Anti-Gay Marriage Donors Fear Increased Threats After California Judge's Disclosure Ruling

Anti-Gay Marriage Donors Fear Increased Threats After California Judge's Disclosure Ruling

By Joshua Rhett Miller

 

January 30, 2009

Supporters of Proposition 8, the California constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage in the state in November, say they expect discrimination, harassment and intimidation to continue after a federal judge denied a request to keep private the names of donors to the initiative.

Douglas McDermott, president of McDermott Financial and Insurance in Sacramento, donated $15,000 to the Prop. 8 campaign in September. While his business hasn't been targeted, McDermott said some angry callers have left threatening messages.

"You get telephone calls, you get threats," McDermott told FOXNews.com. "Ask anyone — If you've donated, your name is published everywhere, all over California. That's what's happening."

"They come all day and night," he said.

Another donor, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, said employees at his California real estate development and investment company received an anonymous e-mail in October outing him as someone who gave $30,000 to support Prop 8.

"Did you know you work for a judgmental bigot? I know I could not work for someone who encourages bigotry and hate," the e-mail read.

"Something like that isn't the nicest thing to get when you come into the office on a Monday," the executive told FOXNews.com. "Another fellow left a message on my voicemail saying, 'What goes around comes around, and now you're going to experience the comes around part. Have fun.'"

Both men said they're worried that the harassment will continue in the wake of Thursday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Morrison England. Attorneys for the Prop 8 campaign have indicated they plan to appeal. An official for the Yes on 8 campaign has said another 1,600 donors will be put at risk with the release of the reports on Monday.

"You don't know in today's world where threats will lead," the real estate executive told FOXNews.com. "There's a delicate balance between the rights of an individual and disclosure."

The judge's ruling upheld California's campaign finance law, which specifies that information on political campaign donations be made public. Nationwide, such laws aim for transparency in the political process by shining a light on where the money is coming from and where it's going.

Brian Brown, executive director for the National Organization for Marriage California, said stopping the disclosure of smaller donors is the group's "main concern." The names of major donors already have been disclosed on the secretary of state's Web site.

"I am worried that more threats and intimidation is going to occur because of [the judge's] decision," Brown said. "But this isn't the end of the line."

Brown said he's particularly troubled by a Web site that shows a map of donors, how much they donated and when.

"These are things that should not happen in a democracy," he said. "People should not be punished for their deeply held beliefs. This is a core part of what our system is about and it's being threatened by this sort of intimidation and harassment. People shouldn't have to choose between their safety and supporting what they believe in."

But Fred Karger, founder of the gay-rights group Californians Against Hate, said he was "delighted" with Thursday's ruling that upheld the campaign finance disclosure law -- while at the same time denouncing any threats or violence from either side of the issue.

"It's deplorable that things have happened, but it's happened on both sides," Karger said. "It's very unfortunate. It's a very emotional campaign. We are in the midst of a civil rights struggle for equal rights and this will continue until hatred is gone."

James Bopp, an attorney for the Prop 8 supporters, said he's "very optimistic" that the identities of the smaller donors will ultimately be private.

"The district court did not use the correct standard in this case," Bopp told FOXNews.com. "Disclosure inherently carries the risk of harassment and intimidation. No voter in the state of California in their right mind would care that Joe Blow gave as little as $100 to a multimillion-dollar campaign."

Bopp continued, "We have demonstrated that there was a concerted campaign to harass and intimidate the donors and that harassment was carried out. We think that's sufficient to say that this group does not have to disclose at all."

Limbaugh Cracks the Whip, and Republicans Get in Line

Limbaugh Cracks the Whip, and Republicans Get in Line

FoxNews.com & Judson Berger

January 29, 2009

The minority whip appears to be someone who has never won an election.

Republican lawmakers who were having a difficult time becoming the "loyal opposition" in the first week of the Obama administration got a swift kick in the pants earlier this week from the "voice" of their constituents: Rush Limbaugh. 

The conservative talk show host was one of many across the country who took to the airwaves to cajole congressional Republicans to line up against President Obama's $819 billion stimulus package.

The result was unanimity. Though the stimulus bill passed handily Wednesday in the heavily Democratic House, every Republican in the chamber voted against it. 

Their unity won praise from Limbaugh himself, who said Democrats sought bipartisan support only because they know the stimulus plan will fail and don't want to be solely responsible. 

"[Democrats] want the Republicans to not have cover," Limbaugh told FOX News on Thursday. "There's nothing about the economy in this bill." 

