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INCREASED OIL/GAS PRODUCTION ANWR Development · Increasing domestic oil production from the vast reserves of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a solid first step towards making American energy independent; the Department of the Interior estimates ANWR has between 10 to 18 billion barrels of oil. · ANWR is unique among potential energy solutions in that the cost for its development would be met by private industry. · The development of ANWR would foster immediate job growth around the country; estimates show that in Virginia alone between 3000 and almost 7000 jobs would be created. Offshore Drilling · We...

"A quick summary: Companies that had billions in subprime loans were feeling the effects of their stupid decision to make those loans in the first place, and practically gave them away for pennies on the dollar. But since no one wants these loans, and they've had to mark them down to market value, it has frozen the market. If we temporarily change the rule that forces companies to do that, that will free the market up...." http://www.daveramsey.com/tdrs/index.cfm/2008/9/23/Fix-the-bailout-with-mark-to-market?ictid=sptlt http://www1.daveramsey.com/etc/fed_bailout/economic_cleanup_10887.htmlc

Now, that is funny. On a more serious note, the point of the video is true. American jobs that leave do so for good reason. Corporations can find cheaper labor overseas, which causes production costs to go down and prices on goods. This is good for the American consumer, and it also forces Americans to do what they do best, innovate. Making these jobs stay home only punishes the American consumer, just like tarriffs. Tarriffs are essentially government and corporations joining together to steal from the American consumer by overpricing goods.

Patch Rendell visits the state's latest health care initiative. Pennsylvania criminals get great health care, now Gov. Edward (Patch) Rendell is creating a plan to grant the state's low-income workers access to premium health care by participating in the penal system. Rendell said that the state allowed a child rapist to get a million-dollar heart bypass surgery. The Crime for Coverage will provide similar quality health care for workers who show the initiative to plan and execute crimes. "Now, we're not saying you have to be a rapist, or a murderer, although these crimes do provide long-term coverage," Rendell said....

On July 17, Nobelist and Academy Award winner Al Gore issued a stirring challenge to our nation to produce 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and carbon-free sources within 10 years. Gore asserted, "The quickest, cheapest and best way to start using all this renewable energy is in the production of electricity. In fact, we can start right now using solar power, wind power and geothermal power to make electricity for our homes and businesses." This massive push for no-carbon electricity production would help prevent climate change and cut our dependence on foreign oil. Of course, great-souled visionaries...

Video. And Amateur Hour continues apace. ABC's Terry Moran asks Obama about what Petraeus thought about Barry's 16 month pullout plan. Obama breaks out the leisure suit, starts dancing, and finally says, "You know, I, I, umm, uhh, I mean, uhh, you know, well . . . Screw Petraeus, I'm the boss and I'll decide when the hell we're gonna pull out."

THE call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops that I have long advocated, and that is needed for long-term success in Iraq and the security interests of the United States. The differences on Iraq in this campaign are deep. Unlike Senator John McCain, I opposed the war in Iraq before it began, and would end it as president. I believed it was a grave mistake to allow ourselves to be distracted from...

Democratic state lawmakers are introducing legislation they say would cut down on unintended pregnancies and protect women's health through expanded sex education and improved access to birth control. Health insurance plans that cover prescriptions would have to include coverage for contraception.

American Chinese and Chinese students across the United States have been voluntarily and spontaneously staging a series of peaceful protests against the Dalai Lama's separatist activities as he tours the country. "Wherever Dalai goes, he will always meet protests from Chinese people and all peace-loving folks," Ge Yan, a Chinese student studying in Minnesota, told Xinhua on Friday. During the Dalai Lama's stop in Rochester, Minnesota, on Wednesday, some 200 Chinese Americans and Chinese students lined up on the streets, condemning the Dalai clique's attempts to sabotage the Beijing Olympics and expressing firm support for the Games and the torch...

Plans to extend the limit to 90 days were defeated in 2005 Government plans to extend the limit to hold terror suspects without charge to 42 days are facing mounting criticism from both opposition and Labour MPs. Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, said ministers did not have enough support in parliament to carry the plans. It comes after the home secretary described the terrorism threat facing the UK as "severe" and "growing". The Tories and Lib Dems say increasing time limits will not help fight terror. In a News of the World interview, Home...

