January 2006

"Focus on the Family Action Senior Policy Analyst for Bioethics Carrie Gordon Earll issued the following statement in reaction to today's 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals ruling against the federal "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban":

"This decision, while disappointing in itself, may have the unintended positive effect of encouraging the U.S. Supreme Court to accept an appeal from the 8th Circuit, which ruled against the same pro-life law.

"The presence of newly confirmed Justice Samuel Alito may tip the balance in favor of the high court hearing this appeal." [Read more]

"In his State of the Union speech tonight, President Bush is expected to call for more nuclear power. While he is unlikely to delve into details, his plan includes the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel from U.S. power reactors -- a controversial plan that will overturn 30 years of U.S. practice and make it easier for terrorists to acquire plutonium to make nuclear weapons." [Read more]

"Focus on the Family Action founder and chairman James C. Dobson, Ph.D., issued the following statement today in response to the Senate confirmation of Samuel Alito as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court:

"Associate Justice Alito's experience on the bench and reverence for the Constitution will serve America well, we pray, for the next several decades. It is clear, from his record as an appellate court judge and his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, that Justice Alito understands that his responsibility will be to interpret law, not create it. He will be a welcome addition to a Supreme Court whose justices often fail to recognize the limits of judicial power and authority." [Read more]

"A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today said it is seeking meetings with the Danish and Norwegian ambassadors to the United States to discuss the publication of cartoons in those nations that Muslims worldwide view as "intentionally insulting" to the Prophet Muhammad and Islam.

The cartoons, one of which depicts Islam's prophet as an apparent terrorist with a bomb in his turban, have caused outrage and threats of boycotts across the Muslim world." [Read more]

"President Bush plans to use his State of the Union address tonight to talk up renewable energy and energy independence. The Apollo Alliance said today it hopes he'll articulate a bold, future-oriented agenda, but that the president's track record says reality won't match his rhetoric.

The Apollo Alliance has a 10-step national agenda to create energy independence by the year 2015. The alliance represents a coalition of national security, labor, environmental, civil rights and business leaders who are fighting for energy independence from foreign energy sources." [Read more]

"The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in bestowing eight Oscar nominations today on the controversial film Brokeback Mountain, is honoring a film that tells only half the story about the experience of homosexuals in American culture, according to Focus on the Family.

Mike Haley, director of gender issues for the ministry and a cofounder of its Love Won Out conference, said the movie would have audiences believe there is only one option available to those who find themselves attracted to someone of the same sex..." [Read more]

"The following is a statement of Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron on the confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court:

"Today is a sad day for our country. The Supreme Court makes decisions that touch the lives of all Americans. Unfortunately, the balance of the Court has now tilted dramatically to the right, placing our fundamental rights and freedoms in jeopardy." [Read more]

"Following the (58-42) vote confirming Judge Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court, Fidelis President Joseph Cella released the following statement:

"The state of the union is stronger with Justice Alito on the Supreme Court, and ushers a new era of respect for the rule of law. Without a doubt, Justice Alito's confirmation is the single biggest domestic victory to date for President Bush." [Read more]

"David Bereit, executive director of American Life League (ALL), issued the following statement regarding the confirmation of Samuel Alito as justice to the U.S. Supreme Court:

"We are extremely hopeful that the confirmation of Samuel Alito will lead to a greater protection of all human life including innocent children at risk of losing their lives to abortion. Justice Alito's confirmation to the nation's highest court offers pro-life Americans reason for hope and optimism about the future. His record suggests that he will help to ensure justice for all Americans -- born and pre-born." [Read more]

"The following was released today by the National Urban League:

Today's vote on the filibuster of the nomination of Samuel Alito to be an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court was a critical moment in our history.

