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FEBRUARY 11-1, 02 Archives

Daschle criticizes Bush for using 'axis of evil' phrase By CHRISTOPHER NEWTON,(February 11, 2002 9:52 p.m. EST) Associated Press WASHINGTON  - Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle said President Bush was wrong to have labeled Iraq, Iran and North Korea an "axis of evil," the first major criticism from a leading Democrat about the war on terror. In an interview Monday on PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," Daschle said the comment has had repercussions around the world. "I think that it's important for us to look at each of these countries as threats to this country clearly, as problems that we've got to address clearly," Daschle said. "But I think we've got to be very careful with the rhetoric of that kind. We've already seen the moderates in Iran scramble to draw distance between us and them, and I think we've got to be very careful with how we approach all three countries." nandotimes.com WASHINGTON  - Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle said President Bush was wrong to have labeled Iraq, Iran and North Korea an "axis of evil," the first major criticism from a leading Democrat about the war on terror. In an interview Monday on PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," Daschle said the comment has had repercussions around the world. "I think that it's important for us to look at each of these countries as threats to this country clearly, as problems that we've got to address clearly," Daschle said. "But I think we've got to be very careful with the rhetoric of that kind. We've already seen the moderates in Iran scramble to draw distance between us and them, and I think we've got to be very careful with how we approach all three countries." nandotimes.com

Environmentalists wary of Bush’s ’charter forests’ proposal February 11, 2002 The Associated Press TACOMA, Wash. (AP) – A plan outlined in President Bush’s budget proposal to create “charter forests” out of public lands has irked some environmentalists who say it could be a scheme to evade laws governing timber sales. The plan calls for taking some national forest land out of the hands of the U.S. Forest Service and turning it over to local trusts, which would be responsible for managing it, The News Tribune of Tacoma reported Sunday. montanaforum.com

Candid Campaign Flick Catches W Capers
By CORKY SIEMASZKO 2/11/02 Daily News Staff Writer Curious George is back — and that has some in the White House worried. A new behind-the-scenes documentary of the 2000 presidential campaign called "Journeys with George" by New York filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi portrays President Bush as a bumbling prankster."These are my people," Bush says as he wades to the back of the campaign plane where reporters are whipping up margaritas. "It takes an animal to know an animal. And I'm not admitting I'm an animal with 60 days to go in the campaign." nydailynews.com

Transportation Labor 'Stunned' by Apparent Plan to Deny Whistle Blower Protections to Airport Security Workers WASHINGTON, Feb.10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following statement was issued today by Sonny Hall, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, on the Bush Administration's recent announcement that newly federalized airport security workers will not be granted whistle blower protections to report security breaches without fear of reprisal. "We are stunned by the Administration's apparent plan to deny whistle blower protections to federal airport security screeners. This policy decision is out of step with the American people, ignores congressional intent, and quite frankly, defies logic. It is a bizarre and dangerous irony that at a time when our government is spending billions to secure our airports and skies and to staff a new "federalized" security force, it would consider denying these workers the basic right to speak out on security and safety threats. usnewswire.com

Armed to the Teeth February 10, by Peter Beaumont and Ed Vulliamy by Peter Beaumont and Ed Vulliamy Is Bush's awesome increase in military spending a reasonable response to the aftermath of September 11, or is he creating a force almost too powerful for its own good? The question the rest of the world is asking itself is: Who is the enemy America is arming itself against? And why? President George W. Bush has put Iran, Iraq and North Korea on notice as terrorist-sponsoring nations at the center of an international 'axis of evil', despite the CIA's recent evidence that none of them was in the business of threatening the United States at present. Last Monday, to back that explicit threat, he announced an increase in US military spending of 15 per cent, the biggest in 20 years, more than double the military spending in all of the European Union. The rise will be $36 billion (£26.5bn) this year, $48 billion next year and $120 billion over the next five years, rising to a staggering two trillion over the next five years. Even this is not enough for General Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. They want the US defense budget to increase at an even faster rate. commondreams.org