With Wednesday's vote, House Republicans have effectively disowned the package. But lawmakers are not off the conservative hook. With Democrats determined to pass the bill, right-leaning hosts have signaled that the stimulus will be their rallying cry in the early months of the Obama administration. It will be Kryptonite to those who embrace it and a lightning rod for conservative audiences. 

"This economic stimulus package is bad for the country, but it sure is good for the Republican Party," talk show host Mike Gallagher told FOXNews.com. He said hosts like himself will play the "loyal opposition" on this defining issue. "And the battle is just beginning for us." 

Leslie Marshall, who's on the liberal end of nationally syndicated radio hosts, said Limbaugh will not derail the stimulus but will have fuel for as long as the package is being executed. She suggested the conservative talk giants are in a good spot right now. 

"Rush Limbaugh came to glory during the Clinton years because he had somebody he could bash, in a sense, and liberal hosts have been having a field day for the last eight years," she told FOXNews.com, explaining that nitpicking the opposition party is "part of why people listen to us." 

It also didn't hurt ratings when Obama mentioned Limbaugh by name at a White House meeting last week, telling GOP lawmakers not to let people like Limbaugh derail the package. 

"[Obama is] obviously more frightened of me than he is of (Senate Minority Leader) Mitch McConnell," Limbaugh told his listeners. "He is more frightened of me than he is of, say, (House Minority Leader) John Boehner, which doesn't say much about our party," 

Given the vote breakdown in the House, Obama's remark may have been a blunder. The San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday called it Obama's "first tactical error" because it elevated Limbaugh. 

And Republicans apparently still fear the host. Just ask Georgia Rep. Phil Gingrey, whom Politico.com quoted Tuesday defending his party's leaders in light of Limbaugh's comments. 

"It's easy if you're Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks," Gingrey said. "But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn't be or wouldn't be good leaders, they're not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell." 

The next day, after apparently hearing an earful from constituents, Gingrey issued a mea culpa on his government Web site. 

"I have actively opposed every bailout ... I see eye-to-eye with Rush Limbaugh. Regardless of what yesterday's headline may have read, I never told Rush to back off," Gingrey wrote. 

"Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich, and other conservative giants are the voices of the conservative movement's conscience." 

Limbaugh, who offered his own stimulus proposal in a Wall Street Journal editorial on Thursday, accepted Gingrey's apology. He added that despite multiple efforts, he can't be marginalized. 

"They know that I am the direct route to conservative-based voters and if they can discredit me, if they can marginalize me, they think that they've got Republicans out of the way," he said. 

Democratic dominance in Washington virtually ensures that conservative talk hosts will not enjoy the level of influence they had when they successfully mobilized their audiences in 2007 to push lawmakers to kill immigration reform. But it does give them the opportunity to hound Republican officials to fall back into the conservative line. 

"I think Republican senators who vote against this thing are really, really going to do so at their own peril," Gallagher said. 

"The Republicans need to decide do we believe in small government, do we believe in fiscal responsibility," said conservative commentator and FOX News host Glenn Beck. 

Beck, in an interview with FOXNews.com minutes after the House voted for the stimulus, said he's by no means banking on the failure of the stimulus program if it passes. 

"If it succeeds, God bless us," he said. "It's not a game for me. It's not a game for most Republicans. It's real." 

He said it's difficult to cast the bailout trend as a purely Democratic initiative since the Bush administration backed the first stimulus package last year, as well as the financial rescue package. 

He continues to criticize Republicans and left open the question of whether GOP leadership really follows his advice. 

But conservative talk is on night watch as the package heads to the Senate. After Boehner challenged Beck in an interview Wednesday to watch him rein in spending, Beck responded, "Believe me, sir. I will be."

FOXNews.com's Judson Berger contributed to this report. 

Democrats Launch Petition Against Rush Limbaugh After Firing Back at Obama

Democrats Launch Petition Against Rush Limbaugh After Firing Back at Obama

FOXNews.com

January 27, 2009

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched an online petition to express outrage at conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for saying he wanted President Obama to "fail."

"Jobs, health care, our place in the world -- the stakes for our nation are high and every American needs President Obama to succeed," the petition reads. "Stand strong against Rush Limbaugh's Attacks -- sign our petition, telling Rush what you think of his attacks on President Obama."

The petition comes after Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill Friday that they need to quit listening to Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.

"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.

One White House official confirmed the comment but said he was simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts.

On Monday, Limbaugh shot back at Obama, opening his show by saying, "I'm the man you should not be listening, according to President Obama."

