinger: Yes. This is the best thing that could ever happen to Paris. She goes from being famous for being famous -- a kind of fame with a looming expiration date -- to being the girl who's famous for being famous who went to jail.
Washington, D.C.: I hope Paris goes to jail for all 45 days. Teach 'er some humility.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, I don't know. Once she's out she's going to lord it over everyone -- "Man, it was tough being in the joint, you don't know the things I've seen...." She'll be acting all Johnny Cash-like.
Washington: Barton Seaver: Looks like Chris Noth after two straight days without sleep.
Amy Argetsinger: Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Roxanne: Showing my journalistic ignorance here, but if "covering the dinner" doesn't mean "sitting down to eat," what does one do? Man the coat-check?
Roxanne Roberts: Hi, all. Forgive the delay---Fairfax police bike squad decided today was a great time to train on Route 50. Sigh.
Covering a state dinner means getting up close but not being a guest. Press are allowed to interview guests as they arrive, watch the queen make her entrance, witness the toasts and entertainment. There's usually a preview earlier in the day of menu, table settings, etc.
This, however, is unusual---at most events we cover, we are invited to sit with the grown-ups.
Pittsburgh: From the "I can't believe they are related files" -- I just discovered that my new fav R&B singer, Robin Thicke, is the son of Alan Thicke (the father on "Growing Pains") and Gloria Loring (who used to be on a soap, if I recall). ... He was on Oprah recently, and I 'bout fell out of my chair when I learned this.
Amy Argetsinger: How could you not have known that? He looks exactly like Alan Thicke and has the same Canadian accent and peculiarly dweeby manner about him? And yet, he has an insanely hot wife and a huge hit record. I am completely baffled and fascinated by the Robin Thicke phenomenon. I actually really like that song, but don't you think it's kind of a studio fraud? He sounded terrible singing it live on American Idol last week.
Michael J. Fox: I know this wasn't local, but I saw Michael J. Fox on the street in Boston this weekend! It was my first celebrity sighting ever. I think I handled myself well as I just hit my sister and said "I think that's Michael J. Fox!" as he walked toward us. He walked by and smiled. It was him and he looked good. Just wanted to brag...!
Roxanne Roberts: Brag away. He's always been a pretty nice guy, from all reports.
New York: Jay Blount doesn't look like George -- he looks like Jeb. It's "Blame It on Rio" all over again.
Amy Argetsinger: I thought "Blame It On Rio" was a best-friend's-daughter thing, not a niece thing.
Silver Spring, Md.: Re: Nick Cannon's engagement -- I read that he gave his fiance a 12 carat diamond ring. That means that her ring has to be one of the largest stones out there because the rings of most stars -- i.e. Whitney Houston -- are 10 carats at the most. Twelve was a bit over the top, ya think? Love your chat, by the way!
Amy Argetsinger: I was kind of wondering that myself. Can a 12-carat ring actually fit on someone's finger without causing some serious carpal tunnel? Sounds more like something that should have been sitting in Elizabeth Taylor's cleavage or on Elizabeth Windsor's tiara.
White Tie: What exactly is a "white tie" and why has it taken so long for the Bush administration to host one?
Roxanne Roberts: White tie is the fanciest of formal dress, and very rare. It consists of a white cotton shirt, tie and vest under a jacket with tails (tuxes---black tie---was invented to be the casual alternative.)Women wear long gowns at white-tie occasions.
Guests may also wear decorations---i.e. medals and honors they have received, usually from governments. Most parties in Washington are black-tie because very few men today own the white-tie getup and have to rent it.
The president doesn't like formal dinners, and had to be talked into the extra step of White Tie for this one.
Famous graduates: Did you ever get a list of famous kids graduating from area colleges/universities?
Amy Argetsinger: Haven't heard of any good ones this year, alas...
Arlington, Va.: I heard that George W. winked at the queen. Isn't that terribly inappropriate?
washingtonpost.com: The President Learns It's Good to Be the King (Post, May 8)
Amy Argetsinger: I don't know. I mean, if the leader of the free world can't wink at the British monarch, who can? Isn't this what World War II was all about?
Roxanne Roberts: I'm guessing life gets pretty boring as queen, and she DOES have a sense of humor-----so yes, the rare wink is probably okay.
Arlington, Va.: It looks like the racist, homophobic and elitist comments from Paris Hilton only have made her more popular among teens. This is the future of our country. I'm depressed.
washingtonpost.com: This Just in... (Post, May 9)
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, seriously -- I don't think she has actual "fans," does she? Just people interesting in rubbernecking at her life and tsk-tsking.
Washington: What about a feature on the Congressional sisters Sanchez? Linda ran a heck of a hearing last week with Deputy Attorney General Comey.
Amy Argetsinger: Roxanne actually did a big story some years ago about the Sanchez sisters... we're pulling up a link to that, and also to an item from last fall about Loretta Sanchez's stand-up comedy at.
Winchester, Va.: This past weekend was the 80th Apple Blossom Festival in lovely Winchester. We had Grand Marshall Wayne Newton -- don't know which was more surprising, his nuclear glow, jet-black hair or the fact that he has a five-year-old daughter. By the way, taller than I expected, but as much bling as I anticipated!
Amy Argetsinger: Huh. According to Wikipedia (my source of all information on Mr. Wayne Newton), he does indeed have a 5-year-old daughter. How strange.
Jenna B.: I didn't know she was working on a book (haven't been keeping up on my gossip) ... any news on what kind of book? Novel, historical non-fiction, trashy tell-all?
Amy Argetsinger: She's working on a non-fiction book about a young impoverished single mother in Panama who is suffering from HIV. Seriously! We're attaching the link to our story from March about this.
washingtonpost.com: Jenna's Next Venture: A Book and a Tour
Alexandria, Va.: I was pretty disappointed to see that the majority of the guest list for the state dinner consisted of the President's campaign supporters. Then again, no surprise. Not a single writer, poet or painter was there. Doesn't protocol for state dinners require some sort of "food chain" or pyramid of what types of people/talents need to represented?
Roxanne Roberts: One writer: British historian Martin Gilbert. And, no, there's nothing that demands the president invite anyone aside from the official delegation---so the White House picked the president's pals. But it would have been nice to showcase a few of America's cultural giants, especially since the first lady is such a fan of literature.
Eligible Athletes: Who are the most eligible male and female athletes in the D.C. area? Please explain why.
Amy Argetsinger: That's a good question -- anyone else have any thoughts about this?
I guess the most eligible male athlete would have to be Ryan Zimmerman of the Nats. It seems like all the Wizards are married or paired up. There are also some cute D.C. United guys, but they may also have girlfriends.
Anyway, we're certainly open to hearing some nominations.
Washington: Why all the athletes at the QE2 dinner? It just didn't seem like a white tie guest list to me.
Roxanne Roberts: It's the president's idea of White Tie. What yours?
Woodbridge, Va.: This topic has passed its expiration date, but I wonder how Carey Lowell reacted to the dustup regarding husband Gere's mooching all over that Indian actress? The way he was going at it, you would never know he had a wife.
Amy Argetsinger: Haven't heard any reaction from her, but honestly it just looked like hamming-it-up to me. Okay, I mean, a little excessive. But anyone married to a Hollywood star is used to seeing his/her spouse macking on other people in the movies.
washingtonpost.com: Loretta and Linda Sanchez Are Congress's First Sister Act. They Work Well Together. The Question Is, Can They Live Together? (Post, Dec. 12, 2002)
Arlington, Va.: Your reference to Mrs. Annenberg failed to note that she is the widow of Walter Annenberg, who was once our Ambassador to the Court of St. James.
Roxanne Roberts: True 'nuf. We mentioned that in Sunday's column, but not today. She's also the woman who created a flap in 1981 when she curtsied to Prince Charles here in Washington.
For my daughter: My daughter begins a job with a D.C. law firm on June 4th. Where is the best place for her to hang out in the off hours?
Amy Argetsinger: Why does this sound like the set-up for a bad joke?
I guess it depends on where her office is... Any young lawyers out there have any suggestions? Come on, I know you spend a lot of your billable hours on web chats.
Shelton, Wash.: Uh, no, Amy, WWII was about introducing the British to Spam. Apparently they are very fond of it, particularly fried.
Amy Argetsinger: I stand corrected.
Purcellville, Va.: What were the topics of conversation at the queen's table?
Roxanne Roberts: Wish we knew. I'm guessing small talk---she spent an hour at the British Embassy garden party saying, "Wonderful" and "Lovely." Everyone who talked to her was thrilled.
Niles, Mich.: Any developments or announced Book Signing schedule for debut author Jenna Bush and her forthcoming book on Central American poverty?Thanks for answering!
Amy Argetsinger: I think it's too soon for that -- book's not due out until the fall, at least.
Washington:"It seems like all the Wizards are married or paired up. There are also some cute D.C. United guys, but they may also have girlfriends."
C'mon, they're professinal athletes. Does it matter? Of course they're still available.
Alexandria, Va.: I saw the Queen and BOY IS SHE TINY! She sounds so royal, too. I wasn't really into the visit until I heard her speak!
Amy Argetsinger: Shorter than you expected, huh? Yeah, you got to hand it to QE2 -- she really rocks it old-school.
Pittsburgh:"Re: Nick Cannon's engagement -- I read that he gave his fiance a 12-carat diamond ring. That means that her ring has to be one of the largest stones out there..."
There was a photo of the ring on the TMZ Web site. While it's some serious bling, the 12 carats might refer to total weight, not the main stone, as there are small diamonds circling the entire setting. So maybe the center stone is not 12. But if the center stone is indeed 12 carats, then the total carats of the ring is way beyond 12. All I can say is, he dropped some serious change for it, no doubt.
Amy Argetsinger: He must really really like her.
Alexandria, Va.: Where can I learn more about Blair House? There doesn't seem to be much written about it and I think readers would love a tour. It would be great for Discovery, or a network like it, to do a profile on Blair House!
Roxanne Roberts: No time right now to check, but I bet there's one already out there. Check the White House Historical Association site---I'll bet you'll find a DVD or book.
Re: Wayne Newton: So he's an old (age 65) dad with a 5-year-old; when will these old men get it that having a child at that age doesn't seem fair to the child? Of course she'll have lots of money (like Paris), but she won't have a father around because by the time she's 20 he'll be dead. Ugh!
Amy Argetsinger: Just putting this out there. Anyone else?
Potomac, Md.: Whatever happened to that missing Tim Tate sculpture? Has it been found? It was a great photo with the two holes on the wall!
Amy Argetsinger: So far as we know it hasn't been recovered but if anyone has an update let us know -- reliablesource@washpost.com. No questions asked! Oh, and a link to the story about the missing sculpture follows... .
New York: In an article on the BBC site by Matt Frei, he writes: "To my knowledge no reigning Queen of England had ever been winked at."
Roxanne Roberts: About time, if you ask me.
washingtonpost.com: At Artomatic, a Rocket Ship Blasts Off; That's the Breaks (Post, April 26)
St. Louis: Would love to know about the dress Nancy Pelosi wore to the White House Dinner. Hillary could take fashion points from Nancy -- Mrs. Pelosi's attire is always elegant and appropriate. Also, who was Condi's "date"?
Amy Argetsinger: Condi was escorted by her friend Gene Washington, an NFL official and former player who often does escorting-Condi duties at these kinds of things.
Pelosi wore a two-piece clay-colored jersey suit with a long skirt, according to Rox, who's guessing it was an Armani.
Washington: I saw Daniel Craig wandering around K Street because all the hotel rooms are booked. I would have recommended your crib, but instead pointed him to the hostel on 11th Street.
Amy Argetsinger: You are such a tease.
Leesburg, Va.: So, was Nancy Reagan really stewed by having to wait for the Kentucky Derby jockey to finish his interviews in the press line?
Roxanne Roberts: She really was. I watched her arrive at the entrance where the press was gathered. She came just after the Kentucky Derby winning jockey, Calvin Borel, who was invited to the White House at the last minute. The reporters were getting quotes from him while Nancy waited, waited and waited some more----and she got a very annoyed look on her face. She finally walked slowly past the jockey, and looked a tad peeved that the attention was still on him.
Re: Paris: So, you think she'll shoot a man just to watch him die?
Let it be noted that if she actually has to serve this sentence then she'll have spent way more time in the slammer than Johnny Cash, who I think only ever did one overnight. She and Merle Haggard will have a lot to talk about.
Washington: Blair House Web site.
Amy Argetsinger: Someone was looking for this?
Arlington, Va.: Blake on "American Idol" sounds exactly like '80s pop icon Morrissey (lead singer of The Smiths), doncha think?
