World Aids Day Topic On Paltalk

Frost

AIDS activists around the world say the deepening financial crisis emphasises the urgency of maintaining and strengthening the global response to HIV and AIDS.

“Bold and visionary leaders have to step forward”, says Allyson Leacock, chair of the World AIDS Campaign Global Steering Committee and executive director of the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS.

“Rather than taking a seemingly ‘easy’ route of diverting resources, we need leadership that sees that relaxing our response to AIDS now will worsen the inequalities that fuel the spread of HIV leading to even more deaths and a far more expensive response in the future.”

Dr. Peter Piot, the executive director of UNAIDS, says AIDS is a “disease of inequalities” that continues to spread due to deep rooted societal injustices such as gender inequality, marginalisation and criminalisation of vulnerable groups.

Most current figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate more than a million AIDS cases in the United States. An estimated 56,000 new HIV infection cases are reported in the U.S. annually.

According to the American International AIDS Foundation, more than 25 million people have died from AIDS worldwide. The foundation says some 39 million people around the globe are currently HIV positive.

Other stats published by the foundation:

• 2.9 million people lost their lives in 2006 from AIDS.

• 4.3 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2006.

• Approximately 11 of every 1,000 adults (ages 15 to 49) are HIV infected.

• 25 million children will be orphans by 2010 because of AIDS.

Joining me on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com to discuss the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day at Monday December 1 will be Kevin Robert Frost, CEO of The Foundation for AIDS Research.

Frost spent four years at the New York University Medical Center where he worked on HIV/AIDS research. He later served for a year as the inpatient care coordinator of the AIDS program at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital.

Beginning in 1998, Mr. Frost worked extensively in Asia where he facilitated the development of TREAT Asia, a network of more than 50 hospitals, community clinics, NGOs and health care facilities treating AIDS patients in 17 nations.

To talk to Frost on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com at 5 PM New York time Monday December 1 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.

10 Guys In Mumbai

Ten guys.

That's all it took.

Ten guys who were well-trained, well armed and who conducted well executed attacks created carnage and death in Mumbai.

They did it simply. They apparently hijacked a trawler, killed the crew member, ditched the boat off the coast and came in on a rubber dingy.

They apparently had no plan to escape. So the execution of the terrorist attacks, and the executions they conducted, continued unimpeded for three days.

Ten guys holding back the entire resources of India's highly-trained counter terrorism forces. Killing at will.

What does this tell us about terrorism? It tells us that terrorism is a criminal act. And those who perpetrate it are criminals.

The streets of our cities, towns and rural areas are all patrolled by police officers. Police officers who have taken an oath to serve and protect.

They do a good job of doing just that, employing a number of tools to deter criminals. Yet, as we all know, no matter where we live, criminals every day successfully carry out illegal activities. They break into houses. They steal from stores. They mug people on the streets.

We don't really expect the police to prevent all crime. We recognize that, no matter how well we beef up our police forces, some criminals will be successful. When they are, we hope that the police are able to catch them. But we never really expect that we will be totally protected from criminal activity.

The same is true for terrorism. There is a Herculean effort underway across the globe to prevent terrorist attacks. The homeland security and intelligence communities have actually been quite successful in thwarting a number of plots. Some have come to the public's attention. Some probably will never come to light.

But the truth is, just like the drug addict who may be lurking in your neighborhood right now, intent on breaking into your house and stealing your jewelry and laptop to make a few bucks to get his next fix, there are terrorists who, like 10 guys in Mumbai, right now are planning similar inexplicable attacks on innocent civilians.

Of course, we should remain vigilant. And take prudent steps to protect ourselves. But we shouldn't panic or give up when terrorists are successful.

Our societies have evolved to where we've learned some simple steps we can take to protect ourselves against criminal activity. We've learned to leave outside and inside lights on in our homes. To not walk down dark alleys at night. To walk in groups in some high-crime neighborhoods.

So too should we learn how to protect ourselves in the event of a terrorist attack. Survival could be dependant upon what one does in the first chaotic minutes of an attack.

But to become debilitated and to limit our activities because some terrorists are successful is counterproductive and expands the numbers of victims of their attacks far beyond those who died or were injured at the hands of 10 guys in Mumbai.

God Tool In Terrorism Fight

Here in New York, the police and the public are on the front lines of the fight against terrorism.

People taking public transportation hear periodic announcements encouraging them to say something if they see something suspicious. Police form a constant presence outside potential terrorism targets like the Stock Exchange. And police checkpoints can be found strategically placed throughout the city.

