Macel Falwell, Jerry Falwell's Widow, On Paltalk

Macel and Jerry Falwell

Macel (Pate) Falwell, Jerry Falwell's widow, who has authored a book about their life together, will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com Monday June 9.

The one-time shy banker met Jerry Falwell, a local high school sports star and son of a Lynchburg, VA bootlegger, after he returned to Lynchburg from Bible college to start Thomas Road Baptist Church. The couple was married in 1958 and remained together until Falwell's death a little over a year ago.

Mrs. Falwell, who is an artist and pianist just released her first book, Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy in which she documents her life with the innovative yet controversial pastor and Christian educator.

Mrs. Falwell, who graduated at age 50 with a 4.0 GPA from Liberty University, has also served as an English instructor there. Rev. Falwell once said of his wife, "Macel is my best critic and is most responsible for the successful lives and careers of our children and myself."

Mrs. Falwell has three children and eight grandchildren. Son Jerry Jr. serves as chancellor of Liberty University (which his father founded in 1971) while son Jonathan serves as pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church. Daughter Jeannie is a Richmond, Va.-based surgeon.

To talk to Macel Falwell at 5 PM New York time Monday June 9 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to more than 12 million additional households.

Tehran Digs In Nuclear Heels

One day after it was reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency was concerned about the discovery that Iran possessed documentation to build a nuclear bomb, Tehran says it will not halt its enrichment program.

The IAEA is to present a status report to the UN Security Council in days about Iran's nuclear aspirations. The concern is, of course, that that nation, which has shown an aggressiveness toward its neighbors, wants to use its developing nuclear capabilities to build weapons, not just power plants.

There are those who say Iran has suspended its nuclear weapons program. Of course, different experts may come up with differing conclusions about what's going on behind the veil of Iran. But in this matter, the world can't afford to be wrong. Once the nuclear genie is out of a bottle in the hands of the regime in Tehran there is no turning back.

The New Deal Wasn't Such A Good Deal

Economic journalist Amity Shlaes believes the fond memories people have of FDR's New Deal are faulty.

Shlaes, author of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression, said in an interview on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com that the New Deal actually didn't bring the United States out of the depression.

Unemployment, she says, remained high. The stock market remained low. The make work policies of Roosevelt, she says, made people feel good about themselves. But didn't have, she argues, the intended economic effect.

Document Shows Iran Has Nuke Bomb Knowledge

A document in the possession of the Iranians indicates that the nation has in its possession documentation essential to the production of a nuclear bomb.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is reportedly alarmed over the findings.

The IAEA also has culled additional evidence of Iran's nuclear weapon's aspirations.

Tehran is dismissing the findings as fabricated.

It has been difficult at best to properly assess the nuclear weapons threat Iran may pose to the rest of the world. This may be the most compelling evidence of that nation's intentions to date.

Bush's Legacy, Democratic Delegate Count, Debated

President Bush's legacy and the manner in which the Democratic Party will handle the delegate count in Florida and Michigan were the hot topics on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com today.

Many callers cited the war in Iraq, the government's response to Hurricane Katrina and the economy as reasons President Bush will not be warmly remembered by historians. Though online producer and show screener Boaz Frankel thinks the memories of Bush's failings will fade with time. And caller Mike from Florida suggested that those who lived under the tyranny of Saddam Hussein will remember Bush as an "honorable man."

As for the Democratic Party's grappling with what to do about seating delegates from Michigan and Florida, one caller, a Florida Democratic delegate committed to George Edwards expressed dismay that the rest of the nation hasn't spoken up in support of Floridians who have been disenfranchised by the process. She, for one, is terribly dismayed by the leadership of Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean, for his failure to make the votes of Democrats in the sunshine state count.

Congressman Charles Rangel On News Talk Online Monday

Congressman Rangel

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com June 2 at 5 PM New York time.

Rangel, a frequent guest on cable and network news shows, recently criticized Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's remarks about the assassination of Bobby Kennedy.

He's also been a vocal critic of the Bush administration and has been particularly vocal in his opposition to the war in Iraq. He has introduced legislation re-introducing the draft, believing that if there was conscription, opposition to the war would grow.

Rangel is serving his 19th term representing New York City's East and Central Harlem, the Upper West Side, and Washington Heights/Inwood. He is is the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Chairman of the Board of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and dean of the New York State Congressional Delegation

Rangel is the principal author of the five billion dollar federal empowerment zone demonstration project to revitalize urban neighborhoods throughout America. He is also the author of the low income housing tax credit, which is responsible for financing 90 percent of the affordable housing built in the U.S. in the last 10 years. The work opportunity tax credit, which Rangel also championed, has provided thousands of jobs for underprivileged young people, veterans, and ex-offenders.

Rangel is a founding member and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. He was also a member of the House Judiciary Committee during the hearings on the articles of impeachment of President Richard Nixon.

A Korean war veteran and a purple heart and bronze star recipient, Rangle has authored several pieces of legislation to benefit minority and women veterans, including a successful bill that established the Office of Minority Affairs Within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

To talk to Rangel at 5 PM New York time Monday June 2 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to 12 million additional households.

Another Former Bush Press Secretary Speaks Out

Almost lost in the coverage of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's book which asserts that President Bush mislead the public about Iraq was the interview of another ex-Bush press secretary, Ari Fleischer, by MSNBC's Chris Matthews.

Fleischer told Matthews that former White House aide Scooter Libby was correctly convicted of criminal charges surrounding an investigation into the leak of then-CIA operative Valerie Plame's name. Plame's name was leaked after her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, criticized the Bush administration.

Will the current White House press secretary now refer to Fleischer, as she did McClellan, as a "disgruntled" former employee?

These comments by former Bush appointees cannot be ignored.