"I think [Obama] wants me to fail," Limbaugh said. "He's more frightened of me than he is of John Boehner, which doesn't say much for our party."

The remarks came after Limbaugh said last week on his radio show: "If I wanted Obama to succeed, I'd be happy the Republicans have laid down. I don't want this to work. So I'm thinking of replying to this guy, say 'okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails'."

The committee's online petition includes a YouTube video featuring audio clips of the radio host's recent remarks.

[Source URL] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/27/dems-launch-online-petition-rush-limbaugh/

Officials: Obama to Reverse Abortion Policy

Officials: Obama to reverse abortion policy
By LIZ SIDOTI and MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writers

 

January 23, 2009

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama plans to sign an executive order ending the ban on federal funds for international groups that promote or perform abortions, officials told The Associated Press on Friday.

The move, long expected in the Democratic president's first week in office, will be welcomed by liberals and criticized by abortion rights foes.

The policy bans U.S. taxpayer money, usually in the form of U.S. Agency for International Development funds, from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy.

Also known as the "Mexico City policy," it has been reinstated and then reversed by Republican and Democratic presidents since GOP President Ronald Reagan established it in 1984. President Bill Clinton ended the ban in 1993, but President George W. Bush re-instituted it in 2001 as one of his first acts in office.

The Democratic official and senior U.S. official who disclosed the plans did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to pre-empt Obama's announcement.
Obama was expected to sign the executive order at a low-key event, one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.
The move was not a surprise as both Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who will oversee foreign aid, had promised to do away with the gag rule during the presidential campaign. Clinton is to visit the U.S. Agency for International Development, through which much U.S. foreign aid is disbursed, later on Friday.

Obama has spent his first days in office systematically signing executive orders reversing Bush administration policies on issues ranging from foreign policy to government operations. But, save for ending the ban, Obama has largely refrained from wading into ideological issues, perhaps to avoid being tagged a traditional partisan from the outset after his campaign promises to change "business as usual" in the often partisan-gridlocked capital.

Rather, Obama has chosen to focus initially on issues in which there is consensus across the political spectrum and support from the public, such as closing the prison camp for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to making government documents more accessible.
Organizations that had pressed Obama to make the abortion-ban change were jubilant.

"Women's health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance. President Obama's actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don't have access to family planning," said Tod Preston, a spokesman for Population Action International, an advocacy group.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

 

[Source URL] http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_abortion_ban_8

Obama's Million Ghost March

Obama's Million Ghost March 
By Mithridate Ombud

January 22, 2009

I doubt it would surprise anyone here that the media would go to their best lengths to over-estimate the number of people at Obama's inauguration. But just how far? Try a million people.

ASU journalism professor Stephen Doig [1] took it to the satellite image to get an accurate count of the crowd. His tally, after even accounting for those still in route to the event: 800,000. Now let's look at how the working Obamalists portrayed that to the public.

Baltimore Sun [2]: "Inaugural crowd is estimated at close to 2 million"

Boston Globe [3]: " The National Park Service says it will rely on a media report that says 1.8 million people attended President Obama's inauguration."

MSNBC [4]: "Oh, and some guy named Barack Obama. Along with millions of regular folk, celebrities swarmed to DC to celebrate the Inauguration." (from the same page: "Could Inauguration Crowd Reach 4 Million?")

LA Times [5]: "Crowds surged in previously unseen numbers today for the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, making it seem increasingly likely that the gathering would reach the record-setting mark of 2 million."

Here's where it gets good.

Washington Post [6]: "the official estimate released by the District yesterday is 1.8 million, a figure that would make the gathering the largest ever on the Mall."

Backstory on that "official estimate released by the District" that the Washington Post is writing about.

AP [7]: "Park service spokesman David Barna said the agency did not conduct its own count. Instead, it will use a Washington Post account that said 1.8 million people gathered on the U.S. Capitol grounds, National Mall and parade route, he said."

And that is especially interesting because if you follow the jump [8] on the Washington Post story you'll find this nugget of info: "The Washington Post's analysis of the image concluded that about 1 million people were on the Mall." And the first page of the article mentions the parade route "was supposed to accommodate 300,000 people at its height". Fuzzy math, a journalist staple. 