Amy Argetsinger: Hmmm, not really. Missing that tremulous, throaty passionate quality of Moz's.
Fairfax, Va.: A question of etiquette -- I noticed that Queen Elizabeth wore her tons of diamond bracelets over her gloves at the state dinner. I'd always heard it was cheap to wear jewelry over one's gloves. Am I wrong or is it a case of "the Queen can wear her bracelets anywhere she wants"? Thanks for your chat and column!
washingtonpost.com: White Tie and Tiara (Post, May 8)
Roxanne Roberts: Honestly, I don't know, although I think bracelets are allowed but no rings. The only rule I remember is that you take gloves off when you eat.
Washington: What happened to the four Cs? Does 12 carat really mean much if it looks like a piece of broken glass with multiple inclusions, no clarity, and not clear?
Amy Argetsinger: What, are you casting aspersions on Nick Cannon's dazzling symbol of his love and fidelity? Don't be silly -- all that matters is how much it cost.
Washington: Nice Sanchez article, Roxanne but so five years ago -- literally. That Linda could show Henry Waxman a thing or two about running a hearing, as her members were deferring to her and the others were simpering in fear.
Roxanne Roberts: Thanks. Maybe it's time for an update.
washingtonpost.com: Nick Cannon Proposes -- for Real This Time! (TMZ, May 8)
Merle: That has to be the first reference to Merle in a Reliable Source chat ever! Of course, didn't Merle only do juvie? I think it was Johnny Paycheck who actually shot a man.
Amy Argetsinger: Hmmm, maybe you're right, maybe it was just juvie -- as he sang, "I turned 21 in prison..." -- but he did some serious time there. I'm sorry I don't talk about Merle more. Back in the day he was smoldering hot.
You're right about Johnny Paycheck. He did shoot a guy, and did time for it. He's dead now, though.
Eligible athletes: Are you all unaware that Washington has an NHL team composed of many hot, young, single guys? Ladies, I invite you to check out Ben Clymer and Brooks Laich.
Amy Argetsinger: Okay, thanks. And Ovechkin is still technically single too, even if he's dating Russian Barbie.
Richmond, Va.: Bee Gees may have been born in England, but grew up in Australia.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, duh. I knew that.
Rings...: Melania's ring is 12 carats, if I recall correctly!
Amy Argetsinger: Class, all the way!
Paris: No, no -- you got the lyrics wrong: "I shot a man in Reno, because that's hot."
Amy Argetsinger: This is the funniest thing anyone's said in this chat so far today.
Austin, Texas: Speaking of cultural giants, did the Clintons or Stephen Colbert get invited to the white tie dinner? Too bad Colbert wasn't asked to entertain again. That would have spiced up the night, huh? The pics I saw showed George and Laura both looking none too jovial. Too much starch?
Amy Argetsinger: Uh, I'm pretty sure the Clintons and Colbert did not get invited.
Washington: Did Bono sell out Ireland by accepting the Irish version of knighthood from England's queen?
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, I don't know. He's a pretty savvy political operator, Bono is. Did anyone else see it that way? Note that the Irish thing means that we don't call him "Sir."
Tiara: What is the etiquette for tiara-wearing? Obviously not to the 7-11, but only at white-tie functions? Black tie, too? Ship christenings? Boxing Day? Seems like the Queen had a much larger, grander headpiece at her coronation, so it must be for events below that level.
Roxanne Roberts: There's a coronation crown, which I think she only wears once a year. She owns a number of other tiaras, which she wears at both white and black tie events. Honestly, I don't know royal etiquette well enough to know who gets to wear tiaras when.
Bethesda, Md.: Is Tessa on "The Bachelor" the one who used to live in the D.C. area? Do you think she has a chance of winning?
Amy Argetsinger: She's the one -- went to Georgetown Day School, class of '99, and this week we watched as her parents, sister and best friend met with The Bachelor in what appeared to be a Cleveland Park rowhouse.
She's perceived to be the favorite in some quarters, though in my limited viewing of this season I'm picking up on a certain vibe that may doom her. Anyone else notice this vibe? A kind of "I secretly loathe this guy" kind of vibe? In my experience that doesn't bode well for a relationship.
Washington: Ben Clymer and Brooks Laich. Did you guys preview this first? Eh. Nothing special. And they look just like each other.
Amy Argetsinger: No, didn't preview first. But hey, each to their own.
Washington: What did you think Tim Hassellbeck said when Elizabeth asked him how she looked as they got dressed for the white house dinner?
Amy Argetsinger: Huh. What would YOU have said?
Re: Daughter starting at a D.C. law firm: Uh, Mom, she won't have any off-hours. Most first-year associates are supposed to bill around 3,000 hours, so her off-hours will be spent cabbing it back to her abode, sleeping about five hours and Peapodding groceries to sit outside her door.
Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for the insight.
Richmond, Va.: Merle haggard? He did hard time, San Quinten, I think. Robbery. Not just juvie. It's sorta where he really started writing songs.
Amy Argetsinger: Very good. Just dug this up off the Internet. As you'll remember, Johnny Cash did a show at the prison, and several years later, Haggard came up to Johnny and told him "I certainly enjoyed your show at San Quentin." Cash said "Merle, I don't remember you bein' in that show." Merle Haggard said, "Johnny, I wasn't in that show, I was in the audience."
St. Louis: It wasn't Anne Armstrong's ranch at which Cheney shot the guy. It was Katharine Armstrong. Anne Armstrong was a key player in the Ford Era and was almost chosen for veep over Bob Dole in 1976. Otherwise, love the column and love when Roxanne is on "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me."
Roxanne Roberts: The ranch is the Armstrong family property, which is owned by Anne. Katharine is her daughter.
And thanks about "Wait Wait."
Enough Already: This may come off really mean-spirited, but seriously, am I the only one who has a hard time even looking at Meg Ryan anymore? I find her lips so disturbing I can't even watch commercials for her new movie. What's going on here? Can someone stage an intervention?
Amy Argetsinger: It's an epidemic throughout Hollywood...
Washington: Does Bono wish he lived in Mars? Otherwise I can't figure out why some 50-year-old would want to wear orange wrap-around goggles.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, you're so judgmental.
Nancy Pelosi's wardrobe: Our Speaker definitely is one of the best-dressed women anywhere. I understand her husband picks out her clothes -- do you think he'd do this for me?
Amy Argetsinger: Wonder how much he'd charge to be a personal shopper.
Laurel, Md.: Do you think it was political suicide for Harry Reid to turn down the "white tie" invitation? And what were his reasons behind it?
Amy Argetsinger: We don't know why he turned it down...
First Lady's dress: Why no comments about this dress? I wasn't sure -- maybe it didn't photograph well? Looked better in person?
Roxanne Roberts: Looked better on paper. The color and fabric were gorgeous---matched Laura's amazing eyes---but the first lady is busty and short-waisted, and the cut and bolero emphasized her hips instead of the neckline.
Washington: What happened to Ryan Seacrest's cohost from the earlier episodes? I'm sure he feels like Andrew Ridgely, or Tom Hank's sidekick from "Bosom Buddies."
Amy Argetsinger: You know, it took me quite a bit of Googling to recall his name. Brian Dunkleman. Apparently he's doing a lot of stand-up comedy in L.A.
I heard that George W. winked at the queen. Isn't that terribly inappropriate?: What do you expect from the man who tried to give a congratulatory back rub to the new female German Chancellor>? The man has no concept of civil behavior.
Amy Argetsinger: Wait -- isn't THAT what World War II was all about?
Brooklyn, N.Y.: I'm no fan of Bushie, but it's pretty ridiculous that Time Magazine didn't think he's one of the 100 most influential people. I mean come on, if you're trying to get a table at an exclusive restaurant -- would you rather be George Bush or Tina Fey? Though if we're talking about getting North Korea to sit down for nuclear disarmament talks, it's probably a toss up.
Amy Argetsinger: You know why TIME magazine didn't include President Bush on their list of 100 most influential people?
So that we'd all be talking about TIME magazine's list of 100 most influential people. That's why.
Law firms: Oh, whatever to the 3,000 hours comment. Associates bill in the neighborhood of 2,000, so she will have free time. And also, why is Mom asking? Isn't the daughter/lawyer an adult?
Amy Argetsinger: I was waiting for this one...
White Tie: So with a party like this, with so many of the Bush's close friends, are formal invitations sent out, or does W also pick up the phone? It would've been cool for him to invite a few more nonpartisan, culturally significant representatives of the country. (The Queen's here and he invites a high-dollar interior designer from L.A.?!) Maybe keep "current" celebrities out, but what about those classy enough to receive Kennedy Center awards? But it's his party and he can do what he wants, I guess.
Roxanne Roberts: Every guests gets a formal, engraved invite---although I suppose the president could have made "save the date" calls to his pals.
Washington: Re: Nancy Pelosi -- it's easy to be well dressed if your personal fortune is about $20 million.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, true that...
Steubenville, Ohio: Jackie Kennedy wore bracelets over gloves. She even had bracelets that could be shortened to wear when she was not wearing gloves. There are old file photos of her wearing bracelets over gloves. This custom has kind of gone by the wayside in our casual society.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, okay then -- if SHE did it...
Washington: George "fear of commitment" Clooney might hit 65 and still not be ready to commit to pass his genes on. Too bad you two ladies will be past your prime by then.
Amy Argetsinger: You mean... we're not past our prime now?
Washington, D.C.: I'm curious about the guest list for the recent state dinner for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Specifically, (1) why were the so many sports figures in attendance, and (2) why was the ambassador of Canada not invited (or, for that matter, ambassadors of other Commonwealth countries)?
Amy Argetsinger: We were all struck by the preponderance of sports figures on the list. No news on why the Canadian ambassador wasn't there.
Washington: How short is George Stephanopoulus?
Amy Argetsinger: He's said to be 5-7. But honestly he looks shorter, possibly because he's very slim.
Washington:"So that we'd all be talking about TIME magazine's list of 100 most influential people. That's why." I don't think one comment means we're all talking about it.
Amy Argetsinger: Well, that's what they WANTED you to do, anyway.
Washington: I finally got home in time to catch Katie Couric on the evening news. I haven't actually watched her in a few years. Has she had surgery on her eyes? She's getting that stretched, scary look.
Roxanne Roberts: Roger that. No official confirmation, of course, but the eyes have that tilted, slighty annoyed look---all the tell-all signs of nips and tucks.
Washington: Heard reports that Muhammed Ali is now has to use a wheelchair because of his Parkinson's.
Roxanne Roberts: He's been using one for years. He stands for special events.
Best places to hang out in Washington after work...: Tell the daughter to check out the Going Out Guru's chat on Thursdays. Everything she needs to know is there.
Amy Argetsinger: That you, Fritz?
River City: Yeah, watch an old movie: the Jet Set crowd always wore jewelry over gloves. contrary to what the poster said, it's the preferred way, rather than jewels under the glove looking all lumpy. This is because women were supposed to keep the gloves on all evening, not just as outerwear in the winter.
Washington: I saw George S. at the Palm a few years ago and I swear there was more meat in my Porterhouse than on his bones.
Amy Argetsinger: This is kind of creepy.
New York: Isn't serving Dover Sole to the queen akin to making Bratwurst for a German? Did they think that she couldn't stomach anything that wasn't British? Most people can't stomach any food that is.
Roxanne Roberts: Bet she likes it. I doubt they'd serve up anything that wasn't on a list of approved foods. Sole is right up her alley---she doesn't like spicy foods.
Washington: Re: Brian Dunklemann -- sucks for him. He's doing stand-up while Ryan bought Kevin Costner's $11 million home last year.
Amy Argetsinger: It's like Pete Best, you know?
If it's easy to be well-dressed with $20 mil...: Then why do so many super-rich schlumps get it so wrong? Paris Hilton, white courtesy phone...
Amy Argetsinger: Paris makes her choices...
Newport Beach, Calif.: How does the composition of the guest list at this state dinner compare with previous ones hosted by recent presidents?
Roxanne Roberts: This one had a greater concentration of Bush donors. There are always a few on any state dinner guest list, but this one was top-heavy with Texas oil money.
If George is 5' 7": How tall is Alexandra Wentworth? I've seen her at a couple of functions and she definitely looks taller than that. Maybe it's the 4-inch heels. Seriously, the woman was in 4-inch heels at an event a few years ago where she looked about four minutes away from giving birth. I was impressed.
