"On this day of national tragedy, when we lost some of our finest to a senseless act, we stand together as a country to mourn those who lost their lives.
"My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the survivors and the many friends, colleagues and family members of those who perished. May God bless them all."
John McCain
"I am shocked and saddened to hear the news of today's events. This inconceivable tragedy was a horrific act of cruelty that took the lives of so many innocent young people, cutting their lives short and inflicting tremendous pain on all of those who loved them.
"Cindy and I extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to the students, faculty, friends and family of the Virginia Tech community."
John Edwards
We are simply heartbroken by the deaths and injuries suffered at Virginia Tech. We know what an unspeakable, life-changing moment this is for these families and how, in this moment, it is hard to feel anything but overwhelming grief, much less the love and support around you. But the love and support is there. We pray that these families, these students, and the entire Virginia Tech community know that they are being embraced by a nation. There is a Methodist hymn that gave us solace in such a moment as this, and we repeat its final verse here, in hopes it will help these families, as it helped us:
In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing, in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.Our dearest wish is that this day could start again, with the promise of these young people alive. Knowing that cannot be, our prayer is for God’s grace and whatever measure of peace can be reached on this terrible day.
Hillary Clinton
"I am shocked and saddened by the horrific tragedy at Virginia Tech. My prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the students, faculty, and community devastated by these gruesome killings. As a parent, I am filled with sorrow for the mothers and fathers and loved ones struggling with the sudden, unbearable news of a lost son or daughter, friend or family member. This tragedy is still unfolding and I hope as a nation we can come together and keep in our thoughts all those affected as we learn more about the events which took place this morning."Barack Obama
"Today, we are a grieving and shocked nation. Violence has once again taken too many young people from this world. In Blacksburg, they were daughters. They were sons. They were our nation's new leaders. We mourn thm. We will miss them, and we pray for their families and the injured fighting for their lives."Mitt Romney
"The entire nation grieves for the victims of this terrible tragedy that took place today on the campus of Virginia Tech. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the entire Virginia Tech community. Our full support is behind the law enforcement officials who are involved with stabilizing the situation and conducting an investigation."What do you think?
Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday became the first presidential candidate to call for radio host Don Imus to be fired for making racially and sexually charged comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Read more here.
“Democrats, who deny our soldiers the means to prevent an American defeat, have chosen another road,” McCain says in prepared remarks. “It may appear to be the easier course of action but it is a much more reckless one, and it earns them no credit even if it gives them an advantage in the next election. This is an historic choice, with ramifications for Americans not yet born.”
The Politico has the full story here.
There is a refrain ... that we should intervene with force only when we face splendid little wars that we surely can win, preferably by overwhelming force in a relatively short period of time. To those who believe we should become involved only if it is easy to do, I think we have to say that America has never and should not ever shy away from the hard task if it is the right one.This statement sounds like a Republican to me. I think her vote in 2002 was justified according to the information presented to her. I think it takes a strong person to standby there vote, and that is what she is trying to do rather then back peddle. By no means does this mean I support Senator Clinton, but I do believe she has done the right thing in this situation. Unlike Senator Barack Obama, I would have voted for the war but I believe it has become a mismanaged war by our President, furthermore I believe it is our responsibility to the Iraqi people to fix the problems that we have created in that country. Which is both in our interest and there interest.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Syria seems to have started a chain of non-State Department officials directly engaging in foreign policy. Gov. Bill Richardson (D) has just gone to North Korea to claim the remains of American soliders from the Korean War (backed by the Bush administration unlike Pelosi's visit). Newt Gingrinch (R), former Speaker of the House, calls Pelosi's and Richardson's visit to these foreign nations dangerous. Breaking with tradition of letting the President's administration handle the foreign diplomacy, he says these leaders have begun to create their own foreign policy agenda for personal gain. While nothing bars them from engaging in talks with other nations, it certainly can demonstrate a divided US government, a sign of weakness to other foreign nations.The White House doesn't intend to accept the IOU quietly, accusing the Democratic-controlled Congress of skipping town before its work is done.
"They should stick around until they send him a bill," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said. "You can be sure that we won't be shy about talking about that."
And I would agree Democrats realize that the money is needed with or without a withdrawal date. They need to stop delaying things, it is only crushing the American image more so than it already is.
Britain says Iran's detention of the eight Royal Navy sailors and seven Royal Marines, who were conducting a routine inspection of a merchant vessel at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, is illegal and is demanding their release. Iran insists the group was inside its territorial waters. Read more here.
