Due to a scheduling conflict with Drinking Liberally we have changed the details of the debate watching party tomorrow night. Instead we will be joining staff from the NY Obama HQ downtown at John St Bar and Grill.
I just wanted to send a quick email about the debate watching party with Drinking Liberally this Thursday night:
Debate Watching Party with Drinking Liberally!
You are invited to the Democratic Debate Watching Party hosted by Drinking Liberally. As the primaries near, the debates become more critical and exciting. There is only one more debate after this one.
Join us for a fun evening of debate watching and stimulating discussion with our Drinking Liberally friends.
Where: The Irish Rogue (13 plasma tv's!!) 356 West 44th St.
Due to a scheduling conflict with Drinking Liberally we have changed the details of the debate watching party tomorrow night. Instead we will be joining staff from the NY Obama HQ downtown at John St Bar and Grill.
NY governor drops immigrant driver's license plan ABC News Do a Putin in India Times of India I remember Vajpayee smilingly saying - 'he edits the paper I edited once'. Putin signed and returned the smile politely. .... Vladimir Putin has emerged as the hero of the Russian people, walking in the shadow of legendary ruler, Peter the great. He is young - just 55 - has definitive ideas for making Russia regain its strength and an independent say in global affairs, rejuvenated the economy and ruthlessly eliminated the terror groups, mostly of the Islamic jihadi variety. ..... He had inherited from his predecessor Boris Yeltsin, the first democratically-elected President of the Russian Federation post-Communist era, a tottering economy, when bagful of roubles (check the spelling please) fetched dollars less than what fingers could count and a virtual parallel rule of the ex-KGB mafia goons from airport to downtown areas. ..... single-mindedly campaigning against terrorism and his catch words were -'eliminate terrorism without talking to rebels'. ...... Putin refused to hold negotiations with Chechen rebel leaders, saying that "negotiations are out of the question because they are senseless''. ..... Today Russia claims hard currency reserves of $303 billion (234 billion euros), the third largest in the world and the government's Stabilization Fund -- used to soak up extra oil revenues and keep a tight leash on inflation -- is close to $100 billion (77 billion euros). Oil production is expected to reach 540 million metric tonnes per year by 2015, up from 482 million at present. ... A black belt in karate ..... Russians, ask in return, is that Bush administration speaking who has unleashed a global military campaign to 'democratise Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and has Iran next on its list? ..... India purchases 70 per cent of its military hardware from Russia ..... a renewed emphasis on creating an India-Russia-China block ..... Putin has been openly critical of a uni-polar world ..... Putin had plans to build four more Russian nuclear reactors in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. .... the nuclear trade with India is still banned till it moves ahead finally with the Indo-US nuke deal. .... No nation on earth is so complacent on security issues and eliminating terror as we are. .... There are daily news reports regarding killings of innocent citizens by Stalinist Maoists and jihadis ... Putin providing military hardware is fine, but our leaders should also take a few grams of courage and a ruthless decisiveness for restoring peace and national pride from him. Pakistan opposition tries to unite against Musharraf Reuters Canada Police detained cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan after he emerged from hiding to lead a student protest against Musharraf ...... After police stifled a protest by Bhutto on Tuesday and put her under house arrest, she announced her talks with Musharraf were over, and for the first time called on him to step down as president as well as army chief. ..... She also contacted old rivals including Islamist alliance leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Sharif's party to try to unite on a "minimum agenda"; the ouster of Musharraf and formation of a neutral government to organisorganizee fair elections ........ Analysts say Bhutto's refusal to deal with Musharraf had isolated the president, though he retained the crucial backing of the army and the support of a disparate group of politicians expected to do badly in the polls. .... Pakistani shares ended 2.24 percent down on political worries while the rupee edged to a three-year low. ELECTION NOTEBOOK Huckabee hugs Romney in Iowa pollMarketWatch Edwards campaign struggles but gains speed KCRG Clinton: No Illegal Immigrant Licenses The Associated Press Memo to Obama: No Rush to "Fix" Social Security AlterNet Will absence from South Carolina hurt Clinton?CNN The Iowa caucuses will be held January 3, to be followed by New Hampshire, and then Nevada. ...... former President Clinton, who remains enormously popular with African-Americans and has made four appearances during the last two weeks, suggesting the Clinton campaign will use his presence more and more in South Carolina as his wife works to break out of a tight three-way race in Iowa. ....... "I think her image is being reinforced by the constant coverage by the media," Graham said. "She may not be physically here, but in terms of image and voice she is here." ....... "They continue to say she's the most unelectable because she's so polarizing," Clinton told the crowd. "Well, they have dumped on her for 16 years. They'd all be polarizing too if the right wing of the Republican Party, which controls their politics, had been dumping on them for 16 years. I'd like to see how those boys would stand up to it. I think the girl's done pretty well." ...... Ford said that Hillary Clinton's December and January schedule is "loaded with South Carolina stuff." Poll: Clinton has