The midtown and downtown sections of Manhattan are blanketed with security cameras so that police can be on the lookout for suspicious activities. Radiation detectors are also in use, both at vulnerable points, such as tunnels, and in vehicles on the ground and in helicopters on patrol over the city.

But in Kentucky, the first tool in its defensive efforts is God.

A 2006 law requires state Homeland Security officials to acknowledge that "Almighty God" is "vital to the security of the commonwealth."

When they issue their reports, the officials must credit God's "benevolent protection." The law even required the placement of a plague honoring God at the state's emergency operating center.

New Yorkers may feel more secure with the efforts of the police. But for those of faith, perhaps a little additional help from above may afford a greater degree of comfort in these troubling times.

Hotels, Religious Institutions Need To Protect Against Terrorism

The highly coordinated well-executed attacks on two luxury hotels and a Jewish center in Mumbai underscore the need for better security measures at Inns and religious institutions around the world.

So said security consultant and former New York City police officer Gary Moskowitz on today's edition of News Talk Online on Paltalk.com and on CRN Digital Talk Radio.

Moskowitz, who since September 11, 2001 has been telling churches and synagogues how to increase security, says there's a clear moral and legal imperative for them to protect themselves.

Moskowitz is also critical of the Indian security forces that responded to the Chabad attack because they lost control of the environ. Crowds are pushing up against reporters and anti-terrorist commandos getting in the way. And there's always the chance that some in the crowd could be confederates of the terrorists inside the center.

He argues it's time to proactively go after terrorists, many of whom are based in neighboring Pakistan. He believes that the terrorists successful unimpeded invasion of India's shores and attacks are indicative of a failure of that nation's intelligence services. But he says citizens should not count on counter terrorism efforts to always be successful in interdicting attacks. He says, for example, that only 7-10 percent of all shipping containers entering the United States are properly inspected.

Institutions and westerners need proper training, he says, to protect themselves in the event of a terrorist attack. The Mumbai attacks illustrate, he says, that Americans, Brits and Jews are the most likely targets of future attacks.

Credentials, Confidence In Obama Appointments

President-elect Barack Obama's latest appointments to his economic team inspire confidence and send a clear message that he is preparing to tackle the nation's financial crisis head-on immediately upon taking office.

Former Fed chairman Paul Volcker is highly respected. So much so that he was called in by the United Nations to conduct an independent study of fiscal mismanagement, corruption and fraud. Volcker will head Obama's team of economic advisers.

His other latest appointment is Austan Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economist who will be the panel's top staff member.

Undoubtedly, John McCain's failure to grasp the severity of the economic crisis was a factor in the Obama victory. Those Americans whose vote was tipped toward the Democrat by McCain's fiscal indecisiveness should feel confident that their decision was well placed.

Candidates often make campaign promises solely for the purpose of getting elected, then often change course once actually taking office. But when it comes to this all-important matter of righting the economy, it is clear that the young president-elect is serious about his commitment to do all that is necessary to make things right.

His detractors expressed concern during the campaign that Obama's relative lack of experience would ill serve the nation if he were elected. But his focus on getting the best people with the widsom needed into the right positions in meeting his first crisis should go a long way toward allaying those concerns. Hopefully this signals the same thoughtful attention to appointments to other positions as his administration continues to take shape.

Decorated Ex-Cop Gives Bush High Marks

While acknowledging that President Bush did many other things wrong, former NYPD Detective Joe Coffey says one thing he deserves praise for is his response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Coffey, guest on today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, was the most decorated detective on the New York Police Department in three decades. And is an expert on terrorism and organized crime.

Coffey, commenting on the terrorist threat in New York City and today's terrorist attacks in India says Bush took the terrorism threat more seriously than did Bill Clinton.

"Clinton," Coffey says, "failed to treat them (terrorists) as what they are."

Coffey also heaps praise on the NYPD's terrorism fighting efforts, which he says surpasses those of the FBI. He says they only pale when compared to the Israeli and United Kingdom intelligence services.

He joins New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in calling on the federal government to give his department more wiretapping authority. Coffey brushed aside concerns that law enforcement might abuse law abiding citizens.

"If you're not a terrorist," he declared, "you're not going to be wiretapped."

Some callers were concerned that President-elect Barack Obama will not be as tough on terrorism as is President Bush. But Coffey does not share in that pessimism.