LUBBOCK, Texas - Republican John McCain defended his latest plan to help some homeowners pay their mortgages, saying Friday it was not a reversal of his earlier opposition to aggressive intervention by the government. The likely Republican presidential nominee on Thursday proposed to help 200,000 to 400,000 homeowners trade burdensome mortgages for manageable loans, a plan that would cost $3 billion to $10 billion. Democratic rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama argued that McCain was flip-flopping. Last month, he said he preferred only limited intervention and letting market forces play out, drawing criticism from Democrats and some Republicans...

After being reminded about Nancy Pelosi's promise that the Democrats had a plan to lower gas prices if the American people would simply elect enough Democrats in 2006 to allow them to take over both the House and the Senate, I decided to google it. Imagine my surprise when the second most popular return rewards you with "This question deleted".

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department will propose on Monday that Congress give the Federal Reserve broad new authority to oversee financial market stability, in effect allowing it to send SWAT teams into any corner of the industry or any institution that might pose a risk to the overall system. The proposal is part of a sweeping blueprint to overhaul the nation’s hodgepodge of financial regulatory agencies, which many experts say failed to recognize rampant excesses in mortgage lending until after they set off what is now the worst financial calamity in decades.

No wonder Democratic leaders are discussing ways to resolve the Obama-Clinton race. It may have something to do Hillary Clinton’s recent Q&A with Newsweek (March 17, 2008, issue): “How can you win the nomination when the math looks so bleak for you?It doesn’t look bleak at all. I have a very close race with Senator Obama. There are elected delegates, caucus delegates and superdelegates, all for different reasons, and they’re all equal in their ability to cast their vote for whomever they choose. Even elected and caucus delegates are not required to stay with whomever they are pledged to. This...

Obesity needs to be tackled in the same way as climate change, a top nutritional scientist has said.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican John McCain plans to run a general election campaign as steadfast protector of the United States in the face of terrorism as well as a crusader against big government. The Democrats, he says, offer neither. "They would govern this country in a way that will, in my opinion, take this country backward," the likely GOP nominee said this week in a speech to conservative activists that served as his opening argument for a fall showdown with either Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama. With chief rival Mitt Romney out of the race, McCain is gearing...

Aussie firm helps build China's new missile catamarans By National Security correspondent Leigh Sales The Chinese Navy is using Australian technology to upgrade its warships, a move which experts warn may be detrimental to Australia's national security. Through a joint venture company based in China, an Australian business, AMD, has sold designs for the hull and propulsion system of high-speed catamarans to the Peoples' Liberation forces. The Chinese military has built vessels based on those designs and then armed them with weapons systems including anti-shipping missiles. A former senior Australian intelligence official is warning that although the situation is legal...

China navy floats three-carrier plan By Russell Hsiao On December 31, a Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Pao cited a report that no one in the Western media has detected concerning a Jane's Defence Weekly article which reported that China has plans to develop three-carrier battle groups over the next decade. News about this development has been widely discussed in the Hong Kong and Taiwanese press. Citing Jane's, Wen Wai Pao reported that as a part of its carrier battle group plans the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) intends to establish an even stronger submarine fleet; having added 20 nuclear-powered...

The health care system in this country is irrevocably broken, in part because it is only a "health care" system, not a "health" system. We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funded through ever-higher taxes. We do need to get serious about preventive health care instead of chasing more and more dollars to treat chronic disease, which currently gobbles up 80% of our health care costs, and yet is often avoidable. The result is that we'll be able to deliver better care where and when it's needed. I advocate policies that will encourage the private sector...

THE RISING SEA DRAGON IN ASIA - 2008 UPDATE By Jeff Head - Last Update: January 2, 2008 Throughout 2007 the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has concentrated on integrating its newest surface combatants into its various fleets, while introducing new combatants simultaneously. In particularly, the newer nuclear attack and ballistic missile submarines have been officially seen and photographed, punctuating the PLAN's continued advance and improvement of its nuclear submarine capability, while continuing to build and add new diesel electric submarines. It's new Landing Ship Dock and now new, associated LCAC craft are being integrated into the fleet. The...

In what may be the largest early release of inmates in U.S. history, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration is proposing to open the prison gates next year for some 22,000 low-risk offenders. According to details of a budget proposal made available to The Bee, the administration will ask the Legislature to authorize the release of certain non-serious, nonviolent, non-sex offenders who are in the final 20 months of their terms. The proposal would cut the prison population by 22,159 inmates and save the cash-strapped state an estimated $256 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1 and more than $780...