large lead in Nevada prior to debate Sen. Clinton top pick of 51 percent of likely Nevada caucus-goers ..... Front-runner leads Sen. Barack Obama by 28 points in Nevada .... perception that she is the most electable candidate and the strongest leader in the field ...... Only 42 percent said Clinton had the clearest positions on the issues, and just 41 percent said she was the most likely to say what she believes. ...... "It's the view that she's tough. She's experienced, and she's a winner." Spitzer drops illegal immigrant license plan Rivals criticize Clinton for changing stance ..... Clinton says she will not support licenses for illegal immigrants .... Spitzer says federal government "has lost control of its borders" ....... "New York state cannot successfully address this problem on its own." ....... about 1 million undocumented workers in New York state, "many of whom are driving without licenses ........ Spitzer put forward his proposal in September, saying it would bring New York's estimated 1 million illegal immigrants "out of the shadows." ........ Rangel .... noting that undocumented workers "are part of the economy, they are part of what America's supposed to be." ........ "When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it's easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them," Burton said. ..... Seventy-six percent of Americans oppose giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants ..... Members of the New York State Sheriffs' Association voted in October to oppose Spitzer's proposal. Martin: A few states shouldn't decide presidencyIf a candidate doesn't do well in Iowa and New Hampshire, the media attention turns away from them, and then the political dollars dry up, and the packing begins. ....... the hard part is coming up with a plan to which everyone will agree. ...... Iowa and New Hampshire residents want to keep saying it's about tradition. I think it's about money. The TV stations, newspapers, hotels, restaurants, sign companies and other businesses make a ton of dough off these candidates, and they don't want that cash cow to feed others. Matt Damon is People's 'sexiest' Matt Damon has been named the "sexiest man alive" by People magazine, an honor that has been bestowed twice on his pals George Clooney and Brad Pitt. ...... Luciana Bozan ..... "You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime," he says in a letter published in the magazine. "My 9-year-old stepdaughter now thinks I'm cool -- well, cooler." ....... "all the campaigning" by Clooney and Pitt had finally paid off. Simpson to stand trial charges that could send him to prison for life ....... has pleaded not guilty to 12 criminal counts in connection with what prosecutors contend was an armed robbery. ...... conspiracy, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, coercion and assault with a deadly weapon. ..... Simpson said he was merely taking back items that belonged to him ...... Alexander and McClinton testified Simpson requested they carry guns and "look menacing" during the incident. ...... Fromong and Beardsley were offering more than 600 Simpson-related items for sale Brace Yourself: mccain's Manager Calls CNN 'The Clinton News Network' National Review Online 7 years on, India will be top energy guzzler Hindustan Times Dire climate warning linked to China and IndiaInternational Herald Tribune Sun Buddies Up With Dell Forbes Michael Dell: Going Green Is Key To Industry's Future CRN Michael Dell promises ‘Greenprint’ reference architecture ZDNet Yahoo to pay Chinese families Los Angeles Times Yahoo settles with jailed Chinese journalistsSan Francisco Chronicle War costs could top $1.6 trillion, panel saysMarketWatch UPDATE 2-US Democrats forecast $3.5 trillion in war costsReuters The Iraq and Afghanistan wars could cost the United States $3.5 trillion through 2017 if "hidden costs" like higher oil prices, care for wounded soldiers and interest on borrowed money are counted ....... new report assumed the United States would withdraw about half of its present combat troops from Iraq by 2013 and maintain 75,000 soldiers there from 2013-2017. ........ 3,860 U.S. troops have been killed and 38,164 wounded in Iraq. ..... the Democratic report estimated the total economic cost so far was about double that amount, at $1.6 trillion. ..... the war in Iraq had further hurt the U.S. economy by helping drive up world oil prices World Bank mulls NRS 1600 crore aid for Nepal Hindu Anti-abortion group: Thompson best candidate to beat Giuliani CNN Courting India Tehran Times India is receiving much attention as Asia is replacing the West as the center of economic and military power. .... the country is becoming a second China and even a rival to its giant neighbor in terms of economic importance. ...... the United States and Russia are breaching international regulations by agreeing to build nuclear power plants in India and transfer nuclear technology to the country ..... the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) ..... India’s bid to secure a seat at the UN Security Council has also won backing from some permanent council members including Britain. ..... India is likely to soon initiate formal negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with giant neighbor China, the third largest destination for Indian goods and the country’s biggest source of imports .... talks are also underway for an India-ASEAN free trade pact, and South Korean steelmaker POSCO plans to start work on a 12-million-ton-capacity steel plant in eastern India by April 2008. The $12-billion plant will be India’s single largest foreign investment project. ...... Iran, an energy-rich country that has close linguistic and cultural ties with India, is also eying India’s power-hungry economy and making serious efforts to finalize the deal for the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline Bhutto Calls for President to Resign New York Times her political party, which usually