Amy Argetsinger: She's very pretty in real life, despite the frumpy look she presents in that new cable show of hers where she plays a shrink.
law firms: I guess it depends on the firm. My girlfriend was a paralegal for 12 months and almost never saw the sunshine. My boyfriend worked for a smaller firm and worked respectable 50-55 hour weeks usually.
Amy Argetsinger: Lifestyle choices, very important.
Rosslyn, Va,: You didn't read Page Six this morning? Tessa spilled the beans after a few drinks. She's the winner.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, thanks for pointing that out.
Tessa, run for the hills!
Charlottesville, Va.: So did you see the picture where Bush is giving the "Hook 'em Horns" sign standing next to the Queen? Classy!
Amy Argetsinger: I haven't seen this but am assured it's amusing.
Amy Argetsinger: Though our chat hosts argues it looks more like the Oklahoma State University sign, whatever that is
Ashburn, Va.: Blake sounds like the lead singer from Duran Duran.
"Gilmore Girls" Fan: Was just watching Lauren Graham on "Ellen" (go YouTube), and realized we don't hear much about her life. She seems pretty cool. Any info?
Amy Argetsinger: She's from here -- went to Langley High School -- and is single these days.
Roxanne Roberts: And so we conclude our royal chat. It's been SO lovely having you here today, but our tiaras are borrowed and due back at the jewelers by 2 p.m. Be nice to your mothers on Sunday and tell us which VIPs took mom out for brunch (reliablesource@washpost.com.) Tally-ho.(Whoops---Can you get fired for saying "tally-ho?")
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Low Expectations for Cheney Trip (washingtonpost.com, May 9)
Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.
Dan is also deputy editor of Niemanwatchdog.org.
Dan Froomkin: Hi everyone and welcome to another White House Chat. I'm glad you're here.
Today's "big" "news" is that Vice President Cheney made a "surprise" stop in Iraq at the start of his weeklong Middle East trip. I am using all these "quote marks" because it would have been more of a surprise if Cheney hadn't stopped in Iraq. And I don't think anyone expects much to come of it anyway. As I write in today's column, the White House is appropriately setting expectations pretty low.
Meanwhile, President Bush is off touring tornado damage in Kansas, the queen is back in England, and suddenly it feels like a sleepy summer day in Washington. But never fear, tomorrow is another day. For instance, "living dead" Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be testifying tomorrow before the House Judiciary Committee. That should be good TV.
Washington: Dan, has anyone figured out in what capacity Liz Cheney is accompanying her father on his Middle East trip? All bios that I can find indicate that she quit her State job a couple of years ago. So who is she working for, and for how long?
Dan Froomkin: That's a very fine question, and one I am trying to get answered. Liz Cheney is a former principal deputy assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, and has been a relentless public defender of her father's policies. (See, for instance, this Washington Post op-ed from January.) But technically speaking, she has no official role at the moment -- or does she?
Is she considered an official adviser on this trip? Is she part of the delegation? Who's paying her way? Is she just there to massage her daddy's knees? She and her husband, Philip Perry, both of whom I noticed were invited to the state dinner Monday, have become quite controversial quasi-governmental figures.
Lexington, Ky.: Dan: I'm not optimistic that September will be as definite of a deadline as you suggested in yesterday's column. The cynic in me thinks that come September, the administration will have redefined the meaning of progress and claim that more time is needed. Today, one commander in Iraq said the surge needs to continue into next year to really see if it is working or not. With such strong support for the war from the Republican electorate, it would be hard for a Republican congress to abandon the surge. Is this really a deadline?
Dan Froomkin: Your skepticism is entirely appropriate. Maybe I got a little carried away yesterday.
Arlington, Va.: Wow, Dan, you certainly stirred things up over on Deborah Howell's chat this morning. First off, someone wrote in and said that The Post should publish some pro-White House column to "balance" your column, because you're so critical. My guess is that you're doing your job and expressing doubt whenever Tony or Dana say things are going gangbusters in Iraq. Keep it up!
washingtonpost.com: Discussion: Ask the Post with Ombudsman Deborah Howell (washingtonpost.com, May 9)
Dan Froomkin: You got me all excited. But in fact it was all quite tame over there. My position on this whole issue of needing to "balance me" has been very clear all along. I'm not writing my column as a partisan, but as a skeptical journalist. It's entirely appropriate for Washington journalists to subject the president of the United States -- from whatever party -- to the greatest possible scrutiny. The last thing any president needs is more help getting his or her message across, sorry. The column has, not surprisingly, developed a more critical tone over the years as the administration's credibility and competence problems have become more and more pronounced.
Crestwood, N.Y.: Dan, there are three trends here that interest me: First, it looks to me that Bush's "plan" is for Iraq to be a tad more peaceful by the time he gets out, so that the collapse can be his successor's problem -- "apres moi, le deluge" -- meanwhile, according to polls, there is a growing appetite nationally to impeach both Bush and Cheney. And finally the Dems are on a course for a constitutional crisis if they vote to defund the war, joined by Republican senators facing re-election, who might not be so enthusiastic about Bush's "plan." I think we're in for a hell of time here, comparable to Watergate, and that impeachment is a real possibility. You agree?
Dan Froomkin: I think you may very well be right -- except for that bit about impeachment being likely. Though a significant chunk of the public is apparently intrigued by the idea, I just don't see any appetite for that developing among leading Congressional Democrats -- not to mention Republicans. The other things you describe, however, are drama enough. Should keep me going.
A good sign of progress in Iraq will be...: From today's AP story on Cheney's visit: "Everyone realizes there still are serious security issues, problems, threats," Cheney said. "But the impression I got from talking with them, and this includes military, is they do believe we are making progress."
To me, you know a sign of real progress? When a White House or cabinet official can make an announced visit to Baghdad. I cannot recall ever hearing a high-ranking executive branch official announcing a trip to Iraq beforehand (do you)? That itself speaks volumes four years later.
Dan Froomkin: That would indeed be progress.
Boise, Idaho: Headlines on the rags by the supermarket check stands proclaim that George is drinking. Zat so?
Dan Froomkin: My understanding is that he only drinks the blood of Bigfoot's alien love child. (i.e. Consider the source.)
Seattle: Dan, on Monday Linda Sanchez stated very clearly at the beginning of the House hearing: "If even a single U.S. Attorney lost his or her job either for prosecuting Republicans or for refusing to prosecute Democrats, this would represent a serious threat to the very notions of fairness on which our justice system rests." Out in Seattle, many are concerned that John McCay, an able Republican attorney, has had his reputation soiled for political reason. Does the president show any concern for or understanding of this issue?
Dan Froomkin: That's a very good question. Every time you ask the White House about the issue, they say two things: 1) That the U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president; and 2) That the only problem would be if the administration fired someone specifically to obstruct an investigation.
But there are a lot of things short of overt obstruction that could make the dismissal of a U.S. attorney a very serious attack on the impartiality of the judicial system, and I see no evidence that anyone in the White House -- including the president -- is willing to acknowledge that, at least not publicly.
Rockville, Md.: Dan, your column has become my daily fix. Any comments on the Wolfowitz affair at the World Bank? It's apparent that the bank staff intensely hates him (reason enough for him to go) the European governments don't want him, and neither does the U.S. treasury. However, according to news sources, Bush, Cheney and more importantly Rove (surprise, surprise) are the ones intent on dragging out this unpleasant situation by retaining Wolfowitz at any costs. Is there any strategic benefit for the current administration to carry out this "poke in the eye" tactic? Does it think the European governments will relent to pressure from the White House for an administration with 18 months left and the lowest public approval rating in recent history? Why create the bad blood when not necessary?
Dan Froomkin: Thanks. I actually stayed out of the Wolfowitz story until the past couple of days, when it was disclosed that Cheney, and now Rove, are deeply engaged in trying to save his job. I get why Cheney cares. Wolfowitz's departure would be another hit to the whole neocon war establishment.
But why does Rove care so much? I think that's a fascinating question that should be further explored. My uninformed guess: That he's terribly afraid of the stench of death descending on the White House in general -- and specifically, that he worried that once Gonzales and Wolfowitz are gone, he might be the next target.
I don't think any of them are sitting around worrying about what the European governments think.
Leesburg, Va.: Has anyone in the press asked Tony Snow yet about the guest list for the Queen's dinner at the White House? As I recall, the Republicans always were quick to complain about the Clinton administration issuing invitations to White House receptions to large Democratic party donors. Yet the guest list for the Queen's dinner had several major Republican donors on it. How has Tony Snow explained away that contradiction?
Dan Froomkin: That issue was raised by Avni Patel in a blog post on the ABC News Web site that I linked to in my column today. (My column by the way, is now live.)
Tony Snow has not, to my knowledge, been asked about this yet. But I think it would make a fine question for him.
(And if you can find evidence of Republican complaints about Clinton doing this, send them to me.)
Carlisle, Pa.: Dan is it my imagination or has there been a sudden "surge" in resignations of upper level administration appointments across the government? Is this just the normal exodus for an administration entering it's lame-duck status? Are people trying to bail out to avoid a congressional investigation of one sort or another (politicizing the Justice Department, the student loan fiasco at Education, using non-science to squash endangered species designations at Interior, giving away natural resources ... oh you get my drift)?
Dan Froomkin: You are not imagining things. Here's Edward Luce in today's Financial Times: "The Bush administration is suffering from a rapid depletion of high-level officials and growing difficulties in trying to fill prominent vacancies, say insiders.
"In the past 10 days alone Mr Bush has lost four senior officials and more resignations are expected to follow. 'I wouldn't describe this as disintegration,' said one senior official. 'But there are worrying large gaps opening up and it is very hard to recruit high-quality people from outside.'"
The big hits have come in the national security area. (See this Peter Baker story from Saturday's Post.)
The very latest: Amit R. Paley writes in today's Post: "The head of the U.S. Education Department's student loan office announced her resignation yesterday amid mounting criticism of the agency's oversight of the loan industry."
Austin, Texas: Hi Dan. Conventional wisdom says that Bush, for all his faults, truly believes in the war, that we must win or they'll follow us home, etc. I can't square this with how politically motivated everything this administration has done and said has been for six years. It seems much more likely to me that he wants his legacy to be a "resolute" president who bucked public opinion, and that's what drives everything he says and does in Iraq -- not that he actually believes it. What do you think?
Dan Froomkin: What I think is that the lack of transparency at this White House, combined with its historical willingness to turn any issue to its political advantage and its ever-growing credibility problems makes it hard to say anything for sure. Which is actually quite tragic.
Chicago: Dan, someone above mentioned that there seems to be "constitutional crisis" looming ahead. I am inclined to agree, and it seems to me that this will largely center on Congress's power of the purse, which Bush's "support the troops" rhetoric attempts to neutralize. This is speculative, but as someone monitoring the White House, do you have any sense of what kind of confrontation the Bush administration is anticipating and how they'll attempt to play it?Aside from lying like hell, of course.
Dan Froomkin: Oh, aside from that?
I don't know. The big question will be: If the Democratic Congress finally pushes back on Bush's expansion of executive power in any of its various expressions, will the Cheney/Addington view continue to prevail in the White House? Or will more moderate views emerge? It's no surprise the Cheney/Addington axis has prevailed thus far -- there's been no challenge to it even from outside the White House. If something really comes to a head, who knows what will happen?
Dan Froomkin: The transcript of Cheney's brief press availability has just been sent out by the White House. A typically unrevelatory exchange (through no fault of the reporter):
QUESTION: Thank you, sir. You said you were impressed by the responses that you heard from Prime Minister Maliki and his colleagues. Did they offer any specific commitments, particularly time commitments, in moving forward on some of the specific measures that you and other American officials have talked about; namely, hydrocarbon law, de-Baathification, provincial elections and constitutional reform?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I believe that Prime Minister Maliki plans an address to the parliament this week on many of these issues -- [cough] excuse me -- and, of course, it's a political process that depends upon action by their legislative body. And but as I say, I do believe that there is a greater sense of urgency now than I'd seen previously.
QUESTION: But no specific time commitments?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It's difficult to do with our own Congress, let alone somebody else's.
Atlanta: Have you followed the reporting coming from Daily Kos on the DOJ emails? Basically a group of people got together to analyze thousands of pages of documents turned over to the Senate and they've been able to identify potential obstruction of justice based on how many emails were not turned in. My question is, if they unveil something really important, would the story be discounted based on the source and the amateur nature of its reporters?
Dan Froomkin: I have not. E-mail me a link. (Or do you mean Talking Points Memo?) In either case, I am absolutely ready to believe that there are lots of e-mails that have not been turned over, and that those will tell an amazing story.
