While Obama Drew Close To Netanyahu At Home, The Three Amigos Flew To Israel To Declare That The US Will Use Military Force Against Iran "If We Must"

Update: (FDL) CTuttle offers a bit of perspective ~ Israel: 18 families control 60% corporate equity
~~~~~
(WaPo) Greg Sargent follows up on the Netanyahu-Obama meeting of minds ~

- Peter Beinart parses the Netanyahu-Obama press conference and notes that Obama basically got rolled and that it's time to get tougher.

- Dana Milbank highlights the larger truth underlying Obama's need for a feel-good photo-op with Netanyahu:

Obama came to office with an admirable hope of reviving Middle East peace efforts by appealing to the Arab world and positioning himself as more of an honest broker. But he has now learned the painful lesson that domestic politics won't allow such a stand.

- Who says Obama got rolled? Netanyahu insists he offered up some "concrete" possibilities for concessions in his private talk with Obama.

Meanwhile, The Three Amigos are at it again...(The Hill) Jordan Fabian reports ~ Lieberman: U.S. could use military force against Iran

One of Israel’s staunchest defenders in Congress said Wednesday the U.S. could use military force against their mutual foe Iran “if we must.” Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jersualem. The Connecticut senator made his comments after the meeting. Lieberman said the United States would counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions ”through diplomatic efforts and economic sanctions if we can, but through military action if we must,” the Jerusalem Post reported.....The three senators are traveling in the Middle East during the July 4 recess.

(NYT Caucus Blog 2008 image: From left to right, Senators Joseph I. Lieberman, John McCain and Lindsey Graham at the G.O.P. Convention in St. Paul. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times))

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CNN Editor Gets Canned For Tweeting Respectfully About The Death Of A Controversial Lebanese Cleric: Tweets

ggreenwald - So perplexing how most of the content-based firings from The Liberal Media happen when the Right throws a hissy fit: http://is.gd/dj66s

- Thank God this America-hating, Terrorist-Lover will poison our airwaves no more: http://is.gd/djhOs (h/t @chrishayes)

- Really is ironic that the network with a former AIPAC employee as its long-term main anchor cites objectivity perceptions to fire Nasr

- It would be so much more honest if CNN would just identify which opinions are forbidden rather than pretending they're upholding objectivity

chrislhayes - Previous tweets referring to this: http://bit.ly/cCZhBp . You should definitely read octavianasrCNN 's response: http://bit.ly/caR3US

Sayyed Fadlallah. Revered across borders yet designated a terrorist. Not the kind of life to be commenting about in a brief tweet. It's something I deeply regret.

nytimes - CNN Drops Editor After Hezbollah Comments http://nyti.ms/atn7s0

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AP Reports: Jack Markell "Ponders Federal Education Panel" Seat - Asks DE Supremes If It Passes Constitutional Muster

So, what is the fiscal note on this little trip down ego lane?

DOVER — Gov. Jack Markell has been tapped by the Obama administration for a seat on a national education advisory board, but he wants to make sure he can keep his current job as governor before accepting the post.

Jack asked the Supremes if his accepting the offer violates the Delaware Constitution and they turned it over to the state solicitor and an unnamed firm to present countering arguments.

First of all.....what does Jack Markell know about education that the Chamber of Commerce hasn't told him? Second, while it is always an honor to be called to Washington, Obama's track record of stealing away DEMs from their state seats has proven to turn over the reins to the worst sort of Republican hands. And third, this little exercise looks mighty expensive to me. And isn't Jack already pretty busy at his extracurricular post chairing the National DEM Governors?

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How The View That Mike Castle And Charlie Crist "Would Immediately Be The Most Liberal Republicans In The Senate" Adds Into A DEM 2010 Power Formula

(Alan Colmes' Liberaland ) Stuart Shapiro writes ~ Democrats To Achieve 60-Seat Majority? It’s Possible

...there is more of a chance that the Democrats get 60 seats in the Senate than that the Republicans take a majority? Nate Silver’s latest analysis projects exactly that.

If Democrats somehow got a wind at their backs, they have enough offensive opportunities to take advantage of it. Suppose on the other hand that the Democrats got a 3-point boost nationally (or the current average of polls is biased 3 points against them, which is effectively the same thing). In that case, they would have about a 27 percent chance of actually regaining a 60-seat majority, and closer to a 40 percent chance if they could persuade Charlie Crist to caucus with them. There’s no particular reason to think that this will happen, however, particularly with economic momentum being rather tepid.

Now keep in mind that the most likely outcome is 54-55 Democratic seats. Add Charlie Crist from Florida and Delaware’s Mike Castle, who would immediately be the most liberal Republicans in the Senate, and a 4-5 seat loss would be far from the disaster many are projecting.