Bush not shy about waving, wrapping wearing Stars and Stripes Sun, Feb. 10, BY DAVID JACKSON - All presidencies make liberal use of the American flag, but the Bush administration may have hit some kind of milestone with the cover of its budget: A close-up of the Stars and Stripes, a spending plan literally wrapped in red, white, and blue.Flags are never out of favor with politicians, but Old Glory continues to enjoy a wider emotional renaissance, nearly five months after Sept. 11.President Bush and aides continue to sport flag pins on their lapels. So do a significant number of Democrats, particularly those seeking election this fall. Visitors to the White House can enjoy a huge flag draped on the side of the Old Executive Office Building, overlooking the West Wing. aberdeennews.com

Jeb Bush's daughter put into drug treatment February 10, 2002 By The Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Noelle Bush, the governor's daughter who was accused of prescription drug fraud, has been admitted to a drug treatment program, her lawyer said. Bush, 24, a daughter of Gov. Jeb Bush and niece of President George W. Bush, will spend whatever time is needed in the treatment program before returning to Tallahassee to face the charge, attorney Peter Antonacci said Friday. registerguard.com

Democrats criticize Bush budget 2002-02-10 The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Democrats used their weekly radio address Saturday to lambaste President Bush's budget, saying it is using Enron-style accounting tactics to cover up the nation's burgeoning debt. "The president's budget makes the Enron mistake, understating our debt and endangering retirement benefits," said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. He said Bush's 10-year plan, including hefty tax cuts, would use up most of the Medicare and Social Security trust funds. "The stakes could not be higher. This nation is about to be hit with a tidal wave of new retirees," Conrad said. "This is no time to divert Social Security and Medicare funds to other purposes." newsok.com

Democrats liken budget to Enron case February 10, 2002 WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats used their weekly radio address yesterday to lambaste President George W. Bush’s budget, saying it is using Enron-style accounting tactics to cover up the nation’s burgeoning debt. "The president’s budget makes the Enron mistake - understating our debt and endangering retirement benefits," Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said. He said Bush’s 10-year plan, including hefty tax cuts, would use up most of the Medicare and Social Security trust funds. "The stakes could not be higher. This nation is about to be hit with a tidal wave of new retirees," Conrad said. showmenews.com

Democrats say Bush budget uses Enron-style fuzzy math The Associated Press WASHINGTON (February 10) - Democrats used their weekly radio address Saturday to criticize President Bush's budget, saying it uses Enron-style accounting tactics to cover up the nation's growing debt. "The president's budget makes the Enron mistake - understating our debt and endangering retirement benefits," Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said. He said Bush's 10-year plan, including hefty tax cuts, would use up most of the Medicare and Social Security trust funds. "The stakes could not be higher. This nation is about to be hit with a tidal wave of new retirees," Conrad said. "This is no time to divert Social Security and Medicare funds to other purposes." nandotimes.com

Bush's Budget Promises Deficits February 10, by Robert Reno UNTIL 1980 it was a given that Republicans were the fiscally fastidious party and the Democrats needed a trained nurse to keep them from borrowing irresponsibly and spending the nation silly. President George W. Bush's new budget, revealed last week, is confirmation of just how much the difference between the two parties has been stood on its head since Ronald Reagan took office with a promise of massive "supply side" tax cuts that he assured would be "self-financing" and lead straight to a balanced budget by 1984. Reagan is so fondly remembered to this day that his great miscalculation has become lost in time's mists, a bad bet, or as Senate Republican leader Howard Baker called it at the time, "a riverboat gamble." newsday.com

New Bush Tie to Enron White House lawyer got 35G while in Tex. February 10 By BOB PORT By BOB PORT Yet another White House official has a long history with Enron. White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, who has been mentioned as a possible Bush nominee for the Supreme Court, received more than $100,000 in political contributions from the energy industry in recent years as a justice on the Texas Supreme Court. nydailynews.com

