Cuba's vice president said Saturday that Fidel Castro is recovering satisfactorily from surgery and the communist leader sent his "fraternal greetings" to the people of Bolivia, Cuban state media reported. Carlos Lage spoke in Bolivia on the way to the Sunday opening of a convention to write a new constitution for the South American nation, according to Cuban international news agency Prensa Latina, which offered no further details of his statement. Neither of the Castros has been seen since Monday's announcement that Fidel, 79, had undergone surgery for intestinal bleeding and was temporarily ceding power to his brother Raul, the 75-year-old defense minister.
The island's communist government beefed up security, mobilizing citizen defense militias and asking military reservists to check in daily because of what it says are fears of a U.S. attack during Castro's health crisis. The White House has insisted no such threat exists, with press secretary Tony Snow dismissing the suggestion that the United States would attack the island as "absurd."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/05/2006 13:44 ||
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In addition, Venezuelan doctors have marched in the streets and participated in work stoppages to protest the Cuban doctors's presence and their $200 per month salary which is 10% that of a Venezuelan doctor. Another reason for the high desertion rate of the Cuban doctors is that they only recieved $100 per month, the other $100 was paid to their families in Cuba. Someone made the point that in Cuba $200 per month may be a fortune, while in Caracas it's, well, only $200.
To try to make up for or to mask the loss of these highly touted and highly publicized medical experts, the Venezuelan government under Hugo Chavez has decided to begin importing "bachilleres" into Venezuela from Bolivia, giving them one year of free education, then turning them loose on the country's healthcare system, specifically its poorest citizens. A "bachiller" is a senior in high school who is taking advanced college prep classes.
So Chavez's plan is to import Bolivian high school seniors who have matriculated through Bolivia's world renowned public education system, give them a year's medical training, and then turn them loose on Venezuela's poor. It sounds like a bloodbath in the making to me.
that's good snark
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/05/2006 9:51 Comments ||
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Shuttin' out reporters? Well, maybe communism does have its advantages.
CHICAGO At a momentous moment in Cuban history -- with long-time strongman Fidel Castro in a sickbed and transferring his power to his brother -- foreign journalists are being shut out of the Communist island.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa reported Thursday that more than 150 foreign journalists trying to enter Cuba with tourist visas have been turned away at the Havana airport since the government announced Castro had internal bleeding and faced "complicated surgery."
Journalists need a work visa to work legally in Cuba, and a spokesman of the government-controlled International Press Center told dpa there would be no exceptions.
"Across the whole world there is currently great interest (in Cuba), but nowhere on the planet can a journalist report with a tourist visa," the agency quoted an unnamed press center representative as saying.
The representative told the agency that no journalists have been expelled from the country, and none are being denied information. Castro, however, in a statement issued in his name Tuesday said that information about his health is a "state secret" that could be exploited by the enemy U.S. government.
The New York City-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Cuba to let foreign journalists into the country.
"We call on Cuban authorities to let journalists do their work without harassment or obstruction," Americas program coordinator Carlos Lauria said in a statement. "It is critical that foreign journalists be allowed into Cuba to report the news on the handover of power by Castro, a story of global importance. We are also troubled by reports that Cuba is denying requests for journalists' visas."
#5
That won't keep the journos from lying about Cuba from afar. What's the point of them ever wanting to be there in the first place when most of them went out of their way to make sure they never told the truth about the misery Castro's regime inflicted upon that country?
Cuba's communist government said it would defend itself against any U.S. attempt to take advantage of Fidel Castro's health crisis as some exiles urged Washington to go further in fostering a democratic transition on the island. "The people know they have a resource, a weapon, a place to defend the revolution if necessary," Rogelio Polanco, editor of the Communist youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde, said on state television Thursday evening.
"Once again, they shouldn't make a mistake, not to fantasize ... thinking their desires are reality," Polanco said in a public affairs program discussing how exiles celebrated Castro's recent surgery for intestinal bleeding. "They should not mess up and commit the greatest error of all time."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/05/2006 00:00 ||
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"The people know they have a resource, a weapon, a place to defend the revolution if necessary,"
???