Links:
[1] http://www.asuwebdevil.com/node/3654
[2] http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.crowds21jan21,0,6875617.story
[3] http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/01/22/inaugural_crowd_size_reportedly_dc_record/
[4] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28734037/
[5] http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-inauguration-crowds21-2009jan21,0,4550921.story
[6] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103884.html?hpid=topnews
[7] http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ihTG3j4Z4MYnWPSDaQqlHqX52QoAD95RSK5O0

[8] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103884_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009012102519&s_pos

 

[Source URL] http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mithridate-ombud/2009/01/22/obamas-million-ghost-march

Beanie Babies Maker Sells Sasha, Malia Dolls

Beanie Babies Maker Sells Sasha, Malia Dolls
By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press Writer

Thursday January 22, 2009

CHICAGO – The company that made Beanie Babies a top toy craze is hoping for another winner with dolls named "Sweet Sasha" and "Marvelous Malia."

Now where have we heard those names before?

Ty Inc. has released the 12-inch plush dolls as part of the company's "TyGirlz Collection," introduced in 2007. The Sasha doll has pigtails and wears a white and pink dress with hearts. The Malia doll has a side ponytail and a long-sleeve shirt with capri pants.

The Oak Brook-based company chose the dolls' names because "they are beautiful names," not because of any resemblance to President Obama's daughters, said spokeswoman Tania Lundeen.
"There's nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls," Lundeen said. "It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls. They are not."

Public figures have a legal right to control their how their images are used, but Lundeen would not comment on legal issues or if the company's lawyers have become involved with the dolls.
"I'm not an attorney. I can't answer that," she said.

The dolls have "real doll hair" and the suggested retail price is $9.99, Lundeen said. The dolls were introduced in early January and a limited supply has been shipped to retailers.

In the real world, 7-year-old Sasha and 10-year-old Malia have been the focus of intense interest. A throng of reporters followed their first day at school. News reports detailed what they wore on Inauguration Day.

That fascination will make the Ty dolls a success, said Denise Gary Robinson, president of DollsLikeMe.com, an online specialty doll boutique that specializes in ethnic dolls, toys and gifts.
"Girls all over the world, of all colors, will be looking for these dolls. They want to identify with these two girls," Robinson said.

___
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

 

[Source URL] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2009/01/22/beanie-babies-maker-sells-sasha-malia-dolls/

President Zings GOP Foe in Stimulating Talk

President Zings GOP Foe in Stimulating Talk

By Charles Hurt, Bureau Chief

January 23, 2009

WASHINGTON -- President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.

"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.

One White House official confirmed the comment but said he was simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts.

"There are big things that unify Republicans and Democrats," the official said. "We shouldn't let partisan politics derail what are very important things that need to get done."

That wasn't Obama's only jab at Republicans today.

In an exchange with Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) about the proposal, the president shot back: "I won," according to aides briefed on the meeting.

"I will trump you on that."

Not that Obama was gloating. He was just explaining that he aims to get his way on stimulus package and all other legislation, sources said, noting his unrivaled one-party control of both congressional chambers.

"We are experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis that has to be dealt with and dealt with rapidly," Obama said during the meeting.

Republicans say the $825 billion price tag is too big a burden for a nation crippled by debt and that it doesn't do enough to stimulate the economy by cutting taxes.

"You know, I'm concerned about the size of the package. And I'm concerned about some of the spending that's in there, [about] ... how you can spend hundreds of millions on contraceptives," House GOP Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) later said.

"How does that stimulate the economy?"

But White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs countered: "There was a lot of agreement in that room about the notion that we're facing an economic crisis unlike we've seen in quite some time ... that we must act quickly to stimulate the economy, create jobs, put money back in people's pockets."

Gibbs disagreed with those who called the meeting window dressing.

"The president is certainly going to listen to any ideas," he said.

"He will also go to Capitol Hill the beginning of next week to talk to Republican caucuses and solicit their input and their ideas."

[Source URL] http://www.nypost.com/seven/01232009/news/politics/prez_zings_gop_foe_in_a_timulating_talk_151572.htm

Obama's Outreach to Muslims Starts New Path in Middle East

Obama's Outreach to Muslims Starts New Path in Middle East

AP

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Even before crafting its own Middle East strategy, the Obama administration is making clear that its approach will differ -- in tone and style, if not also in substance -- from its predecessor's.

In choosing an Arab network for his first televised interview to declare, "Americans are not your enemy," President Barack Obama signaled a break with the past. The substance of the shift may have to wait, but the symbolism is immediate and likely to be reinforced with an early presidential visit to a Muslim nation.