Congressman wants energy regulator to resign February 9, 2002 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Democratic member of Congress has called on the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to resign in the wake of allegations that Enron Corp. officials played a role in his appointment. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, wrote a letter Friday to FERC Chairman Pat Wood, saying that Wood's "ability to fairly and neutrally oversee the country's energy policies has been irrevocably compromised." Pascrell charged that Enron CEO Kenneth Lay, who has since resigned, interviewed potential FERC nominees and presented a list of his choices to President Bush's personnel director. The list contained the names of Wood and another FERC member, Nora Brownell, the congressman said. Pascrell, a three-term Democrat from Paterson, also said potential commissioners had to pass a "litmus test" that made it clear they would support Enron's interests if appointed to the commission. Since Bush took office, FERC has made 18 regulatory decisions regarding Enron, he said. "One simply cannot have confidence in the neutrality of FERC at this time," Pascrell said. cnn.com

Snowe, Collins oppose Bush plans for Arctic refuge February 9, 2002 WASHINGTON — With the Senate expected to take up sweeping energy legislation in the coming weeks, Maine’s two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, vowed to fight President Bush on his proposal that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be opened to oil and gas companies. During a Capitol Hill press briefing with nationally prominent Republican conservationists working for increased environmental protection Thursday, Sen. Collins said preserving ANWR for generations to come was far more important than any oil and gas reserves that could be tapped for commercial development as part of U.S. efforts to gain energy independence. bangornews.com

From the shadows of obscurity steps forth an American David. With Gods help and a tiny legal stone he will bring down a Goliath of corruption. David M. Walker became the seventh Comptroller General of the United States and began his 15-year term when he took his oath of office on November 9, 1998. As Comptroller General, Mr. Walker is the nation's chief accountability officer and the head of the General Accounting Office (GAO), a legislative branch agency founded in 1921. The GAO helps the Congress maximize the performance and assure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. gao.gov

Threatened White House suit puts largely unseen comptroller general in spotlight February 9, By Jesse J. Holland / Associated Press WASHINGTON -- -- Accustomed to toiling unseen, Comptroller General David M. Walker put the spotlight on his congressional watchdog agency with a threat to sue Vice President Dick Cheney for papers about meetings with Enron and other energy companies. "This is not something I sought," says the former Arthur Andersen partner who worked for two Republican presidents but was named head of the General Accounting Office by a Democrat. "I've got a job to do and I need to do my job." Right now, the 50-year-old Walker says that includes taking the White House to court, if necessary, to make officials identify the industry executives -- including some from now-collapsed Enron Corp. -- who met last year with President Bush's energy task force. Such a lawsuit, which could come as early as next week, would be the GAO's first against part of the federal government to get documents it wants. A reason it never has had to resort to lawsuits before is its just-the-facts approach to culling information, earning it the status of premier arbiter of what's true and untrue in government. Few have the audacity to challenge it. detnews.com

Red Cross clash with Bush on al-Qaida
 online.ie 09 Feb 2002 The International Red Cross has dismissed President George W Bush's promise that Taliban fighters will be covered by the Geneva Convention. Red Cross officials say Taliban and al-Qaida fighters must be considered prisoners of war, something the Bush administration says it will not do. online.ie/news

Bush's Huge Increase in Military Spending Is Indefensible Saturday, February 9, 2002 William A. Owens and Stanley A. Weiss NEW YORK Congress cheered President George W. Bush's pledge, in the State of the Union address, to spend "whatever it costs to defend our country." But here's the secret. Mr. Bush already has most of the money he seeks. And absent real reform, most of the additional money Congress ultimately approves - the president has requested a quarter of a trillion dollars more over the next five years - will never reach the fighting men and women in the field. That's because the real challenge is not spending more or less on defense. It's spending better. iht.com

Six in 10 Koreans say Bush's 'Axis of Evil'Remark Inappropriate A recent opinion poll found that more than half of those surveyed think that U.S. President George W. Bush's remark demonizing North Korea as part of an ``axis of evil'' was inappropriate. Asked about relations between North Korea and the U.S., 56. 4 percent of respondents said that Bush's remark was inappropriate while 35.5 percent said his remarks were apt. korealink.co

John Walker Lindh, a 20-year-old American, will see no mercy from a vengeful Bush. Another shining example of what it means to be a compassionate conservative.