Maybe Joe can translate that for us. :-)
"Once again, they shouldn't make a mistake, not to fantasize ... thinking their desires are reality,"
Thanks for the pinch. I'm awake now.
"They should not mess up and commit the greatest error of all time."
#3
Cuba's communist government said it would defend itself against any U.S. attempt to take advantage of Fidel Castro's health crisis
...That's enough for me - if he was any more stable, he'd be six feet under. When they start warning against 'foreign interference' and you haven't seen anybody in a week or so, there is a MAJOR problem. I happily withdraw my prediction of a few days ago. I think this could go south real quick now.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/05/2006 8:32 Comments ||
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#4
memo to the Cuban people - time to start making the list of your communist overlords so you'll know who to decorate the lampposts with...and I'd add the jerks from Madison to the list
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/05/2006 9:56 Comments ||
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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has delivered a message of democratic change to the Cuban people, while the island's communist government said Fidel Castro was in good health and his brother in firm control. "All Cubans who desire peaceful democratic change can count on the support of the United States," Rice said. "We encourage the Cuban people to work at home for positive change, and we stand ready to provide you with humanitarian assistance as you begin to chart a new course for your country."
We encourage the Cuban people to work at home for positive change, and we stand ready to provide you with humanitarian assistance as you begin to chart a new course for your country...
Her comment that Cubans should "work at home" was likely an effort to keep scores of refugees from entering Florida, according to analysts. The message was beamed into Cuba and broadcast through U.S. government radio and television stations. But Cuba routinely jams the signal, meaning that such messages only reach a small audience -- if at all.
Meanwhile, the Cuban health minister said Friday that Castro was "recovering satisfactorily" after surgery for intestinal bleeding, AP reported. The Communist Party newspaper Granma claimed Cuba's government is stable, and that the "unity and strength of the Revolution is being reinforced. We Cubans are prepared for the defense ... and Raul is there firmly at the helm of the nation, of the Revolutionary Armed Forces." U.S. President George Bush earlier hoped Cuba's apparent political uncertainty would lead to democratic change, but Granma dismissed his statement. "What uncertainty is the president talking about?" the newspaper asked.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/05/2006 00:00 ||
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Yet another major figure has exited Air America Radio.
COO Carl Ginsburg, one of the left-leaning talk networks early architects, has resigned. No replacement has been named.
As previously reported, president Gary Krantz, who joined the company in April 2005, exited in June of this year.
Meanwhile, former CEO Danny Goldberg, who remains with the network through the end of 2006 as vice chairman, is returning to his music business roots and has started a new venture.
Don't hold back, 'Moose, tell us what you really think!
Posted by: Mike ||
08/05/2006 7:32 Comments ||
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Great headline, 'moose, but not completely apt.
When I think of the Hindenburg, I think of that reporter crying, "Oh, the humanity!"
Ain't none at AA. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/05/2006 11:11 Comments ||
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That guy who yelled "oh the humanity" also had the presence of mind to mention "put the needle back on!" to ensure his heartfelt call would be recorded.
An anticipatory buzz fills the room. Six crisp American flags, erect as soldiers, line the dais. More than an hour before the vice president's arrival, the GOP faithful stand at the ready. Never mind that Dick Cheney is favorably regarded by only about a third of Americans. To this crowd, in this place, he is a rock star.
Cheney's not a pretty boy. He doesn't blow with the wind. When he speaks, he sounds like he's thought about what he's going to say before it comes out. What's not to like?
And Gus Bilirakis, a state legislator bidding to succeed his father in Congress, is happy to bask in the vice president's glow, pocketing $200,000 in campaign contributions from Cheney's two-hour visit to town late last month. "He's a dynamic leader," Tampa attorney Monica Lothrop gushes after Cheney's standard, hang-tough-against-terror speech. "It was just a thrill to be able to see him in person."
None of the Dem mantras count for squat if we lose the WoT. Health care, public services, social security will be doled out by the local holy man.