(h/t BobFertik )

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MiniBoone Fan Alert - Band Featured On NPR's All Songs Considered!

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( npr.org) Lindsay Sanchez writes ~ Second Stage: MiniBoone : NPR - The Brooklyn based rock band, MiniBoone, has an uninhibited love for fun and fast music. Their EP Big Changes is joyous power-pop with unpredictable twists and turns. You might want to strap yourself in.

(Marielle Solan images)

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SCOTUS Decision Key To American Crossroads 527's Building A War Chest Of Unregulated Campaign Cash...From The Richest Of The Rich

(Think Progress) reports ~ Rove Admits His ‘Shadow RNC’ Attack Group Functions Largely Because Of The Citizens United Decision

While some reports have downplayed the impact of Citizens United on this year’s election, Rove seems to be acknowledging that his high-profile group relies on the decision for its fundraising. If Crossroads and the other new conservative attack groups raise the tens of millions of dollars they plan to spend this year from corporate donors — as Crossroads has — then the impact of the decision could be huge.

Rove explained that his donors are those who have “maxed out” contributions to the RNC and other national committees, but the individual contribution limit to these groups is $30,400 per election cycle, so Rove is clearly focused on the wealthiest of donors. As Rolling Stone’s Tim Dickinson noted, “By building a war chest of unregulated campaign cash…Rove would be able to wage the midterm elections on his own terms: electing candidates loyal to the GOP’s wealthiest
donors and corporate patrons.

~*~

Deficit Hawks Get An Earful From Barney Franks And Ron Paul On "Why We Must Reduce Military Spending"

(The Hill's Congress Blog) Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ron Paul (R-Texas) write ~ Why we must reduce military spending - As members of opposing political parties, we disagree on a number of important issues. But we must not allow honest disagreement over some issues interfere with our ability to work together when we do agree.

~*~

Today Is The Dalai Lama's 75th Birthday

Dalai Lama: 75th Birthday Global Tribute www.avaaz.org
Today is the Dalai Lama's 75th birthday. Join millions of us worldwide to say thank you -- it only takes a few seconds, and the tribute will be delivered to him personally!

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Biden's November Narrative: A Choice Between Republicans Who Got Us Into The Ditch And Democrats Who Are Trying To Get Us Out

If it were only this simple...
(DKos) Jed Lewison writes ~ Biden on GOP's 2010 prospects: "You have to have somebody to beat somebody" - Vice President Joe Biden, telling Politico why overconfident Republicans should stop counting their chickens* before they hatch

Biden's essential point: November won't be a referendum on whether or not the
Obama administration and the Democratic Congress have already fixed everything
that Bush and the Republicans screwed up over the last eight years. Instead, it
will be a choice between the Republicans who got us into the ditch and the
Democrats who are trying to get us out.

Here are just a few of those Bushie-era facts, by Joan McCarter - From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Clusterstock, a reminder for the deficit peacocks, in graphical form.

~*~

Were Biden and Petraeus Correct? - Are US - Israeli Relations An Anathema To Successful American Military Operations In The Middle East?

Gee, Israeli concessions once again come just prior to the meeting of minds...
(FDL) Siun writes ~ Pretense of Progress Before Today’s Obama-Netanyahu Meeting - The spin campaign to distract us from the fact that the Israeli military killed nine civilians on an humanitarian ship in international waters has picked up steam as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for his “make up” session with Obama today.

CBSNews - Israel greatly eases border restrictions on Gaza as Netanyahu, Obama set to meet in DC: http://bit.ly/dv4Jbp

But then, there's this:

nytimes - More Mideast: U.S. policies in conflict, halting W.Bank settlements yet giving tax breaks to donors that aid them. http://nyti.ms/bzPmZ8

And this:

ggreenwald - This scheming [March 2010] email exchange between Max Boot and David Petraeus is quite revealing, very worth reading: http://is.gd/dhpbO

The tale:
Back on March 13, Mark Perry broke the explosive story [The Petraeus briefing: Biden’s embarrassment is not the whole story] that Gen. David Petraeus was echoing Joe Biden's view that the special relationship with Israel is endangering Americans. Perry said that Petraeus had sent aides to the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the White House to tell him that the U.S.'s inability to stand up to Israel was hurting Americans across the Middle East. Perry reported that Petraeus was asking that Israel and Palestine be included under his Central Command (rather than under Europe, as they are now).

On March 16, neocon Max Boot, who is on the Council of Foreign Relations and holds militarist pro-Israel views (he's an American Jew born in Russia), sought to refute Perry's post at the Commentary blog:

"I asked a military officer who is familiar with the briefing in question and with Petraeus’s thinking on the issue to clarify matters. He told me that Perry’s item was 'incorrect.'"

Boot quoted the unnamed officer at some length apologizing for Israel:

he did not suggest that Petraeus was mainly blaming Israel and its settlements for the lack of progress. They are, he said, “one of many issues, among which also is the unwillingness to recognize Israel and the unwillingness to confront the extremists who threaten Israelis.” That’s about what I expected: Petraeus holds a much more realistic and nuanced view than the one attributed to him by terrorist groupie Mark Perry.

I suspect this unnamed officer was Petraeus himself-- based on the emails. But we'll get to them in a minute.

That same day, Tuesday, March 16, Petraeus testified before Congress, and on Thursday the 18th, MJ Rosenberg at Media Matters wrote a piece celebrating Petraeus's realist views on Israel/Palestine. He noted that Petraeus is spoken of as a Republican candidate for President and contrasted Petraeus's views to Sarah Palin's.

Speaking about the Israeli-Palestinian issue before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Petraeus said: "The enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests... Israeli-Palestinian tensions often flare into violence and large-scale armed confrontations. The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the [region] and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda and other militant groups exploit that anger to mobilize support. The conflict also gives Iran influence in the Arab world through its clients, Lebanese Hizballah and Hamas...."

So Petraeus is telling us that American interests -- and Americans in uniform -- are threatened by the Israeli-Palestinian status quo and that Iran, Hizballah, and Hamas benefit from it. That's pretty straightforward.

With comment rescues ~

hayate - The General, the Journalist, and the Power of Israel“As You Know, I Didn’t Say That”by Gary Leupp / July 5th, 2010

Philip Weiss, who runs a blog called Mondoweiss (War of Ideas in the Middle East)has just posted a remarkable piece entitled “Petraeus Emails Show General Scheming with Journalist to Get out pro-Israel storyline.”

If true, it is a tale of honesty and dishonesty, opportunism, and cowardice. It indicates that Gen. David Petraeus, who just replaced Gen. McChrystal as commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, has frankly assessed that the intimate U.S. relationship with Israel is costing U.S. lives in the Middle East. But he’s concerned that his views may cost him politically and so uses buddies in the media to conceal them. Since the story’s a bit complicated I thought I’d arrange the material in a straightforward chronology……http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/07/the-general-the-journalist-and-the-power-of-israel/


hayate - Against counterinsurgency in Afghanistan By Hugh Gusterson 1 July 2010
It says something about American politics that Gen. Stanley McChrystal was not fired because U.S. casualties in Afghanistan are running at record levels, because the much vaunted Marja initiative has failed, or because the Kandahar offensive is already in trouble during its preliminary rollout. No, he was fired because he and his team embarrassed the White House with carelessly frank talk to a journalist. “This is a change in personnel, but not a change in policy,” said President Barack Obama in announcing General McChrystal’s dismissal. Or, in the words of Rep. James McGovern, we have the “same menu, different waiter.”
(snip)
The Obama administration will be defined by three disasters. The first, the economic meltdown, it inherited. The second, the BP oil spill, it did nothing to avert. The third, the failed war in Afghanistan, it made worse. All three disasters were caused by a carefree lack of precaution. In the financial world, the U.S. dismantled regulatory structures and trusted the banks to police themselves. Something similar happened with regard to offshore drilling, with the U.S. government outsourcing its responsibilities to oil companies and placing blind faith in technology to keep the environment safe. In Afghanistan, civilian leaders have failed to exercise their responsibility to restrain the military and have fallen prey to lone superpower hubris. Do we have to make the same mistakes in still more countries, wrecking them as we go, to learn our lesson?

http://thebulletin.org/print/web-edition/columnists/hugh-gusterson/against-counterinsurgency-afghanistan

~*~

In Settling Lawsuit, "BP And The Coast Guard Have Agreed To Take Steps To Rescue Turtles And Prevent Them From Burning” - And More On BP's Gusher

Update: (Eschaton) ql writes ~ It's now official. Reporters and photographers going pretty much anywhere BP doesn't want them can face criminal charges and/or fines of up to $40,000. While the big news corporations may be willing to bring it to court, this new rule will certainly stifle smaller, independent news outfits that don't have deep pockets. So much for that freedom of the press thingy.

Plus, peterdaou - Staggering: In 77 days #BP has skimmed/burned only 60% of amount it said it could remove in a SINGLE day. http://bit.ly/b9ekX1
~~~~~
(biologicaldiversity.org) reports ~ Agreement Reached in Gulf to Prevent Sea Turtle Burning Deaths - Settlement Forces BP to Rescue Sea Turtles Before Oil Slicks Set on Fire