The political vendetta against John Walker Lindh continues By Jerry Isaacs 9 February 2002 The Bush administration this week stepped up its campaign against John Walker Lindh, the American youth captured fighting alongside Taliban forces in Afghanistan. At the same time a federal grand jury piled up a series of charges against Lindh, intended to intimidate the 20-year-old, his family and defense team. wsws.org

Time for a Special Counsel February 9, 2002 By ERNEST F. HOLLINGS WASHINGTON -- This week, when Kenneth Lay, former Enron chairman and George W. Bush's largest campaign contributor, failed to show up to testify before Congress, I became convinced that it is time to appoint a special counsel to investigate Enron. We need to name a special counsel, rather than relying on the Justice Department, because conflicts of interest abound in this case, particularly at the Justice Department. Federal law allows the attorney general to appoint such a counsel when the Justice Department's involvement would present a conflict of interest. nytimes.com

Threatened suit against White House puts largely unseen comptroller general in spotlight By JESSE J. HOLLAND 2/8/02 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Accustomed to toiling unseen, Comptroller General David M. Walker put the spotlight on his congressional watchdog agency with a threat to sue Vice President Dick Cheney for papers about meetings with Enron and other energy companies. "This is not something I sought," says the former Arthur Andersen partner who worked for two former Republican presidents but was named head of the General Accounting Office by a Democrat. "I've got a job to do and I need to do my job." Right now, the 50-year-old Walker says that includes taking the White House to court, if necessary, to make officials identify the industry executives -- including some from now-collapsed Enron Corp. -- who met last year with President Bush's energy task force. http://www.nj.com

Guantanamo inmates are POWs despite the Bush view February 8/02 The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday that Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, captured in combat and held by U.S. forces were prisoners of war, despite Washington's latest refusal to accept that. President Bush agreed on Thursday to apply the Geneva Conventions to Taliban prisoners, but said they could not enjoy rights because they had not worn military uniform. Granting prisoner of war status to the captives would have given them sweeping rights, including the right to disclose only their name, rank and serial number under interrogation and to go home as soon as the conflict ended. Under the Geneva Conventions, to which the United States is a signatory, any dispute over the status of a prisoner must be settled by a tribunal and not the government of one of the sides to the conflict. dw-world

Former Enron CEO defends himself in House testimony Four executives take the Fifth February 8, 2002 AP Business Writer MARCY GORDON WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling insisted to skeptical lawmakers Thursday that he knew of nothing improper about the complex web of partnerships that brought down the company, draining the savings of millions of investors and employees. reporternews.com

Bush wrong on steel, Byrd says Friday February 8, 2002 The Bush administration sent the wrong message to the nation's steel industry by planning to cut emergency loan guarantees for troubled steel producers, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., says. "A cut to the Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee Program could not come at a worse time," Byrd wrote in a letter he sent Bush on Wednesday. "An investigation by the International Trade Commission has already shown that the domestic steel industry has suffered harm because of cheap foreign steel." wvgazette.com

Democratic economic stimulus bill was blocked Wednesday in the Senate by Republicans who had no chance of winning approval of their own version, guaranteeing that recession relief efforts will end in gridlock. February 07, The vote was 56-39 on legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, S.D., which fell four votes short of the 60 needed to prevail under Senate procedural rules. The Daschle bill would have provided $69 billion in stimulus this year. Daschle said he would later seek unanimous Senate approval of a simple 13-week extension of jobless benefits for the unemployed. Daschle, D-S.D., said Republicans were to blame for insisting on attaching major tax cuts with little bearing on the immediate recession, such as amendments ensuring the estate tax repeal stays in place and making all of the 10-year, $1.35 trillion tax cut permanent. Both wouldn't take effect until the next decade. zwire.com