"I'm rooting for him," Coffey said. "I want him to do well." His only concern, he says, is that Obama seems to be "surrounding himself with the same morons" who served in the Clinton administration.

Terrorists Threat And Attacks Topic On Paltalk

Just hours after the story broke that the feds had warned the NYPD that there could be a terrorist attack on New York City's subway system during the holiday season a serious of coordinated terrorist attacks were carried out in Mumbai, India.

Early reports indicated that the attacks took place in areas like hotels where tourists congregate. The gunmen apparently were seeking out people with British and U.S. passports as targets.

One terrorism expert suggests that the New York threat may be less credible. Security consultant Gary Moskowitz, a former NYPD officer, believes the threat is being made public because people involved in Homeland Security and law enforcement want to impress upon the incoming Obama administration that they are still needed.

The NYPD, though, is taking the warning seriously and has increased its already vigilant counter terrorism measures.

Recently New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly complained that the Bush administration hasn't been granting his department special wiretap authorization expeditiously. Kelly wants the so-called warrantless wiretaps approved more quickly in order to investigate credible terrorist threats in time to intervene before they are carried out.

We'll be talking about the worldwide concerns over terrorism during today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com and CRN Digital Talk Radio at 5 PM New York time. CLICK HERE to join in the conversation. There is no charge.

Pardon Me

Remember the hoopla over the 11th-hour pardons of the Clinton administration? Well the pardons and commutation of sentences in the waning weeks of the current Bush administration are well underway.

So far, no high profile pardons. But interesting ones none-the-less. It makes you wonder how the president of the United States decides who to pardon.

What would compel a president to pardon, for example, a guy convicted of use and distribution of marijuana and cocaine at the Air Force Academy?

And how would the case of Leslie O. Collier of Charleston, MO come to the attention of the president? He had been convicted of unauthorized use of a registered pesticide. Apparently he was trying to use the pesticide to kill coyotes but three eagles fell victim.

Then there was the case of Obie G. Helton. The Rossville, GA man was sentenced to two-year's probation for acquiring food stamps without permission. How is his case, as opposed to other food stamp convicts, worthy of presidential review?

Another guy who was convicted of income tax evasion got pardoned. Maybe the president had a soft spot for the man's hometown, Traveler's Rest, SC.

Bet you didn't know it was against federal law to use a telephone to further a narcotics felony. Well that's what Ronald Alan Mohrhoff of Los Angeles was convicted of. He is now among those pardoned by President Bush.

We talked about the presidential pardons during Tuesday's edition of News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

So far the best known recipient of a presidential pardon is John Edward Forte who wrote two songs that were performed by the Fugees on a Grammy-winning album.

The president, who, like his father, was very judicious in his pardons and commutations. One noted exception, vice-presidential aide Scooter Libby, whose 2007 conviction on four counts of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements was commuted by Bush three months later.

Whose President Is He?

Here's a news flash to all who claim Barack Obama isn't their president. Like it or not, you lost the election. And he's the president-elect. Not just of the Democrats. But of all the people in the United States.

Wishing that away is a waste of energy. Because it doesn't change a thing.

The declaration, "Obama isn't my president" appeared in text during today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com. Interestingly, the challenge to that assertion was made by Boaz Frankel, a Republican, who argued, quite correctly, that the nation needs to get behind Obama. The financial crisis gripping the United States, he said, is reason enough to put aside partisan differences. The election is over, Frankel said. This is not the time for bickering along party lines.

Obama Sounding Like McCain

Has Republican support

His advisers say that President-elect John McCain will make good on his campaign promise to cut taxes and federal spending as soon as he takes office January 20.

Well those were McCain's promises weren't they?

But that, apparently, is exactly what the true president-elect, Barack Obama, wants to do.

Perhaps this is just a case of reality settling in. Saying one thing for public consumption while running for president. Then dealing with issues the way one must once actually taking office.

We'll get a better sense, perhaps, of where the new president is heading with policy tomorrow when he announces his economic team. But clearly, despite the Democratic control of the Congress, Obama is taking pains to at least appease his political opponents from across the aisle.

In this post-election era of reality settling in, many Republicans are, as well, showing an intent to cooperate with the new Democratic administration. Speculation is running high that Obama is about to announce that Hillary Clinton is his choice for secretary of state. Many high profile Republicans are already publicly supporting her for the position.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dpottsbsb/3052931149/

Iran's Nuclear Weapons Aspirations Topic On Paltalk

The following article was written by News Talk Online guest host Boaz Frankel

Friday's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com focused on concerns raised by the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran may still be attempting to develop a nuclear bomb.