...nobody could have predicted...(msnbc.msn.com) writes ~ Gulf spill 'bigger and uglier than we had hoped' - U.S. news - Washington Post - msnbc.com - Washington Post: How dead is the Gulf of Mexico? It is perhaps the most important question of the BP oil spill — but scientists don't appear close to answering it.

Plus, ggreenwald - BP/Government police state tactics: http://is.gd/dgn7o

(NYT) reports ~ Agency Agreed Wildlife Risk From Oil Was ‘Low’

t r u t h o u t Fending For Themselves - Theresa, a member of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe living in southern Louisiana along a stretch of bayou threatened by oil from the BP spill.



Also - The US House of Representatives voted 420 to 1 to give the presidential commission investigating the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico full subpoena power. (Senate presser)

(AP, WNJ, NYT, images)

~*~

Two Thumbs Down For Israeli Tactics - Leaked Luntz Poll: Majority Of Americans Don’t Support Israeli Flotilla Raid

More HERE and HERE

(haaretz.com) reports ~ Israel can't be trusted to probe Gaza flotilla raid, say Rachel Corrie's parents - Haaretz Daily New - Corrie, a U.S. citizen, was struck and killed in 2003 by a bulldozer as she and other activists tried to prevent the razing of Gaza homes.

mattduss - Leaked Luntz Poll: Majority of Americans don’t support Israeli flotilla raid. http://bit.ly/9tNXBI (via @DidiRemez)

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...oh, and there's this too: downwithtyranny - Time to recognize that Israel is NOT the 51st state? And that sometimes our countries' interests diverge? http://bit.ly/d0mrOf

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(AFP, Reuters images)

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Frieda Berryhill Writes: How Long Must We Wait For Clean Alternative Energy?

While the world proceeds with renewable energy, this country still haggles over $Billions in subsidies for dirty , costly and dangerous nuclear Power. http://www.ccnr.org/crac.html

Glenn Beck of CNN Headline News also joined the chorus of support (5/2/07): "Look, America should embrace nuclear power, even if it's [just] to get off the foreign oil bandwagon." This is also common nuclear disinformation, that nuclear power is needed to displace foreign oil.

The only energy produced by nuclear power is electricity--and only 3 percent of electricity in the U.S. is generated with oil.

