Clergy join ‘Tapegate’ battle
NEW YORK (IPS) A coalition of more than 130 religious organizations has joined a growing chorus calling for appointment of a special counsel to investigate allegations regarding the Central Intelligence Agency's destruction of videotapes and its use of "harsh" interrogation techniques. In a letter to Attorney-General Michael Mukasey,...
Democrats strip Michigan of delegates
December 15th, 20070 Vienna, VA Democratic leaders voted last week to strip Michigan of all its delegates to the national convention next year as punishment for scheduling an early presidential primary in violation of party rules. Michigan, with 156 delegates, has scheduled a Jan. 15 primary. Democratic Party rules prohibit states other than Iowa, New...Granholm names Dan Krichbaum chief operating officer
LANSING Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has announced that she has named Dan Krichbaum to serve as her chief operating officer. As COO, Krichbaum will oversee the implementation of the governor's economic plan to ensure that all state departments work cohesively and aggressively to grow the state's economy, improve access to health...U.S. citizens question terror watch lists
TOLEDO Toledo, Ohio native Zak Reed is tired of being stopped and detained at the Canadian border every time he tries to drive home. "I don't feel very welcome in my home at all," Reed tells CBS News. "In fact, I feel like I am not wanted in my country any more." Last month, for the ninth time in the past year, Reed was held in custody...U.S. Jews tilt to the right on Israel
WASHINGTON (IPS) U.S. Jews appear to have become more opposed both to Israel's making key concessions in renewed peace talks with Palestinians and to the U.S. carrying out a military attack against Iran's nuclear facilities, according to the latest in an annual series of surveys of Jewish opinion released here this week by the American...Ann Arbor doctor ‘not guilty’ for protest involvement
ANN ARBOR Catherine Wilkerson, a doctor in Ann Arbor, was among a small group of protestors at a talk on Iran sponsored by a pro-Israel group at the University of Michigan. She was not aware that this event last November would lead to criminal charges against her for fulfilling the responsibilities of her profession. Her...White House invokes secrecy in Abramoff lawsuits
Washington - The Bush administration is laying out a new secrecy defense in an effort to end a court battle about the White House visits of now-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The administration agreed last year to produce all responsive records about the visits "without redactions or claims of exemption," according to a court order....Bush announces Middle East visit
WASHINGTON U.S. President George Bush will visit the Middle East in January, the White House has said. The announcement comes a week after Bush hosted talks at which Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged to seek a peace deal before the end of 2008. Iran will also be a key issue, after U.S. intelligence said on Monday that the country...Longshot candidate from Texas gains on GOP leaders
They were a lonely band of rebels until just a few weeks ago, backing the darkest of dark horse presidential candidates. But with Republican Rep. Ron Paul's fundraising on the rise $4.2 million raised on the internet in one day this month and his poll numbers jumping, the Texas congressman might no longer be a "who?" but a...Advertisers boycott Savage show
SAN FRANCISCO The newly-formed Hate Hurts America Community and Interfaith Coalition (HHA) this week announced that Wal-Mart and AT&T have joined a growing list of advertisers that have stopped advertising or refuse to place their ads on Michael Savage's "Savage Nation" program. HHA, a group of religious and civic organizations...Sister Cities seeks peace with Muslim world
WASHINGTON As leaders and diplomats from a host of countries gathered in Annapolis, Md. this week for a summit discussing the Middle East's rocky journey toward peace, Sister Cities International released a new report that highlights steps U.S. communities are taking to build peace with the Muslim world. "Formal...Iowa caucuses up for Democratic grabs
When news broke this week that a major poll put Sen. Barack Obama four points ahead of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Iowa, the political world stopped and took notice. Here was confirmation that the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest in the 2008 presidential elections, are indeed up for grabs and that the clear...Democrats face uphill battle in rolling back spy powers
The renewed Congressional debate over changes to the rules that govern the government's ability to wiretap and spy has set up a major confrontation between the White House and Congress and an internal battle between Democrats in the Senate. In August, Congress rushed through a temporary expansion of spying powers before they left for...