The IAEA said this week Iran is continuing to enrich uranium, which can be used for either nuclear fuel or weapon. Iran claims it's only for electricity production. IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei has said the UN agency "cannot confirm what Iran has not disclosed."

Callers voiced concerns that President-elect Barack Obama might lack the political ability to negotiate with Iran over this issue because of the United States' "unconditional" support for Israel. But is this a correct assumption?

There's not been a time in the past three decades that the U.S. has ever unconditionally supported Israel. In fact, U.S. political and financial support for Israel has always come at a price: the demand that Israel give up land to its enemies for peace - a peace which has never materialized.

Other callers, though, were more optimistic that Obama is best suited to negotiate an end to Tehran's nuclear weapons plans. Certainly, they argued, better suited than the outgoing Bush administration.

Israeli, Palestinian Common Ground

The rhetoric coming from the Middle East is invariably about how the Israelis hate the Palestinians and the Palestinians hate the Israelis. But when you get on the ground, you see the issue isn't so simple.

Take the question of helping those who are in need of immediate medical attention. Both the Israelis and the Palestinians operate first responder programs. One might think, given the propagandizing of the situation, that the Israelis only treat Jews and the Palestinians only assist Arabs.

The truth is, the Israeli and Palestinian versions of the Red Cross actually work in conjunction with one another. So well that the American Red Cross is honoring them both by issuing a joint humanitarian award recognizing their combined efforts.



At a time when the news from the region is so focused on missiles being fired into Israel and Israeli retaliatory strikes, it's nice to learn that there are people on both sides of the divide who put aside their differences for the common good of all.

Let Them Eat Cat Food

Let's put this financial mess into a little perspective.

After all, when you go to the doctor and his diagnosis is a life-threatening one, you need to hear the truth. Right between the eyes. Then you can consider your options. But sugar coating things doesn't help very much.

People who have lost their jobs and those who may be next aren't going to find it very easy finding new ones.

Those who have looked down their noses at the "lazy poor people" who should just go out and get a job better hope that the job-cutting axe doesn't fall on them. But if it does, it will change their perspective on life real quickly.

Yesterday, during News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, I mentioned that some people are supplementing their nutrition with cat food. I was accused of taking that line out of some socialist playbook. But the sad truth is, there are people in the United States, my fellow Americans, who actually are buying pet food for human consumption.


The New York Daily News today reports about a man from New York state who worked in a mine. He was laid off, but was recruited by a Montana mining company to re-locate there for a job. So, not wanting to be one of those "lazy poor people" he packed up and drove 2,000 miles and reported for work.

His first day on the job finished, he returned to his new home, only to get a message on his cellphone. He was being laid off again.

Take Sam Gallup's experience. Put it in your mind. Now increase it by one million. Or two million. Or three million.

Imagine the drain on our economy if, say, General Motors folds. And one, two or three million people, GM employees, suppliers, the people who transport the vehicles, the folks who work at the car dealerships - you get the idea - find themselves out of work.

Not only will they be out of work, but like Gallup, they will find it difficult to get other jobs.

There is good reason the Dow keeps nose diving on word that Congress is reticent to approve a GM bailout package. It's ture that unlike the Wall Street bailout there must be actual oversight. A way to ensure that improvements and efficiencies are made to make it more likely that, as with the Chrysler bailout decades ago, there will be a return on the taxpayer's investment. But letting GM fail is lunacy. It's the proverbial cutting off one's nose to spite one's self.

The CEOs of the Big Three are correct when they say if one falls so may the other two. The auto manufacturers share suppliers. If GM were to close shop, so too will some of their suppliers. Making it impossible for Ford and Chrysler to keep their lines running.


Imagine the ripple effect in the economy. Imagine the increasing numbers of people, whose jobs are not even remotely related to the auto industry, who will be getting pink slips.

Now, imagine looking in the mirror in the morning and seeing Sam Gallup's face staring back at you. Just imagine.

Obama Wireless Records Accessed

At least one employee of Verizon Wireless reportedly accessed without authorization the cellphone records of President-elect Barack Obama.

The snooping raises concerns about privacy surrounding records kept by companies. If this can happen to the president-elect then what prevents employees from snooping into the records of any customer?

Apparently no e-mail information was accessed because the phone, no longer in use, was a simple flip phone.