"It is difficult to get a man tounderstand something, when his job depends on his not understanding it." Upton Sinclair

This is Italy:
Italy Surpasses USA in Solar PV
Installing More Every Two Months than California in an Entire Year
June 28, 2010
http://www.wind-works.org/FeedLaws/Italy/ItalySurpassesUSAinSolarPV.html

This is Denmark!!!!!!!
Enjoy the pictures!

Meanwhile, WDEL - Will Washington stall wind power plans in DE?: A plan to build a source of clean energy off the coast of Delaware ... http://bit.ly/9sQkYd

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UD Prof. Gets Federal Grant To Continue Studying Deficiencies In Math Education - Why Aren't Kids Learning Math?

Interesting. But it looks like Nancy Jordan has worked for over a decade in R&D in this field and it may be time to strap down her studies to curriculum and policy. I wish that the focus of the grant was to guide educators on how to SOLVE the difficulties students have in math. Put this body of work to work already!
(Newark Post) reports ~ UD shares $10 million grant that aims to deal with math difficulties faced by students

The Institute of Education Sciences, a research branch of the U.S. Department of Education, has awarded a $10 million grant to University of Delaware Prof. Nancy C. Jordan and two colleagues at Vanderbilt University and Carnegie Mellon University to fund a five-year research and development center aimed at understanding difficulties students have in math.

The Center on Improving Mathematics Instruction for Students with Mathematics Difficulties, administered at UD, will focus on improving math instruction for elementary and middle school children who have problems with math concepts, specifically fractions.

Here's an example of Dr. Jordan's work (PDF)

~*~

On Our United States Of America: Some Of The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

The Good - (CrooksAndLiars) karoli writes ~ July 4th: An Optimist's Perspective

How many of you can count the number of accomplishments this administration has actually delivered over the past 18 months? Some friends of mine are working on a detailed list now, and the number of substantial, documented, quantifiable accomplishments of this President is well over 300. So far.
...Here are a few easily-forgotten examples.

Offshore tax haven closure, which benefited rich investors, outsourcers and corporate tax dodgers. [Reference]

Reformed Credit Card laws, adding consumer protections against
predatory credit card lenders [Reference]

Doubled federal funding for clean fuel research [Reference]

Expanded Pell grants, enabling more low-income students to go to college. [Reference]

Established climate change as a policy priority and set benchmarks for efficient energy standards. [Reference]

These accomplishments stand next to the ones most obvious: Turning the
economy around, restoring our international standing, initiating a call for an
end to nuclear proliferation worldwide, and getting universal health care
passed, to name a few.

The Bad - (Correntwire) lambert writes~ The naïveté -- it b-u-r-r-r-r-n-s!

Brad DeLong: I had always thought that Barack Obama made a significant mistake in naming the Republican ex senator Alan Simpson to co-chair the president’s deficit-reduction commission....You don’t pick an arsonist to head the fire department, I thought when Obama named him co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

No, but you do pick an arsonist to burn a house to the ground, eh?

The Ds and Obama want to do what they've repeatedly told us they want to do: Slash Social Security. I mean, why else would Obama outsource the Cat Food Commission's staffing to Pete Peterson, for pity's sake?

Wake up, Professor DeLong!

And The Ugly - M ilitary I ndustrial C ongressional Fi nancial C orporate media complex:
(A Tiny Revolution) Jonathan Schwarz writes ~ I Happen to Have Marshall McLuhan Right Here

PART ONE - Alex Perry, Africa bureau chief for Time, wrote a recent article about Congo that begins like this:

If you want to see what's wrong with Africa, take a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The size of Western Europe, with almost no paved roads, Congo is the sucking vortex where Africa's heart should be. Independent Congo gave the world Mobutu Sese Seko, who for 32 years impoverished his people while traveling the world in a chartered Concorde. His death in 1997 ushered in a civil war that killed 5.4 million people and unleashed a hurricane of rape on tens of thousands more.

PART TWO - Julie Hollar of Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting pointed
out:

...if you're going to charge Congo with being "what's wrong with Africa," you'd better give credit where credit is due. Independent Congo didn't give the world Mobutu; that gift belongs to the U.S. and Belgium,
who supported the overthrow and assassination of democratically-elected Patrice Lumumba and helped prop up the horror that was Mobutu for decades afterward.

