Good afternoon . . .
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Richard Myers appeared jointly at the beginning of the BRAC Commission's hearings.
The hearings will eventually determine how many of the recommended bases and facilities will be closed or consolidated.
Both Rumsfeld and Myers emphasized the importance of the closings in a post-Cold War era.
"If we don't make some of this happen, we're going to be stuck in the cold war mind set for a long time to come," Myers told the panel.
Said Rumsfeld: "Some asked why we're proposing any base closures during a time of war. The answer is the changes are essential in helping us win this conflict."
The nine member commission will hold hearings across the country in communities affected by the base closings.
In the previous rounds of base closings about 85 percent of the Pentagon's recommendations have been followed.
The members of the commission for this round are:
Anthony J. Principi, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2001-2005)
James H. Bilbray, a former Democratic House member from Nevada (1987-95)
Philip Coyle of California, a former assistant secretary of Defense
Ret. Adm. Harold W. Gehman of Virginia, a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander
James V. Hansen of Utah, a former Republican House member (1981-2003)
Ret. Army Gen. James T. Hill of Florida
Ret. Army Lt. General Claude M. Kicklighter of Georgia
Samuel Knox Skinner of Illinois, a former Secretary of Transportation
Ret. Air Force Brigadier General Sue Ellen Turner of Texas
Rumsfeld Defends Proposed Base Closings
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The fallout over the article in Newsweek claiming someone at Guantanemo Bay flushed a copy of the Quran down a toilet is just beginning.
Newsweek said in May 16 edition that "some parts of our story may be wrong." The magazine's "apology" is not enough for some officials in Washington.
The Pentagon said promised an investigation into the charges, but placed the blame for the deadly riots and clashes in Afghanistan on Newsweek's "irresponsible" reporting.
The White House said today that Newsweek's apology was insufficient.
"It's puzzling. While Newsweek now acknowledges that they got the facts wrong, they refuse to retract the story," said presidential spokesman Scott McClellan. "I think there's a certain journalistic standard that should be met. In this instance it was not.
"This was a report based on a single anonymous source that could not substantiate the allegation that was made," McClellan added. "The report has had serious consequences. People have lost their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged. I just find it puzzling."
Upon her return from Iraq, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said the Newsweek story has "dome a lot of harm " to the US outreach into the Muslim world.
Yes, the story has done a lot of harm, but more than that and more than the attempt of CBS News to change the election, the Newsweek story ha caused riots and lives. By publishing a story that appears to be false, Newsweek and its editorial staff have committed murder. Not only should Newsweek print a retraction (which it won't( it should also be prosecuted for the deaths of the civilians in Afghanistan.
White House Wants Retraction From Newsweek - Yahoo! News
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The Democratic National Committee created a special commission to look into changing the primary season for presidential elections.
The commission met Saturday in Chicago to hear several proposals.
The DNC members gathered heard three proposals. Two of them would retain the prominence of the New Hampshire Primary and the Iowa Caucuses as the first rounds in the primary season.
A third plan, offered by Michigan's Car Levin, would have a series of six regional primaries that would rotate. The plan would allow for single-state primaries to begin the process, but those states would be rotated.
Activists from Iowa and New Hampshire defended their lead off status and rejected Levin's plan. They said the real problems was "front loading." 30 states had their primaries before mid-March in 2004 leaving states later in the process without much strength and few visits from candidates.
Tina Abbott of the Michigan Democratic Party argued that Iowa and New Hampshire were too small for the important role given to them by the parties. If that were so true, Bill Clinton would have never been president.
The result was nothing was done and it is unlikely that anything will be changed. The Democrats cannot even come together to forge a plan for future primaries. It is obvious they still cannot develop a plan to lead the country.
The commission will debate the plans in October and submit any changes (there will not be any) by December.
Republicans are already planning to launch their 2008 nominating process in New Hampshire and Iowa.
Democrats Consider Revamping Primaries - Yahoo! News
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Most newspapers across the country can be labeled as liberal or left-leaning. The New York Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post, and the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch make no secret in their liberal editorial board and slant in their reporting. Even the ombudsman at the New York Times says the paper has a liberal bias.
Now one paper that it about to be sold has placed a clause in the ale contract that requires the new owners to maintain the liberal bias in the paper for 5 years.
Lee Enterprises agreed to purchase Pulitzer Inc. for $1.46 billion dollars. One of the assets purchased by Lee is the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The longstanding editorial slant of the paper is overwhelmingly slanted to Democrat or liberal ideas.
In the contract sent to stockholders on Friday there is a clause that says that Lee Enterprises "will cause the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to maintain its current name and editorial page platform statement and to maintain its news and editorial headquarters in the City of St. Louis, Missouri" for a period of five years.
While this is a bit unusual, it was not the biggest fear of Pulitzer. Speculation has been that Lee would move operations out of St. Louis.
Lee also agrees to continue to employee the Post-Dispatch's publisher and president.
The formal vote for the Lee all-cash $64 per share purchase will be held June 3 in New York City.
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More tomorrow
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