Catamarans Glide Through Chinese Waters By James C. Bussert December 2007 But the newest missile boats bear unusual markings. China is launching catamaran missile boats in large numbers in what might be a program to replace long-standing conventional missile boats. However, the new missile catamarans are painted in blue and white camouflage colors that are characteristic of the Chinese marines. This raises questions about the boats’ real missions—questions that might be intentionally generated by the paint scheme. In 2004, China’s Quixin Shipyard in Shanghai produced the lead Houbei Type 022 wave-piercing catamaran, hull number 2008. The Type 022 is 43...

Washington – The Club for Growth praised Senator Fred Thompson for the release of his pro-growth tax reform plan this morning on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. The seven-part plan is the most comprehensive tax reform plan offered to date by a presidential candidate. The plan will: Permanently extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts Permanently repeal the Death Tax Repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax Reduce the corporate tax rate to no more than 27% Permanently extend small business expensing Update and simplify depreciation schedules Expand taxpayer choice Most commendable is Thompson’s plan to expand taxpayer choice by adopting...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Oct. 23, 2007 – Afghan national security forces planned and secured the 3rd Annual Chamkani Peace Games in the Chamkani district of Afghanistan’s Paktia province in mid-October, where 45 sports teams participated in events that included soccer, cricket and volleyball. Afghan youth compete in volleyball during the 3rd Annual Chamkani Peace Games in the Chamkani district of Afghanistan’s Paktia province, Oct 13, 2007. Afghan security forces worked through local leaders and youth groups to coordinate the event. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The Peace Games are very important for the mindset...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 — Democrats and their allies mapped out a strategy on Friday that they hoped would enable them to override President Bush’s expected veto of a bipartisan bill providing health insurance for 10 million children, most of them in low-income families. Democratic leaders said they would highlight the contrast between the president’s request for large sums of money for the Iraq war and his opposition to smaller sums for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as Schip. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, said, “It’s ironic that in the very same week that the president says he’s...

The heroic Briton who braved Thai crash inferno to save passengersA heroic British holidaymaker crawled through the blazing wreck of a crashed jet to rescue other passengers, it was revealed yesterday. Peter Hill, an English teacher from Manchester, risked his life to drag three to safety after the aeroplane split in two and burst into flames on the Thai resort island of Phuket. Last night 35-year-old Mr Hill, who was injured during his rescue efforts, was presented with flowers by the Thai prime minister and foreign minister in hospital, where four other Britons were recovering. At least five Britons were...

Mahan, Malabar and China By Rahul K Bhonsle China's quest for great nationhood passes through the waters of the Indian Ocean. Chinese strategists have perhaps concluded that the rise of great nations is determined by the size of their navies. As China seeks to rise to greater glories, a Navy is assuming increasing importance for Beijing. Moreover, an economy, which is dependent on inward flow of raw materials including oil and gas and the outward transportation of goods by sea, cannot neglect the oceans. China's wealth is concentrated on the Western coast, thus it has to ensure that this is...

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is filling in the blanks in his proposal to eliminate taxes on interest and dividends for families earning less than $200,000 a year. A former business executive and Massachusetts governor, Romney said the plan would benefit 95 percent of American families — 56 million that earned interest in 2005, 28 million that earned dividends and 23 million with capital gains from real estate, stocks or bonds. Romney, who previously has talked about his desire to eliminate such taxes, said the plan would encourage saving. He was explaining the details during an...

Each candidate in the 2008 Presidential race will undoubtedly offer a health care plan. Those plans will include initiatives ranging from a single payer system, to employer mandates, to tax incentives for the purchase of private health insurance. But only one candidate has actually done something, waded into the issue and emerged with a successful plan that does not resort to one-size-fits-all, government run "Hillary Care." That innovative candidate is former Governor Mitt Romney. On April 12, 2006, Governor Romney signed into law landmark legislation ensuring that every resident of Massachusetts would have access to affordable, portable, quality private health...

Mitt Romney has a lot of ideas. That's one area where you can't criticize him. His latest idea is called the "One-Strike, You're Ours" Law. Catchy title. Basically, what Romney proposed last night during his speech in Colorado Springs was tougher penalties for first time sexual Internet predators who prey on young children. If you are caught and convicted then you'll get "stiff mandatory jail time" plus Romney will sick big brother on you because the penalty will also be a lifetime of tracking by GPS systems. I can already see the ACLU mobilizing the forces. If they thought the...