A former Bush-appointed ambassador to Israel recently strongly criticized this administration for its failure to understand diplomacy and missed opportunities to broker a peace in the Middle East.

George W. Bush, of course, remains in office until January. So we lack an historical perspective of his presidency. But if the contemporary view sustains the test of time, his will be an embarrassing legacy to read.

Disappointment With The Bush Adminstration

The discussion on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com today centered on former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's new book, which verifies what many have already felt, that the president misled the public about Iraq.

What many callers wondered out loud was, why is McClellan blowing the whistle now? Didn't he have, they asked, a responsibility to tell the public the truth when he was in the White House?

And is he just doing this for profit? Or is it an attempt to clear his conscience?

Some even suggest that he's trying to put himself on the right side of the law if it's determined after this administration leaves office that criminal acts took place.

White House Feathers Ruffled

McClellan and his brother at work in the White House

Scott McClellan, the former White House press secretary, who used to spin attacks on those critical of the president, is now getting a taste of his own medicine from the woman who replaced him.

McClellan's "crime" was penning a book about his days standing in front of the podium before the White House press corp. While he has fond memories of his days representing President Bush, he is also critical of the president for misleading the public about the reasons for invading Iraq.

Dana Perino, who replaced McClellan after he left, calls her former boss "disgruntled."

How quickly the worm has turned.

She's not alone in her attacks on McClellan. Former Bush aide Carl Rove, who McClellan writes of extensively in the book, says McClellan sounds like a "left-wing blogger."

The problem for the White House, of course, is that he is not. He was a Bush administration insider. So his comments carry with them a degree of veracity not found on liberal blogs.

We'll be talking about McClellan's revealing book today. As well as President Bush's comparison of the war in Iraq with World War II. On News Talk Online on Paltalk.com. At 5 PM New York time. CLICK HERE to join the conversation. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to 12 million additional households.

Pacific Shellfish Threatened

Shellfish on the west coast of the United States are becoming threatened due to increased levels of acid in the water. Scientists cite examples of deteriorating shells on fish they've examined.

The acid levels are not harmful to humans. But they are to marine life.

They are caused, the scientists say, by increased carbon dioxide emissions, that are absorbed by the world's oceans.

Another reason to work to cut air pollution around the world.

Bush Compares Iran, Afghan Wars To World War II

In remarks to be delivered today at the Air Force Academy's graduation ceremonies, President Bush will compare the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to World War II.

This is sure to be disputed by many surviving World War II veterans.

World War II was, clearly, a moral and necessary action. A war against fascism. An attempt to stop the Nazis from rolling over Europe and imposing harsh regimes. A fight against the extermination of millions of innocent people based on their religious beliefs.

A declared war. The last declared war the United States has fought.

The mission in World War II was clear.

By contrast, the mission in Iraq has changed repeatedly. First it was to rid Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction. Then it was regime change. Then it was to bring democracy to Iraq and the rest of the Middle East.

Although a tyrant, unlike Hitler, Hussein was not intent on taking over an entire continent. Nor was he rounding up millions and putting them in extermination camps because they didn't follow his religious beliefs.

And, of course, this war is an undeclared war. Some would say, by extension, illegal.

Finally, the war against Nazism was waged by the United States and its Allies. With a capital A. Not a loose coalition. With a small c.

No, Mr. President. I fail to see the similarities at all.

Fuel Prices Could Dip

Rising pump prices


The price of crude is actually declining because of less demand at the pumps.

It's basic economics at work. Fewer people taking to the roads because of the high cost of gasoline translates into a reduction in demand and a corresponding reduction in the price that can be charged.

Of course, when the price of crude goes up, so does the price at the pump, almost immediately. I took a short road trip into Pennsylvania this Memorial Day weekend. We stopped at an A&W restaurant for a root beer float. We sat down and glanced across the street at the price of gasoline at the Wawa store. A full 10 cents-a-gallon more than in New Jersey.

About 20 minutes later we were out the door and walking to the car. In the time it had taken to down our floats, the price of gasoline across the street had increased another 3 cents!

Don't count on the prices at the pump to decline quite as quickly.

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Hillary's Last Gasp Attempt Doesn't Look Good

The Democratic Party's rules committee meets in a few days to consider the Hillary Clinton campaign's petition to include the results of the state party primaries in Michigan and Florida in determining the delegate count.

In a precursor to that meeting, party lawyers have sent a memo to the rules committee with a recommendation that doesn't go far enough to keep the Clinton presidential hope alive.

To be clear, this mess is not of Clinton's making. It's really the handiwork of the state Democratic parties in Florida and Michigan. They violated the Democratic National Committee's rules by holding their state primaries too early. They knew when they did that that they could be stripped of their delegates at the national convention.

They made that move because they wanted their states to have a greater impact in the process. The ironic part is, if they had cooled their jets, and if the primaries were held there, say, this week, it's likely that Michigan and Florida could have been the states that determined who the Democratic Party's presidential nominee would be.



The memo says the DNC can restore some delegate seats for Florida and Michigan. But they shouldn't give them all the seats they lost. And that's just not enough potential delegate votes for Clinton to seize the nomination at the convention.

McCain And Carter: Partners In Disarms

Republican presidential candidate John McCain is pledging to work with Russia to reduce each nation's nuclear arsenals.



It's a refreshing stance for any candidate to take. Unusual, coming from a Republican (remember Ronald Reagan's star wars proposal)?

It's also interesting that former Democrat Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, has recently been pushing for a reduction in nuclear arms.

The United States and Russia have enough nuclear weapons to kill one another off about 10 times. The resulting fallout wouldn't be too good for the rest of the world either.

And there have been occasions, including at least once in this post-Berlin Wall era, when we came close to someone pushing the button and setting off nuclear Armageddon (the launch of a U.S. communications satellite was mistakenly analyzed by the Russians as a nuclear attack).