“There is no candidate for president who will do a better job of creating a stronger and better America for your children than Hillary Clinton,” Vilsack said at Clinton’s side in Des Moines.
As predicted over the weekend Tom Vilsack, former Presidential candidate has endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton as well he will serve as her campaigns co-chairman.The resolution also calls for a voluntary travel embargo on Iranian officials and Revolutionary Guard commanders.
The group’s members had planned to hold a symbolic “Pin the war on the Donkey” demonstration at Pelosi’s office to show their frustration with the Democratic leadership’s inaction on ending the war in Iraq.
However, Capitol Police prevented the taping of a drawn donkey to the wall.
Code Pink members were crying outside Pelosi’s office. When asked why, Rae Abileah, 24, said she was crying out of “outrage that this is all we can get from the Democrats,” referring to the Iraq supplemental funding bill, scheduled for a vote Friday.
“We’re just heartbroken that Nancy Pelosi has decided to keep funding George Bush’s war, and now the war belongs to the Democrats as well as the Republicans,” said Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin. “We thought we were going to get a change when they came into power.”
Mr. Gates’s appeal was an effort to turn Mr. Bush’s publicly stated desire to close Guantánamo into a specific plan for action, the officials said. In particular, Mr. Gates urged that trials of terrorism suspects be moved to the United States, both to make them more credible and because Guantánamo’s continued existence hampered the broader war effort, administration officials said.
Reuben Ingber, Joe Lieberman, Mrs. Lieberman
Reuben Ingber on the AIPAC Stage
Brian Tregerman (Albany Student), Sen. Joe Biden, Reuben
Sen. Sam Brownback, Reuben Ingber
Reuben Ingber on the hill
The Politico Reports:
When Rudy Giuliani faces Republicans concerned about his support of gay rights and legal abortion, he reassures them that he is a conservative on the decisions that matter most.
"I would want judges who are strict constructionists because I am," he told South Carolina Republicans last month. "Those are the kinds of justices I would appoint -- Scalia, Alito and Roberts."
But most of Giuliani's judicial appointments during his eight years as mayor of New York were hardly in the model of Chief Justice John Roberts or Samuel Alito -- much less aggressive conservatives in the mold of Antonin Scalia.
This cartoon reminds of my issue with HSBC, a bank which calls itself "The Worlds Local Bank." At the "worlds local bank," I expect to get my answers from someone locally who can speak English well, I no I am not perfect when it comes to grammar. However, I am fully able to hold a conversation without stumbling. When I call the "worlds local bank," I ask myself why can't I speak to someone who is capable of speaking proper english?Republican Sen. John McCain will officially enter the presidential race his second run after a bitter loss to George W. Bush in 2000 with a formal announcement in early April.
The Arizona senator disclosed the timing of the long-expected announcement in a taping for the “Late Show With David Letterman” on CBS for airing Wednesday night.
“I am announcing that I will be a candidate for president of the United States,” the senator told the talk show host and then added he would give a formal speech to that effect in early April. Read the full story here.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday postponed for at least a week action on a Democratic plan to rewrite the 2002 congressional resolution authorizing the war, imposing new wartime restrictions on the administration.
Sen. Ben Nelson, a conservative Democrat from Nebraska, said the new Democratic strategy could unfairly hamstring the president and military commanders. "I think it is very difficult to start changing things after the fact and still avoid micromanaging the war."
And Sen. Russ Feingold, a liberal Democrat from Wisconsin, criticized the latest Democratic strategy as too timid and toothless in stopping the war. Approving a new authorization resolution would be the same "as voting for a new Iraq war and that I am not going to do."
This is the problem with the Democratic party, they are not united in their goals and aspirations. Some Democrats would like to cut funding for the war, others want a time table et cetera. In order to achieve anything Democrats need to come together under one banner. Their disunion is only going to hurt them in the long run.
What do you think?
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R), who once advocated allowing gays to serve openly in the military, said yesterday that he does not think the Pentagon should change its "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the midst of the Iraq war." 'Don't ask, don't tell' has worked well. We're in the middle of a conflict. Now is not the time for a change in that regard, and I don't have a policy posture as to allowing gays in the military to serve there openly," Romney, a presidential candidate, said on ABC's "This Week."