Four days earlier, the scenario was the same in Iowa, where Cheney raised campaign cash for two Republican congressional candidates. Ditto three days later in Alabama and Arkansas, where Cheney was raising money for two gubernatorial candidates. Five and half years into the Bush presidency, Cheney's image may have taken a beating overall but "he's still Elvis to a lot of the conservatives," says Marshall Wittmann, a Democratic Leadership Council analyst. "When he comes in, money and enthusiasm flow."
There's a certain segment of the populace that still respects grownups, that puts more emphasis on thinking than on feeling. That segment's the Cheney core...
Cheney, always a stalwart campaigner for the party, is outpacing his schedule from the 2002 midterm elections. He has logged 80 fundraisers so far this election cycle, bringing in more than $24 million, with the heaviest campaign travel still to come. By comparison, he logged 106 fundraisers for all of 2001-2002. Democrats hope the strategy backfires, and they're working harder to use Cheney's visits against the Republicans. "There's nothing that riles the Democrats up more than Cheney," says Democratic consultant Jenny Backus. Cheney is one of the top two or three "bad guys" that Democrats use in direct mail appeals to rally base voters and raise money, she said. "Just like the Republicans used to use Ted Kennedy," she said, "the Democrats are now using Cheney."
That's only fair. Both are emblematic of their parties. Advantage: Republicans, since Cheney's got a much lower corpse count...
And come this fall, when both parties bid for swing voters in the middle of the political spectrum, look for some Democratic candidates to churn out campaign ads tying their GOP opponents to the vice president in hopes that dissatisfaction with the Bush administration will rub off. A recent Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, for example, found that 55 percent of independents said they were less likely to vote for a candidate for whom President Bush had campaigned, compared with 7 percent who were more likely to vote for a candidate for whom Bush had campaigned. Cheney's favorability ratings are even lower than Bush's. Cheney may bring in a lot of cash, says Democratic consultant Dane Strother, but "the problem is that when he races through town, he leaves a stack of headlines. And come mid-October, you tie the Republican candidate to the Bush-Cheney efforts and, boom, there are the headlines and the pictures."
Mid-October's not here yet, is it?
Republican consultant Charlie Black rejects the idea that any GOP candidate will pay a price for "guilt by association" with Cheney. "Some people would say that outside the base he's not popular but that's true for the president himself, so that's just part of the deal," Black said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/05/2006 14:39 ||
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let's see: Ted "babe killer, drunk and taxer extreme" Kennedy and Cheney.......
I feel comfortable with Dick. He's serious, thinks, and cares about America's interests. The Donks, well, ...they want power
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/05/2006 16:11 Comments ||
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#2
Only bad thing with Cheney is that he's a shapeshifting reptiloid illuminati pulling the strings from his Halliburton underground HQ. Otherwise, he's just fine.
#3
well he shot a lawyer, didn't he? So ya gotta give him that....
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/05/2006 17:03 Comments ||
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#4
Inxay, A5089. You don't want to let the cat out of the bag. Didn't you receive your shares yet? One condition is that we don't mention how Halliburton controls Cheney, who controls Rumsfeld, who then controls Bushitler, (shared with Rove, who takes orders from the Religious Right).
#5
Only bad thing with Cheney is that he's a shapeshifting reptiloid illuminati pulling the strings from his Halliburton underground HQ. Otherwise, he's just fine.
You poor soul, you can't even spell the Chainey bots name rite. Listen to the one known as M4D.
#6
I still wonder if after the midterms, if Cheney is going to retire for "health reasons", so that Bush can have Condoleeza Rice as his VP, with the resulting political nuclear detonation.
Vowing victory in this fall's elections, Republicans emerged Friday from a two-day national strategy session rejecting new independent warnings that they face a possible "electoral rout" and loss of control of Congress. "It will be a tough election, but we will keep control of the House and Senate," Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said Friday.
He made the prediction after unveiling a strategy that he hoped would frame the fall election as a choice between Republicans and Democrats, rather than a referendum on President Bush and Republican control of the government. Party leaders hope that fear of Democrats will trump anger or disappointment with Republicans.