If this is done, care must be taken to ensure that the stand down is verifiable and that nuclear weapons don't somehow go missing into the hands of terrorists or rogue governments.

Still, it shows that McCain is thinking about bigger issues than those that have thus far been discussed in this campaign. And that he remains a maverick within the Republican Party.

This might be good for the country if he's elected. But it may make it more difficult for him to win in November. Because public stances such as this one could cause less moderate Republicans to sit the election out.

Hillary's Gaff, McCain's Backtracking

Hillary Clinton's reference to the assassination of Bobby Kennedy in June as a reason to remain in the race has caused many to express dismay. Some, myself included, feel it reveals a belief she has that she needs to remain a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in case her opponent, Barack Obama, is assassinated.

Yet other callers to News Talk Online argued this is a distortion, that Clinton was only making a point that a lot can happen between now and the Democratic National Convention.

So too was there a split in interpretation of Republican presidential candidate John McCain's flip flopping on the GI Bill. First he was simply opposed. Then he came up with his own, alternative plan.

Many believe McCain's new proposal was cooked up because of his initial opposition to the bill, to show that he really does support the troops. Others say, his bill makes more sense than the one originally proposed because it gives greater benefits to those who serve additional tours of duty. The fear being that if one term results in the same opportunities, fewer people will re-enlist.

The most interesting argument came from Don from Chicago who suggested that Sen. Jim Webb's D-VA) GI Bill is really a deliberate attempt to reduce the military ranks. But as political correspondent Alan Jasie pointed out, this is the same Jim Webb who served as Ronald Reagan's secretary of the Navy.

At Risk Ports

How do you check them all?

America's ports offer security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by terrorists.

That's the conclusion of a Government Accountability Office report being released today.

The report says the high numbers of cargo that comes into the United States in ship cargo containers is difficult to screen. In addition, the report criticizes a program in which the cargo of companies that submit a security plan cargo is screen even less.

The report also looks at similar security vulnerabilities at airports and in cargo shipped into the country by truck.

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How Some Mothers Let Hate For Israel Get In The Way Of Saving Their Children's Lives

This story defines absurdity.

Some Iraqi mothers, whose children are in need of life saving heart operations, are forgoing affording their babies free surgery because they won't let Israeli doctors perform the procedures.

They've been so indoctrinated about how Israel is the enemy that they aren't taking advantage of the offered surgery.

Some do accept the offer, but keep their mouths shut about where the surgery is performed.

Others opt to pay for the surgery in Arab hospitals.

This is a bit reminiscent of countries that refused humanitarian assistance from the Israelis following the tsunami.

Memorial Day: A Day To Remember, A Day To Notice High Fuel Prices

Editor's note: The following article was written by Boaz Frankel



Memorial Day in the United States offered an opportunity on News Talk Online to remember those troops who have fallen fighting for our freedom.



But the discussion also gravitated toward rising gasoline prices affecting people traveling over the holiday weekend. And the plight of truckers who are hurting due to the rise in diesel prices, which are outpacing even increasing gasoline prices.

On Memorial Day McCain Explains Opposition To GI Bill

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has been hammering away at presumptive GOP candidate for president John McCain's opposition to a Democratic sponsored GI Bill for returning vets.

Speaking at a Memorial Day gathering in New Mexico, McCain, a decorated war hero and former Vietnam War POW said he isn't opposed to a GI Bill. He just doesn't like details of this one.

According to McCain, he opposes the bill because it offers the same amount of benefits for those who serve one tour of duty as those who serve multiple tours. An incentive, he argues, for those in the military to not re-up.



It's good that he finally has clarified his position. But this is an indication of how difficult it has been for McCain to get his message out.

He has to do a better job of informing the public about his positions.

Hundreds Of Terrorism Groups Monitored In UK

British intelligence services have their eye on some 200 suspected terrorist groups.

Perhaps even more shockingly, the bulk of them are in smaller population centers.

British authorities say this means they need to increase the geographical reach of their surveillance network.

But as evidenced by the detention of a Muslim university student researching his dissertation on terrorism, a balance must be struck between the need to be vigilant and protection of civil liberties. Liberties that the terrorists would, if they could, take away from us.

Time For McCain To Make Some Noise

Missed opportunities

This is John McCain's moment. But we're not hearing from him very much.

The Democratic presidential primary campaign is technically chugging along. But the outcome, in most everyone's mind, has been determined. That means the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is getting a little less attention than it did before.

At the same time, the race between Obama and McCain has not yet officially started. This gives McCain a unique opportunity to claim some of the spotlight and push his ideas and programs forward.

In this, he and his campaign have largely failed.

This could be because of disarray in the McCain campaign. With some staffers leaving. After it was revealed that they were actually paid lobbyists working on his campaign.

Many of my Republican friends are less-than-enthusiastic that McCain is their candidate. But they bristle at the suggestion that Obama might be the next president of the United States.

So they ought to be out campaigning for McCain. Yet they are not. It's almost as though they are resolved at this point to an inevitable outcome that they find unsatisfying.

McCain needs to energize them and ensure their participation in the general election. The question is, can he?

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British Muslim Student's Arrest Raises Questions

A Muslim student in the UK who downloaded an al Qaeda training manual from a U.S. Justice Department website was detained for six days by British authorities.

A staff member at the university he sent the training manual to to print it out for him for use in his dissertation into terrorism was also arrested.

The student was later released without charges, but the staff member, a friend, has been detained for allegedly violating Britain's immigration laws.

The case has shocked the community at Nottingham University. The student's faculty advisor says it was obvious the student was conducting academic research. Others question if the response would have been the same had the student not been Muslim.

But here's an even bigger question to be answered on my side of the pond. Why is there an al Qaeda training manual available for public viewing on a U.S. Justice Department website?