Throughout his career, Judge Alito has interpreted the Constitution and laws in a manner that narrowly constricts or denies civil rights, voting rights, economic opportunity, and social justice. Judge Alito's record and his failure to fully answer questions during his hearings leave little doubt that, if elevated to the Supreme Court, he will drastically and dangerously shift the Court in the wrong direction." [Read more]

"A new poll of the Iraqi public finds a large majority of Iraqis think the U.S. plans to maintain bases in Iraq permanently, even if the newly elected government asks the U.S. to leave. A large majority favors setting a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces, though this majority divides as to whether the timeline should be six months or two years. Nearly half of Iraqis approve of attacks on U.S.-led forces -- including nine of 10 Sunnis." [Read more]

"The George Washington University's (GW) Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies will host a panel of distinguished academics and policymakers to discuss the Patriot Act and the challenge facing the United States to balance rights and security in the age of terrorism. As debate over the Patriot Act continues on Capitol Hill, a panel of experts debates the merits, flaws and future of this legislation." [Read more]

"Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman issued the following statement on the death of Coretta Scott King:

"When the voice of a movement was tragically silenced, the wife of the fallen leader took up his cause and marched forward. Coretta Scott King shared her husband's dream for an America where their children 'will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.'" [Read more]

"Mrs. Coretta Scott King, first lady of human and civil rights died the evening of Jan. 30. Mrs. King, wife of slain civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was 78. The family stated "We appreciate the prayers and condolence from people across the country." [Read more]

"The DNC today released the following "How Low Can You Go? The RNC's State of the Union Expectations Game":

Yesterday, Matthew Dowd, the senior advisor and pollster to the Republican National Committee, distributed a fake polling memo which attempted to lower expectations for the President's State of the Union address tonight. Specifically, the memo tried to argue that President Bush is unlikely to see a positive, "State-of-the-Union Bounce" in his poll numbers following the speech." [Read more]

"Century Foundation senior fellow for media and veteran journalist Peter Osnos recently commented on the dangers of reporting in Iraq after participating in a panel discussion on the media coverage of Iraq and Vietnam:

"The serious wounding of ABC's Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, and the kidnapping of Jill Carroll, a young freelancer filing regularly for the Christian Science Monitor, demonstrate again the especially sinister conditions for reporting in Iraq. The coverage of the Iraq war has been profoundly affected by the acute danger of working there..." [Read more]

"World population today is almost four times its size in 1900. Behind that phenomenal global increase is a vast gulf in birth and death rates among the world's countries. But this gulf is not a simple divide that perpetuates the status quo among the have and have-not nations.

"What is worrisome about this demographic divide is not the differences among nations' population growth rates, but the disparities associated with these trends-disparities in living standards, health, and economic prospects," says Mary Kent, co- author along with Carl Haub, of a new Population Reference Bureau report, "Global Demographic Divide." [Read more]

"In a stunning blow to the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace, Hamas has won a majority of seats in the Palestinian parliamentary elections. Voters went to the polls and rejected the longtime rule of the Fatah party currently led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. World leaders have called for Hamas to disarm, and President Bush announced that the United States will not deal with Hamas if it does not renounce terrorism." [Read more]

"Today, Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) announced his opposition to the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito as 110th Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, issued the following statement:

"Senator Chafee's announced opposition to Judge Alito is the worst possible form of pandering to liberal groups. In the mind of Senator Chafee, left-wing talking points take precedence over the highly regarded qualifications of a judicial nominee." [Read more]

"In a newly released report, The Fund for Peace (FfP) urges the international community to begin thinking about a two-phased approach to humanitarian emergencies that threaten civilians, based on strengthening the niche capacities of regional and subregional bodies as first responders in crisis situations." [Read more]

"Within hours of President Bush's State-of-the-Union address, The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy will release a factual analysis of what the speech means for the American middle-class. Unlike traditional spot commentaries that follow the president's annual speech, DMI's report will go beyond mere opinion by offering statistical data and expert opinions to support its analyses of the impact of the President's proposals." [Read more]

"A new poll indicates that only 34 percent of Americans have followed the advice of the Department of Homeland Security on how to prepare in the event of a terrorist attack. The poll was conducted by Wright Consulting Services and commissioned by the popular political blog My Direct Democracy (MyDD) and the advocacy group StartChange." [Read more]

"Innovative financial mechanisms that could dramatically reduce the cost of managing global risks can now be implemented by governments across the world, according to a ground-breaking book launched at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos Jan. 28 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)." [Read more]

"If you were asked to rate the level of emergency preparedness in your city, would you give it an "A"? Given the renewed attention to preparedness after Hurricane Katrina, you might be generous in your evaluation. However, a study released today by the American Disaster Preparedness Foundation (ADPF) rated preparedness in at least half of all major metropolitan areas across the U.S. worse than a C. The highest ranked city, Phoenix, received only a B-plus to claim its position at the top of the list." [Read more]

"Jim Letten, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, James Bernazzani, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Division, and Michael Brannan, Resident Agent in Charge, Louisiana Office, Office of the Inspector General, United States Department of Homeland Security, announced today that two FEMA officials working in New Orleans- Andrew Rose and Loyd Hollman-both of Colorado, were arrested by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and DHS Inspector General's Office this morning for soliciting bribes as public officials." [Read more]

"Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has adopted the failed-leadership tactics of Tom Daschle, according to Fidelis, a national Catholic-based advocacy group.