Kansas City, Mo.: Hi Dan! It is not as though I have not had a multitude of reasons to be horrified and appalled in the past few years, and perhaps it is trivial in contrast to other examples of arrogance, but do you have any explanation as to why Bush accepting a Purple Heart has basically gone under the MSM's radar? I am shocked that people -- particularly veterans -- are not absolutely outraged by this?! What's up with that? Thanks in advance for your thoughts...
washingtonpost.com: Bush Gets a Purple Heart (second-to-last item) (washingtonpost.com, April 26)
Dan Froomkin: Hey, no kidding. I thought that story would get picked up hugely. It's so rich with irony. I'm not sure why it didn't get more play.
Arlington, Va.: In the storm of the belief that the White House was making decisions for the Justice Department, some former political appointees in Education are claiming that the decisions regarding the enmeshed-in-scandal Reading First program were made by Margaret Spellings when she was a presidential advisor in the White House, long before she became Education Secretary. It makes me wonder how many departments are micromanaged from the White House.
Dan Froomkin: That's a really important observation. One of the things that I think will emerge from the DOJ scandal (and possible from the Reading First one as well) is how thoroughly micromanaged key cabinet agencies are.
Judging from what we've seen at DOJ, and I don't think it's entirely atypical, the real lines of power in this administration extend from the White House's political staff to young, willing political operatives in the cabinet agencies. The cabinet secretaries themselves? Purely figureheads.
San Francisco: Hi Dan, what's your take on White House reporters attending the State Dinner as guests? Do working journalists -- Gregory and Wolffe, as well as Robin Roberts -- understand that this looks entirely too chummy from outside the Beltway? The correspondents' dinners are bad enough, but breaking bread in the President's House while wearing white tie seems -- well, unseemly.
I have a hard time seeing how getting an invite to something like that can't make you feel a bit beholden to whoever invited you. And I somewhat share Will Bunch's view that it's grotesquely inappropriate for reporters to attend, because we "ought to be the voice of the kind of people who don't get invited to white-tie affairs, the handymen and school teachers, not the politicians and billionaires."
But on the other hand, would I really expect a reporter who is offered such an invitation to turn it down? I guess what I would demand of those who attend is full transparency-- about why they were invited, why they accepted, and what they made of the whole thing. (You know, acting like reporters.)
So while I was pleased that Richard Wolffe, one of the four journalists who attended, has now written about his evening for Newsweek, I was disappointed that he didn't address why he was invited and why he accepted. He did, however, find space to criticize the food.
Houston: Mr. Froomkin, your column is the best. I've got a gripe with washingtonpost.com (which is the only way I read The Post). (I know it's an editorial decision and you can't do anything about it.) It seems hypocritical for CNN.com and washingtonpost.com, to name two major news sites, to run photos and bios of the Virginia Tech victims 24/7 on the front Web pages and not give the same treatment to the soldiers, also very young, dying daily in Iraq. I realize washingtonpost.com has a page to the "fallen," but one has to search for it, and does not contain bios on these soldiers.
Is it possible that the MSM, by bestowing such huge coverage to these uncommon mass murders while only supplying daily numbers (and names when available) of casualties in Iraq, minimizes the carnage there in comparison to what happened at Virginia Tech? What subconscious message does this unbalanced coverage send Americans? How about presenting photos/bios of Iraqi civilians killed by suicide bombers or American soldiers (the Haditha massacre, for example)? Or the daily victims of gun violence in America? Show the dead beginning with the first in Afghanistan and Iraq. Write about their accomplishments and dreams. Run these on the front of the newspaper too, for a more "fair and balanced" presentation. By not giving the same prominence to the daily carnage in Iraq, or in our city streets, the MSM appears sensationalistic and distorts reality -- there are not potential mass murderers enrolled on every campus in America. Sometimes the MSM has a shorter attention span than the average American.
Dan Froomkin: Thanks. I can't speak for the site at all on this issue, but let me just say this: I am a huge admirer of washingtonpost.com's Faces of the Fallen database, and I agree with you that every death of a service member deserves even more attention than that.
Arlington, Va.: Re: The Bush Purple Heart, I think the reason it hasn't gotten a huge play is that the award wasn't made through an official military process. It came from someone who is presumably a strong Bush supporter and felt strongly enough about the issue to give up a medal that he received in the usual way -- by being wounded in combat. Those who think Bush is wonderful probably are feeling all warm and fuzzy over the gesture. Those (like me) who abhor Bush and all he stands for, and who believe impeachment should be the word that's on everyone's lips, regard the situation as pretty pathetic, but not necessarily worthy of huge media attention.
Dan Froomkin: It's flatly unimaginable that any official military process would have resulted in such an action. And I do think it's worth asking Bush if he didn't have any qualms about accepting it, given that he's never put himself in harm's way. But I suppose you're by-and-large correct.
Washington, DC: Ignatius's Saudi source in this morning's column seemed to confirm your suspicion that Bush is just waiting out his term: "The ferment in the region is driven partly by the perception that U.S. troops are on the way out, no matter what the Bush administration says. To dampen such speculation, Bush is said to have told the Saudis that America will not withdraw from Iraq during his presidency. 'That gives us 18 months to plan,' said one Saudi source."
washingtonpost.com: Cheney And the Saudis (Post, May 8)
Dan Froomkin: I found Ignatius's column fascinating but a little inscrutable today. Wasn't really sure quite what to make of it.
Arlington, Va.: What are the odds that Gen. Petraeus comes back in September and says that the surge is not working? How often does a general say "we can't do it"? Isn't it completely phony for the Republicans to take themselves off the hook by saying they'll reevaluate in September only if Gen. Petraeus says were doomed? They know there's no way that's going to happen.
Dan Froomkin: I don't think they're saying it will depend on Petraeus's opinions as much as on the facts he will have to work with. But that said, as long as there are no really agreed-upon and concrete metrics/benchmarks, it will all be very subjective and you may very well be right. It may be yet another kicking of the can down the road to Jan. 20, 2009.
Orange County, Calif.: Hi Dan. Your column is easily one of the best available and is a daily must-read. I believe you take the viewpoint, as you said today, of a skeptical reporter, not as a partisan. That said, why does washingtonpost.com insist on labeling your column "opinion"? It's like a caveat to those before reading the important news you give us in the column. I find it unnecessary and a bit sheepish on The Post's part. Keep up the great work!
Dan Froomkin: Thanks. I'm not a big fan of the label. But it's a long story.
Boston: Wasn't there an executive order that required the White House to review/approve all regulatory rule changes previously left to various government agencies? Who is going to write the book tying together all the executive power plays pulled by the Bush (Cheney) administration?
Dan Froomkin: Good of you to remember. Here's the Jan. 30 New York Times story by Robert Pear about that order, which established a White House "gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president's priorities."
Dan Froomkin: Okay, thanks everyone for all the great questions and comments. Sorry I couldn't get to more of them. See you again here in two weeks, and every weekday afternoon on the home page!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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Ask the Post
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2007051519
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Alexandria, Va.: A question about the mechanics of delivering the paper: Why does the Post put all its newspapers in plastic bags? I live in an apartment, and my paper comes to me duly wrapped, whether it's raining outside or not.
I know some of these bags carry advertising to help the Post's bottom line, but at a time when some cities are banning plastic bags to save oil (and the environment), do we really need hundreds of thousands of plastic bags lying around?
Getting rid of the plastic -- at least on days when papers won't get wet -- would help us avoid having to recycle all those bags, not to mention worrying about the ones that don't get reused.
Deborah Howell: The paper is delivered in plastic so that no matter where it lands, it will be dry and clean for the reader.
St. Mary's City, Md.: While I'm not a Christian, I've noticed that the Post and many other media outlets seem to treat "evangelical" and "fundamentalist" as synonyms. Alan Cooperman's article from Saturday was a good example.
Evangelical Christians are not all of one mind on doctrinal and political questions. One sees this most clearly with the National Association of Evangelicals, which is split over the issue of global warming. The members who dismiss the issue are mostly fundamentalists and Biblical literalists, including Jerry Falwell who claims that global warming is "Satan's diversion."
Unlike many Christians, I reject the idea that the evangelical/fundamentalist confusion proves that journalists are biased against religion. Instead, I believe that journalists cannot address religious issues adequately simply by covering controversies. Those disputes inevitably bring out the self-appointed spokespersons who don't represent the majority of believers on the issues. Also, media outlets assign many religion stories to general assignment reporters, who may not understand the doctrinal nuances involved in these issues. Does the Post have reporters who are assigned full time to the religion beat? If not, would you favor such a policy?
Deborah Howell: Yes, The Post has three full-time religion writers and also subscribes to Religion News Service. I will be happy to relay your issues in an internal staff newsletter that I write every week. Please send me your name and where you live to ombudsman@washpost.com. I take a special interest in religion reporting and used to supervise RNS.
Madison, Wisc.: Hi Deborah. I am a huge fan of your paper's online presence. These chats, along with the "comments" feature, have provided a remarkable level of interactivity between journalists and their audience. I know that there have been drawbacks for the journalists involved (hostile or critical comments, etc.), but have there been positives too? Have reader inquiries and comments informed and improved some of the reporting? Can you cite any examples?
Deborah Howell: I do not know if comments have informed any reporting. I wrote about comments last week in my Sunday column. People who post comments love them and they build loyalty to the Web site. But many readers dislike their rawness. I think they have to be monitored well.
New York, N.Y.: Why does Post continue to carry columns by Robert Novak when his column has compromised national security? I am referring to his out of Valerie Plame.
Deborah Howell: Robert Novak is among many columnists that run on the op-ed pages. The op-ed editor is conscientious about trying to get a mix of opinion on all sides of important issues.
Washington, D.C.: Ms. Howell. The Style section's coverage of D.C.-area art galleries and artists has been declining steadily for the last few years. It started under Eugene Robinson. When he became editor of Style, the section used to have a weekly column on Thursdays (Galleries) and another column on Thursdays (Arts Beat) that used to focus also on the visual arts.
Under Mr. Robinson Arts Beat was cut to twice a month, and expanded to cover nearly everything that looks and sounds like art, but little of the visual arts, arts news, etc. He also allowed the Post's art critic (Blake Glopnik) to get away with only reviewing museums and seldom (2-3 times since he has been employed by the Post) reviewing a DC gallery.
Under Ms. Heard, the Galleries column was cut to twice a week, and Mr. Glopnik curious focus on only museums continued.
This means that The Post now has one of the most minimal visual arts coverage in the US for a major paper. In 2007 so far, there have been 62 times more movie reviews, 22 times more fashion reviews, 44 times more theater reviews, 27 times more dance reviews than gallery reviews.
How can Style be made to understand that 20 gallery review columns a year is simply not enough! Why not hire a second freelancer and bring the Galleries column back to a weekly spot - like 99 percent of all American newspapers do?
What can we readers do to influence this process? Does Mr. Graham know that his newspaper is essentially ignoring D.C. area art galleries and artists?
Deborah Howell: I will be happy to convey your problems with art gallery coverage to the Style editors.
Washington, D.C.: It seems the more investigations of the Bush administration that are coming to light, the less news the Post is willing to print. What gives? Is the Post scared of printing factual news about the Bush Administration?
Deborah Howell: The Post has three reporters covering the White House and many more who report on the administration. I've never seen or heard anything here that makes me believe The Post is scared of doing tough reporting on the administration.
Fort Worth, Tex.: Do you feel that the value of stock and concentration on the bottom line is detrimental to the quality and the amount of REAL and useful news? Also, what is your opinion on the saturation of the news media by only one mega corporation?
Deborah Howell: This is a very complicated issue that I can't answer in a chat. A newspaper needs to be financially healthy to be able to devote good resources to news coverage.
Atlanta: Ms. Howell, these chats get a little heated sometimes, often people are critical of reporters when in fact, they are criticizing the editorial page. Reporters are constantly explaining the difference between the two, the wall between the two, etc. My suggestion is to have Fred Hiatt do a chat, say once or twice a month. I think he needs to face the music on the balderdash he spouts instead of hiding behind the reporters and making them take the heat.
Deborah Howell: I'll be happy to tell him that!
Washington, D.C.: Dear Ms. Howell: I just want to salute you for hanging in there not long ago when you faced such over-the-top hostile and unforgiving venom in light of a very minor mistake (if that) on your part. Your courage continues to show in your weekly columns. I don't always agree with your final assessments of the Post's decisions but I respect your tenacity in carrying on with what must be a pretty thankless job in many ways.
You do have support out here, even if your detractors may yell louder than others.
Deborah Howell: Thank you! I really appreciate that!