Plus, Glenn Greenwald on "The Universality of War Propaganda"

~*~

Biden: Iraq Leadership Must Subordinate Individual Interests Under Democracy - US Military Drawdown Will Include Increase In Non-Military Engagement

Update: huh? From Greg Sargent ~ But: Joe Biden says the drawdown timetable is very much alive: Though it will be "conditions based," he adds that "there is no question we will begin to draw down troops in July."
~~~~~
politico - Biden flexes muscles as dealmaker. http://politi.co/cvjKK9

In detailed talks that accompanied feel-good photo ops during his surprise Fourth of July visit to the war zone, Biden was unyielding on U.S. plans for a dramatic drawdown, but promised not to abandon Iraq and even to step up non-military engagement with the struggling democracy.

“I’m not lecturing, I’m not imparting any great wisdom that you don’t already know,” Biden said at an Independence Day reception at the U.S. embassy. “But the concept of subordinating your individual interest is fundamental to the success of any nation. … So my plea to you is, finish what you started — a truly legitimate and representative government that meets the needs and aspirations of all Iraqi people.”

Biden drew laughter when he added: “As a piece of American history, when our Founders did it, when they signed that Declaration, many of them did not even like one another. You think I’m joking; I’m not. … I’m absolutely confident you will do it.”

More HERE.

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Kim Burdick Writes: Wednesday July 21, 2010 Native American Program At The Robinson House

PLEASE JOIN THE
CLAYMONT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
FOR A PRESENTATION:

“WHERE THE SUN RISES OUT OF THE WATER: OLDEST STORY OF THE DELAWARE INDIANS”

PRESENTED BY
Timothy B. Powell, PhD
Director DPIC Penn Museum

Wednesday July 21, 2010 7:30 PM

At the Robinson House

1 Naamans Road, Claymont, DE 19703

Dessert served Admission $5.00
Call 302-798-4765 to reserve
http://www.robinsonhousede.org/

~*~

Are FEMA's Formaldehyde-Laced Trailers BaAAAck? Congress Demands An Answer

Will a paper trail connect the tainted trailers of Katrina and Rita (found not safe for use as long-term shelter in 2006) to those now housing Gulf clean up crews?
(The Hill) Julian Pecquet reports ~ Dem lawmakers want Obama to probe use of contaminated FEMA trailers for spill crews

FEMA and the General Services Administration (GSA) auctioned off more than 100,000 of the trailers earlier this year to recoup taxpayer funds, with the requirement that buyers not use them for housing.

...Charlie Melancon (D-La.): "The dumping of 100,000 trailers, recreational vehicles, and mobile homes into the stream of commerce with a simple buyer beware is inexcusable and reckless," Thompson wrote in a letter to the heads of FEMA, the GSA and the Justice Department. "Many of these units have alarming levels of formaldehyde, mold, and mildew festering inside, and now they are housing many of the workers that our nation is relying on to help us recover from the devastating (effects) of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It is simply irresponsible for our federal government to allow this to continue."

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Flowers Plan Benefits Middle-Class Delawareans

(presser)
Flowers Ready To Serve Delaware's Middle Class With 'Flowers Framework' Plan
Candidate Renews Call for Debates in Race for State Treasurer

In light of today's news that job losses across the nation are rising and the economy is showing signs of weakening, Chip Flowers, Democratic candidate for State Treasurer, says his agenda for the office, "The Flowers Framework for Restoring Prosperity," will benefit middle-class Delawareans by creating jobs, promoting economic growth and streamlining finance-related operations throughout state government.

The Flowers Framework contains 18 specific ideas to assist Delaware in competing in today's 21st century global economy. It emphasizes four core themes: fiscal responsibility, economic growth and stimulating businesses, planning and forecasting and revamping the state's financial agencies.

Key proposals under the Flowers Framework include implementing a State Financial Warning System to serve as an indicator to state agencies to initiate cost-cutting measures at the state of an economic downturn to generate immediate cost savings and creating the "Hometown" and "Excellence in Delaware" Tax Credits to combat the increasing number of Delaware graduates seeking employment outside the state and to attract the best and brightest talent to the First State. The plan would also create the Delaware investment fund to invest and loan public and private funds in an objective and fair manner to businesses in alignment with the state's economic policies and revamp the state treasurer's office to ensure fiscal responsibility while fostering and promoting economic growth and job creation.