International Humanitarian Groups Caution Bush on Relief and Development Programs Development Programs 7 Feb Under the banner of InterAction, the nation's largest alliance of international development and relief organizations, 160 humanitarian groups are calling on President Bush to remedy serious inadequacies in foreign affairs funding. The groups will be announcing a new global partnership to bolster international programs that build self-sufficiency through effective, accountable assistance. usnewswire.com

International is dismayed at the Bush Administration's continued willful misinterpretation of the Geneva Conventions. Feb. 7 WASHINGTON, /U.S. Newswire/ --"The Geneva Conventions apply to every one of the prisoners held at Guantanamo and those detained in Afghanistan. The Conventions require that when there is a dispute over a prisoner's status, a 'competent tribunal' must make the final determination on a case-by-case basis. The President cannot fulfill that role," said Vienna Colucci of Amnesty International USA. "This partial compliance with the Geneva Conventions is a half-measure and continues an arrogant policy of pick and choose with regard to the laws of war." usnewswire.com

Bush comments show he is crazy:  FEBRUARY 7: NORTH Korea said on Thursday US President George W. Bush’s assault last week on the communist state ‘‘clearly proves how crazy he has become’’. In his State of the Union address last week, Bush said North Korea, Iraq and Iran were an ‘‘axis of evil’’ bent on developing weapons of mass destruction. North Korea has already condemned that description as being little short of a declaration of war. On Thursday, the official KCNA news agency took up the theme with renewed vigour, saying Bush’s remarks were ‘‘extremely reckless’’ and warning Washington that North Korea reserved the right to self-defence. indian-express.com

Small Business Owners Predict Sluggish Recovery In 2002; 80 Percent Do Not Plan to Hire, 83 Percent See Slow/Zero Sales Growth WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Seventy-six percent of small businesses do not expect to add new employees in 2002 while another four percent plan to cut staff this year, according to a new poll released today by Partner America, a partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Management Services. This is in stark contrast to 2001 when small business owners hired 850,000 workers. The Small Business Owner Economic Outlook Survey reveals that most small business owners are predicting a sluggish economic recovery this year and do not foresee increasing their cash requirements or technology investments. usnewswire.com

Billions for war and repression: Bush budget for a garrison state 6 February 2002, By Patrick Martin The 2003 budget released by the White House Monday proposes enormous increases in spending on the military, on spying both at home and abroad, and on domestic repressive measures. This is to be combined with further gargantuan tax cuts for the wealthy, and a virtual freeze on all domestic social spending. It is the outline for an American garrison state, armed to the teeth, the population regimented, at war continuously in one or another far-flung region of the world. wsws.org

Bush administration considers modest goals for greenhouse gas February 06, 2002 By Julie Vorman, WASHINGTON — The United States, which last year rejected a global climate treaty, said Tuesday it wants to set a "reasonable, gradual" goal to slow its emissions of greenhouse gases and link them to economic output. The United States, the world's biggest polluter, might address greenhouse gas emissions. President Bush rejected the Kyoto treaty soon after he took office last year, saying the international plan to cut emissions was too costly for the U.S. economy. enn.com

A new profit motive: The bottom line is preserving the environment February 06, By Katherine Kerlin, 2002 As protesters regularly disrupt meetings of the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, it’s becoming apparent that many consumers want their goods to come from companies that practice environmental and social responsibility. And those same consumers also object to international agreements like the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which puts profit ahead of environmental protection. enn.com

Bush Budget Gives Conservation Short Shrift By Cat Lazaroff WASHINGTON, DC, February 6, 2002 (ENS) - The budget released Monday by the Bush administration - the nation's first deficit budget in four years - is meeting criticism from all corners, particularly from the environmental community. At a press conference this morning, representatives from several conservation groups denounced the financial "shell game" employed by the administration to fund its priorities. President George W. Bush has proposed a $2.13 trillion budget for fiscal year 2003, a spending plan which will create a $80 billion deficit. The plan cuts spending for six of 14 cabinet departments, and slashes several programs entirely, but dramatically increases spending for military and homeland defense programs. lycos.com