Washington, D.C.: Ms. Howell, on 1/15/06 you wrote the following: "So far, Schmidt and Grimaldi say their reporting on the Abramoff investigations hasn't put Democrats in the first tier of people being investigated.
"But stay tuned. This story is nowhere near over."
My question for you how long we are supposed to stay tuned. It has been sixteen months, and -- apart from a bit player at the Interior Department who turns out to be a Democrat -- all I see is a raft of indictments and guilty pleas of Republicans.
At what point will you issue a retraction for the apparently baseless suggestion that Democrats were part of the Abramoff corruption schemes?
Deborah Howell: A correction to that appeared within a few days.
Washington, D.C.: Hi, My question is regarding the opinion/editorial sections of the newspaper. I think that these columns should be fact-checked before being published. I don't think that they should get a free pass on facts just because they are opinion pieces. Recently, The Post has been carrying articles that have been outright lies.
Deborah Howell: Fact checking is done by the columnists. Copy editors do a lot of checking, but it is not like fact checkers in the magazine world. If columnists make a mistake, those are usually corrected in their columns or on Page 2 if the columnists are in the news pages.
Rockville, Md.: Can you please explain why the Post runs those odd vertical half pages in some sections? they look like mistakes and are very annoying. I'm sure some focus group said they were wonderful but what do actual readers say?
Deborah Howell: I am going to write a column about that -- maybe next week. Readers do find them annoying. They are a money-saving measure.
San Francisco (formerly of D.C.): Put me down as against the comments feature. The vast majority are the types of diatribes and politically slanted jabs (usually from the left) that you write about. David Broder can't write an article, whatever the subject, without 50 people demanding he apologize for predicting Bush might see a poll bounce, which never occurred. It seems you're lucky to get one thoughtfully composed comment for every 10 postings (and those are the ones that actually make it through the profanity filter).
I guess I can just not read them, but they'll still be there, coarsening the debate.
Deborah Howell: You do have to click on the comments to read them, so you can ignore them.
Melville, N.Y.: I was appalled that the Washington Post would publish op-ed pieces from Liz Cheney, the vice president's daughter, that read like Republican-party talking points. And then omitting from the short bio at the article's end her relation to the vice president. What do you think?
Deborah Howell: The Post publishes op-ed pieces from many points of view. The editorial page policy is to identify the writers by their work or what they have published. I don't think it was hiding anything not to say Liz Cheney was the vice-president's daughter.
Washington, D.C.: Deborah: I appreciate that the Post has an ombudsman and that you have a hard job to do. As your questions today indicate, there are many worthy issues for you to cover.
So why waste your time and your readers time with the complete non-story that examined The Post's golf writers pool on The Masters tournament? Can any serious and impartial observer believe that this kind of friendly wagering actually influences coverage of the event?
Deborah Howell: I took a lot of criticism about that. But it was a reader's question that I thought was worth answering. I can't win 'em all.
Re: Novak: A recent Rasmussen Poll found that 22 percent of Americans believe that the President had prior knowledge of 9/11 attacks. If The Post is so interested in giving space to all sides, maybe it should carry columns by conspiracy theorists. Clearly, The Post is not going to do this, right?
Deborah Howell: Right. I don't agree with you. I don't think The Post should feed conspiracies.
Detroit: The Post has been carrying stories about different Presidential candidates. But they seem to be limited to the front-line ones: Clinton, Obama, Guiliani, McCain, Romney, Edwards and Thompson. What about the less known ones. For example, Mike Gravel has some very interesting ideas out there which the country should hear. And how about covering extensively Ron Paul, the anti-war Republican. In short, by deciding to cover some candidates and not others, is The Post not prejudging the election?
Deborah Howell: I get about 20-30 e-mails a day asking for coverage of Ron Paul. The news media, including The Post, usually does concentrate on the front-runners. I trust that they also will be doing stories on some of the other candidates.
Arlington, Va.: Here's two useful ways the Post can rebuild its credibility. First, get rid of editorial race-baiters such as Eugene Robinson. What a mean, offensive writer! Second, at least TRY to balance a blatant partisan like Dan Froomkin. While he should have free-reign, he should also have a counterpart that expresses the White House perspective without a cloak of paranoia and breathless skepticism. Unless and until the Post addresses these glaring affronts to fairness, your little sessions here online will never do much good.
Deborah Howell: I disagree about Gene Robinson. I am a fan of his. I will tell the Web site editors about your comments on Froomkin.
Bethesda, Md.: Hi there. You have obviously had some challenges on this job. I won't waste your time or the reader's time on "fault" or blame, but it seems that the job of ombudsman has grown and mutated during your reign. How have you grown or changed during this stint, and what do you hope your legacy to be in this specific role when you leave it?
Deborah Howell: The job has grown a lot just in my year and a half here. I get many more questions about the Web site now that when I took the job in October 2006. I have no idea what my legacy will be, but I hope (for my entire career) that it is one of tough reporting, fairness to all and opening doors for readers to understand how important public decisions are made. And to help readers make their wishes known.
Thank you for taking our questions.
I am a huge fan of the chats and some columnists, and would like to be a big fan of the letters to the editor, but unfortunately am not. Compared to the Letters section in the NY Times (sorry), the WP Letters are fewer, are much more likely to come from an organization with a vested interest, and frankly are not as interesting. They are not as interesting, in my view, because they do not as often offer new suggestions or new insights into how news events effect people. Letters from organizations are often mind-numbing. I also notice that there are always few letters to the editor about Iraq, regardless of the fact that the war in Iraq has created strong feelings on both sides.
Deborah Howell: I will be happy to pass on your comments to the letters editor. A new letters editor will be coming aboard this summer after a year on a fellowship.
Washington, D.C.: In your column this past week you concluded, "When in doubt, take it out." Do you really believe that? Almost anything could be offensive to someone. Your Pollyanna approach oversimplifies complex issues.
Deborah Howell: I meant that comment to refer to blatantly sexist, racist or violent comments. I prefer to keep it more civil.
Washington, D.C.:"The Post has three reporters covering the White House"
How many reporters did The Post assign to cover the White House during the Monica Lewinsky scandal?
Assuming that significantly more resources were devoted to covering that one scandal at the Clinton White House than are being devoted to covering the myriad (and more relevant) scandals of the Bush White House, what conclusions should readers draw from those resource allocation decisions?
Deborah Howell: I wasn't here during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but I was a daily reader. I don't think more reporters were assigned to that story than are assigned to cover the Bush administration. I have read The Post daily for 17 years, and I think they're tough on all administrations.
Bangkok, Thailand: I read the Post's political chats almost every day. Readers complain regularly that the mainstream media is not covering this or that story, and then the reporter answering questions on the chat lists two or three recent Post stories, in effect saying, "Oh yes we are writing about that. You must have missed it."
I read Harold Meyerson's Enron's Enablers today with dispair. I don't want to read his short column about that court case. I want to read a 10-20 page New Yorker expose on it. I want to read that kind of in-depth reporting on a myriad of issues, scandals, etc. The Washington Post needs more reporters.
Deborah Howell: The Post has a lot of territory to cover. They do have investigative reporters who are constantly doing projects. And reporters on the different sections also do in-depth work.
Woonsocket, R.I.: From your answers so far I suspect that you view your task here as holding the line against a rampaging mob.
I am a proud member of that mob; I frequently disagree with the Mr. Hiatt's editorial positions, and feel that too may reporters are far too comfortable repeating the party line rather than pushing for the truth (with a few notable exceptions). That said, The Post Web site gets far more of my attention and time than any other site. Why?
Comments and chat. The chance to give feedback and actually interact with journalists and newsmakers -- and to know that they are actually LISTENING -- is invaluable to me.
To be honest, that's why I'm a little disappointed in this chat in particular; your answers so far have fallen into two categories, either "I'll pass that on" or a non-detailed defense of a policy which amounts to nothing more than a pat on the head.
Deborah Howell: Well, this is my first chat, so I'm getting used to it. I have been critical of The Post in many columns and will continue to be. I can see how you might think I sound like I'm holding the line against a rampaging mob. I don't disagree with feedback, comments or live discussions. And I totally agree with you that pushing for the truth is always important.
It looks like for a while the Post was reporting the growing economic story in India, and the attendant social changes. But in the last few months, all coverage about India seems to have died down. especially news that might impact jobs in the U.S., and the growing economic ties. Has The Post cut back on its coverage of India?
Deborah Howell: The Post has had two buy-outs of staff members in the last several years, so the staff is smaller. Foreign bureaus have been cut back somewhat, but there are still enormous resources devoted to covering foreign news. On India, in particular, there have been stories when there is important news.
The new "Raw Readers" section is the worst waste of newsprint I've seen in my life. The online comments are one thing -- sequestered behind a hotlink for anyone daring enough to wade into that cesspool of vituperative blather -- but to put angry, hateful, anonymous comments side-by-side with The Post's usually excellent reportage degrades the quality of the paper.
Deborah Howell: I have had one other complaint about this. There are really fans of this kind of "raw" comment. But I agree with you. I'm not a fan of a lot of it.
Washington, D.C.: We want PROCESS PROCESS PROCESS from you, not opinion. Use your unique position to provide information about internal decision making, not what you think.
Deborah Howell: I try to pull back the curtains on Post decision making and how this place works. When I do that, I get criticized for not being critical enough -- or for not giving a strong opinion. I think this job holds both opportunities for constructive criticism -- and just good reporting to let you know how decisions are made and executed.
Pasadena, Calif.: Are you a registered Republican? Your articles here seem to portray you as leaning to the right on many issues.
Deborah Howell: Nope. I'm registered as an independent. And I don't vote in primaries for that reason.
Denver: Two weeks ago I watched the Bill Moyers PBS program on the media's role in the lead up to the Iraq war. I was very disturbed to learn about the Washington Post's role and the complicity of its writers. To be sure it is an indictment of the mass media. It makes me never want to read the WP again.
The reporting analysis done by the Moyers program is disturbing. I recently went to the corporate Web site for your company and read the principles that Eugene Meyer set forth for the paper and find that the WP reporting with respect to the build up to the invasion of Iraq in direct contradiction with those values.
How does the WP leadership reconcile their complicity and complacency in aiding and abetting this fiasco?
As a someone who was born and raised on the WP I a deeply ashamed of your conduct.
Deborah Howell: The run-up to the war happened long before my tenure here. My predecessor, Mike Getler, wrote about it extensively.
Maryland: I am curious. Almost all of the questions so far deal with the Post's coverage of national stories. But this is also my hometown newspaper.
What share of the reader comments to you deal with local issues? And how much of your work focuses on local issues?
Thank you. I appreciate your work and look forward to your columns.
Deborah Howell: I tend to get more comment on national issues. But I follow up on almost every local complaint I get. The Post is a local paper! I would say local is less than a third of the complaints I receive.
They are a money-saving measure. : You may want to point out that money-saving measures that annoy readers may end up being money-losing measures to The Post.
Deborah Howell: Can I quote you on that when I write a column about it? Send me your name and where you live to ombudsman@washpost.com.
Washington, D.C.: When your term is up as Ombudsman, what do you do next?
If you are dependent on The Post or a similar employer for your next job, should readers conclude that your career depends on keeping The Post or similar publishers happy and, thus, that you have incentive to defend them whenever possible rather than stick up for the readers?
Deborah Howell: I have no idea what I'll do next. I'm 66 and I might just retire. No, there is no job at The Post after being ombudsman. That doesn't happen. There is no incentive to defend The Post in that regard. I defend Post editors when I think they deserve it.
20008: This ran on Romenesko this week. Could you respond?
From the Washington Post's Bob Woodward, who reviewed the George Tenet memoir in Sunday's WP Book World:
Full disclosure: In discussions with Tenet as a reporter for this paper, I many times urged him to write his memoir, and, after he resigned from the CIA, I even spent a day with him and his co-writer, Bill Harlow, in late 2005 to suggest questions he should try to address. Foremost, I hoped that he would provide intimate portraits of the two presidents he had served as CIA director -- George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Instead, he has adhered to the rule of CIA directors: protect the president at all costs.
To recap: Woodward reviewed the book that he repeatedly advised the writer to write. Woodward reviewed the book even after he made extensive recommendations to the writers on what to include. (Judging from Woodward's description he was a full-fledged advisor to the co-writer.) And, of course, Woodward reviewed the book after the writer(s) failed to follow his advice. Naturally he half-pans it. (To entirely pan it might, I suppose, call into question his recommendation to write it.)