The administration sees a great deal at stake, and not just the future prospect for Arab-Israeli peace. There also is the broader struggle against Islamic extremism -- what the George W. Bush administration called a "global war on terrorism" -- and the prospect for stability and democracy in Iraq.

The stakes stretch to Afghanistan, the Central Asian launching pad for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and where tens of thousands more U.S. troops are likely to be fighting in the months ahead. At least as important is the related problem of Pakistan, the nuclear-armed Muslim nation whose largely ungoverned areas along the border with Afghanistan are a haven for al-Qaida and other terrorists.

The list of related issues runs longer: Syria, Lebanon, Iran.

Obama came into office convinced, based in part on intelligence briefings he received during the presidential transition, that reaching out to the far-flung Arab and Muslim worlds was not only important but urgent, according to Denis McDonough, Obama's deputy assistant for strategic communications.

Obama wants to repair America's image in the eyes of the billion-strong adherents to Islam, McDonough said.

"We're a country under threat," McDonough said. "The challenge is to reach the billion while also making clear that you're not going to tolerate the hate."

Almost daily, Obama has pushed the buttons of Muslim diplomacy. From his inaugural address, in which he assured Muslim dictators, "we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist," to his early phone calls to friendly Arab leaders, to his dispatching of special envoy George J. Mitchell to the Middle East on a "listening tour," the new commander in chief has marked a new beginning on this front.

He also declared his intent to close the prison for terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a move designed to bury one of the most widely recognized sources of ill will generated in the Muslim world since 9/11.

But will this fresh approach -- mostly words at this stage, rather than action -- produce new results?

"A different tone certainly can be helpful," said Andrew Bacevich, professor of international relations and history at Boston University. "But I would expect opinion in the Arab world will be much more likely to be influenced by what we do rather than by what we say.

"So I would imagine that in order for us to determine whether we are opening a new and better chapter in our relations with the Muslim world we need to see what the Obama policy with regard to the peace process will look like," and, likewise, what policy choices Obama makes on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Every major element of policy in the greater Middle East is under review by the Obama administration. The new president made it clear even before he took office that he would take a more active diplomatic approach, at least with regard to Iran and to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But he has yet to lay out clear paths.

In the Al-Arabiya TV interview Monday, Obama said he instructed Mitchell to begin with the basics.

"What I told him is start by listening because all too often the United States starts by dictating," Obama said.

Some of the early attention on the Middle East and broader Muslim world can be attributed to the fact that the Bush administration handed Obama a crisis in the Gaza Strip. A fragile cease-fire is now in place, but Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules Gaza, remains defiant and unwilling to recognize Israel's right to exist. The Obama administration is holding Hamas at arm's length.

Mitchell arrived in Egypt on Tuesday to begin an intensive round of talks across the Middle East -- a process that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said would tee up some Obama decisions in the weeks ahead.

"We have a lot of confidence in (Mitchell's) knowledge of the area and his political ear, so you not only hear what people say but what the meaning behind the words might be," Clinton told reporters at the State Department. "So we're going to wait and let him report back to us about the way forward."

[Source URL] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/27/obamas-outreach-muslims-starts-new-path-middle-east/

Ohio Firefighter Suspended from Drum Band for Nodding at Obama During Parade

Ohio Firefighter Suspended from Drum Band for Nodding at Obama During Parade

AP

January 27, 2009

CLEVELAND -- An Ohio firefighter has been given a six-month suspension from his role in a pipe and drum band because he nodded to President Barack Obama during last week's inaugural parade in Washington.

Video shows Drum Major John Coleman giving the nod along with a fleeting wave as the Cleveland Firefighter's Memorial Pipes & Drums marched past the president.

The band leader, Pipe Major Mike Engle, said the firefighter from the Cleveland suburb of Cleveland Heights violated the proper decorum required in a military parade.

Coleman says Obama smiled and waved, and that he was just acknowledging the president.

[Source URL] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/27/ohio-firefighter-suspended-drum-band-nodding-obama-parade/

Obama Gives First TV Interview To Arabic Network

Obama Gives First TV Interview To Arabic Network

AP

 

January 27, 2009

 

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama gave his first formal television interview as president to an Arabic cable TV network, telling Al-Arabiya that when it comes to Middle East matters "all too often the United States starts by dictating."

Obama taped the interview with the Dubai-based network Monday as his envoy to the Middle East, former Sen. George J. Mitchell, set out for an eight-day trip to the region and elsewhere.

"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy," Obama said. "We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect."