Daschle set to pull Bush economic stimulus package February 05, 2002 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economic stimulus bill that President Bush says will hasten recovery from recession appears dead in the Senate and will probably be shelved, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said Tuesday. Daschle, D-S.D., said neither Republicans nor Democrats will have the 60 votes necessary to win approval of their competing measures -- and that the Senate will take up other business on Wednesday. "It's with great regret I will pull the bill tomorrow," Daschle told reporters Tuesday. wvec.com

Democrats scold Bush for deficit spending February 05, 2002 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats lambasted President Bush Tuesday for reviving deficits and using Social Security surpluses to finance other programs as the White House commenced its defense of its 2003 budget on Capitol Hill. A day after Bush sent Congress his $2.13 trillion fiscal blueprint, White House budget chief Mitchell Daniels told senators that while deficits are regrettable, their short-term return is the price to be paid for the battle against terrorism. "The reason we have a deficit in this budget is to protect the lives of Americans," Daniels told the Senate Budget Committee. wvec.com

Artful politics let Bush avoid tough budget choices - 02/05/2002 To make his new wartime budget work, holding deficit spending to "only" $80 billion, President Bush is counting on leading a huge herd of sacred cows to slaughter. If he pulls it off, he will claim a stunning political triumph. If he can't, he will share with Congress the blame for a return to runaway red ink that threatens to destroy any hope of reducing the federal debt well into the next decade. usatoday.com

Bush budget says 'pork'; county says 'priority' 02/05/2002 By Jonathan Weisman, USA TODAY WASHINGTON — In February 1991, Dan Bochler, 16, steered his snowmobile onto frozen Lake Superior and crashed through the ice. Ashland County, Wis., sheriff's deputies, firefighters, even Dan's father stood helplessly on shore watching the teen struggle, shout for help and then drown.Eleven years later, Ashland County is about to acquire an $80,000 rescue sled — courtesy of federal taxpayers — so such tragedies don't occur again. But the sled has also become a national symbol in President Bush's war against "pork": items that members of Congress slip into the federal budget for the folks back home. usatoday.com

Gephardt Statement on President Bush's Budget 4 Feb 14:06 WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by House Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt on President Bush's budget: "While President Bush should be commended for his commitment to defense and homeland security in his budget released today, he should seriously reconsider his fiscal priorities for our future economic growth. The budget should promote long-term economic growth through fiscal responsibility, investments in people and technology and honoring our commitments to Social Security and Medicare. The administration's budget fails on all three counts. usnewswire.com

US Senate budget chairman says Bush budget proposal 'fiscally irresponsible' February 4, President George Bush's proposed 2.128 trln usd fiscal 2003 budget is "fiscally irresponsible in the long run," said Democratic Senate Budget Committee chairman Kent Conrad."The President's budget, I think, really doesn't deal with the long-term hole..." created by Bush's 1.35 trln usd tax cut, Conrad said. He criticized the budget for dipping into funds that are reserved for Social Security government pension plan. ananova.com

Enron's Lay won't testify before Congress February 04, 2002 WASHINGTON, D.C. (MSNBC) - Kenneth Lay, the former Enron Corp. chairman and chief executive at the center of a financial scandal, abruptly pulled out of this week's congressional testimony on Sunday. WASHINGTON, D.C. (MSNBC) - Earl Silbert, a lawyer for Kenneth Lay, said he advised the former Enron Corp. chairman and CEO, to withdraw from testifying because the hearings have taken on a "prosecutorial" tone. Kenneth Lay, the former Enron Corp. chairman and chief executive at the center of a financial scandal, abruptly pulled out of this week's congressional testimony on Sunday. WASHINGTON, D.C. (MSNBC) - Earl Silbert, a lawyer for Kenneth Lay, said he advised the former Enron Corp. chairman and CEO, to withdraw from testifying because the hearings have taken on a "prosecutorial" tone. mywesttexas.com

White House stonewalls Congressional probe into Enron links By Jerry Isaacs 4 February 2002 The Bush administration is refusing to comply with a Congressional request for information concerning closed-door meetings held with Enron CEO Kenneth Lay and other oil and energy executives, which were instrumental in formulating the administration’s energy policy last year. The stonewalling by the White House takes place in what has developed into a criminal investigation of Enron by Bush’s own Justice Department and nearly a dozen Congressional inquiries into the largest corporate bankruptcy in US history. wsws.org