Verizon reportedly notified federal authorities after discovering the breech.

There is no indication that any information garnered by the employee placed Obama at risk.

The breech is reminicent of the unauthorized accessing of Obama's passport records by three State Department employees. The passport records of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and John McCain were also similarly accessed when each of them were candidates for president. Questions about the motivation of those transgressions were raised at the time. Similar concerns about the possible sharing of Obama's cellphone billing records outside of the company are being investigated by Verizon officials.

Blaming Obama Even Before He Takes Office

Today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com was supposed to be about President-elect Barack Obama's choices for key positions, including speculation that he may name former rival Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state.

Political correspondent Alan Jasie offered an extensive and insightful analysis of that and other potential and announced appointments. But then, during the show, the discussion veered a bit off onto other, related topics.

Sadly, among the positions proffered during the program, was the suggestion that the current economic downturn is the fault of Obama.

How sad that some Americans blame the president-elect, who hasn't even taken office, for the woes on Wall Street.

The subtext of the argument is that the market took an even more drastic dive the past two days because Obama has been elected president.

Of course, any rational analysis would correctly suggest that the reticence, thus far, by Congress, to agree to a bailout of the Big Three auto companies, is giving the market additional jitters. The logical conclusion is, if any of those companies, most notably the most vulnerable General Motors, is allowed to fall, the market free fall of today will be viewed in the rear view mirror as just the pre-shock to a much larger financial earthquake.

Obama will never satisfy everyone, especially those who blame him for the reaction of the market to current conditions. But it's sad, that in this time of financial crisis, the nation isn't pulling together.

This is not the time for partisanship but for bipartisan partnership.

Obama has indicated a desire to put aside old differences for the good of the nation. So has his Republican opponent in the presidential election, Sen. John McCain. The rest of the nation should follow their example.

Don't Bail Out Big 3 Business Restructuring Advocate Argues

James McTevia maintains he doesn't feel like a fish swimming upstream.

McTevia, a business turnaround consultant, says General Motors should not be given any bailout money but should file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

He's not the only one who so argues, but McTevia is headquartered in, of all places, Detroit. And his 91-year-old father is a Chrysler Corporation retiree.

On a day that the market took yet another nose dive, this time on fears that GM won't be bailed out, McTevia, my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, said a Chapter 11 filing by the auto giant would actually be good for the economy. McTevia says GM would then be forced to downsize, restructure contracts and migrate from what he says is a "large, cumbersome" corporation.

Once GM filed for Chapter 11 protection, he says, the federal government could confidently finance the company. Because if it failed, it would then have to move into Chapter 7, liquidate, and pay back the government.

Under Chapter 11, McTevia argued, GM could liquidate about 800,000 units sitting on dealership lots by selling them at a loss to raise cash. Customers, he believes, would buy up the fire sale cars, especially if the government backed up the warranties. The purchases, he says, would infuse cash into, and stimulate the economy.

McTevia believes GM would survive Chapter 11 and come out of it stronger, having then designed products that would better meet the needs of America's driving public. Ford Motor Company, he believes, is on relatively solid financial footing and won't have to file for Chapter 11 protection. But Chrysler Corporation, he believes, "is done" and will soon be liquidated in a court proceeding.

A Terrorist's View Of Obama

Remember all those dire predictions that Barack Obama would be soft on terrorists if elected president of the United States? Apparently the terrorists don't see things that way.

The number two man in al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahri, paints Obama in a message on jihadist websites as the opposite of "honorable" black men like Malcom X. He also refers to Obama, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Secretary of State Colin Powell as "house Negroes" apparently suggesting that they are tools of the white man.

And Iran's Ayatollah Reza Ostadi has proclaimed that Obama "is no different than Bush."

Of course, Obama has, correctly said that there is only one president at a time. So how he will handle the issue of terrorism still remains to be seen. But those who are having trouble sleeping because they think America has elected a weak president should put their minds to ease and wait and see what happens when, as all presidents are, he's put to the test after January 20.

Bailing Out The Big 3 Topic On Paltalk

Ford, GM and Chrysler say they may not survive without a $25 billion bailout from the federal government.

Most vulnerable is General Motors, which said earlier this month that it will soon run out of money.

There are those who say, let the Big Three automakers declare bankruptcy, close plants, layoff people, retool, and, if strong enough, later re-open.

But the automakers say if one goes down, all three may. What would this mean to you and me?

It would mean fewer available cars. It would mean higher car prices. It would mean a shortage of replacement parts. It would mean difficulty in getting cars repaired.