Hillary Clarifies Her Remarks

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, has come under fire of late for hanging onto the race. And for her comments about the assassination of then-Democratic presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy.

Now she is explaining her actions -- and her comments -- in a commentary published in her hometown newspaper the New York Daily News.

In it, Clinton says her comments were taken out of context.

"I was making the simple point." she writes, "that given our history, the length of this year's primary contest is nothing unusual."

You can read her full commentary here.

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Terror Attack Likely Next Year: Report

The Washington Times, quoting unnamed terrorism experts, says the next president of the United States will likely be handed an assessment suggesting that the likelihood of another terrorist attack in 2009 is high.

The story suggests that terrorists will attempt to take advantage of the transition in the Oval Office to make their mark on the nation. It notes that the first attack on the World Trade Center took place the first year Bill Clinton was president. The second during George W. Bush's first year in office.

What this "prediction" doesn't appear to recognize is that there have been other attempts at terrorist attacks in the United States since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Attempts that, thankfully, have been thwarted by the law enforcement and intelligence communities.

Hillary Evokes RFK Assassination As Reason To Remain In Race

Hillary Clinton told a South Dakota newspaper that she is remaining in the race because it really isn't over.

She noted that her husband didn't have enough delegates to be declared the candidate for president until June. And that Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in June.



Many view that comment as a suggestion that she is remaining a candidate - even though it's virtually mathematically impossible for her to gain enough votes to become the nominee - in case her opponent, Barack Obama, is assassinated.

She's since apologized for her comment. The Obama campaign called it "unfortunate," an understatement if there ever was one.

Civil rights leaders are reacting with shock.

All candidates make gaffs on the campaign trail. Verbal miscues are more likely in unscripted settings, such as a sit down with a newspaper editorial board in South Dakota.

But this particular comment speaks to the possibilities that remain in the recesses of Clinton's mind. She's hanging in there in case Obama is assassinated.

A dreadful thought. And an inexcusable reason for staying in the race.

Not Just Greed At The Pumps

It's not just record oil company profits causing the price at the pump to skyrocket this Memorial Day weekend in the United States.

A good portion of the spike in prices for fuel is attributed to attacks on oil pipelines in Nigeria.

Nigeria is the fourth largest supplier of oil to the United States.

Earlier this month an oil pipeline attack and explosion in Nigeria claimed about 100 lives.

A rebel group in Nigeria has been for the past several years deliberately targeting foreign oil company assets there.

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Preventing Military Divorces

Mike Schindler, founder of Operation Military Family, says married members of the U.S. armed forces need to be counseled in advance of deployments about how active duty will affect their marriages. And not wait until there's already a problem.

Schindler says there is an alarming rate of divorce, suicide and mental illness and criminal activity among members of the military who return to civilian life but feel a disconnect. Because they were so ingrained in the military way of life, they have trouble, he says, transitioning into life out of uniform.

Schindler's comments came during an interview on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Putting A Face On The Continuing 9/11 Problem

Centore and Gary

Steve Centore put a face on the problem of 9/11 responders who continue to face serious medical maladies.

Centore, who headed a radiation response team for the Department of Energy on 9/11, worked on the pile at Ground Zero for four months.

Four years later he was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. Later he suffered from serious medical problems (he had a liver transplant) that nearly cost him his life.

But, as he related during his appearance on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, the government he served from his late teens until his medical retirement turned its back on him. When he was ordered by his doctor to rest in bed for 30 days for his PTSD he was declared an alcoholic and his security clearance was stripped.

Centore, who has testified before Congress about the lack of medical treatment for responders, has become a symbol of the shameful way the government has approached this lingering problem.

Another Pastor Disaster

Preacher problems

Editor's note: The following article was authored by political correspondent Alan Jasie

John McCain rejected the endorsement today of John Hagee, the controversial evangelical leader for remarks he made suggesting that Adolf Hitler was part of God’s plan that led to the founding of Israel.

After McCain’s rejection, Rev. Hagee basically said, “You can’t fire me, I quit.”

Hagee’s remarks have circulated all over the Internet since they surfaced earlier this week. Clearly the McCain rejection was aimed at securing the Jewish vote at a time when Barack Obama, his almost certain opponent in November, is having a hard time convincing that his support for Israel is genuine. (At the time of McCain’s announcement, Obama was at a synagogue in Florida trying to convince Jewish Floridians that he really does support the Jewish state).

What is interesting is that it took this audio clip of a Hagee sermon made in the 90’s for McCain to distance himself from the reverend. Not that he referred to the Catholic religion as “A great whore” or a “false cult system.”.While McCain denounced Hagee for these anti-Catholic remarks he did not reject his support. Nor did he reject his support for Hagee's declaration that Hurricane Katrina was God's wrath, sent to the Big Easy because of a planned gay parade that was scheduled the day the hurricane hit.

McCain may or may not have solved his Hagee problem but this is not his only controversial religious supporter. The televangelist Rod Parsley has repeatedly called for Christians to wage war against Islam, which Parsley refers to as a “false religion.” Parsley has also said that the U.S. was founded for the purpose of destroying Islam.

Obama had to deal with the Rev. Wright issue, which McCain supporters have gleefully exploited. Unlike Obama's relationship with Wright, Hagee, though controversial was not McCain's pastor for almost 20 years.

While it is probably easier for McCain to distance himself from Hagee, it will be more difficult to explain these remarks from Parsley whom McCain has referred to as “my spiritual guide.”

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The Clinton Camp's Big Lie

McAuliffe: flip-flopping

Editor's note: The following article was written by political correspondent Alan Jasie.

In late 2007, Harold Ickes, a Democratic National Committee rules committee member, voted with 11 other Clinton supporters to strip Florida and Michigan of their delegates for violating the rules when they moved up their primary dates. Ickes is currently a chief advisor for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and a leader of the "count Michigan and Florida" rhetoric.