The interview complemented the new administration's first efforts to reach out to Arab leaders in the region, who have been wary at best of U.S. efforts to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Obama said he felt it important to "get engaged right away" in the Mideast and had directed Mitchell to talk to "all the major parties involved." His administration would craft an approach after that, he said in the interview.

"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating," Obama told the interviewer.

The president reiterated the U.S. commitment to Israel as an ally, and to its right to defend itself. But he suggested that Israel has hard choices to make and that his administration would press harder for it to do so.

"We cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what's best for them. They're going to have to make some decisions. But I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people," he said.

Obama added: "There are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace. They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the other side."

Obama stopped short of giving a timetable, but he said he is certain progress can be made.

[Source URL] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/27/obama-gives-tv-interview-arabic-network/

Bomber's Martyrdom Tape Renews Fears Over Consequences of Closing Gitmo

Bomber's Martyrdom Tape Renews Fears Over Consequences of Closing Gitmo

Tuesday , January 27, 2009

As President Obama pushes for the closure of Guantanamo Bay prison, the debate over where to house the terror detainees being held there is heating up.

An exclusive video of a former Gitmo detainee's martyrdom tape, obtained by FOX News, is a reminder of the concerns that terror suspects — who have been held but released from Guantanamo Bay — are increasingly returning to the fight against the United States and its allies.

Abdallah Ali al-Ajmi was transferred back to his home country of Kuwait after his release from Guantanamo in 2005. Last April he blew himself up in a homicide attack that killed 12 people in Mosul, Iraq.

Al-Ajmi, known in Guantanamo as Detainee 220, made his martyrdom tape before the attack.

"In the name of Allah, most compassionate, most merciful and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet," al-Ajmi says in the video. "I thank Allah, Lord of the Worlds, who freed me from Guantanamo prison and, after we were tortured, connected me with the Islamic State of Iraq [ISI]. And it is the gift of Allah to follow the path of this nation, the ISI."

In the video, translated by the NEFA Foundation, a non-profit that tracks terror groups, al-Ajmi mentions Guantanamo Bay right away. For many jihadists, having served time at Guantanamo is seen as a badge of honor.

Click here to visit the NEFA Foundation Web site.

Al-Ajmi's attack is one of the most well known and well documented cases of an ex-Gitmo detainee returning to the battlefield as a homicide bomber. His video renews concerns of many in the intelligence community of the potential consequences by releasing these prisoners.

Sixty-two detainees released from the U.S. Navy base prison in Cuba are believed to have rejoined the fight, said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, citing data from December. That's up from 37 as of March 2008, Morrell said.

The new figures come as President-elect Barack Obama issued an executive order last week to close the controversial prison. It's unlikely, however, that the Guantanamo detention facility will be closed anytime soon as Obama weighs what to do with the estimated 250 Al Qaeda, Taliban or other foreign fighter suspects still there.

FOX News' Catherine Herridge and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

© Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright 2009 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.

[Source URL] http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,483764,00.html

Move under way to repeal Constitution's term limits

Hail King Obama: President for life
Move under way to repeal Constitution's term limits

---

January 16, 2009

By Drew Zahn
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y.

As Inauguration Day approaches and Barack Obama prepares to assume his first term as president, some in Congress are hoping to make it possible for the Democrat to not only seek a second term in office, but a third and fourth as well.

The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary is considering a bill that would repeal the Constitution's 22nd Amendment prohibiting a president from being elected to more than two terms in office.

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., earlier this month introduced the bill, H. J. Res. 5, which, according to the bill's language, proposes "an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President."

In the past, some presidents have been critical of the 22nd Amendment, including Eisenhower, Clinton and Reagan.

In 1807 Thomas Jefferson, however, warned that presidents not bound by term limits could use their popularity and power to become kings.

"If some termination to the services of the chief magistrate be not fixed by the Constitution or supplied in practice," Jefferson wrote to the Legislature of Vermont, "his office, nominally for years, will in fact become for life; and history shows how easily that degenerates into an inheritance."

Presidential term limits, however, were not "fixed by the Constitution" until ratification of the 22nd Amendment. Congress passed the Amendment on March 21, 1947, shortly after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first and only president to be elected to more than two terms – in Roosevelt's case, four. The Amendment was ratified by the required number of states on Feb. 26, 1951.

The 22nd Amendment states, "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once."

The Amendment limits presidents to a maximum of eight years in office – or, under unusual circumstances, such as succession following the death of a president, a maximum of ten years in office. Should Rep. Serrano succeed in repealing the Amendment, Obama would be cleared to run for an unlimited number of terms, restricted only by the vote of the electorate.