As the Republicans huddled, their public optimism was offset by two new detailed looks at the House and Senate races and the national mood by Larry Sabato, a noted political analyst, and the Cook Political Report. Both concluded that Republicans are in big trouble. Independent political analyst Charles Cook warned this week that Republicans face the threat of "an electoral rout." "First, the political climate will be extremely hostile to Republican candidates. Second, while Republicans benefited from turnout in 2002 and 2004, this time voter turnout will benefit Democratic candidates. And third, the advantages that the GOP usually has in national party spending will be significantly less than normal."
Vilsack encouraged by Democrat prospects in November
Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack stood at the end of a wharf Friday and said he thinks the Democrats' ship is going to come in during the November elections. Vilsack, who is considering a 2008 bid for president, was in Charleston for this weekend's National Governors Association meeting. "I guarantee you Democratic governors will have a majority of the governerships of the country by the time the fall elections are said and done," Vilsack said.
The former chairman of the Democratic Governors Association is doing what he can to get one of his own into the governor's office in South Carolina, campaigning with fellow Democrat and state Sen. Tommy Moore who is running against Republican Gov. Mark Sanford in the November election.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/05/2006 00:00 ||
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thats great its so healthy for the country to have NO checks and balences
Posted by: bk ||
08/05/2006 0:42 Comments ||
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Really haven't had much in checks and balances since the Supremes decided 40 years ago to start issuing fiats that remain largely unchallenged. O'Conner's comments after retiring along the lines of 'how dare they critize us' pretty much defines the attitude of our new rulers.
Posted by: Chinese Whuger3858 ||
08/05/2006 9:54 Comments ||
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bk, if you want to really see "no checks and balances" just let the Dems take control of everything.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/05/2006 11:09 Comments ||
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USA AND UK Want's to make another world WAR. they are just killing muslim's and also other religion's people. they think the world is fool and never stand up against them. but they think wrong when some attacks on the heart's of the people, innocent people's and when the never borther it when they cry and stands up against striker.
same situation created by usa and uk at the shoulder of israil. but they never know that people's of all over the world are against their policies.
#8
Mukhtar, if the US (or for that matter, the UK) wanted to start a 'World' War, we would (it would not be global, but for the people involved in it, it might as well be). It would be over very quickly and a huge number of people would be dead. The vast majority of them would be in countries other than the US/UK.
The policies being undertaken at the moment are very expensive, and are seen as a way of dragging the Islamic world into the 21st century. This is something that must be done if Islam is to survive the next 50 years - it is too easy to get WMD now, and the rationality the Islamic world shows is not encouraging.
Instead of bleating about the muslims that are being killed, you should be finding out about what options the West has (hint; conversion/submission is not one of them) and you'll come to the same conclusion many others have: time is running out for the Islamic world to get its house in order.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
08/05/2006 12:25 Comments ||
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#9
Well Mukhtar, if only you could learn to think independently and adhere to facts and be productive -- along with all your Moslem co-cultists -- maybe you'd give up your jihad and join humanity in the pursuit of happiness.
Until then, keep changing the conversation and keep blaming the Jews, the USA, the UK, and everybody else for your perpetual state of self-inflicted confusion, illiteracy, poverty, and seething. Not a pretty sight and what a waste of a human life.
No. I'd prefer to go back to wondering about whether Britney Spears is going to sing again after having two kids.
they are just killing muslim's and also other religion's people.
Mostly extremist muslims who are actively trying to kill us. It's only fair. Don't forget who started this. Hopefully the truly moderate muslims won't suffer at all. If you were to step inside my mind you'd find that it hurts me, too.
they think the world is fool and never stand up against them.
Is that the crap your mullahs are brainwashing you with? Why don't you sit down and look at the situation from my point of view. Imagine if the US sneaked some forces in to bomb whatever you think is the same as the World Trade Center. How would you feel? What would the muslim world do? You're not surprised are you? By the way, we don't want to wipe every muslim off the planet like you're probably thinking is our logical conclusion. We just want the extremists to go away.
but they think wrong when some attacks on the heart's of the people, innocent people's and when the never borther it when they cry and stands up against striker.