Fight on, America," President Bush exhorts. Yet there are those wondering whether Bush is going a little too far with the apocalyptic war talk.
Bush's saber-rattling tough talk worries allies February 3, 2002 Facts and figures behind recent terrorism threats weren't always solid. CALVIN WOODWARD, WASHINGTON -- "Fight on, America," President Bush exhorts. To him, the fight against terrorism is joined on every front now, with no end in sight. It's not just on battlefields or at border crossings but in schools, neighborhoods and homes, where he says teaching children, loving them and helping others are weapons to ward off the evil ones. Bearing America's mighty grievance born in September, flush with confidence from military progress and enjoying sky-high public support, the Republican president is on a roll even by the reckoning of Democrats. Yet there are voices, few at home, more abroad, wondering whether Bush is going a little too far with the apocalyptic war talk. theolympian.com

President Bush's new budget calls for 591 (b) billion in tax cuts for the rich over the next decade while attempting to eliminate deficits. February 3, 2002 That's according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The numbers show a new round of tax reductions would claim a large share of dwindling federal surpluses. Bush's two-point-13 (t) trillion-dollar budget for the next fiscal year will draw upon savings from Medicaid and a health-insurance program for low-income children. The budget also counts on leasing still-unapproved mineral drilling rights in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While specifics aren't fully detailed, the documents show Bush is projecting a deficit of 80 (b) billion dollars. A Bush statement accompanying the budget says a cap on government spending and curtailing social programs will leave enough money for anti-terror and war. home.abc28.com

Bush plans to liquidate another 100 billion dollars of the peoples Social Security trust fund for his war, while simultaneously handing the super rich a massive 590 billion dollar tax giveaway, which he says will stimulate the economy. Remember these are the same corporate monsters who complained that we could not afford a prescription drug plan for the aged or health care for poor American children.
Bush to unveil 'war' budget 3 February, 2002, A sharp increase in US military spending and tax cuts to stimulated the economy are expected to be the top priorities in President George W. Bush's $2.13 trillion budget for 2003, which he will present to Congress on Monday. news.bbc.co.uk A sharp increase in US military spending and tax cuts to stimulated the economy are expected to be the top priorities in President George W. Bush's $2.13 trillion budget for 2003, which he will present to Congress on Monday. news.bbc.co.uk

Bush Budget About to Show Its Darker Side Deep Cuts in Some Programs Planned February 3, 2002, By Eric Pianin President Bush this week will seek sharp cuts in highway funding, Army Corps of Engineers water projects, congressional environmental initiatives, job training and scores of other domestic programs, reflecting the darker side of a fiscal 2003 budget that calls for record spending increases for the military and for domestic security. washingtonpost.com

World Social Forum for Global Equity, says Activists February 2, 2002 by Agence France Presse PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - Activists at the second annual World Social Forum rejected the label "anti," saying they were working for democracy and equitable distribution of wealth. "The enemy calls us 'anti,' they say we complain, we are the anti-Forum, anti-globalization, while our movement, really, is globally for democracy, equality, diversity, justice and quality of life," said Lori Wallach, of the US watchdog group Public Citizen. commondreams.org February 2, 2002 by Agence France Presse PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - Activists at the second annual World Social Forum rejected the label "anti," saying they were working for democracy and equitable distribution of wealth. "The enemy calls us 'anti,' they say we complain, we are the anti-Forum, anti-globalization, while our movement, really, is globally for democracy, equality, diversity, justice and quality of life," said Lori Wallach, of the US watchdog group Public Citizen. commondreams.org

State of the Enron February 2, 2002 By FRANK RICH I had just finished crying over the tragic news that President Bush's mother-in-law had lost $8,000 on her Enron stock when another heartbreaking story sent me reaching once more for the Kleenex. There on the "Today" show this week was the sobbing figure of Linda Lay, Ken's wife, telling America the most rending tale of dispossession since the Yankees stole Tara from Scarlett O'Hara. nytimes.com

