Source: Clarion Ledger A Wisconsin man was sentenced late today in federal court in Jackson to three years in prison for making a threat on the Internet to assassinate then-President-elect Barack Obama. Steven Joseph Christopher, 42, faced a maximum five years in prison. After a nearly daylong sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate imposed the sentence. Christopher pleaded guilty in July after Wingate agreed with him that he was competent to stand trial, although the U.S. atto...

Source: TIMES UK UN pulls out half its Afghanistan staff and threatens total withdrawal The United Nations today temporarily pulled half its international staff out of Afghanistan and threatened that a complete and permanent withdrawal could follow. Amid an atmosphere of increasing gloom in Afghanistan, the UN Special Representative in Kabul, Kai Eide delivered a pointed warning to the government of Hamid Karzai. “There is a belief among some, that the international community (presence) wil...

Source: Raw Story Ex-Blue Cross spokesman says health insurance ‘worst product in American history’ By Raw Story Friday, November 6th, 2009 -- 9:06 am ..................... Andy Cobb, who once tried to sell Floridians on a Blue Cross health insurance plan, says he's fed up with the industry. "I was a spokesman for BlueCross and Blueshield of Florida," Cobb says. "Call me a spokesjerk. People who make money for buying things you don't need. And we're telling you lies." "They, by which I mean...

President Obama in the United States is also working hard so that he can take strong commitments to Copenhagen. And let us never forget that in the US, as in Australia, under both our respective previous governments, zero action was taken on bringing in cap and trade schemes meaning that the governments that replaced them began with a zero start. Other countries are striving to build domestic political momentum in their own countries to take strong commitments into the global deal. The...

 
Alan Grayson uses his time to read off a list of Republican Congressional districts and states how many people have died in each district from lack of health insurance.

(Link) ............. Carrie Prejean -- The Change of Heart Posted Nov 5th 2009 9:47AM by TMZ Staff Carrie PrejeanWe have more info on Carrie Prejean's abrupt about-face during the settlement negotiations with Miss California USA lawyers -- when they showed her the X-Rated version of Home Alone ... starring Carrie herself. When the video started playing, Carrie's first reaction was "that's disgusting" ... and Carrie denied it was her. Then, the camera angle changed ... and panned up to her...

Dick Cheney, Meet Sabrina deSouza By Spencer Ackerman 11/5/09 1:30 PM Sabrina deSouza is one of the 23 U.S. officials convicted in Italy for the illegal CIA rendition of an Egyptian terrorist suspect named Abu Omar. She concedes the United States “broke the law” in ordering and carrying out the rendition, and says, “we are paying for the mistakes right now, whoever authorized and approved this.” (Link) Wow, who could that be? Remember this: Well, you think, for example, in the intelligen...

just don't punish us by releasing the tape. We've had enough.

Source: Los Angeles Times Aides: Abbas says he won't run in January election Associated Press November 5, 2009 | 6:13 a.m. RAMALLAH, West Bank - Aides say Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told political allies he won't run in January elections. They say he's going to deliver a speech later today explaining that he is frustrated by the impasse in peacemaking with the Israelis. The two aides spoke on condition of anonymity because Abbas has not officially announced his intentions. Ab...

Source: Boston Globe Senate panel passes climate bill Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor November 5, 2009 10:02 AM The Senate environment committee this morning passed a sweeping climate change bill co-sponsored by Senator John F. Kerry. The vote came without any Republican support -- in fact, no GOP senators were present because they were boycotting the proceedings until a fuller economic analysis of the legislation. The panel did not consider any amendments to the bill,...

Robert Fisk: America is performing its familiar role of propping up a dictator As in Vietnam, Karzai is going to rule over an equally tiny island of corruption Wednesday, 4 November 2009 Could there be a more accurate description of the Obama-Brown message of congratulations to the fraudulently elected Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan? First the Palestinians held fair elections in 2006, voted for Hamas and were brutally punished for it – they still are – and then the Iranians held fraudulent elect...