"These proposals, like others in the Framework, will benefit middle-income Delawareans by creating new jobs, strengthening small businesses, improving economic forecasting and streamlining some state government operations," said Chip Flowers, candidate for Delaware State Treasurer (http://chipflowers.com//). "While we are confident that state investments in Sallie Mae and other key corporations will have a long-term impact on job growth, I believe that the state treasurer's office can be instrumental in developing solutions that will reverse the tide of job losses in the near future."

"On the same day that it was announced that job losses are on the rise and Delaware families continue to face economic hardship, we were disappointed to learn that our opponent, the appointed incumbent, decided to issue a news release recycling the announcement of a four month old endorsement of her candidacy," campaign manager Dustin Parker said. "As shown by our strong poll numbers, this campaign is about ideas aimed at improving our state's economy and joining the efforts of Governor Markell and our elected officials in bringing jobs to Delaware. If our opponent has time to film a video retrospective of her life, we certainly hope that she can return our calls to schedule debates to talk about important issues to put Delawareans back to work. The people deserve a true debate about the future of this office."

In describing his proposals, Flowers said that "the Financial Warning System, for example, would bring together economic research and forecasting offices throughout the state to better assess changes in economic conditions. Improved reporting systems will give state agencies earlier notice to adjust spending patterns, and making this information available to the public will help families with their own budgeting. The Hometown Tax Credit encourages businesses to hire well-qualified graduates of Delaware high schools, colleges and universities' bringing more jobs to the state and encouraging young men and women who have been educated with our tax dollars to pursue their bright futures in their home state."

"Working-class Delawareans have been struggling in this recession for too long. To restore prosperity, we need strong ideas and a commitment to work with the governor and the General Assembly to make them part of our recovery strategy. I pledge to do just that," said Flowers.

Flowers, a Wilmington attorney who lives in Middletown, is founder and managing member of the Flowers Counsel Group, LLC, which advises major businesses on contractual agreements for major purchases and mergers and acquisitions. His global and Fortune 500 clients include DuPont, AstraZeneca, Bank of America, Barclay's Bank Delaware, ING Bank FSB, Harvard University and the Buccini/Pollin Group. Flowers majored in economics at the University of Pennsylvania and received his law degree and a Masters in Business Administration from Georgetown University. He later earned a Masters of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Flowers previously worked in the White House Office of Political Affairs under President Bill Clinton. He was a Delaware delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

To read the entire Flowers Framework for Restoring Prosperity, go to http://www.chipflowers.com/.

~*~

Tell Chevron To Clean Up Its Toxic Waste In The Amazon

From the inbox ~

Over a 20-year period, Texaco dumped 19 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into the Amazon rainforest. It's one of the world's most egregious environmental disasters.
Demand that Chevron, which acquired Texaco, addresses environmental and health concerns in the Amazon >

Between 1972 and 1992, Texaco and Petroecuador extracted over 1.4 billion barrels of oil from the Ecuadorian Amazon. At the same time, Texaco systematically dumped billions of gallons of toxic wastewaters into open, unlined pits, waterways and wetlands. The waste contaminated water, killed wildlife and wreaked havoc on important native ecosystems. When Chevron acquired Texaco in 2001, the new company became accountable for all of Texaco's liabilities. Much like BP's Gulf of Mexico spill, fragile ecosystems have been decimated and biodiversity threatened. Because Texaco contaminated the groundwater and soil, harmful effects spanned the entire ecosystem, including endangering the lives of more than 125,000 indigenous men, women and children who drink, bathe, fish and wash their clothes in tainted headwaters of the Amazon River.

Chevron is responsible for endangering one of the most biologically-diverse areas on the planet, but they also violated basic human rights to health, sanitation and a clean environment. The company can play a role in transforming the Amazon,