Schneier on pandemic planning: Why bother? By Robert L. Mitchell on Tue, 07/17/2007 - 12:02pmSecurity expert Bruce Schneier has special advice for businesses thinking about pandemic planning: Don’t bother. In a Computerworld story this week, Schneier, chief technology officer at BT Counterpane in Mountain View, Calif. stated that if a pandemic hits the scope of the disaster would be so large that contingency planning by businesses would be useless. The comments were made in the context of a Computerworld story that focused on the results of a study from Ipsos showing that while the risk of pandemic remains, public concern...

WASHINGTON, July 10, 2007 – President Bush today said he will wait until the top commander in Iraq issues his assessment of progress there before deciding the way ahead for the region. “I believe that it’s in this nation’s interest to give the commander the chance to fully implement his operations,” Bush said, speaking to about 400 people in a town-hall-style meeting in Cleveland. Bush said he believes the United States eventually can reduce its troop presence in Iraq to the number necessary to preserve the country’s territorial integrity, ensure al Qaeda doesn’t gain safe haven from which to launch...

Senator Levin introduced his amendment as part of a defense policy bill.

Three Republican Senators, John McCain, John Thune, and Norm Coleman have stepped forward to introduce the Broadcaster Freedom Act, as questions linger about comments attributed to Senators Hillary Clinton and Barbara Boxer regarding re-imposition of the so-called Fairness Doctrine on broadcasters. The Fairness Doctrine is viewed by many on the political left as a way to muzzle or silence conservative talk radio. The battle for control of talk radio is on.

rom May 15 to 18 Singapore hosted its bi-annual IMDEX naval technology show. One of this show�s highlights was the participation, for the second time since 2003, of a warship from China�s People�s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), to join the show�s Tour of Warships. This visit also served to symbolize China�s enhanced effort in recent years to complement its already decisive economic and political engagement of Southeast Asia with growing military engagement. In particular, China is for the first time in many years making a serious push to sell arms to its Southeast Asian neighbors, to parallel its strategic dialogues...

Thompson: Iraqi Violence Increasing, My Plan Must Be Implemented QuicklyCalls on Romney to get off the fence and support the Thompson plan.(Washington, D.C.) – Saying the bombings this week of the Shiite shrine and the three Sunni Mosques is evidence that a military solution is not in sight, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson called on the Bush Administration and Iraqi leaders to move aggressively to divide the country into eighteen regional governments with democratically-elected leaders and autonomous decision making. “The sectarian violence in Iraq is threatening to completely destabilize the country. It's becoming increasingly clear that a military solution is...

I am putting together a comprehensive comparison and analysis site regarding the face off in the Taiwan Starits between the Taiwan Navy (ROCN) and the Red Chinese Navy (PLAN). I include in the analysis and the comparison, the likely surface combatants that the US would send to the assistance of Taiwan in the event of agression by the Red Chinese. Please take a look by clicking on the logo below and let me know what you think: Also, please feel free to refer others who have questions or interest regarding this potential flashpoint in toda6y's world. It is clear, in...

In the North Sea Fleet where the Chinese are deploying all of their nuclear submarines, SSN's and SSBN's. They will have newer attack submarines, similar to the Russian's, and the Los Angeles class. Also they are deploying two newer destroyers to add to there modern fleet of destroyers. They also have a squadron of sea planes, and they are the only fleet that deploys sea planes. Also they deploy a couple of J-8's. In their aviation wing they have some J-7 fighters, and H-6 bombers. There is a high likelihood that these planes will be replaced with the new J-10B....

On Friday, May 25th, 2007, the Republic of South Korea reached a major milestone in its military and defense progress. The first Korean Destroyer Experimental III vessel (KDX-3) was launched on that date. The new vessel, named the Sejong the Great, DDG 991, is a full AEGIS capable vessel employing the same AN/SPY-1D system as the US Navy Areligh Burke class destroyers, and also utilizing the same AN/SQQ-89 submarine warfare suite. But the vessels are also much more heavily armed than their American counterparts, with an 80 cell VLS grouping forward dedicated to SM-2 missiles, and a 48 cell VLS...

China's military buildup is moving beyond countering Taiwan to global operations from the Middle East through Southeast Asia, according to the Pentagon's annual assessment of Chinese military power. "China's military acquisitions and strategic thinking suggests Beijing is also generating capabilities for other regional contingencies, such as conflict over resources or territory," the report to Congress said. The statement, released yesterday, contradicts assessments of some pro-China analysts and intelligence officials who have said the nation's military buildup is relatively benign and limited to resolving the sovereignty issue of Taiwan, which was separated from China in 1949 during a civil war. China...

