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San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales said Thursday that he has demanded City Manager Del Borgsdorf explain what he and others in his office knew of concerns about favoritism in a multimillion-dollar technology contract after an independent investigator this week concluded all of Borgsdorf's aides knew and the city manager himself ``more likely than not'' also had been briefed. Borgsdorf for months has denied that he or any member of his staff had been warned of serious legal problems with an $8 million contract to install Cisco Systems equipment in the new City Hall. However, an independent investigator said Tuesday that...

CHICAGO - The incoming deputy leader of Senate Democrats demanded answers Saturday from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as to why U.S. soldiers in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) lack protective equipment for themselves and their vehicles.   "We can, and we should, armor every Humvee and every truck our troops use in Iraq and Afghanistan," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said in his party's weekly radio address. "No more excuses, no more delays. We can save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of serious injuries." Congress has given the Bush administration all the defense spending...

The public corruption scandal that surrounds Mayor James Hahn and taints City Hall gets uglier by the day. In the latest development, it appears that disgraced P.R. giant Fleishman-Hillard tried to bill the city's Department of Water and Power for the cost of a political fund-raiser for then-City Councilman Nick Pacheco, who was fighting for his political life against Mayor James Hahn's archenemy Antonio Villaraigosa. We write "appears" because, like the rest of this saga, the details are murky. And that's why the citizens of Los Angeles need a full accounting and explanation -- in advance of the March mayoral...

Questions:: Dear NKzone, I'm doing a social studies project for social studies and my question is: How does communism in North Korea compare to that of China? If you could answer a few questions for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. 1)Is the North korean government strict? If so, how? 2) What are some laws that prohibit people from doing certain actions?; What are some things the North Korean government has made illegal that would be legal in most other countries? 3) Do you think the North Koreans are happy living in North Korea? 4) Has there ever been a protest...

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=10146 Debate Score: Bush 1, Kerry 0 Written by Gregory Borse Monday, October 04, 2004 In order for the creeping dynamics of the race for the presidency to change as a result of the first presidential debate, two things had to happen: President Bush had to commit a major gaff and Democratic challenger Senator Kerry had to hit a home run. Neither happened. Still, this first debate offered an opportunity--as a result of the fact that the two participants performed so well--a real contrast between the candidates. For all the harping before the first of the three scheduled debates, about...

Special Post-Debate Release....10-1, 2004 Style vs. Substance Round 1 Written by JB Williams ©2004-09-30 Before even I become confused by the pundit’s efforts to tell me what I saw and heard last night, I’m writing round one of the 2004 Presidential debates in to my own history book. The answer to who won the first round will depend on who you ask. If you’re asking me, both candidates lost… John Kerry looked good, was articulate, on message, calm, forceful, yet uncharacteristically respectful. Bush looked tired, verbally stumbling at times, a bit too on message, forceful as expected, but almost agitated,...

2 Chronicles 7: 14 If my people, who are called by my Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. NOTE: On September 16, 2000 the first Pray for President Bush prayer thread was posted on Free Republic. Through the efforts of DittoJed2 who initiated the thread, and other faithful prayer warriors, Pray for President Bush has been a daily thread for the past four years. We invite you to join us today to thank...

Stone Age Columbus - questions and answersWhat was the Ice Age climate like in southern France/Spain? During the last glacial maximum around 20,000 years ago the climate was a lot colder and drier than now. In southern France one could expect summer temperatures of between 5-10°C and winter temperatures dropping below -20°C. Even so, there were three basic land types that had their own advantages and disadvantages for people: Wide coastal plain that was probably an open grass land with sparse vegetation Uplands that would have been much like the Arctic tundra today Inland valleys that were well sheltered and...

Without A Doubt: Answering The 20 Toughest Faith Questions by Kenneth Samples Without a Doubt provides clear, solid answers to tough questions encountered every day. Topics range from the deity of Christ to religious pluralism. From evolution to moral relativism. And the powerful responses can reach even the most stubborn skeptic. Lists help readers remember key points. Additional resources provide places to turn for more in-depth information. And discussion questions can enliven Sunday school classes, family devotions, or neighborhood get-togethers. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0801064694/terraspacedock "In Without a Doubt, Ken Samples treats his readers to a popular, readily accessible handbook of apologetics. His helpful...

Hi! My name is John Martineu. Im 18 and a student of Dover high School in Dover Delaware. I have been assigned a final term project. We are to do a 20 page turn paper on different subjects. I am doing one on the collapse of communism. Since you coservatives know alot about this, I was wondering if you could help me out. First Id like to know what communism is and how it is different from socialism? Second I would also like to know about why Russia collapsed. Third could you tell me why you refer to certain people...

Q. HOW DO YOU ANSWER THE VIETNAM COMPARISON?A: I THINK THE ANALOGY IS FALSE. I ALSO HAPPEN TO THINK THAT ANALOGY SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO OUR TROOPS, AND SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO THE ENEMY.Q. WHAT'S YOUR BEST PREDICTION ON HOW LONG U.S. TROOPS WILL HAVE TO BE IN IRAQ? A. IN TERMS OF HOW LONG WE'LL BE THERE: AS LONG AS NECESSARY, AND NOT ONE DAY MORE. THE IRAQI PEOPLE NEED US THERE TO HELP WITH SECURITY. Q. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WILL HAVE TO ADD SOME TROOPS; IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT? A. THAT'S UP TO GENERAL...

Please indulge me a bit... Many of us saw it...the interview between Barbara and Hillary. An obviously scripted puff piece that offered us no insight whatsoever (as compared to the anal probing given to candidate George W Bush turned President) into the insights of a woman who, by all admissable evidence, has aspirations to be the First Woman President with her duty bound, excess, narcissistic baggage...ex-president Bill Clinton as First...Man? Or more realistically, what exactly would Bill Clinton be? The First White, Black Man similar to the First White, Black President? Or howabout the First Impeached, White, Black Man similar...

UNITED NATIONS/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.N. arms inspectors are expected to report on Thursday that Iraq has still failed to answer key questions, providing possible fresh ammunition for Washington's case for war. As the world watched for clues on how close fingers were to triggers for war, EU president Greece said on Wednesday it would launch a peace mission, President Bush met his top general and Iraq fired new salvoes of defiant words. U.N. experts said on the eve of the report to the United Nations Security Council that Iraq had not cleared up issues about biological and chemical programs, including...

KUWAIT CITY – Ashwaq Abdel-Rida has never known her father. She was born eight months after he was captured by Iraqi soldiers while shopping for his pregnant wife in August 1990. Musa Abdel-Rida, a sergeant in the Kuwaiti police, hasn't been seen since. Twelve years after Iraq's occupation of its southern neighbor, 605 Kuwaitis are still missing. Their fate remains a highly emotional issue in this country of only 860,000, and has helped sustain a deep animosity for Saddam Hussein and his regime. Iraq says all Kuwaiti prisoners were released and denies holding any more. But last week, Iraq announced...

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