Terry McAuliffe is now chairman of the Clinton presidential campaign - pushing for the Michigan and Florida votes to count. But in 2003, when McAuliffe was DNC chairman, he was faced with the same issue, the prospect of Michigan moving its 2004 primary date up.

In his book What A Party!: My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators and Other Wild Animals McAuliffe tells the story of a call from three Michigan Democratic party leaders; U.S. Senator Carl Levin, Rep. John Dingell and Dingell's wife Debbie (a DNC member and power broker unto herself).

"They told me they were going to hold the Michigan primary before New Hampshire's," McAuliffe writes, "which would have led to complete chaos since New Hampshire has a law stating that it must hold the first primary and the DNC had already voted on this issue and settled it.

"'If you do that, I will take away 50 percent of your delegates,' I told him.

"They thought I was bluffing. But it was my responsibility as chairman to take action for the good of the party, and taking away half their delegates was well within my authority."

This led to a meeting in Levin's Senate office.

"Soon Carl and I were going at it," McAuliffe writes.

"'I'm going outside the primary window,' he told me definitively.

"'If I allow you to do that, the whole system collapses,' I said. 'We will have chaos. I let you make your case to the DNC, and we voted unanimously and you lost.'

"He kept insisting that they were going to move up Michigan on their own, even though if they did that, they would lose half their delegates. By that point Carl and I were leaning toward each other over a table in the middle of the room, shouting and dropping the occasional expletive.
"'You won't deny us seats at the convention,' he said.

"'Carl, take it to the bank,' I said. '"They will not get a credential. The closest they'll get to Boston will be watching it on television. I will not let you break this entire nominating process for one state. The rules are the rules. If you want to call my bluff, Carl, you go ahead and do it.'

"We glared at each other some more, but there was nothing much left to say. I was holding all the cards and Levin knew it."

My message to the Clinton campaign: stop trying to make fools of us while you are making fools of yourself.

Clinton: Fighting 'Til The End

While Barack Obama starts interviewing for a vice presidential running mate, Hillary Clinton is vowing to fight 'til the end for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States.

Part of that strategy is an attempt to win the delegates from Florida and Michigan - two states whose primaries were discounted by the National Democratic Party because they were held earlier than party rules allowed.




In a letter to supporters, Clinton says the 2.3 million votes cast in the sunshine and Great Lakes states should be counted.

"It's such an important principle in our country," she writes. "When the voters speak, we count their votes."

Clinton campaigned yesterday in Florida. The DNC's rules and bylaws committee is to rule on May 31st about how and when to seat the Florida and Michigan delegates to the national convention.

Nan Mooney, Author Of Book On How This Generation Is Not Better Off Than The Previous, On Paltalk

Mooney

Educator, artist, social worker, not-for-profit administrator, journalist—these white-collar professions are typically populated with college-educated, middle class professionals who pass up big-money careers in finance, medicine or law to pursue more personally meaningful work in creative and service-oriented sectors. Increasingly, though, these career choices are leaving middle class professionals struggling to make ends meet, let alone fulfill social expectations and reach the economic stability of the “American dream.”

Now in (Not) Keeping Up With Our Parents, award-winning journalist Nan Mooney traces how and why today’s educated professional middle class is experiencing financial volatility more profound and paralyzing than the struggles experienced by previous generations. Mooney will be my guest on Tuesday June 3 on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Drawing on her own experiences and those of the hundreds of individuals she interviewed across America, Mooney highlights the struggles this group is facing, including negotiating massive student loans and credit card debt, struggling to pay high housing, health and child care costs, and choosing between funding their children’s education and their own retirement.

“The sort of family I grew up in seems near extinction these days, a middle-class family who can support themselves on a pair of middle-class jobs,” she writes.

“Not only do many of today’s educated middle-class professionals worry that they won’t exceed their parents when it comes to financial success, they fear they can’t even keep up with the middle-class, and often the working-class, lifestyles their parents modeled for them decades ago.”

In (Not) Keeping Up With Our Parents, Mooney reveals the intimate financial lives of this strata of society — the social worker who makes $30,000 a year, the environmental scientist who makes $40,000, the college professor who makes $50,000 — to show how shifts in government policies and labor and business practices have meant plummeting financial and emotional security for this once comfortable center section. Noting that the share of family income devoted to fixed costs has climbed from 53 to 75 percent in the last two decades, she illustrates how those in this class are increasingly choosing to delay or forgo having children, carrying significant debt well into middle age, and struggling so hard to keep their own finances secure that they have little resources to offer those less fortunate.

Mooney is a journalist and the award-winning author of I Can’t Believe She Did That: Why Women Betray Other Women at Work and My Racing Heart: The Passionate World of Thoroughbreds and the Track. She lives in Seattle.

To talk to Mooney on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com at 5 PM New York time on Tuesday June 3 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to an additional 12 million households.

Al Qaeda In Iraq Weakens

Gen. Dempsey

The general who heads the U.S. Army's Central Command has told the Associated Press that al Qaeda in Iraq is at its weakest point since the insurgency began following the U.S. led invasion of that nation.

There are some independent indicators that seem to support Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey's contention.

The fact that al Qaeda in Iraq is training and using children as foot soldiers and assassins is indicative of a loss of support for its activities there.

But it also creates a very dangerous situation for all the children of Iraq. Because military and police forces now can't discount a child as a non-threat.

Sadly this sets things up for the distinct possibility that mistakes will be made. And innocent children will be killed. Because forces felt they might be al Qaeda fighters.

Not that al Qaeda cares about the welfare of Iraqi children. If it did, it wouldn't press them into service.

In fact, the terrorist group probably welcomes such a mistake as an opportunity to propagandize (again) against the United States.