It would also mean an even greater hit to the economy as autoworkers would get pink slips and get in ever increasing lines for unemployment benefits.

It would mean less money circulating in the economy. It would mean even more home foreclosures. It would have a profound effect on an already very shaky economy.

On the other hand, Americans and members of Congress who are being asked to approve the proposal, are bailout weary. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has changed the rules of the hastily conceived and approved Wall Street bailout plan midstream. One-third of the allotted money has already been expended. The promised oversight has not yet been put into place. Taxpayers, who now have a vested interested in what bankers are doing with their money, are dubious about how the money is being spent.

The heads of all three automakers were up on Capitol Hill yesterday making their case. They cite the previous federal bailout of Chrysler Corporation which, not only proved successful, but resulted in dividends paid back to the national treasury.

There are those who say the unions negotiated salaries that are too high. That Detroit must retool and find ways to cut costs and become more efficient. They argue that the auto industry, essentially, brought on this mess itself and deserves to suffer and fix it without an infusion of taxpayer cash.

But a closer look at the auto industry will find that much of this has already taken place. The last round of contract talks included UAW concessions that were designed to keep the industry on solid footing. Of course, that was before the economy spiraled downward. Now the auto companies are wanting even more givebacks from the union, which is reticent, at this stage, to comply.

A tour of any auto plant in the United States will reveal a clean, efficient operation that's augmented by robotics which have taken the jobs of workers and have saved the companies money.

The cars coming off the line in the United States are of much higher quality than ever before and are competitive with Japanese and other foreign automaker's products. The prices of the cars are comparable as well.

So the pickle the auto industry is in is less the fault of its own bad decisions as some suggest and more the result of the slowdown in the economy.

Still, the overriding question here is, is a bailout of the Big Three a proper and the best use of taxpayer's money? After all, it's not just the auto industry that's hurting. The federal government is trillions of dollars in the hole. And if we give such a large handout to the car makers, what's to stop other industries that are also hurting to ask for money as well? Where, as one recent guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com asked, do you draw the line?

This will be the topic of today's News Talk Online. To join in the conversation at 5 PM New York time 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.

Pregnancy Counseling Centers That Aren't

Nicolette Tomaszewski's experience with a pregnancy counseling center that isn't is clearly cause for concern, for both those who support and those who oppose a woman's right to an abortion.

Tomaszewski, posing as a pregnant co-ed, went to the center near her college campus in Tennessee, not only to be told by an uncertified counselor that she should keep her baby, but to be proselytized by the counselor, who invited her to join her evangelical Christian church.

Tomaszeweski had told the counselor that she was a Catholic, but that didn't seem to matter.

She and Ms Magazine Executive Editor Katherine Spillar were my guests today on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Spillar says Tomaszeweski's experiences were neither unique nor unusual. She says an investigation by her magazine revealed that many anti-abortion clinics posing as pregnancy counseling centers have been established near college campuses. And that students are given misinformation about abortions. By non-medical personnel.

According to Spillar, many of the centers encourage young pregnant women to delay a decision on abortion until it's too late. But they also encourage them to not see a doctor as well. Not particularly sound medical advice.

Spillar says she has no problem with anti-abortion advocacy programs near college campuses. But she says they should reveal what they are, not masquerade as pregnancy counseling centers which, she says, are supposed to give people neutral information, neither encouraging, nor discouraging abortions.

Proof That Justice Is Blind

A California court has ordered a homeless man who was convicted of starting two wildfires in the Los Padres National Forest to pay $101 million dollars in fines. This is in addition to four years he must serve behind bars..

This is proof positive that justice, is indeed, blind. How the hell is a homeless guy supposed to come up with $101 million dollars? Not in this economy.

Does the sentencing always fit the crime? Not always.

The cost of housing prisoners often exceeds the amount of money stolen by a thief. Correction. Not often. Usually.

Yet our prisons are overcrowded and some states, including the aforementioned California, are considering releasing prisoners early because of budgetary constraints.

It seems this may be a time to rethink our system of punishment. Perhaps making people work off their debts to society and victims and paying restitution to those they have wronged might make better sense.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaxzine/485424062/

Former Bear Stearns Senior Manager Deflects Criticism

Bill Bamber, author of Bear Trap: The Fall of Bear Stearns and the Panic of 2008, says many people at his old firm thought they were acting in the company's best interests when they made poor investment decisions - decisions that brought the 85-year-old institution down in five days.

