Border Patrol Expansion Raises Concern Americans to be Locked in By Thugs and Private Military Contractors

Obama Refusing Only Some Lobbyist Money

Illinois Democrat's policy of shunning money from lobbyists registered to do business on Capitol Hill does not extend to lawyers whose partners lobby there.

Nor does the ban apply to corporations that have major lobbying operations in Washington. And the prohibition does not extend to lobbyists who ply their trade in such state capitals as Springfield, Ill.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Sacramento, though some deal with national clients and issues.

"Clearly, the distinction is not that significant," said Stephen Weissman of the Campaign Finance Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on campaign issues.

"He gets an asterisk that says he is trying to be different," Weissman said. "But overall, the same wealthy interests are funding his campaign as are funding other candidates, whether or not they are lobbyists."

Under Bush Dollar Falls and Transnationals Profit While American Consumers eat it.

While the economic shift likely would draw out some winners in the U.S. economy, such as companies that sell goods and services overseas, it also would likely sharply reduce America's purchasing power.

The dollar, which began to weaken broadly in early 2002, has fallen more than 50 percent from its October 2000 trading peak against the euro. It recently has come close to hitting its record low against the 13-nation currency and is near a 26-year low against the British pound.

"Over the long term, having your currency fall 50 percent is another force for change in the economy," Brown said.

Initially, the changes could appear mild, even pleasant. U.S. companies that sell overseas can reap big gains when they make sales in a stronger currency and then translate that back to dollars. This past week, International Business Machines Corp. said its first-quarter revenue rose 7 percent to $22 billion. However, without the benefit of converting foreign revenue to dollars, sales would have risen only 4 percent.

[....]

Still, while some sectors of the economy might benefit, many observers expect the longer-term ramifications will pose difficulties for the U.S. economy.

"If you want to take over companies or if you want to expand it makes it harder," said Merk, adding that U.S. assets become less-expensive targets.

"You can't defend yourself. Your currency is worth less in an international arena, and we're in a globalized world. You're going to be up for sale. All U.S. assets are up for sale," he said.

Gasoline prices: up, and rising. Bush Cronies Profit liek mad while we pay for their war.

That marks a rise of 69 cents at the pump since late January, Trilby Lundberg, publisher of "Lundberg Survey," said. The "Lundberg Survey" tallies gas prices every two to three weeks at about 5,000 gas stations.

About Time. Envoy attacks female genital mutilation in Kenya

Among some communities, like the Kisii and Masaai, almost all girls are cut. Proponents say it reduces sexual desire and keeps women faithful.

"FGM kills girls due to bleeding and infections," U.S. envoy Michael Ranneberger told several hundred residents of Kilgoris, a town in hilly, rural west Kenya where the practice is rife.

"It kills women by increasing the risk of complications during childbirth, and it kills babies through complications."

Infant Mortality up in America. Ruling Republikkkan Regime Only Believes in a Right to Some Lives

Monsanto Demands False Labels in order to Protect Their Profit

FDA aware of dangers to food or KIller Corporations Own YOUR Government

"This administration does not like regulation, this administration does not like spending money, and it has a hostility toward government. The poisonous result is that a program like the FDA is going to suffer at every turn of the road," said Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the full House committee. Dingell is considering introducing legislation to boost the agency's accountability, regulatory authority and budget.

In the peanut butter case, an agency report shows that FDA inspectors checked into complaints about salmonella contamination in a ConAgra Foods factory in Georgia in 2005. But when company managers refused to provide documents the inspectors requested, the inspectors left and did not follow up.

A salmonella outbreak that began last August and was traced to the plant's Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter brands sickened more than 400 people in 44 states. The likely cause, ConAgra said, was moisture from a roof leak and a malfunctioning sprinkler system that activated dormant salmonella. The plant has since been closed.

US Army's computer game recruiting plan

It is part of this campaign for the last 20 years to invade youth culture with militarism," Project on Youth and Non-military Opportunities co-founder Rick Jahnkow told AFP.

Big Surprise. Ruling Favors Big Business over Common Sense and Consumers

Local businesses and residents who disconnected from Pacific Gas and Electric as long as 12 years ago are in for shock -- they still owe PG&E money.

Electric customers who switched their service from PG&E to Merced Irrigation District starting in 1995 will be hit with retroactive bills following a recent ruling by the California Public Utilities Commission.

The February decision allows PG&E to collect up to four years' worth of fees from customers who converted to publicly owned utilities such as Merced Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District.

Edwards Opposes South Korean Trade Deal in Speech to Michigan Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Or Why Edwards is Better than the Clintons

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees?

The implications of the spread are alarming. Most of the world's crops depend on pollination by bees. Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left".

Monsanto, Corporation with long history of Sleaze, demands to deny consumers right to know what's in their food

Agribusiness giant Monsanto Co. is challenging a growing trend among dairies to label their milk "hormone free," saying those claims mislead consumers into believing that the cow growth hormone Monsanto makes is unsafe.

In an action that could send ripples through the food industry, St. Louis-based Monsanto is moving aggressively against a group of dairies to halt the use of "hormone free." It said that such labels suggest that there is something unhealthy about its synthetic hormone drug.

In letters filed recently with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, Monsanto protests that milk labels touting the fact that cows did not receive the hormone—known as rGBH, rBST or Posilac—have unfairly damaged its business, as well as that of dairy farmers who use the drug on their cows.

Evidence that an FDA OK is completely meaningless to the healt and safetly of the people is too vast to list here.
But the safety of the substance misses the point anyway.

Regardless of other considerations, consumers have a right to know every bit of information about all products in the market place. Monsanto's actions to suppress such information is unreasonable.
Even if their hormone is safe, which I highly doubt, consumers still have a right to know what is contained in products they purchase.

Here you go corporatist scum. If use of a chemical lowers the sale of your product, remove the chemical.
We didn't get a cancer epidemic from nowhere.

My Test Result

You are a Social Liberal (80% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (10% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Biden Calls for Military Force in Darfur

In advocating use of military force, Biden said senior U.S. military officials in Europe told him that 2,500 U.S. troops could ''radically change the situation on the ground now.''

My blog posts are simply disappearing