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Internet News RecordLibertyNewsprint.com U.S. Edition01/10/09 - 02/10/09
Grayson sweet-talks Republicans on healthcarereform
By David Alexander (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 10/1/2009 3:17:02 PM
In the never-ending Democraticstruggle to win bipartisan supportfor healthcare reform,Representative Alan Grayson isprobably not the guy to send tothe House floor to wooRepublicans.Democrats, he said in a floorspeech a couple days ago,want tofix the U.S. healthcare system byexpanding insurance coverage tothe 47 million people who do nothave it.“The Republican plan,” he said,is basically: “Don’t get sick, andif you do get sick, die quickly.”He brought along bigposterboard signs to underscorethe idea in the event somebodyfound his point too subtle.Republicans were not happywith this characterization of theirideas for healthcare and suggestedan apology was in order.A much-chastened Graysonreturned to the House floorWednesday to make amends.“Several Republicans asked meto apologize. Well, I would like toapologize. I would like toapologize to the dead,” he said.He cited a study saying 44,789Americansdie every year becausethey have no health insurance.“That’s more than 10 times thenumber of Americans who havedied in the war in Iraq. It’s morethan 10 times the number of Americans who died in 9/11.”“I apologize to the dead and theirfamilies that we haven’t votedsooner to end this Holocaust inAmerica.”Grayson expanded upon hisremarks later on CNN after beingasked exactly what he meant bysaying the Republicans wantpeople to get sick and die quickly.“What I mean is they’ve got noplan. It’s been 24 hours since Isaid that. Where is the Republicanplan? We’re all waiting to seesomething — to take care of people with pre-existingconditions, to take care of the 47million people in this country whohave no coverage at all. There isno plan, and that’s what I meantwhen I said the Republican planreally is: Don’t get sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly.”Representative Joe Wilson, whoshouted “You lie” at Obamaduring a joint session of Congressand quickly said he was sorry,declined to get into the apologyissue in an interview with FoxNews.But he said Grayson was wrongabout Republican healthcareideas.“The Republican plan is reallyone that it provides foraffordability, accessibility,” hesaid. “It provides for helping withpre-existing conditions. It is avery positive, targeted healthinsurance reform.”Representative Barney Frank,aDemocrat, told the Lou Dobbsradio program Grayson’sperformance “wasn’t civil at all”but added he saw “a little bit of excessive indignation and soundand fury” in the outragedRepublican response.House Speaker Nancy Pelositried to avoid the issue whenasked about it at her weekly pressconference. Pressed on whetherGrayson should apologize, shesaid, “If anybody is going toapologize, everybody shouldapologize. You know?”Asked what the presidentthought of the remarks, WhiteHouse spokesman Robert Gibbsfled to the high ground.“We ought to be able,” he said,“to have an honest, calm debateabout healthcare, the need forhealthcare reform, withoutdisparaging each other.”For more Reuters political news,click here.
Jobs Cuts UnexpectedlyAccelerate - Wall StreetJournal
(Most Popular - Google News)
Submitted at 10/2/2009 10:17:37 AM
BY MAYA JACKSONRANDALLWASHINGTON -- Employerseliminated more jobs thanexpected last month as theunemployment rate climbed to9.8%, another sign that a rapidrecovery in the labor market isunlikely.Nonfarm payrolls declined by263,000 in September, the LaborDepartment said Friday, notingthat the largest job losses were inconstruction, manufacturing, retailtrade and government.Economists surveyed by DowJones Newswires survey hadexpected a 175,000 decrease.The unemployment rate,calculated using a survey of households as opposed tocompanies, grew 0.1 percentagepoint to 9.8%. Just last year, inJuly 2008 for example, theunemployment rate was under6%.
IMF chief renews call for currency reform
(Financial Times - US homepage)
Submitted at 10/2/2009 5:21:17 AM
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, thehead of the InternationalMonetary Fund, on Fridayreiterated his criticism of China’s“undervalued” currency, but saidreforms to exchange rate policieswere part of wider moves tocreate more balanced globalgrowth.Speaking at the opening of theWorld Bank and IMF annualmeetings in Istanbul, Mr Strauss-Kahn and Robert Zoellick, thebank’s president, called for theworld to continue co-operating oninternational economic issueseven as the economic andfinancial crisis fades.