It seems you don't care about the innocent civilians who were killed in 9/11 and other operations around the world. Was it because they are not muslim? Is it because you have decided to believe the stupid idea that they are somehow military? Is that what you think? Do you think I think the same way about muslims because you can't imagine another way? Think about this. It's called "projection", where you assume everyone else thinks like you.
The extremists are hiding behind civilians and sometimes those civilans going to get killed in the crossfire. What's so hard? Extremists sometimes do it knowing the civilians are going to be killed! Are we supposed to give up every time they hide behind civilians? That's stupid! Extremists attack civilians directly, with intent to harm. If you have a better idea that efficiently gets rid of the extremists without killing civilians, please post it here and it will be forwarded to the military. I know they would love such an idea. Bottom line: We have to defend ourselves right now, not later.
And our military never hides behind civilians, and extremists hide behind civilians all the time. If you know how to think, that should give you huge problems.
same situation created by usa and uk at the shoulder of israil.
That was caused by Iran, Syria, and the Hezb'Allah, and enabled by a gullible international community. Israel has no choice but to destroy them. Again, Hezb'Allah is hiding behind civilians, and civilians are dying. The Lebanese government could help Israel, but they are siding with terrorists. Israel said it wants the Lebanese government to be in charge, and they mean it. It's a good thing, not a bad thing as your mullahs will tell you. Do you see an option for Israel? What if Israel attacked Lebanon the way Hezb'Allah attacked Israel? With many rockets and kidnapping soldiers and civilians and killing civilians? How would you feel then? Think about it yourself, don't ask your mullah. You'll probably find he mixes lots of hate into his answer until you can't think right then he puts the idea into you that all the crap the extremists are doing is OK somehow. Mixing in hate can come in the form of just mentioning the word "Jews" and off you go. It's easy for them to control your thinking because they put these bombs all through your psychology.
but they never know that people's of all over the world are against their policies.
Mostly extremist muslims and those who believe their mullahs that we are going to wipe every muslim off the planet. Bull$hit. The mullahs are just trying to become more powerful. They either honestly think it is a good thing, or they just want more power.
#11
"The mullahs are just trying to become more powerful. They either honestly think it is a good thing, or they just want more power."
I'll take what's behind Door #2, gorb.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/05/2006 14:10 Comments ||
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#12
The mullahs think more power in their own hands is a good thing, in the pursuit of slavery for all of mankind. Mukhtar and his co-cultists are their willing tools.
Returning to the actual topic: Republicans had better win, not just predict victory. A Democrat majority at this stage would be utter disaster, leading the world to nuclear war within less than two years (if it doesn't happen on the 22nd already).
#15
Think about it yourself, don't ask your mullah.
That is part of the problem in a nutshell. They are'nt allowed to think. Islam means 'Submit'. Don't think, don't question, don't understand, just DO AS I SAY.
Personally, I think there is a balance between those who actually believe all the $hit they are spouting and those who are just taking advantage of it for power. And some who have a foot in both graves. I also wonder what the balance of motivation is the higher up the food chain you go. It's easy to poke fun at this subject, but I think it's an important one.
A Hindu nationalist website reports that Bangladeshis, backed by armed soldiers, grabbed Indian land by shifting border posts. The 20 million Bangladeshi illegals in India, are weakening Indian sovereignty. I wonder how this turns out?
Posted by: Steve ||
08/05/2006 13:23 Comments ||
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#2
Bandladeshis do this every election time.
It reinforces the anti-India credentials of the party in power. They'll grab some land, kill a few Indian Border guards then negotiate a few months after over the return of land, shifting of the border markers etc.
Typically it is Bangla BDR forces against Indian BSF (both paramilitary border troops not regular army).
Delhi will restrain BSF action to small arms fire and keep the Indian Army and Air Force out of it.
Though India is capable of stomping all over Bangladesh, the Indian Government is quite averse to appearing as a regional hegemon. The smaller states - Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Burma don't react too well to open displays of Indian military power. This drives them into open Chinese arms, something Delhi wishes to avoid.