but it must start now. Demand Chevron's Board of Directors respond to environmental and health concerns in Ecuador >

Chevron cannot ignore its corporate responsibility to clean up the Amazon any longer. Every day that passes, the Amazon is becoming more poisoned with the leftover contaminants of Texaco's toxic legacy.

Thank you for your action,
- The Change.org team in partnership with Amnesty International USA

~*~

Happy Birthday America!

HAPPY FOURTH

OF JULY!

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Frieda Berryhill Writes: House Approves Emergency Funding Bill With 9 Billion In Nuke Loans - More Nuke News

Update: Yet Another Nuke Disaster-in-the-Making In Our Backyard!

If I did not read this with my own eyes... I might not even believe it. What's goin' down on the southern tip of NJ on the DE line is tantamount to purposely building a reactor with greater-than-average odds of causing a nuclear disaster! How in the world could they even consider building a nuclear reactor on wetlands?! How could
that ground possibly be sufficiently stable to support a nuclear power plant? And then, on top of that - as if building a reactor on swampland isn't bad enough -there's the planned production of Cobalt-60, a most deadly radionuclide!

These reactors built on make-believe islands and wetlands on the Southern NJ/ Delaware border greatly do concern us, because in the event of a nuke disaster, we could be impacted in a major way due to our proximity to those plants.
I urge everyone to please help me promote our Friday, July 16 at 1:00 p.m. event
http://www.unholytrinityday.com/ at which time I will bring this and other related issues up, and convince others to join us in opposing all forms of nuclear energy & warfare.

Those who knowingly put our citizens - and future generations - in harm's way must be stopped. And the only way to do this is if we grow the number of citizens protesting these and so many other outrages. Here's a link to a flyer that can be printed out and distributed: http://www.unholytrinityday.com/help.php .

- Cathy Garger

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Just in:

HOUSE APPROVES EMERGENCY FUNDING BILL W/$9 BILLION IN NUCLEAR LOANS

BILL WILL NOW GO BACK TO SENATE

And so we wait.

PSEG Nuclear seeks to produce radioactive material Cobalt-60 at Hope Creek nuclear plant

LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TWP. — Hope Creek could become only the second commercial nuclear power reactor in the U.S. to produce Cobalt-60 under a proposal now
being reviewed by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, officials said Tuesday.
In a partnership with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, PSEG Nuclear, Hope Creek ’s operator, hopes to begin a pilot production program as early as this fall at the Artificial Island generating complex here.

The NRC release is PSEG’s Request for Withholding Information from Public Disclosure ml101660049.pdf
The intention by the company to produce cobalt 60 at it’s Hope Creek nuclear power plant (by inserting cobalt 50 rods into the fuel assembly) brings additional safety concerns to the area. These concerns are filed with the NRC by the Union of Concerned Scientist. My main concern, however, is the fact that granting this request makes PSEG a profit making enterprise (aside from producing electricity) which protects the company from disclosing “proprietary information”
Where would PSEG draw the line concerning secrecy?

As to the plan to build a 4th reactor on the Island, this insane plan has a long way to go. First, they have to buy additional swamp (wetlands) then they need more dredge spoils to build the “mud pile” upon which to build the reactor. (On ground with no rock bottom like the other three reactors)
Hard to believe? Believe it.

Read on.
PSEG would buy wetlands to build new nuclear plant in Salem County, report states
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_71ad3e76-7814-11df-af5e-001cc4c03286.html
To build the plant, it must secure 84 acres of wetlands from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The agency currently uses the land as a dredge-disposal site, the company's report states
THE PRESENT CONTROVERSY “TO DREDGE OR NOT TO DREDGE “ MAY HAVE AN AGENDA OTHE THEN TO ACCOMMODATE LARGER SHIPS. Just asking.


In other news:
The NRC has identified at least 27 plants that are now or have leaked tritium. See the map. http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_national/leaking_nukes/index.html

As plants age, underground wires and pipes corrode . Yet every request for a 20 year extensions to operate has been granted.
See this extraordinary list:
http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/nuclear_statistics/licenserenewal/

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