Former UK ambassador: CIA sent people to be ‘raped with broken bottles’ By Daniel Tencer Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 -- 3:31 pm Former UK ambassador: CIA sent people to be raped with broken bottlesThe CIA relied on intelligence based on torture in prisons in Uzbekistan, a place where widespread torture practices include raping suspects with broken bottles and boiling them alive, says a former British ambassador to the central Asian country. (Link)/ ...................... In the story ab...

Fresh on the heels of repeal in Maine, N.H. may reconsider gay marriage By Adam D. Krauss (Link) Thursday, November 5, 2009 DOVER — Now that gay marriage has been defeated in Maine, attention again shifts to New Hampshire, where lawmakers say momentum from Tuesday's vote may fuel legislation to repeal the state's law and give voters a say. Two proposals are being drafted in the N.H. House: One would repeal the law Gov. John Lynch signed in June and re-establish civil unions; the other is a c...

Source: Raw Story Pentagon pursuing new investigation into Bush propaganda program By Brad Jacobson Thursday, November 5th, 2009 -- 8:40 am ................. The Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General is conducting a new investigation into a covert Bush administration Defense Department program that used retired military analysts to produce positive wartime news coverage. Last May, the Inspector General’s office rescinded and repudiated a prior internal investigation’s report on the retired...

Source: Talking Points Memo Republican Health Insurance Reform Bill Insures Almost Nobody Brian Beutler | November 5, 2009, 9:05AM Earlier this week, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner made a prediction. The Republican health care plan, he said, "will cover millions more Americans" than the Democrats' plan. Bold. But here's what the experts say: ***By 2019, CBO and JCT estimate, the number of nonelderly people without health insurance would be reduced by about 3 million re...

Source: TMZ Prejean Sex Tape Triggers Settlement Posted Nov 4th 2009 5:00PM by TMZ Staff Carrie Prejean demanded more than a million dollars during her settlement negotiations with Miss California USA Pageant officials -- that is, until the lawyer for the Pageant showed Carrie an XXX home video of her handiwork. The video the lawyer showed Carrie is extremely graphic and has never been released publicly. We know that, because TMZ obtained the video months ago but decided not to post it becau...

Newsweek And Oil Lobby: Partners In Climate Change? Newsweek And Oil Lobby Team Up To Host Climate Change Event With Lawmakers Zachary Roth | November 4, 2009, 11:29AM Newsweek magazine is teaming up with an oil-industry lobbying group to host an event on climate-change and energy issues involving lawmakers, just as the Senate gets set to take up legislation on the subject. The panel discussion, entitled "Climate and Energy Policy: Moving?," will feature Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petr...

Source: ABC News The Blotter from Brian Ross EXCLUSIVE: Convicted CIA Spy Says "We Broke the Law" Sabrina deSousa Says U.S. "Betrayed" Her and Others Found Guilty in Kidnapping of Muslim Cleric in Italy By MATTHEW COLE, AVNI PATEL, and BRIAN ROSS Nov. 4, 2009 One of the 23 Americans convicted today by an Italian court says the United States "broke the law" in the CIA kidnapping of a Muslim cleric Abu Omar in Milan in 2003. "And we are paying for the mistakes right now, whoever authorized and...

Former UK ambassador: CIA sent people to be ‘raped with broken bottles’ By Daniel Tencer Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 -- 3:31 pm Former UK ambassador: CIA sent people to be raped with broken bottlesThe CIA relied on intelligence based on torture in prisons in Uzbekistan, a place where widespread torture practices include raping suspects with broken bottles and boiling them alive, says a former British ambassador to the central Asian country. Craig Murray, the rector of the University of Du...

I think as the Blue Dogs welcome their new colleague Congressman Owens and remind themselves that he's the first Democrat to hold that seat in 140 years, since Ulysses S. Grant, and that he campaigned on the Obama program, they'll have to say, 'You know what, we're onto something here if we stick with the program...' (Link)

2 More Votes For a Public Option In the House By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics I found something worthwhile from last night's election results. TPM: (Link) The NY-23 seat . . . went to Democrat Bill Owens . . . nd the CA-10 seat . . . went to Democrat John Garamendi. That creates some simple arithmetic. Yesterday, Democrats had 256 voting members in the House. By week's end, they'll have 258. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could afford to lose no more than 38 Democrati...