Fidelis President Joseph Cella stated: "By lending credibility to the filibuster threat of John Kerry and Ted Kennedy, Senator Reid is playing risky politics with the voters of Nevada and his party, and risks marginalizing his role as Minority Leader." [Read more]

"The Democratic National Committee today released the following statement, regarding the Bush administration:

"From failed policies that have overstretched our military to failing to properly plan for post-war reconstruction in Iraq to the problems low-income seniors have in obtaining prescription drugs, this week has again highlighted the serious consequences of the Bush Administration's incompetence," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Josh Earnest. "The American people are hungry for change." [Read more]

"The following was released today by U.S. Department of Justice:

THE NSA PROGRAM TO DETECT AND PREVENT TERRORIST ATTACKS

MYTH V. REALITY

Myth: The NSA program is illegal.

Reality: The President's authority to authorize the terrorist surveillance program is firmly based both in his constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief, and in the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) passed by Congress after the September 11 attacks." [Read more]

"Following is a transcript of remarks by the President after meeting with Lebanese Member of Parliament, Saad Hariri:

The Oval Office

12 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: want to thank you for your passion for the people of Lebanon. I was telling him I was raised in West Texas and I can remember Lebanese-American-Texans being such great citizens of our state and our country. Many people of Lebanese extraction want Lebanon to flourish and thrive -- and so do I. It will be very important for the region for Lebanon's democracy to be able to reach its full potential. And there's no doubt in my mind, with the focused effort of the free world reminding Syria to uphold to U.N. resolution 1559, we will be able to achieve the objective." [Read more]

"Following is a response released today by the Republican National Committee to Senator Harry Reid's position on Judge Samuel Alito's confirmation:

"Harry Reid's position on Judge Alito's confirmation has more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. After stating an unwillingness to support a filibuster, it looks as though the Davos Democrats were able to twist Reid's arm enough to switch him from 'filibuster ... not me,' to 'filibuster ... oui, oui.'" -- Tracey Schmitt, RNC Press Secretary." [Read more]

"At petition drives nationwide, members of MoveOn.org Political Action will demand targeted Representatives stop their corrupt practices when they return to Washington. There are more than 120 events taking place in target districts across the country." [Read more]

"The Republican National Committee today unveiled a new television advertisement targeting the Harry Reid-led Democrat obstruction of the PATRIOT Act. The advertisement, titled "The PATRIOT Act: Connecting The Dots," will begin airing on national cable and local Las Vegas television stations this weekend. The ad will also be emailed to Republican grassroots supporters and is available for viewing now at http://www.GOP.com." [Read more]

"The United Nations and countries around the world will mark the first universal observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day today.

Some 1,800 people -- including delegations of Member States, UN officials, NGO representatives, media, and hundreds of Holocaust survivors -- are expected to gather at UN Headquarters for a solemn ceremony to honor the victims of this international tragedy and show unity against religious and ethnic intolerance. The ceremony will be webcast live from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. To watch, please click on http://www.un.org/webcast/index.asp." [Read more]

"Corporate lobbyists have an undue influence on the global fight against HIV/AIDS and poverty, says a new report by ActionAid International.

ActionAid's report, Under the Influence, reveals a worldwide explosion of corporate lobbying, contributing to unfair trade rules that may cost lives. In 2004, The US pharmaceutical industry alone spent over $1 billion on lobbying." [Read more]

"Former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN) and Former Sen. Warren Rudman (R-NH), co-chairs of the Partnership for a Secure America, today announced released of a bipartisan set of national security priorities for 2006 focused on the continuing threat to the American homeland.