Targeting Artists In Iraq

Weam Namou, co-founder and president of the Iraqi Artist Association described the attacks by religious zealots in Iraq on artists, writers and intellectuals. She was today's guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

They, the fundamentalists, she says, are fearful of anything that might challenge their points of view. Yet they forget to tell those they are trying to influence with the sword that the Muslim religion has a rich history of culture. A history that they are discarding.

It's but a small number of people who are carrying out the attacks on the artists, she says. But an effective number, because other artists are fleeing the country in large numbers.

The Iraqi government, she argues, needs to take control of this situation.

Criticism Of Reporting Of Alleged IDF Murder Of Palestinian Boy Ruled Not Libelous

A French court has overturned a libel judgment against a Jewish activist who alleged that a government-run television network, France 2, mislead the public by showing video of a Palestinian boy allegedly being targeted by Israeli troops.

Essentially what this means is that Philippe Karsenty's criticism of the network and its Jerusalem correspondent that the video and story were fabrications was not defamatory.

Sadly, the story of the child's alleged death in the Gaza in 2000 fueled the Intifada resulting in unnecessary deaths. It became a cause célèbre in the Muslim world and fodder for propaganda, including a statement released by Osama bin Laden.



War is horrific enough without having incidents deliberately misreported for either political or personal gain. When something like this happens, it not only taints the reputation of the news organization, but sullies that of the entire news media, as consumers of news, rightly, begin to question the veracity of the reports they read, see and hear.

France 2's failure to properly investigate Karsenty's claims and to issue an independent report and apology disserves not only its viewers but the news media in general.

12-Year-Old Beheads Man

CBSNews.com is reporting that a 12-year-old boy beheaded a "traitor" on behalf of al Qaeda, then paraded with the severed head in his hand to the cheers of onlookers.

The victim, who was killed in the no-man's-land that straddles Pakistan and Afghanistan was targeted, CBS reports, by al Qaeda and the Taliban for allegedly spying for the government.

As disgusting as the act is itself, it is even more so because the killer is but a boy.

The killing was captured on video tape. Meanwhile, CBS News is also reporting that al Qaeda in Iraq has put together a training tape to recruit children fighters in Iraq. One of the children on the training tape is a mere 6-years-old. And U.S. military officials say they've seen killers in Iraq as young as 11.

How Fathers Shape Their Son's Lives Topic On Paltalk

Ricks

One in four boys grow up with a single mother, and nearly half of all adult men were children of divorce. Yet, according to the National Fatherhood Initiative, boys with loving, involved fathers are more likely to excel in school and have high self-esteem. What's more, experts are now focusing on other, often unexpected ways in which dads help shape their sons -- influencing everything from their world view to their most intimate relationships.

Byron Ricks, a leading expert in human behavior and a popular motivational speaker will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com on Friday June 13 to discuss these issues. Author of Searching for Dad: Nine Side Effects of Growing Up Fatherless and How to Overcome Them, Ricks grew up without a dad on the rough-and-tumble west side of Chicago. In his book, he imparts lessons learned and real-world advice for fatherless sons, absentee dads, and single mothers.

On this Friday before Father's Day in the United States, Ricks will offer this key message: fathers need to stay involved with their boys. He will outline seven ways that dads uniquely benefit their sons.

To talk to Ricks on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com on Friday June 13 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to 12 million additional households.

Obama Leads McCain

Ahead of McCain

Technically Hillary Clinton is correct. She is still in the race for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States.

But mathematically, Barack Obama is the presumptive nominee. Which means, the news media is now turning its attention more toward a possible Obama vs. John McCain presidential election in November.

Today, Reuters has released the results of a poll which gives Obama an eight point lead over McCain nationally.

Expect Obama to get a bigger bump in the polls when Clinton inevitably officially steps aside. And again during the Democratic National Convention.

Of course McCain will see a surge during the GOP convention.

Eight points this early in the game is certainly surmountable. But McCain suffers from a more significant deficit. A financial deficit. Compared to the money Obama has raised.

He'll have to do better with fund raising if he wants to make any kind of impact with media buys between now and November.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/selenamarie/2508883568/

Israel And Syria Talk Peace

Golan Heights - disputed territory

Israel and Syria have confirmed that they are involved in indirect peace talks, the first hopeful sign in the Middle East in a long time.

The United States is not playing the part of broker. And maybe that's why these talks are actually proceeding.

Instead Turkey, which has strong ties with both nations, is acting as mediator.

Turkey also confirmed its part in the negotiations.

The current administration in Washington squandered opportunities to help negotiate opportunities for peace in the Middle East until the end of the president's final term. It is good that Turkey is stepping in to fill the void.

Hopefully these talks prove successful. And a model for negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians in the future.

Perhaps Turkey will facilitate those talks as well. Or perhaps a new U.S. administration, whether it be Democratic or Republican, will prove to be a true partner in a lasting peace process.

Oil Prices Up Again

Just in time for the Memorial Day weekend in the United States - oil prices are up once again. Crude is selling at another record high.

There was speculation earlier this year that prices at the pump would reach $4 a gallon. Well, in much of the United States they are at $4. Elsewhere, they are hovering just below the $4 mark.

Now many are counting on $5 a gallon prices before the end of summer.

What this will do to the tourist industry is anybody's guess. The rising cost of fuel and food should prompt many to cancel long vacations in favor of day trips close to home. But even day trips cost money. And these rising costs obviously mean less green in the wallets of many Americans.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26524829@N05/2509171343/

A Split Decision

Editor's note: The following article was written by political correspondent Alan Jasie.