Bamber's comments about the Bear, and then the rest of the financial world's meltdown, came during an appearance today on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

He said there were many contributing factors leading to the economic crisis we are now facing. He notes that then-Fed chairman Alan Greenspan encouraged people to take out adjustable rate mortgages. But many of those who took the ARMS ignored the fact that, with a rise in interest rates, so too would the cost of their mortgages rise. And when the economy heated up, the Fed tried to slow it down a bit by increasing interest rates.

Bamber acknowledges that this lead to the mortgage crisis felt by so many Americans whose mortgages now exceed the value of the home. When questioned, he agreed that, had the Fed left things alone, while the economy might be facing an inflationary cycle, at least it would still be functioning today.

Bamber insists that at Bear, there were people sounding the alarm that the hedge fund risks the company was taking were too great.

Among the people doing their jobs in that regard, he says, was Michael Alix, who was, from 2006 until its take over in March, chief risk officer at Bear Stearns. Alix has since been named vice president in the Bank Supervision Group of the New York Fed. An appointment that has raised editorial eyebrows. But one that Bamber says puts someone who understands the current economic mess into the thick of the effort to correct it. (He uses an analogy of who better to call in to dismantle a bomb than a bomb maker. This was an attempt at a complement).

As to the request by the Big Three to Congress for a bailout of the auto industry, Bamber says, there has to be a place to draw a line. The question is, is this the place?

The Inside Scoop On The Meltdown From The Bear's Mouth

How did they let it happen, the economic meltdown that's affecting, not just Wall Street, but Main Street as well?

Remember, before the emergency bailout of Wall Street came the collapse of Bear Stearns.

Now a senior manager (sorry that would be a former senior manager) at Bear Stearns has penned a book that tells us in non-technical terms what went wrong.

Bill Bamber, author of Bear Trap: The Fall of Bear Stearns and the Panic of 2008, will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com tomorrow, Monday November 17.

Bamber reveals what happened within Bear's walls and on the trading floor. Events that resulted in the most sensational financial crisis of our times.

Bamber tells us in stark terms how securities were manipulated leading to the credit crisis. And if you think the worst is over, think again. Because those are the same securities that make up the portfolios of our IRAs and 401Ks.

This is not just a story about how the United States financial market collapsed. It's also about how foreign demand of U.S. capital played a role in the Bear's massacre. And he talks as well about how the Congress, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are still struggling to avoid a broader world-wide financial crisis.

Bamber was a senior executive with responsibility for one of Bear Stearns major derivatives groups in New York City. He has been a derivatives practitioner for nearly two decades leading the development of new financial products on two continents and in both developed and emerging markets.

Bamber helped create some of the world's most innovative structured financial products and is a charactered financial analyst.

To to Bamber at 5 PM New York time Monday November 17 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

Paltalk is the largest multi media 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.

Protesting Too Much

Shakespeare got it right in Othello when he pointed out that his "honest" character protested too much.

I find it utterly amazing that some people who continue to express bitterness over the election of Barack Obama actually add, without the subject of race being mentioned, that it has nothing to do with the color of his skin.

One fellow noted that he has native American blood and that a relative is married to an African American. So how could he be a racist?

He said that without having being accused of racism. But I guess it's good to know that some of his best friends, or in this case, relatives, are black.

Another friend who is obsessed with arguing that Obama never was born in the USA and who is seriously considering moving from the United States because of his election (she has this whole scenario laid out about how bad things will become after January 20) hung up on me when I said she was bitter over his win. This, in part, compelled her to write a blog, protesting that she is not racist.

In fairness, apparently others have accused her of racism, but not me.

I'm wondering what these two friends would say if, all other things being the same, Obama were white. Would they still protest that their concerns have nothing to do with race?

Gun Advocate Argues Against New Restrictions

Charl van Wyke, author of Shooting Back: The Right and Duty of Self-Defense, says he understands why there's been a run on gun purchases since the election of Barack Obama.

Van Wyke, whose book and companion DVD chronicles his saving the lives of fellow worshipers in Capetown, South Africa during a terrorist attack by firing back at the attackers in what is now known as the St. James Massacre was my guest today on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Van Wyke says there is always "great concern" for gun owners whenever "liberals come to power."

He says attempts at gun control never work, because, he argues, only law abiding citizens comply. "Bad guys," he says, "never hand in their weapons."

And he says it's not just a case of protecting one's self against criminals. There's also the potential need to protect one's self against repressive governments or militias.

