Foundation for Economic Education
by Becky Akers

12/19/05

The government suffers no shortage of gall. Barely a week after air marshals from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) gunned down passenger Rigoberto Alpizar at Miami's International Airport, the agency announced that it will expand the reach of its marshal program. That's right: slaughter a man, then, while the investigation is still going on, seek new venues. The TSA is embarking 'on a three-day pilot project to test the agency's ability to assist State and local authorities by quickly deploying federal assets in response to a specific threat,' a press release said. No word on whether those threats include Americans who distress the Pentagon with their protests against the Iraq war, or homeowners who refuse to leave their property when eminent domain evicts them...

http://tinyurl.com/8e79n


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Reuters

12/19/05

The U.S. Congress' authorization of military force after the September 11, 2001, attacks also gave President George W. Bush the right to eavesdrop on people in the United States, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said on Monday. 'Our position is that authorization to use force, which was passed by the Congress in the days following September 11, constitutes that other authorization ... to engage in this kind of signals intelligence,' Gonzales said. But he conceded: 'One might argue, now wait a minute, there's nothing in the authorization to use force that specifically mentions electronic surveillance.' He denied it was 'a backdoor approach,' saying: 'We believe Congress has authorized this kind of surveillance'... [editor's note: The arrogance of these people is astounding - MLS] [additional editor's note: Doesn't Gonzales know that that "congressional authorization of force" is quaint and obsolete? - TLK]

http://tinyurl.com/bk6db


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Boston Globe

12/19/05

Lawmakers from both parties yesterday questioned the legality of the Bush administration's secret wiretapping -- done without court approval -- of US citizens and foreign nationals, even as the White House continued to defend the intercepts as critical to stopping potential terrorist attacks. Three prominent Republican senators -- Arlen Specter, John McCain and Lindsey Graham -- appeared on Sunday talk shows and called for investigations into the matter, intensifying public pressure on the Bush administration, which has stuck by its decision to allow domestic spying. The senators said the wiretapping might violate the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which requires special federal court approval of any surveillance of US citizens conducted for intelligence purposes on American soil...

http://tinyurl.com/bdsfq


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Las Vegas Review-Journal

12/19/05

Accused of acting above the law, President Bush forcefully defended a domestic spying program on Monday as an effective tool in disrupting terrorists and insisted it was not an abuse of Americans' civil liberties. Bush said it was 'a shameful act' for someone to have leaked details to the media. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said it was 'probably the most classified program that exists in the United States government' -- involving electronic intercepts of telephone calls and e-mails in the U.S. of people with known ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups...

http://tinyurl.com/2346c


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Fairbanks News-Miner

12/20/05

House of Representatives approval of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was less than five hours old Monday morning when senators took up the debate .... When the Senate opened its floor session at 9:30 a.m., Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., asked how his colleagues could even consider approving the same bill. The conference committee that merged the House and Senate versions Sunday clearly violated a Senate rule by adding the ANWR rider, he said. ... A successful point of order would block the bill's passage. To avoid that result, Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and other pro-drilling senators are expected to try to reject the parliamentarian's ruling, a move that would mock the Senate's own rules, Feingold said. Stevens agreed that the Senate rule prohibits the addition of the ANWR language. However, he said, other rules also allow senators the flexibility to temporarily waive the restriction by rejecting the parliamentarian's decision...

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3173823,00.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Finally we have a Washington scandal that goes beyond sex, corruption and political intrigue to big issues like security versus liberty and the reasonable bounds of presidential power. President Bush came out swinging on Snoopgate - he made it seem as if those who didn't agree with him wanted to leave us vulnerable to al Qaeda - but it will not work. We're seeing clearly now that Bush thought 9/11 gave him license to act like a dictator, or in his own mind, no doubt, like Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/122005Z.shtml

Are we so screwed up that we can't take care of the poor, sick and elderly? We all pay a huge amount of taxes, including hidden taxes and yet the states and government are always crying poor mouth and blaming the poor. Where is all that money going? ........bd


Medicaid changes could hit the poor

Mon Dec 19, 2:48 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The spending bill approved by the House early on Monday and awaiting a Senate vote could increase the out-of-pocket costs of many of the poor people who rely on the joint federal-state program for their health care.

The legislation also tightens eligibility rules for long-term care. Medicaid pays for roughly half of nursing home bills.

The mostly Republican backers of the bill say the changes are necessary to preserve a financially beleaguered social program that has not been updated to keep up with the changes in U.S. health care.

Mostly Democratic critics say it shreds the health safety net for the most vulnerable Americans. The AARP is among the interest groups opposed to the health care legislation.

The net savings are $4.7 billion over five years, but run to around $23 billion over 10 years. The bill:

- Gives states more flexibility in deciding what health benefits to give to those on Medicaid although basic services will be required for children, pregnant women and senior citizens.

- Allows states to require poor people to pay more out of pocket for their care by increasing co-payments or premiums. Advocacy groups say this could cost $10 billion over a decade.

- Increases from three to five years the "look-back" period to see whether middle or upper income seniors had transferred or hidden assets to qualify for Medicaid coverage of nursing homes. It also disqualifies anyone with more than $750,000 in home equity from Medicaid eligibility.

- Changes the way Medicaid pays for medications, particularly generic drugs. Instead of using a formula known as "average wholesale price," which critics in both parties say bears little relationship to actual prices, the payments would be based on "average manufacturer's price" which would be publicly available. Starting in 2007, the federal government will not pay more than 250 percent of the AMP of the lowest-cost version of a generic drug.

- Requires states to use basic identification documents, like drivers licenses or passports, to better enforce current law and prevent illegal aliens from getting Medicaid coverage.

- Includes $2.14 billion to help Medicaid costs in states affected by Hurricane Katrina.

- Includes the Family Opportunity Act, which makes it easier for families to get health care for disabled or special needs children without being forced to remain in poverty or institutionalize their children.

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/3809/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news

Working through the night, the House early today voted to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling as part of a military measure and narrowly approved a $40 billion budget-cutting plan as bleary-eyed lawmakers concluded a marathon weekend session.

http://www.civilrights.org/issues/labor/details.cfm?id=38812


From Information Clearing House

America's business leaders supplied more than $75 million to return Mr. Bush to the White House last year - and he has paid dividends.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051218/NEWS09/512180341


From Information Clearing House