As expected, Hillary Clinton wins Kentucky by a 2-to-1 margin. Working class whites came out again for Clinton over Barack Obama in a state that Obama did not contest. Would it have made a difference had he campaigned in Kentucky? It probably would not. Kentucky’s white working class voters and older women came out and showed their support for Clinton to give her another strong showing in a race that most people believe has been over for several weeks.

Clinton spoke to her adoring fans thanking them for their support while still maintaining her insistence she is the best candidate to defeat John McCain in November. At the start of her speech, she spoke glowingly about Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy who was diagnosed with brain cancer after collapsing over the weekend. She continues to say that both Michigan and Florida should be added to her totals and she continues to count their popular vote in her numbers.

After tonight, with Oregon Dems going to the polls, Obama will have gained an unsurpassable amount of pledged delegates. He is also continuing his lead in Super Delegates. He is favored to win Oregon by a 10-point margin. Will he make a point of winning the majority of the pledged delegates or does he fear offending Clinton and her supporters with three more primaries to go? Does he need to? After being blown out in West Virginia, Obama has picked up 18 super delegates.

The big question for Obama is, does he need her as his Vice President to secure her base in the general election in November? Exit polls showed in Kentucky that two out of every 10 white voters say they will not vote for Obama. Maybe he needs her more than he knows!!!!

Government Finally Lets Relief Into Remote Areas Of Burma

The illegal military junta ruling Burma is finally allowing the UN to fly helicopters with relief supplies to the most remote and hardest hit areas of the nation.




The cyclone that caused so much devastation and death struck Burma more than two weeks ago. While the UN and International Red Cross were permitted in, they weren't allowed to venture into the interior where their services are so needed.

The government's refusal to let aid in until now is nothing short of criminal. Yet, the first order of business is to work with the junta to get help to the people. Talk of recrimination can wait until later.

Why Bother Flying?

Unfriendly skies

The latest University of Michigan survey of airline passenger satisfaction finds that most view the industry disfavorably.

Satisfaction levels have plummeted for a number of airlines.

The one exception is Southwest Airlines, which ranked high in customer satisfaction once again.

With skyrocketing costs, reduction in amenities and airlines charging for sodas, crackers and checked luggage, combined with an unpleasant screening process, no wonder people are disenchanted with the airline industry.

Of course, with the high cost of gasoline, driving becomes less of an alternative to flying.

Perhaps the country should take a longer view of things and rebuild its passenger rail infrastructure.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankloohuis/409899298/

Concerns Over Free Speech Restrictions In The UK

The story about the 15-year-old British youth being prosecuted for calling Scientology a cult was a topic of concern on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Many are concerned about new restrictions, in the UK and in the United States, that have been imposed, or proposed, in the name of homeland security.

People have the right to redress their governments. Sometimes they do it in an insulting manner. That's an outgrowth of their right to speak.

We should not be giving up our freedoms in the name of protecting them.

Study Finds 9/11 Recovery Workers Have Higher Incidents Of PTSD Than General Population

A study just posted online in Environmental Health Perspectives, the peer-reviewed journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, finds that chronic impairment of mental health and social functioning occurs frequently among workers and volunteers who served in the 9/11 recovery operations at Ground Zero and other locations in New York City.

The study concluded that levels of psychological distress and psychopathology in World Trade Center workers greatly exceed population norms. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was significantly associated with loss of family members and friends, disruption of family, work and social life and higher rates of behavioral symptoms in their children. In addition, the study concluded that surveillance and treatment programs for these workers need to be continued.

“Many who worked at Ground Zero in the early days after the attacks have sustained serious and lasting physical and mental health problems,” said Dr. Dennis Charney, an author of the study. Charney is dean of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and executive vice president for academic affairs of The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Mount Sinai has been running a number of medical and mental health programs serving responders since July 2002.

“This study scientifically confirms high rates of mental health issues in a large number of responders,” he said.

Over 10,000 World Trade Center workers completed a self-administered mental health questionnaire between 10 and 61 months following September 11, 2001. The study found that 11.1% of workers met criteria for probable PTSD; 8.8% had probable depression; 5.0% had probable panic disorder; and 62% had substantial stress reaction.

“The levels of PTSD prevalence are comparable to those seen in returning Afghanistan war veterans and are much higher than in the US general population and consistent with the mental health problems in the WTTC Health Registry,” said Dr. Jeanne Mager Stellman, one of the study's authors.

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Photo credit: U.S. Department of Defense

Amy Hendel, Author Of Book On Helping Children Lose Weight On Paltalk

Hendel

We’ve all seen the numbers on childhood obesity. Experts estimate that 25 million children are now overweight or obese in America.

Amy Hendel, author of a book about obese children that blames their parents will be my guest Wednesday June 18 on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Hendel says most parents will do anything and everything for their children, yet Americans are shirking their single most important responsibility; raising healthy kids. Somehow, she says, things have all gotten out of control. Excessive TV watching, a loss of focus on nutrition, the everyone-for-themselves eating habits, the lack of family meals, the on-the-run eating, all the fast food and packaged food translates into fat children.

Though fitness gurus, nutritionists, and the medical community have tried to sound the alarm, their quick fixes and sound bites have had little impact. What they often overlook, she argues, is the importance of family.

Hendel believes that not teaching children healthy habits is a form of child abuse. Children, she argues, follow the lead of their parents and a healthy lifestyle needs to be taught from home, no matter what the age of their kids. What is often not discussed is how unhealthy behaviors are usually learned from birth -often from well-intentioned parents.

Hendel’s new book Fat Families, Thin Families is a comprehensive guide to diet and nutrition and provides solid advice for families looking to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. A registered physician assistant and well-known TV personality who has appeared in more than 800 live and taped segments, Hendel will offer parents tips for getting a grip on this chaos and will provide dozens of innovative techniques to reverse the trend in your family.

To talk to Hendel on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com at 5 PM Wednesday June 18 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to 12 million additional households.