commands about one-third of the popular vote, will probably boycott the parliamentary elections planned for January ....... her party will pursue an alliance with other opposition groups, including its main rival, the Pakistan Muslim League ....... Riot policemen sealed off the neighborhood using barbed wire and dump trucks loaded with sand. ....... the party had broken off all talks with the government ...... “I prefer to live in Pakistan in jail,” she said, “than to leave.” ....... Pakistan would be suspended from the organization unless the decree was repealed and General Musharraf stepped down as army chief by Nov. 22 Is Obama making his move? Boston Globe Obama Campaign Ratchets Up Offensive CBS News there has been an “important shift in the campaign.” The email claims that Obama is gaining ground on Clinton. “Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire are beginning to focus on the race more intently and are increasingly making decisions. As they do Senator Obama is profiting at Senator Clinton’s expense.” ...... “Senator Clinton has been ducking and dodging tough questions at rapid pace lately” and that Edwards has become an apologist. “John Edwards has apologized for most of his record while in the Senate” Obama Challenges Clinton on Trade DealsThe Associated Press Clinton's doubts about big foreign trade deals came only in the heat of the presidential campaign ...... Obama told the labor activists that there have been few occasions when he's had to switch positions, because he's been on the side of workers since he got into politics 20 years ago. ....... He drew a standing ovation when he vowed to fight any deal that doesn't protect workers and the environment. ....... "Politics didn't lead me to working people," Obama said. "Working people led me into politics. I was standing with American workers on the streets of Chicago 20 years ago. Obama did not want his poems, short stories seen Baltimore Sun the Tribune ....... was preparing an eight-part biographical series on his life. The newspaper had asked to see a couple of the short stories he had written after college during his time as a community organizer in Chicago, a period he has described as one of the most formative of his career. Obama Says Parents Need More Help The Associated Press Obama trades stories of familyConcord Monitor Obama said his mother was just 18 when she had him ........ There were a couple of times when she had to go on food stamps. . . . She was constantly trying to patch things together - scholarships, loans, grants. It took her a long time to complete her education ........ guaranteeing seven paid sick days a year for all employees, doubling the amount of money available for after-school programs and setting up a $1.5 billion fund to help states experiment with ways to provide paid leave. ..... expand the Family Medical Leave Act to apply to companies with more than 25 employees, instead of those with more than 50 ...... expand the act to cover elder care, school activities and the fallout from domestic violence. ...... create a program to help businesses give their employees more flexible working schedules. ....... "When you create flex time, employers are happier, employees are happier, you have greater productivity," Obama said. ....... a tax plan that would give middle-class workers a $500 tax credit to offset payroll taxes ...... support for early childhood education ....... his plan for universal health care, which he says would cut health insurance costs by $2,500 a year for middle-class families by emphasizing preventive care and management of chronic diseases, investing in information technology and streamlining administrative costs. ......... "My mother's experience is duplicated all across the country each and every day." ...... Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, said Obama's plan was surprisingly similar to Clinton's. ........ Clinton talks more about encouraging telecommuting and goes more in depth on ensuring better access to high-quality child care. ........ While seeming to ignore the roughly 25 reporters with TV cameras and recorders, Obama listened intently to each participant, asking follow-up questions and responding with both policy and anecdotes. ....... "Up until a couple of years ago, we used to go through heck," he said. ...... At the time, Michelle Obama was working full time as a hospital vice president, while Barack Obama was a state legislator who also taught and practiced law. Michelle Obama's mother had not worked professionally, giving Michelle Obama a certain idea of what a good mother did, Barack Obama said. "She's the best mom I know, but she felt that, somehow, if she wasn't there for everything, that somehow she wasn't doing a good job. Then she'd get mad at me," he said. ....... Then, we'd think about, what if we were making less money? ........ I discovered I'd committed an enormous faux pas by actually reproducing while also trying to teach ..... She said she did not have time to both nurse her child and eat her meals, she said, since she needed to eat in the student dining hall, where nursing was not allowed. ........ Obama said a similar issue had come up at his senate office, when an aide returned after maternity leave and told him the building had no convenient place to nurse. ....... "He knows what it is to just barely have enough." As Clinton looks to use attacks to raise money, Obama takes ... USA Today John Edwards thinks "compromise is a dirty word." Which Clinton is really running here?Los Angeles Times They both seem to be popping up everywhere. ...... lest the natural campaigner overshadow the hardworking one in the forced smile and pantsuit ..... Have they made a calculated in-house decision that the narrowing Democratic polls mean she isn't the inevitable winner after all? And she needs to call up the big gun already? ....... he's something of a loose cannon. Twice, in recent weeks he has totally detracted from Hillary's campaign messages by making distracting news himself ....... a ubiquitous Bill Clinton on the campaign trail raises the whole dynasty specter ...... Anecdotes in recent books suggest the couple was often not on the same page. ..... who in their right mind of any substance would agree to be Hillary Clinton's vice presidential partner when she's married to an assistant president already? Hillary Clinton gets snared by a planted question. Slate Student describes how she became a Clinton plantCNN Student says Clinton staffer showed her a binder with about eight questions ....... Student said she was not the only one told what to ask ..... she wasn't the only one who was planted. ..... In an exclusive on-camera interview with CNN, Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff, a 19-year-old sophomore at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, said giving anyone specific questions to ask is "dishonest," and the whole incident has given her a negative outlook on politics. ......... "The top one was planned specifically for a college student," she added. "It said 'college student' in brackets and then the question." ...... "I don't know whether Hillary knew what my question was going to be, but it seemed like she knew to call on me because there were so many people, and ... I was the only college student in that area" ...... "I heard another man ... talking about the question he asked, and he said that the campaign had asked him to ask that question." ....... a Clinton intern spoke to her to say the campaign requested she not talk about the story to any more media outlets and that if she did she should inform a staffer. ....... Geoffrey Mitchell of Hamilton, Illinois, on the Iowa border, said the Clinton campaign wanted him to ask a certain question at an Iowa event in April. ..... Mitchell said he had never met the staffer before the event. ..... "The problem here is it feeds a damaging perception of Hillary Clinton that she can't quite be trusted." New details on Clinton's planted questionBoston Globe Hillary Clinton said in Iowa Sunday that the fact that questions had been planted was "news to me." Her campaign says it will not happen again. The Clinton-Edwards two step ABC News An Impossible Promise From John EdwardsWashington Post
Giuliani Goes Big, Not Early Washington Post Google Co-Founder Page to Wed The Associated Press After Brin's wedding, Mountain View-based Google invested $3.9 million in Wojcicki's biotechnology startup, 23andMe Inc. ..... Southworth was a biomedical informatics doctoral student at Stanford University, where both Page and Brin were studying as graduate students before leaving to start Google in 1998. Page has been dating Southworth for more than a year. ...... Al Gore ... said he still hopes to make an appearance through video conferencing. Now the other Google founder is planning a secret weddingSan Francisco Chronicle attendees were asked to bring a passport. ...... Southworth and Page are poised to become players on the international social scene by virtue of his wealth and connections. They've been seen at parties around the Bay Area, including a dinner for Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter and his wife, Anna, hosted by jet-setter Denise Hale at the Ritz-Carlton in October 2006, and in Hollywood at the Vanity Fair post-Oscar party in February this year. ..... "She's stunning and bright, and he's very attractive and bright." From Danger's realm come Android's makers CNET News.com Android is based on the work of Andy Rubin and several other founders of Danger. Google acquired their newer venture, Android, in 2005. ...... a mobile mashup platform. That is a new concept for cell phones. So the developer can now stand on the system platform and take advantage of other developers' work for the first time. So, that just creates more flexibility for the developers, less work, faster turnaround, rapid prototyping ...... One of the advantages of Linux is, it's a pretty prevalent operating system. The portion of Linux that we use for Android is just the kernel portion, and the benefit of kernel, of course, is that it's been already ported to all the varieties of semiconductors that run in cell phones. ....... The platform is completely open in a variety of ways. Of course it has open APIs, but it's also open source, and it being open source means it's (open to inspection). So expect to have the entire industry crawling all over the source base, trying to make sure that there aren't security issues, and there aren't inefficiencies in how the platform is designed. ........ semiconductor companies, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), carriers, software companies, and commercialization partners ..... Google's mission is organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and relevant. ....... it's 250 kilobytes, not 3.4 megabytes. ...... minimal requirements are 32 megabytes of RAM, 32 megabytes of flash, and a 200-megahertz online processor ...... MID, or Mobile Internet Device, which is somewhere between a cell phone and a PC. It's a large-display device meant to be primarily an Internet access device. ....... In 2009, there will be single-chip cell phones, so you can go to Qualcomm and get basically a cell phone and a chip ........ ("The cloud" refers to data residing on a server on the Internet that anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can access.) Remember, the cloud didn't exist when the Internet didn't exist--when cell phones first were introduced. So that's part of the game that changed. ........ There are close to 3 billion cell phones out there today. They are pervasive. They're intimate. ..... By having a free and open platform, we're reducing the cost of software, which, in turn, reduces the cost of the cell phone. ....... It's probably the best version 1.0 piece of consumer electronics that I've ever used. ....... Apple has a great business in building really, really high-quality consumer products