Dear Father Andrew: I Am Finished by gchaucer2 Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 05:59:59 AM PST Dear Father Andrew: ......................... It is with the deepest sorrow that I must write you that I no longer can join you at Mass. After 59 years, I am no longer a Catholic. You will be distressed at my decision, but not surprised. We have spoken about this possibility for some time now. In fact, I suspect you would join me if you did not have such a valuable mission in this vibrant community. I wi...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 Trouble Ahead: Can the Right Seize the Banking Reform Issue in 2010? Eliot Spitzer explains how the White House defense of the status quo will give Republicans powerful ammunition in the 2010 elections. .......................... Imagine this: by next spring, an intellectual consensus will have emerged that the concentration in the banking sector that developed from the 1980s until the crash of ‘08 was misguided. Voices as disparate as Former Fed Chair Paul Volcker, ...

Michele Bachmann wants tea partiers to help her kill health care reform this week. So far, only 25 patriots have reported for duty. -Stephanie Mencimer Is The Tea Party Over? — By Stephanie Mencimer | Wed November 4, 2009 3:24 AM PST The tea partiers are launching the revolution. This week. But will anyone actually show up? On Sunday, Rep. Michele Bachmann challenged viewers of Sean Hannity’s Fox News show to join her last-ditch attempt to kill health care reform. The fiery Minnesota Republ...

Source: ABC News Breckenridge Votes To Legalize Marijuana Measure Passes By 3 To 1 Margin BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. -- The skiing town of Breckenridge voted Tuesday night by a margin of nearly 3 to 1 to legalize the adult possession of marijuana. Breckenridge voters passed Measure 2F, which removes criminal penalties from the town code for the private possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults 21 and older. The ordinance also removes criminal penalties for the possession of bongs, pipes a...

Hoffman Poll Watcher Has Tires Slashed Posted by Erick Erickson (Profile) Tuesday, November 3rd at 3:29PM EST 23 Comments On his third trip to the polls, a Hoffman supporter and poll watcher had his tires slashed this afternoon —as you can see he had a hoffman sign in his back window. A police report has been filed. (Image) (Image) (Link)

Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth sequel stresses spiritual argument on climate Nobel winner adapts fact-based message to reach those who believe they have a moral duty to protect the planet in Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis "I've done a Christian training program; I have a Muslim training program and a Jewish training program coming up, also a Hindu program coming up. I trained 200 Christian ministers and lay leaders here in Nashville in a version of the slide show that is filled...

Source: ABC News President Obama to Push Race to the Top November 03, 2009 4:23 PM ABC News’ Yunji de Nies Reports: Tomorrow, on the anniversary of his election, President Barack Obama heads to Madison, Wisconsin to speak at a local middle school. He’ll address education policy, with a focus on the ‘Race to the Top’ initiative. That $4.35 billion dollar program, funded through the Recovery Act, is a national competition among the states, to inspire education reform. “He’s going to talk abo...

Source: Daily News Police Called To NY-23 Polling Sites (Updated) » By Elizabeth Benjamin It's getting ugly out there. I just got off the phone with former state Democratic Chairwoman June O'Neill, who informed me the police had been called to at least two polling sites in St. Lawrence County due to overzealous electioneering (O'Neill called it "voter intimidation") by Doug Hoffman supporters. "We've gotten reports that people are standing there, covered with Hoffman stickers and yellin...

Source: Washington Independent Former OLC Director Not Opposed to Criminal Investigation of OLC Lawyers Digg Tweet By Daphne Eviatar 11/3/09 1:07 PM Former Acting Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin, who headed the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush after the departure of Jack Goldsmith, said this morning that “I personally am not opposed to criminal investigation of my conduct and others during the period in question.” Levin was referring to the pe...