China Deploys New Littoral Ships By James C. Bussert May 2007 Frigates with advanced systems complement guided missile destroyers. The People’s Republic of China has launched a new series of frigates that provide an effective modern capability for littoral operations. Known as the Type 054 series, these new frigates can be categorized into two classes—the 054 Jingkai and the newer, much more capable 054A. The first appeared about four years ago, but China could be gearing up to produce both variants in large numbers. China’s impressive new generation 052 Luyang-class guided missile destroyers (DDGs) have made the launching of a...

Elements of Governor Schwarzenegger’s health plan proposal are just as big a threat to an agent’s livelihood as Sheila Kuehl’s single-payer legislation, said Alan Katz, president of Insurance Neighborhood and former senior vice president of WellPoint Health Networks. Addressing the Los Angeles Assn. of Health Underwriters recent Pasadena meeting, he said that one provision would require carriers to spend 85% of premium dollars on medical claims, which limits spending on administrative costs. The 15% administrative spending cap would be calculated the same for all of the products regardless of whether it is an HMO or PPO. It would force carriers...

Bush details plan to curb US addiction to foreign oilWASHINGTON, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2007 President George W. Bush rolled out Monday plans to slash US reliance on oil supplied from unstable regions and so boost the energy-hungry country's defenses against extremist attack. The directive to cut gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years will make the United States "more secure for generations to come," help economic growth and safeguard the environment, Bush said. The so-called "20 in 10" plan was first laid out in Bush's State of the Union speech in January, seeking to slash...

'Arms race' leaving our subs all at sea Tom Hyland May 6, 2007 AUSTRALIA'S most lethal, most secret and most expensive spies are black, 78 metres long, 3350-tonne cigar-shaped tubes. Chances are, one of them is currently prowling under the seas north of Australia, playing blind man's buff with foreign ships. Maybe it's loitering, watching offshore from a terrorist training area, or sucking sensitive radio signals out of the atmosphere. Whatever the Collins class submarines are up to, most of what they do is so secret we won't be told for decades. Even now, the silent and highly dangerous Cold...

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on the House Democrat plan to dramatically increase taxes on the American people: "House Democrats have shown once again why they cannot be trusted with stewardship of our economy. Their tax plan is nothing more than a recipe for higher taxes and slower economic growth. Instead of raising taxes on hard-working Americans and giving more money to the government, we need to lower taxes. Pro-growth economic policies do not begin with government taking more money out of taxpayers' pockets." The Democrats' Plan To Increase Taxes: The House Democrat Alternative...

Submarines a top priority in China By Richard Halloran - The Honolulu Advertiser Posted : Monday Apr 30, 2007 13:27:01 EDT An American military intelligence officer, asked some years ago how far the Chinese could project their military power, answered only half-jokingly: “About as far as their army can walk.” That is changing rapidly today as China’s leaders fuel the budgets of the People’s Liberation Army, which comprises all of their armed forces. Says a new report from the Council on Foreign Relations, the think-tank in New York, China is driven both by “a clear operational objective,” which is to...

President Vladimir Putin on Friday emphasized Moscow's opposition to the planned US deployment of missile defense systems in central Europe and said Russia will take measures in response.

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2007 – Senior U.S. leaders on the ground in Iraq plan to evaluate the success of the new security plan and provide an assessment of the situation to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates by early September, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said here today. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, told Pentagon reporters that he and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, will provide the assessment, which will measure progress in the areas of security, economics, governance and rule of law. September will be a good time for the...

China could have military edge by 2010 2007/4/25 LONDON, AFP China's rapid beefing up of its military might should give it the edge over Taiwan for the first time by 2010, Jane's Defense Weekly said Tuesday. China announced last month a 17.8-percent rise in military spending to US$45 billion for this year -- a boost aimed at making its forces capable of a quick, decisive invasion of Taiwan while deterring US intervention, the authoritative magazine said. "China is working hard to transform its Vietnam War-era defense establishment into a credible regional military power with a new generation of indigenous equipment,...

PRC's navy faces issues with carrier protection By Cheng Ta-chen 鄭大誠 Tuesday, Apr 24, 2007, Page 8 The media have begun to hype up news of plans by China to obtain a new aircraft carrier. This kind of attention has its precedents, such as recent rumblings that China was in the process of building a nuclear-powered carrier, or that it planned to deploy two carrier groups in the Sea of Japan and the South China Sea. It is difficult to know what to make of all these developments. A carrier group requires effective integration of fighting forces in the air,...