I know we're all supposed to be numb to Bob Woodward's ethical conflicts: When the 99th doesn't matter, why should the 100th? But this is an unquestionably clear example of where the disclosure of conflict of interest is not enough. Woodward should not have been allowed near this review.
Deborah Howell: Here is an answer to your query from Book World Editor Marie Arana. I just got it for another reader.
"They were not personal friends. That much was sure from my quizzing of Woodward before I assigned (and the North Wall approved) the review. But there had been, obviously, a lot of conversations between Woodward and Tenet. Those conversations were largely on the record and Tenet was, willingly, a source. I think Woodward made that abundantly clear in the review. The assignment was meant to add something to a great deal of exposure that transpired during the past week. If we were to cover the book, I thought, we would have to do something extra, and different. We chose to offer the opinion of someone eminently qualified to judge the extent and veracity of Tenet's newly offered information. There was no one better suited to this task than Bob Woodward."
This is what is wrong with our comments. Until someone can prove that they are right about every issue all of the time, they should just say "I do not agree." Our problem is that we think everyone who does not agree with us are wrong, mad or lying. Just imagine this: they might be right.
Then we will have some civil discussion.
Deborah Howell: That's so right. That's why the op-ed pages runs different opinions. We all can stand some enlightenment.
Washington, D.C.: What is the policy of the newspaper with regard to use of hate language within the context of a discussion of hate crimes laws. For example, an analysis that displays words which are associated with hate crimes and their frequency of use in motion pictures that have won academy awards in the past 20 years -- can the newspaper print digitally or in ink the words?
Deborah Howell: Hate language would not be allowed in comments. If you see something you think is hateful, request its removal. There's a "request for removal" on every comment.
Washington, D.C.: Can you provide your point of view on the recent Jonathan Weisman and Shailagh Murray story that stated there was an agreement by Democrats to concede to the President, even though no such agreement was made. A correction was subsequently made, and Mr. Weisman commented at another Web site that he thought the correction may have been unnecessary and continues to stand by the story.
Also, what can be done to make corrections more prominent, especially errors that occur on A1?
Deborah Howell: I will write about this Sunday.
RE: Froomkin: It is a journalist's JOB to be skeptical and question those they are covering(trust but verify). He is one of the few reasons I ever read your paper. Please pass this along to the editors as well.
Deborah Howell: Will do. Being skeptical is a most important quality in a reporter. Maybe the No. 1.
Arlington, Va.: I've never understood how Howard Kurtz is the Post media reporter but he's also allowed to work for CNN. Doesn't this make everything he writes about TV news suspect? I think they call it "conflict of interest."
Deborah Howell: In my time here, I've never seen Kurtz pull any punches with CNN _ or The Post. He writes about The Post frequently as well.
Anonymous: what's the North Wall?
Deborah Howell: The North Wall is a bank of offices. That's where the top editors sit.
Hollywood, Calif.: What qualified you to become ombudsman for the Washington Post? How do you define what an ombudsman is, and how do you think readers view an ombudsman? And, technically, aren't you an ombudswoman? Ombudsperson?
On a side note, I'd just like to say I disagree with comments here saying your opinion isn't valued or part of your job. That's unfair, as part of your job is dependent upon your opinion.
Deborah Howell: I've been in the business all my life. My dad was a newsman, and I grew up chasing fires. I've been a reporter, copy editor, city editor, managing editor and executive editor. An ombudsman is both a reader representative and advocate and also a person to whom readers can come for answers and information. The word, I've been told, is gender free.
Baltimore: Could you please get someone to label Michelle Singletary's supposed "financial advice" as Christian? It's far more appropriate to call her a "Christian Personal Finance Columnist" than a "Personal Finance Columnist" -- since much of her advice is based on her own morals and Biblical beliefs, not sound financial advice.
Deborah Howell: Singletary's religious beliefs are important and central to her writing, but her advice isn't meant just for Christians. It's just good advice. I would not label her. I've had few complaints that her advice isn't sound.
Richmond, Va.: I wrote a letter to the editor about the Virginia Tech coverage. I was appalled that The Washington Post splashed the killer's images so prominently on the Web site. They used a bit more discretion in the print edition. They didn't run my letter or any letters criticizing the coverage. Was I the only one? I find it hard to believe there wasn't more outrage.
Deborah Howell: I did get quite a few letters on that _ but I've gotten a whole lot more letters asking for coverage of Ron Paul. Web site editors thought it was news worthy. The video was very short and not overly displayed. The sight of the killer's face was shocking, but so was the crime.
Woodbridge, Va.: Hi Deborah -- I don't think it's taking anyone to school to suggest that The Post has a distinctively "leftward" slant. Does this ever disturb you, and do you have any power to make the paper more fair?
Deborah Howell: I have written a column on journalists and their political beliefs. It's on the Web site. I do think there are a lot of reporters who have a liberal bent. But many are moderate, some are conservative. I don't have any "power," except that of persuasion.
Arlington, Va.: I totally disagree about Dan Froomkin - keep him on! I have no doubt that he would be just as skeptical of a Democratic administration. The last thing the paper needs is an unfiltered mouthpiece of the current administration, Democratic or Republican - that is the President's Press Secretary's job! Please.
Froomkin's analysis is refreshing and a welcome change from much reporting, and I'd gladly read and think about his criticisms, whichever party is in the White House.
Please pass along my praise of Froomkin as well - he's one of the best parts of the washingtonpost.com site!
Deborah Howell: I like the way you think. I want to read people I disagree with. I think that too many folks think the only way to think is the way they think.
Washington, D.C.: Would it be possible to put the words "tough," "czar," and "interesting" on a list of terms to avoid using as all-purpose space fillers? They show up in all sorts of useless descriptions in The Post.
Deborah Howell: Not a bad idea...
Washington, D.C.: Try to step back and consider the current system of foreign reporting: If you live in Los Angeles and read the LA Times, you learn about, say, Zimbabwe, from the Times reporter whom the paper sends there. If you live in DC, you learn about it from the Washington Post reporter. And so on with the dozens or hundreds of good papers across the country and the world. Isn't this a rather absurd system?
Obviously papers need different people covering City Hall, since I'm not interested in local LA politics. And naturally LA will have stronger coverage of entertainment, while I want to read the Federal page. But for so many stories - national stories like Katrina, national business news, foreign affairs, and science, to mention a few - there is no reason why the coverage should be linked to the location the newspaper is printed in.
Given this, and given the financial pressures, wouldn't it make sense for the Post to start using copy from other high quality newspapers (LA Times for coverage of Hollywood, Le Monde for coverage of France, Le Pais for coverage of Spain, and so on), with editing as needed for local audiences? You've already starting a little of that with the use of international business coverage from the Wall Street Journal.
Deborah Howell: I've gotten that suggestion before. Then you have to use translations, and that can be tricky. But it's not a bad idea and often foreign reporters do write about what the local press is saying in the countries they cover.
Deborah Howell: Thanks for the chat! I learned a lot and will do it again. I'm getting ready to have lunch with the new public editor at the New York Times!
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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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Pearlstein Live - washingtonpost.com
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2007051519
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Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein was online Wednesday, May 9 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the growing credibility gap of Washington trade associations who are supposed to oversee and set high standards for student loans, subprime loans and Medicare plans -- all industries that are currently under scrutiny.
Read today's column: Industries Could Take Cues From Hollywood on Self-Control.
About Pearlstein: Steven Pearlstein writes about business and the economy for The Washington Post. His journalism career includes editing roles at The Post and Inc. magazine. He was founding publisher and editor of The Boston Observer, a monthly journal of liberal opinion. He got his start in journalism reporting for two New Hampshire newspapers -- the Concord Monitor and the Foster's Daily Democrat. Pearlstein has also worked as a television news reporter and a congressional staffer.
His column archive is online here.
Danvers, Mass.: Yes. Filed this column under HTWW (How The World Works).
But, the reason why, in the face of inevitable loss, businesses continue to act out your script ... could it have something to do with them taking enough money off the table before the regulatory costs finally arrive? Could it be that the judicial costs rarely amount to much in the cold calculation of rate of return on the corrupt deals?
Steven Pearlstein: It is possible the profits made during the boom periods, when standards are lax, more than offset the "costs" of having to clean things up once the public and government turn against an industry. That would be an interesting calculation. But to do it, you have to consider a lot of intangibles, chief among them the reputation of the industry and its ability to lobby effectively across a range of issues in the future. Those issue can also involve big money, and losing on them because the industry is in bad odor can be expensive. There are also the impact on people's careers, and the ability to attract and retain people to the industry. I guess I have trouble believing at this point, for example, that the mortgage industy thinks it is better off the way things turned out than to have taken action to reign in some of the worst practices that led to the deterioration of underwriting standards. They would have foregone some business, but not enough to justify the cost of the collapse of the subprime market that has resulted, and the effect of that on the housing market, which in turn impacts the vitality of their basic prime mortgage businesses.
Silver Spring, Md.: Great column Steve. But I have to ask... where were the regulators in all of this? You say trade associations are supposed to protect members from themselves, prevent things from getting to such a bad point, and it would be wonderful if that always worked. But while my tax dollars certainly shouldn't go to protect corporations from themselves, I'd sure be happy if some more of them went to protecting me, the consumer, from them! Where were the regulators that should have kept those student loan lenders from getting in bed with my college, so perhaps I'd have a more competative choice? Where were the regulators to prevent mortgage companies from marketing a half a million dollar mortgage for 1500 /month knowing darn well that many many people are not well versed enough in finance to realize that payment's going to double when the interest only period is over? What in the world happened to protecting consumers from these sorts of practices BEFORE they got out of hand that our only hope is trade assocations?
Steven Pearlstein: That, of course, is a separate issue. The banking regulators were clearly not vigilant enough, and have effectively admitted as such. The regulators at the Department of Education look, at this point, as if they were in the business of protecting the industry rather than borrowers. The health care issue is more complicated. Some of it involves behavior of state-licensed brokers. The health insurance industry has set up best practices that many of them used to screen out business from bad brokers. But the issue there also concerns whether there should be so-called fee-for-service plans under the Medicare Advantage program, since the view of many who have looked at it is that these don't add any value to the traditional medicare program beyond additional benefits that are paid for by additional subsidies (minus, of course, a profit margin and administrative fees that are higher than the traditional Medicare program.) The health insurance industry has been vigorously defending these fast-growing fee for service programs, which as I indicated is very shortsighted, since the subsidies they receive are indefensible and they threaten political support for the larger Medicare Advantage program, which hold out the real promise of bringing the benefits of managed care to the Medicare program.
Arlington, Va.: President Bush strongly favors industry self-regulation. It never seems to work. A corporation's profit motive isn't tempered ethics. Corporations understand two things when it comes to adhering to the law, jail and fines. While you praise Jack Valenti's ratings system, I don't think you'll find too many parents or filmakers who think it's helpful. Sure, he kept Congress out of an area they didn't want to go, but the ratings system is a joke.
Steven Pearlstein: On the rating system, I think it does work in two ways. One, it has been well enforced and does give everyone -- not just parents by the way -- a sense of what they are getting into. But more important is that it has set a limit on how raunchy films can get, because the studios do anything to avoid an X rating. That sets a self-imposed limit. This has worked better with sex than with violence -- in fact, I wonder if there needs to be a violence equivalent of the X movie.
And don't get me wrong. I'm not for self-regulation as a replacement for regulation in every case. Far from it. I'm only referring to the fact that, in their own self interest, industries should try to prevent the kind of competitive dynamic that sucks everyone into questionable practices or products that, in the long run, wind up costing the industry dearly.
New York, N.Y.: Since 2003, the GSE's purchase close to 50 percent of all subprime loans annually and bundle them as mortgage-backed securities. At the same time, they refuse to purchase many prime loans to lower income borrowers because these prime loans appear to be less profitable for their quarterly earnings ledger sheets. As tax-exempt "Government Sponsored Enterprises" should Fannie and Freddie do business with predatory subprime lenders and turn a blind eye to affordable prime lenders who desperately need to benefit from the liquidity and excess capital the government subsidy provides the GSE's? - Cal
Steven Pearlstein: First, GSE's aren't fully tax exempt. Fannie and Freddie, anyway, are exempt from state taxation, not federal. And their bonds are not tax exempt.
But to your larger point, you are right. Fan and Fred, to different degrees, participated in packaging and marketing subprime mortgage packages to the bond market, and they weren't as effective in this area as they have been in the prime mortgage area in setting standards. Which, in a way is my point. Because Fan and Fred are the biggest and most powerful members of the MOrtgage Bankers Association, and they could have worked through that organization to set better standards and let the public know about companies that weren't meeting them.