Posted by: john ||
08/05/2006 13:40 Comments ||
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Fidel Castro's health has been declared a national secret. His brother Raul, to whom Fidel apparently ceded power at the beginning of the week, is nowhere to be seen. American journalists are being turned away at the airport. So one thing for certain hasn't changed on the island: It's still hard to know much about the internal life of the dictatorship that has oppressed Cuba for 47 years. But it seems likely that the era of Fidel Castro is finally winding down toward the dictator's final bravura performance.
But even should this prove true, Fidel can rest assured that his legacy will be honored for a long time. Across virtually his entire career, Fidel has offered himself as the perfect anti-capitalist revolutionary. Though the revolution ended decades ago with Cuba's economy in ruins and its dissident voices in dungeons, the international left then and now has kept the flame of romance burning beneath Castro's carefully nurtured reputation. . . .
Fidel has cultivated his status as a left-wing icon since taking power in 1959. Remarkably, the fact that he has extracted from his impoverished and oppressed people a personal fortune--Forbes magazine estimated it last year at over half a billion dollars for its World's Richest People list--has done little to dent his image as a man of the people. The standard apologetics for the sorry state of the Cuban economy begin from the premise that America, not socialism, is responsible for Cuba's travails. But Castro's personal financial success suggests that in fact substantial revenue is sluicing through the island. Even with the U.S. embargo in place, there's plenty of money to be made in Cuba. It's just that nearly all of it the income from exports of seafood, tobacco, sugar and nickel, not to mention Fidel's real-estate and pharmaceutical operations, goes to the ruling clique or to the military, bypassing the population. There are good reasons to question the embargo, but the notion that it is the source of all of Cuba's ills isn't one of them. . . .
For a while in the 1990s, it seemed that the passing of the Soviet Union would take Castro down in its wake, but in recent years Venezuela's Hugo Chavez has stepped into the support role, lavishing Cuba with oil and other subsidies.
Mr. Chavez, in fact, appears ready to graduate from his role as a Castro protege to fill Fidel's shoes as the hemisphere's anti-U.S. gadfly. He used his recent tour through Europe and Asia not only to hobnob with despots in Belarus and Iran, but also to stock up on Russian weaponry. It seems Mr. Chavez has absorbed the most salient lesson of Fidel's success--the international left will overlook oppression and economic mismanagement at home if you market yourself as David to the American Goliath. The thousands killed by Castro over the years, the tens of thousands more who have died desperately seeking freedom in the U.S., the political prisoners, the torture--all can be forgiven so long as you pose as the alternative to the American hegemon.
Of course it may be no coincidence that most of the admiration all these years has been from afar. The idea of "Fidel" allows his leftish admirers from the comforts of free, mostly capitalist societies to imagine that someone out there is struggling to build a better, more egalitarian way of life--without any of them having to live amid the daily Cuban reality of grinding poverty and political intimidation.
Fidel may die, but his offshore Venceremos Brigade will live on.
Posted by: Mike ||
08/05/2006 07:37 ||
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Forget his stinking corpse. Havanna used to be a fun place before he arrived. Cuba could have sugar, rum, ethanol production and large cigars if they would wise up.
Share common bond with the Merchants of Guilt who talk alot about the history of the exploited Native American, but do not dispose of all their property save what they can carry and return to their genetic homelands.
Posted by: Chinese Whuger3858 ||
08/05/2006 12:25 Comments ||
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The federal deficit will register $260 billion this year, the lowest in four years, reflecting a strong economy and resulting growth in tax revenue, congressional analysts said Friday. The estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is well below its earlier predictions and also below the $296 billion White House estimate less than a month ago. Better-than-expected revenues are driving the deficit down from last year's $318 billion figure and far below the record $413 billion posted in 2004. At $260 billion, it would be the lowest since the $158 billion figure in 2002, the first deficit following four years of surpluses.
At 2 percent of gross domestic product, the 2006 deficit would be smaller than the deficit recorded in the past three years...