In advance of the president's State of the Union Address, the statement highlights the urgent need in two areas: Securing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and preventing their transit into the United States; and building our nation's homeland defense and emergency response capabilities." [Read more]

"In the past two years, the OpenNet Initiative, a joint project among the University of Toronto, Cambridge University, Oxford University, and the Harvard Law School, has produced reports on state-mandated filtering in, among others, China, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Burma, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, and Iran. These reports combine data derived from technical means with extensive contextual research to map rich snapshots of the state of the Internet." [Read more]

"At the Press Club, Rumsfeld is expected to discuss themes of President Bush's State of the Union address and the Pentagon's quadrennial budget proposal." [Read more]

"House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Assistant Leader Dick Durbin delivered the Democratic pre-buttal to the President's State of the Union Address today at the National Press Club. Below are Pelosi's remarks as prepared." [Read more]

"Howard Dean can engage in all the Clintonian word games he wants, but the bottom line is Democrats have been on the receiving end of Abramoff affiliated money," said Tracey Schmitt, Republican National Committee press secretary. "Efforts by Abramoff Democrats to indicate otherwise only reminds Americans that their minority party is overtly hypocritical and will stop at nothing to score cheap political points." [Read more]

"President Bush was asked whether his explanation about his domestic spying program was comparable to President Nixon's assertion that, "When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal." This quote from President Nixon in 1977 first resurfaced in a Democratic National Committee web video that was released on January 6, 2006." [Read more]

"In most states, the gap between the highest-income families and poor and middle-income families grew significantly between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, according to a new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute. The study is one of the few to examine income inequality at the state as well as national level." [Read more]

"The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said the victory of Hamas, the terrorist organization that is dedicated to the destruction of Israel, over Fatah is "a sad day for democracy," and "puts peace in peril."

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL national director, issued the following statement:

"History has shown time and again that extremist groups come to power by promising a better life for the people, but once governing, implement their extremist policies. As long as Hamas remains an armed terrorist group it cannot be a partner for peace or accepted as a legitimate government by the international community of nations." [Read more]

"House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders sent the following letter to President Bush yesterday evening regarding reports that the Administration is planning to increase health care premiums for veterans, which would force 600,000 veterans out of TRICARE, the veterans' health care system." [Read more]

"The number of women-owned businesses grew 20 percent between 1997 and 2002, twice the national average for all businesses, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report. The nearly 6.5 million businesses generated more than $940 billion in revenue, up 15 percent from 1997." [Read more]

"United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott and FBI Special Agent in Charge Drew S. Parenti announced today that a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Eric McDavid, 28, of Foresthill, California, Zachary Jenson, 20 of Monroe, Washington, and Lauren Weiner, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with conspiracy to damage and destroy property by fire and an explosive." [Read more]

"Following is a transcript of remarks by President Bush after a visit with the staff of the National Security Agency today:

National Security Agency

Fort Meade, Md.

2:10 p.m. EST

THE PRESIDENT: "The National Security Agency is playing a crucial part in the war on terror. First of all, the good folks who work out here understand we are at war, and they know what we know -- that we face determined enemies who will strike without warning. And they know what I know, that we must learn the intentions of the enemies before they strike. That's what they do here, they work to protect us. The efforts of the people out here are a crucial part in protecting the homeland, and they've been a crucial part in success in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well." [Read more]

"Media Matters' full report on the 2002 Justice Department statement and the significant contradictions in the Bush administration's defense of warrantless domestic wiretapping can be found here: http://mediamatters.org/items/200601250001" [Read more]

"U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao will speak on two panels on global employment and future job creation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Labor Secretary will address the topics of trends in future job growth, the skills gap, and the conditions necessary to sustain growth and job creation worldwide in the 21st century." [Read more]

"Former U.S. President Bill Clinton will speak at an international conference co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the UCLA Ronald W. Burkle Center for International Relations later this week. The conference, The Power of Prosperity: An Opportunity for Growth, Development, and Reform in the Middle East, will focus on key economic issues in the region, including energy security, Asia's emerging role in the petroleum market and the Middle East's impact on the global marketplace." [Read more]

"Corporate lobbyists have an undue influence on the current global trade talks, says a new report by ActionAid International. The report launches on the first day of the World Economic Forum at Davos, where 25 trade ministers will meet for a 'mini-ministerial'.

ActionAid's report, Under the influence, reveals a worldwide explosion of corporate lobbying, contributing to uneven trade rules that undermine the fight against poverty." [Read more]

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