In order to achieve repeal of the 22nd Amendment, Serrano's proposal must be approved by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress and ratified by three-quarters of the states' legislatures.

H. J. Res. 5 is not the first attempt by Serrano to repeal the 22nd Amendment. In 2003, Serrano introduced H. J. Res. 11 to the 108th Congress to accomplish the same purpose. A similar resolution, H.J. Res. 25, was also proposed the same year and received co-sponsorship from a bipartisan group of six other representatives. During Reagan's term of office, Rep. Guy Vander Jagt, R-Mich., repeatedly proposed a repeal of the 22nd Amendment.

At the current time, H.J. Res. 5 has not tallied any cosponsors and has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Prior to Franklin Roosevelt, presidents honored the precedent established by George Washington, who – though widely popular – refused to run for a third term of office.

Thomas Jefferson, who became the second vice president of the U.S. after Washington declined to run for a third term and who then later became the third president, not only affirmed following the Washington's example, but also foresaw the eventual passage of the 22nd Amendment.

"General Washington set the example of voluntary retirement after eight years," Jefferson wrote in an 1805 letter to John Taylor. "I shall follow it, and a few more precedents will oppose the obstacle of habit to anyone after a while who shall endeavor to extend his term. Perhaps it may beget a disposition to establish it by an amendment of the Constitution."

In the same letter to the Legislature of Vermont where he warned of a presidential monarchy, Jefferson further explained why he refused to run for a third term.

"Believing that a representative government, responsible at short periods of election, is that which produces the greatest sum of happiness to mankind," Jefferson wrote, "I feel it a duty to do no act which shall essentially impair that principle; and I should unwillingly be the person who, disregarding the sound precedent set by an illustrious predecessor, should furnish the first example of prolongation beyond the second term of office."

WND attempted to contact Rep. Serrano about his reasons and argument for repeal of the 22nd Amendment, but phone calls to his communications director were not returned.

[Source URL] http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=86324

News organizations concerned about access issues at the Obama White House

News organizations concerned about access issues at the Obama White House
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

January 23, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) — News organizations that cover the White House sparred with the Obama administration on Thursday over access issues for photographers and rules for briefings.

Representatives from Obama's press office held a conference call with photo editors, who are concerned that the administration prefers distributing photos taken by a White House photographer in cases where photojournalists have been permitted access in the past. It was unclear whether the two sides had reached any accommodation.

The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse refused to distribute photos taken by the White House of the new president on his first day in the Oval Office because of the dispute. Still photographers were also not given access to Obama's do-over oath of office administered Wednesday night by Chief Justice John Roberts and an economics meeting on Thursday.

Television network bureau chiefs also protested the exclusion of video cameras from the second oath of office."We're in an awkward phase and there will be bumps in the road," said Christopher Isham, CBS News Washington bureau chief. "Hopefully they will be speed bumps rather than obstacles."

Four reporters witnessed the oath of office and shared their observations with others, and a White House photo was released."

We think it was done in a way that was upfront and transparent," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a briefing when questioned why video cameras were not present.

Pressed on the matter, Gibbs said, "we would have had to get a bigger room."

The Associated Press also questioned on Thursday why reporters were not allowed to use the names of administration officials giving a background briefing on issues regarding the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.

Background briefings are hardly new in Washington, and were frequently conducted during the Bush and Clinton administrations. But the AP wanted to establish early with the administration that it's important to get information on the record as often as possible, said Michael Oreskes, managing editor for U.S. news.

"Information is a lot more valuable to the public if you know where it's coming from," Oreskes said. "So we try very hard in all source situations to identify sources as fully as we can."

Gibbs did not directly address the issue when asked about it later, saying that "I hope that you all found the exercise that we did the morning helpful."

[Source URL] http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-obama-news-access,1,6232068.story

CNN’s Zain Verjee: Obama Inauguration Like Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca

CNN’s Zain Verjee: Obama Inauguration Like Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca
Published on NewsBusters.org (http://newsbusters.org/)
By Matthew Balan

January 20, 2009

CNN correspondent Zain Verjee, in a report posted on CNN.com [1] on January 17, likened the expected large crowds for the inauguration of Barack Obama to the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca: “The coming political pilgrimage to Washington is similar to another grand event in both size and preparation -- the Hajj, the most important religious pilgrimage in the Muslim world.”