The deficit picture is even better when measured against the size of the economy, which is the comparison economists think is most important. "At 2 percent of gross domestic product, the 2006 deficit would be smaller than the deficit recorded in the past three years 3.5 percent in 2003, 3.6 percent in 2004 and 2.6 percent in 2005," said the CBO report.
So far this year, taxes on corporate profits are 27 percent or $56 billion higher compared to the first 10 months of last year. That reflects the strong economy. All told, receipts from corporate profits are estimated to tally two and a half times those collected in 2003, CBO said. The budget year ends Sept. 30. Receipts are also 20 percent higher on income and payroll taxes paid quarterly by wealthier people and small businessmen but taxes withheld in paychecks are only 8 percent higher. Tax receipts are estimated to run $223 billion higher than 2005, CBO said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/05/2006 00:00 ||
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whatever
Posted by: bk ||
08/05/2006 0:34 Comments ||
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Lowest in 4 years, but still ridiculously huge.
#3
"Lowest in 4 years, but still ridiculously huge."
2% of GDP is "ridiculously huge"? Son, you are either ignorant or a fanatic. Or both.
Posted by: joe ||
08/05/2006 9:48 Comments ||
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#4
like the unemployment rate in yesterday's news: "propelled to 4.7% - highest in five months"....that, my friend, is still statistically called 'full employment'.
Watch the MSM try and downplay the economic good news to avoid helping the Reps in Nov's election
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/05/2006 10:06 Comments ||
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#5
"At 2 percent of gross domestic product, the 2006 deficit would be smaller than the deficit recorded in the past three years
heh heh hee
Yearly defecit is 2 percent of the gnp and inflation is running about 3.5% - see how you can shrink the national debt without really trying?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Cuba's vice president said Saturday that Fidel Castro is recovering satisfactorily from surgery and the communist leader sent his "fraternal greetings" to the people of Bolivia, Cuban state media reported. Carlos Lage spoke in Bolivia on the way to the Sunday opening of a convention to write a new constitution for the South American nation, according to Cuban international news agency Prensa Latina, which offered no further details of his statement. Neither of the Castros has been seen since Monday's announcement that Fidel, 79, had undergone surgery for intestinal bleeding and was temporarily ceding power to his brother Raul, the 75-year-old defense minister.
At a momentous moment in Cuban history -- with long-time strongman Fidel Castro in a sickbed and transferring his power to his brother -- foreign journalists are being shut out of the Communist island.
Cuba's communist government said it would defend itself against any U.S. attempt to take advantage of Fidel Castro's health crisis as some exiles urged Washington to go further in fostering a democratic transition on the island. "The people know they have a resource, a weapon, a place to defend the revolution if necessary," Rogelio Polanco, editor of the Communist youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde, said on state television Thursday evening.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has delivered a message of democratic change to the Cuban people, while the island's communist government said Fidel Castro was in good health and his brother in firm control. "All Cubans who desire peaceful democratic change can count on the support of the United States," Rice said. "We encourage the Cuban people to work at home for positive change, and we stand ready to provide you with humanitarian assistance as you begin to chart a new course for your country." 
Yet another major figure has exited Air America Radio.
An anticipatory buzz fills the room. Six crisp American flags, erect as soldiers, line the dais. More than an hour before the vice president's arrival, the GOP faithful stand at the ready. Never mind that Dick Cheney is favorably regarded by only about a third of Americans. To this crowd, in this place, he is a rock star.
Vowing victory in this fall's elections, Republicans emerged Friday from a two-day national strategy session rejecting new independent warnings that they face a possible "electoral rout" and loss of control of Congress. "It will be a tough election, but we will keep control of the House and Senate," Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said Friday. 
The federal deficit will register $260 billion this year, the lowest in four years, reflecting a strong economy and resulting growth in tax revenue, congressional analysts said Friday. The estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is well below its earlier predictions and also below the $296 billion White House estimate less than a month ago. Better-than-expected revenues are driving the deficit down from last year's $318 billion figure and far below the record $413 billion posted in 2004. At $260 billion, it would be the lowest since the $158 billion figure in 2002, the first deficit following four years of surpluses.