This second point is really crucial. Its not just a matter of having standards. Most associations have them. It is a matter of really making them stick with their members and bringing pressure on those that don't. That's where the opportunity is often missed, because it is very uncomfortable doing that.
Bowie, Md.: The three industries you mention are all essentially financial middleman -- companies that don't do much except transfer funds, so there isn't a lot of overhead to enter the industry, or sunk-cost loss of getting out (like building a factory).
Unlike the film industry, which owns lots of stuff, and in which unsucessful efforts are very expensive; isn't the problem with loans and health insurance that there just aren't many barriers to discourage unsuccessful particiaption?
Steven Pearlstein: That's an interesting observation. I'm not sure where it goes, exactly, other than we expect financial intermediaries to be gatekeepers of sorts -- that's one of the reasons they deserve to get a fee -- and when they don't do this job, it can cause markets not to work in the way we expect.
Great Falls, Va.: The question about the regulators is an important one, but the real weakness in the system is the regulatory framework instituted by Congress. The subprime mortgage situation has been a perfect example. Congress has held showy hearing after hearing, trying to show constituents that they care about major issues. And at each of those hearings, the Congressmen and Senators ignore the more well-measured responses and play to the camera by feigning indignation.
Meanwhile, one could point out that Congress is invariably a decade late to investigate these issues, and while they hold hearings, business interests move on to their next ventures (some of which should probably be the subject of regulation, but won't be for years to come). By the time Congress gets around to acting, it will produce a watered-down regulatory framework that half-fixes older problems that may be moot anyway.
You can't really blame Wall Street for holding Congress in disdain. They're not wrong in thinking that the legislators are too slow to respond, a bit too dim to understand the nuance of the issues, and more willing to produce sound bites than helpful regulation.
With assistance like that, how can the regulators be expected to accomplish anything?
Steven Pearlstein: You know, there's no one who can be as dismissive of Congress than I, but I wonder if they are really the major culprits here. Not having any oversight hearings for six years no doubt allowed regulators to fall into the natural trap of getting too cozy with the industries they are supposed to oversee. But Congress isn't the first line of regulatory defense. I think that's asking too much of them.
An Adam Smith moment: I think what you've defined is the difference between self-interest and -enlightened- self-interest; short-term gains (splitting up the pie) vs. long-term industry health (baking a bigger pie). The movie industry was able to latch onto that longer-term view, probably because their products have a longer useful life, whereas the financial middlemen aren't interested in building a long-term customer base.
Steven Pearlstein: Thanks, Mr. Smith. You said it better than I did.
Washington, D.C.: Steve - Since we were never contacted for your opinion piece that indicts industry practice in the area of Medicare Advantage, I would like to ask you a simple question: At what point does your bias against a particular type of Medicare Advantage plan become a convenient route to besmirch an industry and its trade association for not doing the right thing - especially given the fact that this industry has led the way in improving the Medicare Part D program through intensive systems changes that have cost millions of dollars and also the Medicare Advantage program, which, in any form, provides better benefits for millions of beneficiaries?
Steven Pearlstein: This is Mohit Ghose, from the American Heath Insurance Plans trade group, who took particular exception to my column today. I guess, Mohit, I would turn the question around: at what point does your bias in favor of fee-for-service Medicare plans, which siphon money away from other Medicare recipients, get in the way of your seeing the political damage they are causing for the more valuable private plans under Medicare Advantage? It is true I am biased against fee for service plans, because I have studied the criticism and your organization's defense of them, and find the defense very unconvincing. so did the Medicare advisory committee in its recent report, by the way. And as a columnist, I thought I was entitled to have and defend my biases.
Anonymous: Steve - thanks for the response - Your column is about brokers and agent issues and the marketing of products. You can now make the issue the existence of private fee for service plans in Medicare Advantage, but that is not what your column was about. However, you indicted the industry for not remedying the issues in marketing, not for selling a product. And - people are entitled to their opinions about PFFS or MA in general, but that should not form the basis to say that the industry doesn't police itself - especially since the track record of the MA program shows that the satisfaction rates among beneficiaries are more than 80 percent across the board - precisely because of the better benefits that ALL plans provide - not just any one model - in the MA program. In fact, PFFS plans have chronic care management programs that are patient-centric, not physician centric because they have no networks. Additonally, PFFS plans and all other plans in MA are able to provide better benefits like vision, hearing and dental care which is not available in the regular FFS program. So, we believe that people should have the right information to make the most informed choice in their Medicare coverage - what we see is that people are choosing with their feet to join ALL MA products. Moreover, the industry has mechanisms in place to address the issues raised by the inappropriate marketing of all MA products, including services like call-backs to beneficiaries to confirm their choice and understanding, ride-alongs with brokers, monitoring of broker calls, and termination of contracts upon observed patterns of complaints.
Steven Pearlstein: Mohit, The column wasn't just about marketing of products. It was also, in some instances, about the products themselves, such as subprime mortgages with no documentation and no money down. But I'm glad we have the opportunity here to hear/read what you have to say.
Beaumont, Calif.: I agree with your concern Steve about any fee for service option under Medicare Advantage Programs. These managed care Medicare programs are why the average cost for seniors in California for medical coverage are less than most other States in the Union. They emphasize preventive care, annual physicals, shots and vaccinations, incentives for good behavior that reduce the end of life outrageous expenses, etc. I guess all of this reflects the sad state of affairs for the upcoming baby boomers in our country. The majority are way over weight, have no regular exercise programs, eat all the wrong foods, practice no preventive medicine - but they want a deal on real low cost medical insurance after the sad way in which they take care of themselves. To top it off, 75 percent of them have about $50,000 saved for their retirement. Give me a break! What has happened to personal accountability in this wonderful country of ours?
Steven Pearlstein: Thanks. Didn't know that about California, which as you know, has more of a tradition of welcoming managed care than those of us in the East, where "chosing your own doctor" is considered to belong in the Bill of Rights!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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 business columnist Steven Pearlstein discusses the growing credibiliity gap of trade associations who oversee student loans, subprime loans and Medicare.
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Commanders in Iraq See 'Surge' Into '08
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The Pentagon announced yesterday that 35,000 soldiers in 10 Army combat brigades will begin deploying to Iraq in August as replacements, making it possible to sustain the increase of U.S. troops there until at least the end of this year.
U.S. commanders in Iraq are increasingly convinced that heightened troop levels, announced by President Bush in January, will need to last into the spring of 2008. The military has said it would assess in September how well its counterinsurgency strategy, intended to pacify Baghdad and other parts of Iraq, is working.
"The surge needs to go through the beginning of next year for sure," said Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the day-to-day commander for U.S. military operations in Iraq. The new requirement of up to 15-month tours for active-duty soldiers will allow the troop increase to last until spring, said Odierno, who favors keeping experienced forces in place for now.
"What I am trying to do is to get until April so we can decide whether to keep it going or not," he said in an interview in Baghdad last week. "Are we making progress? If we're not making any progress, we need to change our strategy. If we're making progress, then we need to make a decision on whether we continue to surge."
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said yesterday's announcement of the upcoming deployments "is not a reflection on any decision with respect to the duration of the surge."
As the initial U.S. troop buildup in Baghdad nears its June completion, Odierno and other commanders offered details of how they will execute the military's new Iraq strategy, how they expect insurgents and militias to react, and political factors that will bear upon their success.
Commanders said that even with the ongoing increase in Iraq of tens of thousands of American troops, violence could increase in coming months, and some indicators in Baghdad suggest that is already happening.
Partial data on attacks gathered from five U.S. brigades operating in Baghdad showed that total attacks since the new strategy began in February were either steady or increasing. In some cases, certain kinds of attacks dipped as the U.S. troop increase began, only to begin rising again in recent weeks. Overall, "the number of attacks has stayed relatively constant" in Baghdad, said one U.S. officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be quoted by name.
The U.S. military commands that oversee Baghdad and Iraq as a whole have so far failed to meet requests to release current statistics on attack trends, with some U.S. officers voicing concern that the information would be skewed by critics to argue that the strategy is not working.
Although the military can help curtail violence, U.S. commanders say, Iraqi leaders must ultimately forge political compromises in order to create an enduring peace. "They have to pass a certain amount of key legislation for all of this to move forward. If they don't, we could secure all we want but it's not going to be successful," Odierno said, adding that "the jury's still out" on whether Iraq's leaders will act in the national interest.
The main thrust of the military effort in the near term, Odierno said, is to position a critical mass of U.S. and Iraqi troops inside Baghdad to quell the violence that was spiraling out of control late last year. As currently planned, Baghdad will have 25 battalions of U.S. troops and 38 battalions of Iraqi soldiers and police when the increase is complete, he said.
The push to expand the U.S. and Iraqi presence in Baghdad's neighborhoods reflects what U.S. commanders now acknowledge was a mistaken drawdown in 2005 and 2006 of American troops in the capital, leaving Iraqi forces in their place.
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The Pentagon announced yesterday that 35,000 soldiers in 10 Army combat brigades will begin deploying to Iraq in August as replacements, making it possible to sustain the increase of U.S. troops there until at least the end of this year.
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A New Pitchman -- and a New Pitch
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2007051519
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One day back when Republicans controlled Congress, Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) found themselves talking politics, something both men tend to do when they happen to be awake.
Cole, who has worked behind the scenes for just about every prominent Republican politician in Oklahoma as well as the national party, suggested that House Democrats would need a political pro to win back the majority in 2006, and he predicted they'd choose Emanuel to chair their campaign committee. Emanuel, who was once President Clinton's top political adviser, said he doubted it; he'd clashed too many times with party leaders.
"You don't have to like George Patton to know you need George Patton," Cole replied.
Cole was right, and Emanuel ultimately led the Democrats back to the majority. That's why Republicans wanted their own Patton -- their own Rahm -- to take back the House in 2008. And that's why they've elected Cole to chair the National Republican Congressional Committee, where he once served as executive director.
"A guy with that kind of résumé, we'd be paying millions of dollars for him as a consultant," said Rep. Candice S. Miller (Mich.), the head of recruiting for the NRCC.
It's true; Cole has run the Republican National Committee, the Oklahoma GOP and a lucrative consulting business. He has also been a state senator, congressional staff member and Oklahoma's secretary of state. He loves to read cross tabs, and he's a consummate insider. "His Rolodex," says former aide John Woods, "is like all of MySpace plus all of Facebook."
But even the best political consultants know there's only so much they can do with an unpopular client, and congressional Republicans had a 39 percent approval rating in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll -- nearly as low as that of President Bush and the Iraq war. Cole's ascension raises a tough question for a party that's still tied to that unpopular president and that unpopular war: Do Republicans need to change their policies, or their politics? Can they win back the House by distancing themselves from a lame-duck president and burnishing their image, or do they need a more fundamental ideological shift?
Some Republicans argue that the party lost its majority by straying from conservative principles, especially limited government spending. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) made similar arguments when his leadership was challenged this past winter, although he now blames the defeats on "Iraq, Iraq, Iraq."
Cole has run the numbers, and he doesn't think the GOP was doomed by appropriating federal money for bridges to nowhere in Alaska. His diagnosis includes Iraq, corruption scandals and a general sense that Republicans "overreached" after taking over Washington. He's a conservative Republican from a conservative district, but he says that the United States is a "center-right country, not a right-wing country." He wants the GOP to woo swing voters, and he believes they can be coaxed back into the fold with better messaging, better marketing and better performance.
"Oh, I don't think the problem was spending," Cole said. "People who argue that we lost because we weren't true to our base, that's just wrong."
The good news, Cole says, is that things can't get much worse. There are now 61 Democrats in House districts Bush won in 2004, and only eight Republicans in districts he lost, so Cole plans to "play offense" in 2008. He thinks House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is electoral poison, too liberal for the country, and he can't wait to attack moderate Democrats for "marching in lock step" with their liberal leader. He's also eager to have a GOP presidential nominee, a new standard-bearer for a Bush-fatigued nation.
So far, no Republicans in Congress have retired, and Cole says his recruiting efforts have been, "quite frankly, far better than I had anticipated." Democrats say they've recruited twice as many "top-tier challengers," but Cole is enthusiastic about candidates trying to win back the House seats of Republicans Gil Gutknecht (Minn.), Nancy L. Johnson (Conn.), Sue W. Kelly (N.Y.) and John E. Sweeney (N.Y.). "We don't need to conquer new territory to win back the majority," Cole said. "We need to reclaim lost territory, which is easier."
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One day back when Republicans controlled Congress, Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) found themselves talking politics, something both men tend to do when they happen to be awake.