Top GOP contender alienates Arab Americans
November 21st, 20070 The leading Republican candidate for President, Rudy Giuliani, is not trying to win any friends in the Arab American community. He is ramping up "war on terror" rhetoric aggressively, opposing Palestinian independence and allying with some of the most stringent neo-cons, some of whom were discredited for their role in promoting the...Foreign language study increases across country
Study of Arabic language has grown 127% The Modern Language Association of America (MLA), the world's leading organization dedicated to language and literature study, released a comprehensive new survey showing significant increases in foreign language study at U.S. colleges and universities since 2002. The report, "Enrollments in......
Preparing for the inevitable in America
Despite a tragic history of regular disasters earthquakes, hurricanes, bridge collapses and fires Americans seem unwilling to prepare for the inevitable. This may have something to do with the forty-year conservative assault on government and the resulting skepticism about things that can't be justified as fighting terrorism. But...A study in courage and honor
On Thursday, November 8, Hon. Benjamin Settle, a federal court judge, issued a preliminary injunction halting any further court-martial proceedings of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada and effectively ruling against the Army on virtually every issue in the case. This injunction not only extends the stay until the conclusion of the habeas corpus......
Edwards takes the debate from Hillary
It was supposed to be the night Barack Obama took Hillary Clinton down. But, when all was said and done, Obama was a bystander. The opening question in Tuesday's Democratic presidential debate was a softball pitch from NBC's Brian Williams to the senator from Illinois. Noting Obama's interview in the Sunday New York Times, in which...Kucinich seeks honesty, reconciliation in foreign policy
DEARBORN Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, while meeting with editors of The Arab American News on Sunday at a Dearborn restaurant, said that if elected, he would be willing to meet with anyone in order to work for peace in the Middle East. Even, he said, if it meant talking to groups currently designated by the...
Republican maverick calls for Iran talks
November 2nd, 20070 WASHINGTON (IPS) Amid growing contention among Democratic presidential contenders about U.S. policy toward Iran, a senior Republican lawmaker has appealed to President George W. Bush to pursue "direct, unconditional, and comprehensive talks" with Tehran. The appeal, which was sent to Bush by Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel two weeks...
Clinton outlines foreign policy positions
October 20th, 20070 WASHINGTON (IPS) In her most comprehensive if characteristically cautious foreign policy pronouncement to date, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton stressed a clear preference for diplomacy and "soft power" in pursuing U.S. interests abroad, but added she would not hesitate to use military force unilaterally if she deemed it necessary.......
Election 2008: Too early to predict party candidates
Despite the musings of pundits, spin from the campaigns and the results of respected national polls, the U.S. presidential primaries are not over. In fact, they have not even begun. National polls showing Senator Hillary Clinton and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani maintaining (and in Clinton's case, increasing) leads over their...
Republicans debate in Michigan while Democrats withdraw from state’s primary
October 13th, 20070 DEARBORN When foreign policy worked its way into the economy-focused Republican Presidential candidates' debate in Dearborn on Tuesday, the indignant voice of Texas Congressman Ron Paul stood out among the nine men on stage. When moderator Chris Matthews of MSNBC asked each candidate whether, if elected president, they would need......
Vermont hurt by border tightening
A panel from the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has heard from Vermont businessmen that border restrictions are hurting business. A ski resort reported that a Montreal radio station reports on the border wait times, resulting in the discouragement of Canadian traffic. The problem is expected to get much worse once Department of Homeland...Election 2008: The Iraq factor
On November 4, 2008, the United States will elect a new president, a new House of Representatives, and a new third of U.S. Senate. The elephant in the room is the war in Iraq. Everyone knows it's there. Everyone knows it will be the biggest single factor determining the outcome of the elections. And no one is quite sure how to deal with......