 
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The First Draft: Sex scandal and theOlympics
By Deborah Charles (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 10/2/2009 6:20:30 AM
They’re not linked, but thestories that topped the newsshows this morning had to do withsex and with the Olympics.Late-night comedian DavidLetterman made an unusualconfession on his show last night:he was the victim of a $2 millionextortion plot by a man whothreatened to write a screenplayabout Letterman having afffairswith female employees.The talk show host quoted ablackmail note as saying: “I knowthat you do some terrible, terriblethings and I can prove that you dothese terrible things.”Initially, Letterman’saudiencedidn’t understand and thoughthewas telling a joke. Theylaughed as he said he found apackage in his car three weeksago from a person who was tryingto blackmail him.Then the audience seemed kindof stunned, not knowing how toreact as the 62-year-old comedianspoke about the “very bizarreexperience” as he admitted that hehad had sex with women whowork for him on the show. Hethen went on to say hehoped toprotect his family and his job.An employee with CBS’s “48Hours” was arrested inthe case.The other top story: PresidentObama’s Olympic plea to try towin the 2016 Summer Games forChicago.Obama flew overnight toCopenhagen then went directly tospeak to the InternationalOlympic Committe, which willchoose the hostofthe 2016Olympics. Finalist cities alsoinclude Rio de Janeiro, Madridand Tokyo.Obama made an impassionedplea fortheplacehe said he fell inlove with 25 years ago, the city hecalled the “most American of American cities.”The president was accompaniedby his wife, Michelle, who spentthe last two days lobbying IOCmembers to vote for herhometown to host the SummerGames.Obama is due to make astatement shortly after he returnsto the White House, around 4 p.m.(2000 GMT). The IOC isexpected to announce its decisionat 12:30 p.m. (1630 GMT).For more Reuters political news,click here.Photo credits: Reuters/RobertGalbraith (Letterman at the 57thEmmyAwards in 2005);Reuters/Kevin Lamarque (Obamahugs his wife before speaking toIOC in Copenhagen)
Goolsbee: economist byday, comedian by night
By Tabassum Zakaria (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 10/1/2009 9:42:15 AM
Funny guy emerges from thedismal science.Austan Goolsbee, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, proved lastnight that economists can dish asgood as they get.He turned the tables on theimage of the economist as anumbers nerd usually on thereceiving end of jokes, bywinning the 16th annual “D.C.’sFunniest Celebrity” contest.The video of his winningroutine at the Washington D.C.Improv posted on Politico.comcan be seen below.The wiry Chicago economistdid his stand-up routine in front of the microphone in suit and tiewith White House credentialshanging around his neck.The jokes were inserted (asides)to a monologue on political life inWashington.“I’m just a guy from Chicago”(future Fed chair).When President Barack Obamaentered office it was not a funtime in the economy but the all-star team of economists “basicallyknew what to do” (panic).“Let’s react the right way whenthings happen” (aaaarrrggghhh).“We kind of had to go back andlook at the old textbooks,” (KarlMarx, Trotsky).Funny guy.UPDATE: More than a fewbloggers have noted Goolsbee’sact owed a certain debt to KevinNealon’s “Mr Subliminal.”Click here for more Reuterspolitical coveragePhoto Credit: Reuters/JasonReed (Goolsbee during economicsummit in 2008)
Earth's Hum Might Help Map Mars
By Alexis Madrigal (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 10/1/2009 5:00:00 PM
The Earth hums at a frequencyof 10 millihertz — and it turns outthat noise can be used to map itsinterior. Now, scientists arewondering if a hypotheticalMartian hum could help usunderstood that planet's geology.
Politics/ Tech News/ 
 
3Internet News Record
Senior Obama aide leaving WhiteHouse for military service
By Caren Bohan (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 10/1/2009 1:23:04 PM
President Barack Obama’slongest-serving foreign policyaide, Mark Lippert, is leaving theWhite House to serve as anintelligence officer in the U.S.Navy.Lippert, a 36-year-old Navyreservist and Iraq war veteran,will leave his job as chief of staff for the White House NationalSecurity Council to return toactive duty, a White Housestatement said.The White House did not saywhere Lippert would be deployed.Lippert’s departure wasdescribed in some media accountsas a “shakeup” but White Housesources said he would be back after his service is up in six tonine months.Obama, himself, said Lippertwould be welcome back at theWhite House anytime.Lippert joined Obama’s Senatestaff in 2005 and later was a topforeign policy aide on Obama’spresidential campaign, but left fornearly a year when he was calledup to advise the Navy SEALs onintelligence in Iraq. Lippertreturned from Iraq in mid-2008and became a regular presence onObama’s campaign plane duringthe final stretch againstRepublican John McCain.Obama called Lippert a “closefriend” and said he would miss“his counsel, his excellent work atthe NSC, and his good cheer.”“At the same time,” Obamaadded, “I was not surprised whenhe came and told me he hadstepped forward for anothermobilization, as Mark ispassionate about the Navy. Isupport his decision.”Obama said that Lippert would“always have a senior foreignpolicy position in this WhiteHouse, when he chooses to returnto civilian life.”Denis McDonough, whoworked closely with Lippert onthe campaign and at the WhiteHouse, will succeed him as chief of staff to the National SecurityCouncil.Ben Rhodes, another longtimeObama aide who has been servingas the top foreign policyspeechwriter in the White House,will take over from McDonoughas the point person at the NSC incharge of strategiccommunications.Photo Credit: Reuters/JimYoung (Obama speaks to troopsin Iraq in April)
Healthcare, unplugged
By JoAnne Allen (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 10/1/2009 7:57:26 AM
It’s never going to top anycharts, but the folks who put arecording of HR3200 online foryour listening pleasure are back.This time, they’re offering adigital recording of the SenateFinance Committee version of healthcare reform offered bychairman Max Baucus. And theykeep the site updated with allmodifications to the bill as itmoves through the committee.The voice actors doing thereading see their performances asa public service. “We read, youlisten, we ALL decide,” is theslogan atop their Web site.The way they see it, voters needto know what’s in the bills —minus the political spin. But theyknow some of us don’t take timeto actually read the contents,including some members of Congress.HR3200, formally known asAmerica’s Affordable HealthChoices Act of 2009 is over 1,000pages. But the voice artists makeit easy for you to catch everyword. You can even download therecordings to your favorite MP3player.In America’s Healthy FutureAct of 2009, the Baucus bill, yougotta love hearing Title IIISubtitle A Part II on strengtheningthe quality infrastructure read by aprofessional.For more Reuters political news,click here.Photo Credit: Reuters/PunitParanjpe (researcher in India),Reuters/Choi Bu-Seok (People tryout iPod devices in Seoul)
Putin issues Renault with funding ultimatum
(Financial Times - US homepage)
Submitted at 10/2/2009 7:35:42 AM
Russian prime minister VladimirPutin on Friday gave Renault anultimatum to either help fundAvtovaz or see its 25 per centstake in Russia’s biggest carmakerreduced.“Either they (Renault)participate in funding theenterprise or we will have to agreewith them on dividing up ourstakes,” Mr Putin told governmentofficials.
Politics/ Finance/ 
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