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VA Benefits System for PTSD Victims Is Criticized
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The government's methods for deciding compensation for emotionally disturbed veterans have little basis in science, are applied unevenly and may even create disincentives for veterans to get better, an influential scientific advisory group said yesterday.
The critique by the Institute of Medicine, which provides advice to the federal government on medical science issues, comes at a time of sharp increases in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans and skyrocketing costs for disability compensation. The study was undertaken at the request of the Department of Veterans Affairs amid fears that troops returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will produce a tidal wave of new PTSD cases.
Between 1999 and 2004, benefit payments for PTSD increased nearly 150 percent, from $1.72 billion to $4.28 billion, the report noted. Compensation payments for disorders related to psychological trauma account for an outsize portion of VA's budget -- 8.7 percent of all claims, but 20.5 percent of compensation payments.
VA officials said they welcomed the report. "VA is studying the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the report to determine actions that can be taken to further enhance the services we provide," spokesman Matt Burns said in a statement.
The report suggested changes to VA policies, but the panel could not say whether those changes would result in more or fewer PTSD diagnoses, or in greater or lesser expense for taxpayers. "PTSD has become a very serious public health problem for the veterans of current conflicts and past conflicts," said psychiatrist Nancy Andreasen of the University of Iowa, who chaired the panel. Noting the shortcomings of the VA system, Andreasen added that "a comprehensive revision of the disability determination criteria are needed."
She said the current VA system, in which PTSD compensation is limited to those who are unable to hold a job, places many veterans in a Catch-22.
"You can't get a disability payment if you get a job -- that's not a logical way to proceed in terms of providing an incentive to become healthier and a more productive member of society," she said.
The practice is especially wrong, she added, because it is at odds with VA policies for other kinds of injuries. To determine the compensation a wounded veteran should get, the government assigns one a disability score. Veterans who are quadriplegic, for example, can be assigned a disability level of 100 percent even if they hold a job, whereas veterans with PTSD must show they are unable to work to get compensation.
Andreasen said the policies are "problematic, in the sense that they require the person given compensation to be unemployed. This is a disincentive for full or even partial recovery."
One solution suggested by the panel was to set a minimum compensation level for veterans disabled by PTSD, which would allow those who can seek work to do so.
"This is the report the VA didn't want," said Larry Scott, founder of the group VAWatchdog.org, who applauded the conclusions. If the IOM's recommendations are implemented, he said, they will cost VA "billions of dollars -- more staff, more staff training, more data collection, more clinical evaluations and higher awards."
The report identified problems with both arms of VA's evaluation and compensation procedures: A veteran currently undergoes an evaluation to determine if he or she has PTSD, and the results are used by other raters to determine the level of disability and the amount of compensation.
The Institute of Medicine panel said the scale used to evaluate veterans is outdated and largely designed for people who suffer from other mental disorders. Andreasen and other members also said they had heard from veterans who had received wildly different kinds of evaluations -- some lasting 20 minutes while others took hours. The scientists said VA should standardize the evaluations using state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques.
While VA requires its experts to determine what proportion of a veteran's disabilities were caused by particular traumatic experiences, and to what extent overlapping symptoms are related to particular disorders, the IOM said there is no scientific way to classify symptoms in this manner.
"The VA's disability policies for veterans with PTSD were developed over 60 years ago and now require major, fundamental reform," said Chris Frueh, a former VA clinician who is now a psychologist at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and was not involved with producing the new report. But even though better care is needed for veterans, Frueh said, it is important not to assume that trauma always results in a mental disorder.
"Scientific evidence indicates that resilience is the most common human response to trauma," he said. "Even for the most severe forms of trauma, such as rape or combat, most people do not develop PTSD."
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The government's methods for deciding compensation for emotionally disturbed veterans have little basis in science, are applied unevenly and may even create disincentives for veterans to get better, an influential scientific advisory group said yesterday.
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Federal Student Loan Chief Will Step Down
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The head of the U.S. Education Department's student loan office announced her resignation yesterday amid mounting criticism of the agency's oversight of the loan industry.
Theresa S. Shaw's exit as chief operating officer of the Office of Federal Student Aid comes as the New York state attorney general, congressional Democrats and the department's inspector general are investigating the loan industry and the web of personal and financial ties linking some key players in lending companies, universities and the government.
Shaw, a former executive at loan industry leader Sallie Mae, has held her department post for five years. Her resignation is effective June 1. Some student-loan consumer advocates gave her a harsh appraisal.
"Her tenure has been characterized by lack of oversight and negligent administration of the student loan program," said Michael Dannenberg, education policy director at the New America Foundation and a former Democratic aide on Capitol Hill.
But Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who is scheduled to testify tomorrow before a congressional committee that is probing the $85 billion-a-year student loan industry, praised Shaw's performance.
In a statement, the department noted a 2005 decision by the Government Accountability Office that removed federal student financial aid from a list of "high-risk" programs. It also said that under Shaw's leadership, student loan defaults were sharply reduced even as the overall amount of money being lent was on the rise.
"Terri has been a tireless advocate for students and families," Spellings said in the statement. "Her leadership and depth of experience will be sorely missed."
Shaw told Spellings in late February that she wished to leave, the department said. In another statement released late last night, Shaw said, "I had accomplished all that had been asked of me including . . . ensuring that proper financial management and internal controls were in place."
In an earlier e-mail to the student loan office obtained by The Washington Post, Shaw had said she was leaving "to pursue other career opportunities."
"The recent attention on our programs and our work only confirms how very important our programs are to the students and families we serve," she wrote in the e-mail. "I am confident that together we established a solid foundation for Federal Student Aid's continued success."
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Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2006 elections,campaigns,Democrats,Republicans,political cartoons,opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy,government tech,political analysis and reports.
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U.S. Recognition of Va. Tribes Advances
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Nearly 400 years to the day that English settlers first landed in Virginia, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday that would grant federal recognition and status as sovereign nations to six Indian tribes from the state.
The unanimous voice vote came just days after tribal chiefs danced, drummed and greeted Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent settlement by the English in what they called the New World.
Steve Adkins, chief of the Chickahominy tribe, who watched from the House gallery, said it has been hard for Virginia Indians to ask for something they feel they've had for centuries. "But today is historic, that in the eyes of the federal government, they've restored our status," he said.
Adkins said the tribes, which have been recognized by the state of Virginia in recent years, want federal recognition not just for their pride and to preserve their culture but for access to housing and health grants, as well as scholarships available only to children in federally recognized tribes. Without federal recognition, he said, Virginia Indians have been "stigmatized" and seen as in "inferior" by the 562 federally recognized Indian tribes.
But, he said, tribes have had to swallow some of their pride to get this far. They have agreed to become the first federally recognized tribes to give up casino and gaming rights. Nonetheless, the House vote was held up yesterday as lawmakers engaged in a contentious debate about Indian gaming.
But tribe supporters made clear that 400 years is long enough to wait for Virginia's native inhabitants to be recognized.
U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.), who introduced sovereignty legislation in 2000, said that Virginia, after centuries of state-sanctioned racism and discrimination against the tribes, wants to see history's wrongs righted -- and preferably by May 14, the 400th anniversary of the day Capt. John Smith and the English settlers waded ashore to found Jamestown.
"Here we have the queen at the White House and all this pomp and circumstance, and the Indians that welcomed the settlers have not been recognized by our government," Moran said. "Today's vote is the arrowhead needed to pierce these long-standing injustices."
The bill now goes to the Senate, where it lacks a sponsor and its fate is uncertain.
Traditionally, Indian tribes seeking federal recognition and sovereignty that do not have treaties with the U.S. government must apply through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and prove, through genealogical records, continuous existence as a unique community since the time of first European contact.
The Virginia Indians' treaty dates to 1677 -- before the United States existed -- and was signed by King Charles II of England. Further, their paper history was virtually erased in the 20th century, when the state declared that there were only two races in Virginia, white or "colored." State bureaucrats changed birth, marriage and death records. Until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the law in the late 1960s, to claim to be an Indian was punishable by as much as a year in jail.
When Virginia Indian chiefs met with federal officials in 1999 to pursue recognition, Adkins said they were told that because of the lack of necessary papers, they wouldn't live to see the day they were federally recognized. Thus, they pursued the status through Congress.
Although the tribes' quest is supported by a number of Virginia lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, and by the state's current and past two governors, many in Congress remain concerned that recognition will lead to casinos.
U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) voted for the bill yesterday but said afterward in a news release that he hopes the Senate looks closely at it because he has "already begun hearing rumors that attorneys are being consulted about ways to overturn the limitation on tribal gambling."
Reggie Tupponce, a member of the Upper Mattaponi tribe, said: "We've given up our right to game. They said that was their concern. So I don't understand what their concern is now, other than sovereignty itself."
Early on, Adkins said, the tribes turned down overtures by lobbyists with ties to gaming who offered to help get recognition. "If we wanted to game," he said, "we wouldn't have had to resort to bake sales and carwashes to pay for our lobbyist."
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Nearly 400 years to the day that English settlers first landed in Virginia, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday that would grant federal recognition and status as sovereign nations to six Indian tribes from the state.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/08/AR2007050801060.html
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Farm-Raised Fish Given Tainted Food
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2007051519
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The tainted Chinese ingredient that was incorporated into U.S. pet food and later made its way into chicken and pig feed was neither wheat gluten nor rice protein as advertised, but was seriously contaminated wheat flour, government investigators said yesterday.
The finding adds a new layer of fraud to an already seamy tale of international deception.
Moreover, officials said, some of that contaminated flour, mislabeled as gluten, was mixed into fish food in Canada and exported to the United States, where it was fed to fish raised for human consumption.
Accordingly, some American fish may be laced with melamine, the industrial toxin whose spread has revealed in startling detail the many ways in which the food chains for pets, farm animals and humans are internationally intertwined.
"It shows the degree to which, with the globalization of agriculture, things that go wrong in one country can affect many of us who never thought we'd be touched," said Rebecca J. Goldburg, a biologist with advocacy group Environmental Defense. "Americans now need passports to travel just about anywhere, including Canada. It appears that food and even animal feed traveling from country to country should receive similar scrutiny."
A growing number of lawmakers are demanding a better system for tracking the sources of food and ingredients, their biochemical composition and their safety.
"Our food-safety system is broken," said Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.), who chairs the subcommittee that funds the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture. She has called for the creation of an independent food safety agency that would consolidate tasks now handled by a dozen or so agencies.
DeLauro ridiculed as overly complacent recent remarks by FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach, who wrote in a USA Today commentary last week that the controversy has "demonstrated our effectiveness at detecting and containing a problem."
On the contrary, DeLauro said: "What we have is a fragmented legal and organizational structure without enough resources or authority to protect the public health."
FDA officials said they do not yet know how many U.S. fish farms may have used the tainted feed or what kind of fish may be affected. Some of the fish may have been sold to grocery stories and restaurants, and others may have been raised to stock lakes and rivers for fishermen, they said.
Government scientists said they will conduct a risk analysis to determine whether eating fish that were fed tainted feed raises human health concerns. A similar analysis completed last weekend concluded that chickens fed small amounts of contaminated pet food were safe to eat.
David Acheson, the FDA's assistant commissioner for food protection, said he is optimistic that the risks of eating fish will be minimal, even though contaminated ingredients may have made up a greater percentage of the fish feed than of the chicken feed.
Fish farming is a $1 billion industry in the United States. Most domestically raised fish are fed ingredients from the United States, said Randy MacMillan, president of the National Aquaculture Association in Charles Town, W.Va.
Channel catfish is the most prevalent U.S.-raised fish, and all 600 million pounds of it raised annually get only domestic ingredients, MacMillan said. Other top sellers include rainbow trout, tilapia and striped bass.
Separately, Acheson said tests had found that the tainted Chinese pet-food ingredients, which had entered the United States labeled as wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate, were in fact ordinary wheat flour.
Gluten is the high-protein constituent of flour that remains after starch has been removed. Investigators suspect that Chinese exporters boosted their profits by using cheap, unprocessed, low-protein flour and adding melamine, which gives false high-protein readings.
At least one food industry took comfort in the new finding.
"This is good news for the rice industry," said David Coia, a spokesman for the USA Rice Federation, a trade group. "Some food manufacturers had been asking for certification from suppliers that their rice products were in fact U.S. products and were not adulterated with melamine from China."
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The tainted Chinese ingredient that was incorporated into U.S. pet food and later made its way into chicken and pig feed was neither wheat gluten nor rice protein as advertised, but was seriously contaminated wheat flour, government investigators said yesterday.
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