This is why I don't like Mitt Romney as a Republican candidate for President. He is not standing by what he has been saying, he is continuously changing his opinion on the social issues which drive American voters. People tend to care less for important political issues like education funding, defense policies, et cetera and care more about issue that impact their everyday life. Romney is doing the same thing that John Kerry did in 2004 flip-flopping and it will cause his demise for the nomination.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held "productive" talks Monday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and said she expects more negotiations in a bid to restart the Mideast peace process.Rice called the meeting "productive and useful," I consider them a waste of money and time at this point. Until the Palestinian "government" recognizes Israels right to exist and renounces violence the Middle East will continue to be at the stalemate its been in for years. Until that happens Israel has the right to be on the defensive against terrorism and any threat that may arise. These meeting are meant to make progress, all I see is a continuation of lies.
Rice's meeting Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas came amid concerns about whether a new Palestinian unity government will renounce terrorism and recognize Israel.
The Democratic resolution, just 10 lines in length, will frame three days of debate on the war, culminating in an expected vote Friday to put the House on record against President Bush's decision to deploy more than 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to Iraq. In two short paragraphs, the resolution affirms Congress's support for "the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq" before breaking with the president's new strategy. Read moreI have to say that this resolution does nothing at all, except oppose the Presidents new plan. It offers nothing such as another option, or a way for congress to do anything against the troop build up. It is disgusting that the Democrats would do what they are going to do, they are doing something that will make themselves look good in front of ignorant voters. Americans will see that they passed a resolution against the war. I believe that unless the Democrats offer a new plan for victory, not a withdrawal plan then they should not do anything. I say "not a withdrawal plan" because that is not a plan. This is not Vietnam which was an individual situation, if we pulled out of Iraq several nations would be placed in a Middle East power struggle, which would probably end in a multinational war in the Middle East.
North Korea agreed Tuesday after arduous talks to shut down its main nuclear reactor and eventually dismantle its atomic weapons program, just four months after the communist state shocked the world by testing a nuclear bomb.The deal marks the first concrete plan for disarmament in more than three years of six-nation negotiations, and could potentially herald a new era of cooperation in the region with the North's longtime foes -- the United States and Japan -- also agreeing to discuss normalizing relations with Pyongyang.
This is a step in the right direction for the world, bringing an end to nuclear weapons in North Korea shows that in some instances diplomatic talks works. I think however we will have to see how this affect U.S. Foreign policy in general.
John Bolton, former U.N. Ambassador says that this is similar to the deal that the Clinton administration tried to make in the ending days of his administration. The Chief U.S. Negotiator told CNN's American Morning, that this is different because this was not a "bilateral" agreement but an agreement between North Korea, its neighbors and the United States.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney conceded that the war in Iraq has been poorly managed and may hurt Republicans again next year, but he refused to oppose the course President Bush has charted.I would have to agree with Romney. The war has been mismanaged to this point however I think Romney is right not to oppose the new course because it is completely brand new. It seems to be the only viable option for "victory," the American people and members of Congress should give it an opportunity to work. If you don't we are still in a "poorly managed" war, the tables may change.
Some Al Gore supporters apparently aren't taking "no" for an answer.I highly doubt that Al Gore will run for President, I do not believe he has the will and drive to run for president again. If he did he would have done so again in 2004.
They're plotting to get him into the 2008 presidential race, although he's repeatedly said he's not running.
Gore's top policy adviser from his 2000 presidential bid and other key supporters met in Boston today to mull a potential Gore campaign.
They say the former vice president wasn't involved in the meeting.
the consequences are obvious. I mean, if they’re not meeting those benchmarks, then obviously the new strategy isn’t succeeding. And I can’t tell you what the other options are, because there are no good options to this. If there was a good option to what we’re doing, to sending more young Americans in harm’s way, I’d tell you. They’re all bad options, in my view, if this one isn’t supported and succeeds.He estimated that it will only take a few months for us to see success from the new strategy and determine whether the Iraqi government was assuming more responsibility and moving toward both economic and political stability.
The region is a powder keg ready to explode at a moments notice. The countries heading towards civil war really need to resolve their conflicts before the race for power grows to--imperialism, which is what will happen. As these countries begin to engage in Civil War, we will begin to see the Iranians, the Saudis, and the Syrians taking an active role in these areas and one force will over take the rest. We could experience another power like the U.S.S.R. The one I am describing, a superpower controlled by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is far more dangerous than U.S.S.R. ever was.
What do you think?
He declined to give precise numbers, although U.S. President George W. Bush has ordered 21,500 additional troops to Iraq by the end of May.
I think we will see great changes in Iraq by the end of May. As the surge in troops grow and the new strategy on the ground goes into effect the American people will see what we have been waiting for success in Iraq.