Straw accused of 'mocking' Bush
February 2, 2002 2, 2002 LONDON, England -- UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has been accused of "mocking" U.S. President George Bush. Two leading national newspapers made the accusation over Straw's interpretation of Bush's State of the Union address in which he warned of the danger posed by so-called rogue states. In his speech, Bush said that states such as North Korea, Iraq and Iran formed an "axis of evil" against which the West must guard itself. Straw, who is in Washington, suggested that he believed the President's words to be pre-election political rhetoric rather than a genuine warning about a serious threat. europe.cnn.com

White House warned not to destroy Enron documents 2 Feb 2002, The US Justice Department has warned President George W Bush's staff not to destroy any documents related to the bankruptcy of Mr Bush's biggest political contributor - energy trading company, Enron. The warning came as the department steps up its criminal probe into Enron Corporation's collapse. abc.net.au

Budget Would Cut Medicaid Payments By ROBERT PEAR WASHINGTON,  Feb, 2 President Bush's budget would rein in the growth of Medicaid by reducing payments to public hospitals and by cracking down on state efforts to obtain extra federal money to finance health care for the poor, administration officials said today. nytimes.com

Transportation Labor Condemns Delta Airlines For Blocking Flight Attendants' Right to a Voice on Job WASHINGTON, Feb. 2  /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following statement was issued today by Sonny Hall, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, on the conduct of Delta Airlines management in an election by its flight attendants to gain a voice on the job as members of the Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO. "Delta Airlines ought to be ashamed of itself. The company spent millions of dollars to silence its flight attendants' voices in their election to form a union. While 98 percent of those who voted chose the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) as their union representative, lawless corporate behavior thwarted the will of the employees and stifled turnout. usnewswire.com

Fewer Clouds Found In Tropics: NASA Scientists Discover New Evidence Of Climate Change Feb 2, 2002 After examining 22 years of satellite measurements, NASA researchers find that more sunlight entered the tropics and more heat escaped to space in the 1990s than in the 1980s. Their findings indicate less cloud cover blocked incoming radiation and trapped outgoing heat. sciencedaily.com

GAO Will Sue Bush Administration for Documents February 1, 2002 - By Cat Lazaroff WASHINGTON, DC, The General Accounting Office plans to file suit against the Bush administration within weeks, seeking the release of documents relating to closed door meetings between Vice President Richard Cheney and energy industry officials. The case is viewed as a crucial test of the president's power to protect records of private meetings with powerful and influential commercial interests. Since April 2001, the General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, has been working on behalf of Congress to obtain the records of Cheney's energy task force meetings, which were instrumental in shaping President George W. Bush's national energy plan. At first, the GAO requested all minutes and records of the task force, which the White House refused to release on the grounds that such a broad request lay outside the agency's authority. In August, the GAO revised its request to cover only the dates, locations and subjects of task force meetings, as well as the names of all attendees. lycos.com

Europe reacts nervously to Bush’s State of the Union speech  February 1, 2002, By Peter Schwarz, Much of the initial reaction in the European press to US President George W. Bush’s State of the Union speech varies between ironical commentary and more open, although generally restrained, criticism. While direct attacks on Bush are rare, most commentaries acknowledge that influential political circles in Europe are deeply disturbed by the unilateral course made clear in his January 29 speech. wsws.org

White House got candidate names from ex-Enron boss February 1, WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Former Enron (ENRNQ) chairman Kenneth Lay recommended candidates to fill top government posts including Pat Wood, now chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the White House said on Thursday. http://money.iwon.com

Bush can't gloss over his fiscal time bomb February 1, 2002 E.J. Dionne WASHINGTON — During the Vietnam era, President Lyndon B. Johnson thought he could have guns and butter, that he could keep his domestic Great Society program and fight the war at the same time. Now, President Bush thinks he can have guns and tax cuts. It's an unfortunate choice. seattletimes.nwsource.com