Freedom Of Speech Muzzled In UK

Today's the day freedom of speech officially died in the United Kingdom.

A 15-year-old who participated in a peaceful demonstration outside the Church of Scientology in London has been charged because he referred to the movement as a "cult."

Now, I don't know whether or not Scientology is a cult. I've covered similar demonstrations in front of the Church of Scientology here in New York City. I've heard demonstrators claim that it's a cult. I also spoke to the church president who denied it.

But no one was prosecuted for speaking their mind here in New York.

I think it's heartening that a teenager cared enough to become involved in a cause he is passionate about. Too many adolescents are apathetic and totally apolitical.

If anything is criminal here it's the attempt by the authorities to control the thoughts of the populous.

A great war was fought on the European continent in the 40s. A war in which the Nazis attempted to shut up those who expressed religious or political beliefs that upset the fuhrer.

The British people and their government were on the side of freedom against this fascism. Many, civilians and military both, died in the name of this basic human right.

What has happened to the United Kingdom to allow for a 15-year-old to be prosecuted for calling the Church of Scientology a cult?

Let him express his views. Let the church express its beliefs. Then let the public decide.

Don't allow through peaceful means what the Nazis attempted through force!

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/awv/2059596324/

Tennessee GOP Fractured Over Michelle Obama Attack Ad

Corker

Dissent in the ranks of the Tennessee Republican Party. Over an ad that attacks Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, for her inopportune remarks about pride in America.

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is imploring the party faithful to stand down.

This after Obama defended his wife and told his political opponents to direct their attacks on him not her.

Obama, of course, is expected to defend his wife. But support from Corker comes as a bit of a surprise. A politician who supports good form over political expediency is a rare commodity in Washington.

Obama Win Predicted

Next president?

The Trends Research Institute is predicting that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States.

As its name implies, the institute tracks trends and predicts outcomes in a variety of areas.

Founder Gerald Celente says, with Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Democratic nomination stalled, it's time to look at the likely outcome of a match up between Obama and Republican John McCain.

Celente qualifies his prediction by saying that many "wild card events" could occur that could "change the outcome between now and November." But he believes that the economy will likely be the major determining factor in the election. And he notes that, by his own admission, McCain is weak on economic issues.

"If the economy is the big story on Election Day," Celente says, "we forecast an Obama win."

In January, Celente says, McCain declared that the economy was not heading into a recession:

"I believe the fundamentals of this economy are strong and I believe they will remain strong," McCain said, adding, "the issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should."

Oil Prices Continue To Soar

Gasoline prices in Chicago hit $4-a-gallon yesterday. Los Angeles and New York prices weren't far behind.

Meanwhile, overnight, the price of crude hit yet another record high. On word that OPEC is declining to increase production over the summer.




This weekend marks the Memorial Day holiday in the United States. The unofficial start of the summer vacation season. It will be interesting to see if the highways are as jammed as in year's past. Or whether people will decide to forgo travel in favor of backyard bar-b-quing this year.

Mike Schindler Who Works To Keep Military Families Intact On Paltalk

Schindler

Nearly every day we hear or read in the media how veteran stress cases are up or how deployments are ripping families apart; all while the government, the military and military families are passively standing by. But is this true? The answer is no.

Mike Schindler, founder of Operation Military Family says families are taking action and the government and the military are not just standing idly by. Schindler will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com Friday May 23.

Schindler, author of the book Operation Military Family: How to Strengthen Your Military Marriage and Save Your Family has interviewed numerous families, chaplains, therapists and government officials. He says the government provides key resources and programs to families in an effort to strengthen military marriages.

He also is an expert on how families make the transition from civilian life to active duty - and how they deal with emotions brought on by deployment - especially at a time of active combat.

Schindler became aware of the challenges of keeping military families intact while serving in the Navy.

To talk to Schindler on News Talk Online at 5 PM New York time Friday May 23 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to an additional 12 million households.

Talk To Your Elected Officials

Much frustration was expressed during today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com about how elected officials are dismissive of the opinions of their constituents.

There's a solution. And it's not to give up in frustration.

Talk to. Write. E-mail your representatives. Let them know that they are beholden to you, not the lobbyists who are beating paths to their doors.

And when they hold town meetings, attend them. Fill your car up with neighbors and go in numbers.

Also, feel free to offer them a room on Paltalk to talk to the people who elected them. I'll be sure too hook them up. No charge. As a public service. To them. And to you. The people they represent.

The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung

Hillary Clinton has a message for Barack Obama: don't count your chickens, or votes, quite yet.

Clinton says it's presumptuous of Obama to consider himself the Democratic presidential candidate.




Not only is Clinton actively campaigning for votes in tomorrow's Kentucky and Oregon primaries, but she's also lobbying for super delegate votes. And she's still trying to get the National Democratic Party to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida before the official nomination vote.

Clinton was favored to win in both states. But the Democratic primaries in each were declared invalid because the votes were held too early in the year, contrary to national party rules.

She is also favored to carry Kentucky tomorrow but polls have her trailing Obama in Oregon.

9/11 Responder Who Nearly Died On Paltalk

Centore

Steve Centore, who responded to 9/11 as part of a covert government anti-terrorism team and who nearly died from an illness contracted from exposure to a mixture of toxins will be my guest on News Talk Online on Thursday May 22.

Centore, the son of a U.S. marine, always had a calling for the military. After high school he joined the Navy, completing his tour of duty aboard a nuclear attack submarine.

Several years later he joined the government's anti-terrorism team, answering the call to duty to the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2001.

Centore has now written a book, One of Them: A First Responder's Story, which gives the account of his illness and that of his fellow first responders. People who he charges the very government they swore to serve has neglected.

To talk to Centore on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com at 5 PM New York time Thursday May 22 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.

News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio to 12 million additional households.