On some level, it couldn't have been worse. We have a situation where the most trusted member of the U.S. administration, Vice President Joe Biden, is in Israel seeking to win over the hearts and minds of the Israeli public which, according to the polls, is highly suspicious of the Obama government. And in his opening public remarks, the vice president shows he's cognizant of the need by the administration to state more clearly and vociferously than it had heretofore that the American-Israeli special relationship is as strong as ever.
Included in his comments was the important statement that when it comes to matters affecting Israel's security, there is no space whatsoever between the American and Israeli positions.
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March 11, 2010
House Afghanistan Debate: What Kucinich Accomplished
Yesterday, at long last, there was a vigorous debate about the war in Afghanistan on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. The legislative vehicle was a resolution introduced by Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the year. But House critics of the war have long been agitating for a real debate.
This is the debate that should have been held - at least - last fall when the Administration was considering sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, or - at least - when the Administration announced its plans to send more troops. If the House had held this debate while the Administration was mulling its decision, the Congressional airing of arguments against military escalation and in favor of political and diplomatic solutions would have attracted a lot more attention, and could have affected the decision. No doubt, the possibility that a Congressional debate then might have affected the policy was a key motivation for some in the House leadership not to allow this debate to occur then.
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This is the debate that should have been held - at least - last fall when the Administration was considering sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, or - at least - when the Administration announced its plans to send more troops. If the House had held this debate while the Administration was mulling its decision, the Congressional airing of arguments against military escalation and in favor of political and diplomatic solutions would have attracted a lot more attention, and could have affected the decision. No doubt, the possibility that a Congressional debate then might have affected the policy was a key motivation for some in the House leadership not to allow this debate to occur then.
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8 Of The World’s Most Popular High-Speed Trains (PHOTOS)
The Obama Administration recently allocated money for high-speed train projects across the nation. Here at HuffPost Green, we think high speed rail is totally awesome, and we hope to see many great rail projects across the country. The definition of high-speed rail varies across the world, with the US Federal Railroad Administration defining it as a train that exceeds speeds of 110 mph, while other countries set the standard much higher. Many places in the world are way ahead of us on rail projects, but they certainly give us something to aspire to. Take a look at some of the world's most popular high-speed trains, and let us know which you like best!
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New Anti-Tobacco Ads Remind Smokers That They Can Heal
While most anti-smoking ads use graphic images to show the long-term effects of tobacco, few serve to remind people just how quickly the human body heals once it's weaned off cigarettes.
The Bloomberg administration just released a new set of ads aimed at doing just this.
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The Bloomberg administration just released a new set of ads aimed at doing just this.
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March 10, 2010
Leading Senator Wants New Fed Governors Committed To Full Transparency, Consumer Protection (LETTER)
The chair of a Senate panel overseeing the Federal Reserve wants the Obama administration to appoint Fed officials committed to transparency, consumer protection and lowering the unemployment rate -- three critical areas that the Fed needs to beef up.
In a Wednesday letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and top White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) expresses his concern about the two current vacancies on the Fed's seven-member Board of Governors and the impending vacancy to be created with the June departure of vice chairman Donald L. Kohn.
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In a Wednesday letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and top White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) expresses his concern about the two current vacancies on the Fed's seven-member Board of Governors and the impending vacancy to be created with the June departure of vice chairman Donald L. Kohn.
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Obama Foreclosure-Prevention Plan Lagging, New Data Shows (EXCLUSIVE)
Only about a third of the homeowners who have successfully completed the trial period of the Obama administration's mortgage modification program have been offered permanent relief, according to new federal data obtained by the Huffington Post.
The conversion rate -- about 33 percent -- is woefully short of what the Treasury Department had forecast. Treasury thought the rate would be "ranging up to 75 percent," Herbert M. Allison Jr., assistant secretary for financial stability, told the Congressional Oversight Panel in October.
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The conversion rate -- about 33 percent -- is woefully short of what the Treasury Department had forecast. Treasury thought the rate would be "ranging up to 75 percent," Herbert M. Allison Jr., assistant secretary for financial stability, told the Congressional Oversight Panel in October.
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Federal Judge Clears the Way for Destruction of Incriminating Contracting Data
United States District Judge William Alsup has denied the American Small Business League's (ASBL) request for a temporary restraining order, and cleared the way for the Obama Administration to destroy over ten years worth of federal contracting data.
On March 12, 2010, the Obama Administration intends to move forward with a plan that would destroy years of incriminating contracting data by eliminating the socio-economic field, "isSmallBusiness," found within the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG). In the past, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA IG) and other agencies have used the small business flag to uncover evidence indicating that large businesses have fraudulently received billions of dollars in federal small business contracts.
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On March 12, 2010, the Obama Administration intends to move forward with a plan that would destroy years of incriminating contracting data by eliminating the socio-economic field, "isSmallBusiness," found within the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG). In the past, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA IG) and other agencies have used the small business flag to uncover evidence indicating that large businesses have fraudulently received billions of dollars in federal small business contracts.
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March 9, 2010
Liz Cheney ‘Al-Qaeda 7′ Ad Disgusts More Conservatives
A group of 19 prominent Bush administration officials and other lawyers launched an offensive Monday, attacking Liz Cheney for a recent ad by her group, Keep America Safe, that questioned the loyalties of Department of Justice lawyers that had represented Guantanamo detainees.
In a statement signed by nine former Bush officials and 10 other lawyers, critics condemned the ads as a "shameful series of attacks...both unjust to the individuals in question and destructive of any attempt to build lasting mechanisms for counterterrorism adjudications."
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In a statement signed by nine former Bush officials and 10 other lawyers, critics condemned the ads as a "shameful series of attacks...both unjust to the individuals in question and destructive of any attempt to build lasting mechanisms for counterterrorism adjudications."
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March 8, 2010
Why I’m Breaking the Law for Health Care
On Tuesday, a drama will unfold in Washington that will be unlike anything we've seen in the first year of the Obama administration.
I will join dozens of leaders of unions and other public interest organizations and thousands of others to protest the major lobby that is blocking real health care reform in Congress. We will hold a rally and then march to a Washington hotel where America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), which represents all the corporate heavies in the health industry, will be plotting their next steps.
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I will join dozens of leaders of unions and other public interest organizations and thousands of others to protest the major lobby that is blocking real health care reform in Congress. We will hold a rally and then march to a Washington hotel where America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), which represents all the corporate heavies in the health industry, will be plotting their next steps.
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Winds of Trade Wars
President Obama argues that the Chinese Yuan is undervalued, contributing to the large trade deficit with China and depriving Americans of jobs. Further, he argues this creates a dangerous imbalance and that the government should intervene to fix the situation, possibly by engaging in trade war.
This asseverates the suspicion that the Obama administration is misguided on basic economic issues.
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This asseverates the suspicion that the Obama administration is misguided on basic economic issues.
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