Verjee has personal experience of the Hajj, as she belongs to the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam [2]. She filed a web log for CNN of her experience on the pilgrimage [3] in 2005. During her report, she emphasized how security is “[a]t the heart of the planning” for both the Hajj and on Inauguration Day. The CNN correspondent featured a clip of author Michael Wolfe, a convert to Islam [4], who claimed that security forces in Saudi Arabia “do have lessons to teach us in crowd control and in caring for large numbers of visitors in a modern city.”

Wolfe also played up Verjee’s earlier point about the similarities between the two events: “In both cases, you have large numbers of people gathering at a pre-ordained time in a specific city, to express a common set of beliefs and to celebrate a period of renewal. That’s very much at the heart of pilgrimage.”

Later in her report, Verjee highlighted how the inaugural “pilgrimage” of hundreds of thousands of people is being called by some “an act of faith in democracy and renewal.” She closed her report with a list of some of the differences between the Hajj and the Inauguration, such as the span of time and the weather.

The full transcript of Zain Verjee’s report from CNN.com:

ZAIN VERJEE (voice-over): The coming political pilgrimage to Washington is similar to another grand event in both size and preparation -- the Hajj, the most important religious pilgrimage in the Muslim world.

MICHAEL WOLFE, AUTHOR, ‘1001 ROADS TO MECCA’: In both cases, you have large numbers of people gathering at a pre-ordained time in a specific city, to express a common set of beliefs and to celebrate a period of renewal. That’s very much at the heart of pilgrimage.

VERJEE: At the heart of planning -- security. With two or three million people crammed into Mecca, there have been disasters, like stampedes, fires, terror attacks. The Saudis now roll out about 100,000 soldiers and policemen.

WOLFE: The Saudis do have lessons to teach us in crowd control and in caring for large numbers of visitors in a modern city. There’s a real emphasis, and has been for many years, on control of traffic. There’s a central computerized station in Mecca which is used to provide an overview to professional traffic controllers.

VERJEE: In 2006, we saw how this high-tech command center gets instant images from about 1400 cameras monitoring crowds. Software zooms in to inspect, and if there’s a problem, it’s e-mailed out to a field commander to check out. There’s a similar FBI monitoring center in Washington. As many as two million are expected to come to the nation’s capital. Some are calling it an act of faith in democracy and renewal.

WOLFE: They’re not going to watch it on television. They’re going to be there, and that is the initial definition of a pilgrimage -- show up.

VERJEE (on-camera): There are differences too. Inauguration Day lasts just one day. The Hajj goes on for a few days. There’s a lot of living on the scene in the hot desert. In Washington, it will be freezing cold. Zain Verjee, CNN, Washington.

Source URL:http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2009/01/20/cnn-s-zain-verjee-compares-inauguration-crowd-hajj-pilgrimage

Links:
[1] http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/01/17/verjee.inauguration.hajj.cnn?iref=videosearch
[2] http://saharanvibe.blogspot.com/2007/07/news-anchor-zain.html
[3] http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/19/hajj.diary/
[4] http://www.islamfortoday.com/wolfe1.htm

Obama backs 'right to choose' on abortion anniversary

Obama backs 'right to choose' on abortion anniversary

Thu Jan 22

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Thursday backed a woman's "right to choose" on the 36th anniversary of a landmark Supreme Court decision that gave women a constitutional right to abortion.

"On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded that this decision not only protects women's health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters," Obama said in a written statement.
"I remain committed to protecting a woman's right to choose."

The 1973 Supreme Court decision, enshrined as "Roe v. Wade" for the key figures in the case, gave the United States some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the world.

Roe v Wade galvanized conservative religious groups against abortion and made it a hot-button political issue, even though surveys have shown that more Americans are pro-choice -- in favor of a woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion -- than pro-life, or against abortion.

Even a survey conducted last year by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) showed that only 11 percent of Americans favored a total ban on abortion.

Obama's statement was "like a breath of fresh air for those of us who've been locked in the abortion wars for so long," Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, told AFP.

"This represents a new way of thinking that will serve women a lot better in the future, while protecting the rights that were established by Roe v Wade," he said.

In his statement, Obama spoke of the need for "affordable contraception, accurate health information and preventive services" in order to "prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion and support women and families in the choices they make."

No one was available for comment at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops or at the pro-life American Life League (ALL), which in a statement issued last week slammed Obama's "radical support for abortion on demand."

"Obama promises to be the most virulently pro-abortion president in history. Millions more children will be endangered by his radical abortion agenda," the ALL statement said.

Copyright © 2009 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.

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