"Genocide around the world," he argues, "only occurs in gun free zones."

Van Wyke says he opposes the simple licensing of gun owners, arguing that that licensing gives the government the option to "come and take" people's guns.

Hillary Clinton As Secretary Of State?

Next secretary of state?

Perhaps she sees her presidential hopes now dashed forever. Perhaps she'd consider the appointment.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, who the Obama campaign didn't even vet as a possible running mate, is now, according to the Associated Press, being considered by the transition team as the president-elect's secretary of state.

The selection of Clinton would certainly put a mark on the new president's foreign policy goals. Like her husband, the former president, Clinton's face is well recognized on the international diplomatic scene. She would come into the job as a known quantity. She already has relationships with many world leaders.

It's interesting that her name has leaked out because, during the campaign, Obama managed to keep a tight lid on things. This could be a precursor to how this administration might not be so very much different from others once it takes office. Beltway media leaks are the rule, rather than the exception these days.

Two other former Democratic presidential candidates, John Kerry and Bill Richardson, are among those whose names have also been mentioned as possible choices for secretary of state.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentdanley/2174928201/

Out Of A Job? Try McDonald's

Path to prosperity?

Layoffs continue across the United States and many people suddenly out-of-work are wondering how they will provide for themselves and their families.

Author Paul Facella believes an entry-level position in a low-paying job, such as working at a McDonald's, can actually lead people back to a life of financial solvency.

That's the premise of Facella's book, Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald's. Facella will join me on Monday December 15 to discuss his concept of individual bottom up economics on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Facella's book is, in large measure, based on his own experiences. He first walked into a Mickey D's as an employee, working behind the counter, when he was 16-years-old. He says in his book that McDonald's has produced more millionaires from within its ranks than any company in history.

Facella's 34-year career saw him promoted to counterman to grill cook to regional vice president. The book explores, with interviews from entry-level employees to founder Ray Kroc how a fast food restaurant's corporate culture encourages workers to succeed in business.

He parlayed the lessons learned at McDonald's to now operate a successful New York consulting firm.

He believes the concepts he learned at McDonald's can be applied to any business enterprise.

To talk to Facella on at 5 PM December 15 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.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iirraa/235471342/

Gun Sales Up, Is There A Need To Worry?

Van Wyck

My friend, a gun aficionado, ran out and bought himself an AR 15 semi-automatic assault rifle immediately after the election.

President-elect Obama, he fears, will start stripping away gun owner's rights, and he wants to make sure he's well stocked with guns and ammunition before that happens.

He's not alone. Gun sales have been up across the nation since the election.

Joining us on News Talk Online tomorrow, Friday November 14 to discuss gun rights will be Charl van Wyck, author of Shooting Back: The Right and Duty of Self-Defense.

Van Wyck is the man who carried a gun to church with him in South Africa and turned back the terrorist gunmen who opened fire on the congregation killing 11 people and wounding 58 in what is now called the St. James Massacre.

To talk to Van Wyck about gun rights at 5 PM November 14 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.

Helping Our Returning Vets

Promises made during the presidential campaign - about helping our returning veterans. Will they be kept by the new Obama administration?

That's the question being asked, not just by veterans organizations, but also by regular citizens. Concerned, regardless of their positions on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, about health care, mental health treatment, education and jobs for those who we ask to go into harm's way to protect our freedoms.

One caller to News Talk Online on Paltalk.com suggested that the Wall Street bailout was solved in about three days, while the problems with the Veteran's Administration stretch out three decades. But some veterans dispute that.

Don, from Chicago, a disabled veteran, pointed out that a $165 million combined military and veterans hospital, is being built in Illinois.

And John, a veteran from St. Louis, says he's been getting great care at his local VA hospital - with the exception of the inordinate wait in an overtaxed emergency room.

One caller came up with a suggestion made by others previously on News Talk Online - that veterans be given a medical card good at any hospital in the United States. What a simple answer to the problem of veterans who live too far from a VA hospital to get the treatment that they need.

It's gratifying to hear so many Americans, and even citizens of other countries, express their concerns about the treatment of our vets. Let's hope that the incoming Obama administration is listening, and acts accordingly.

Will Federal Funds For Pregnancy Counseling Shift?

Spillar

You're a teenager or young adult who finds herself in the unfortunate position of being pregnant and unwed. You go to a pregnancy counseling center for help. Only to find that you're in an anti-abortion clinic that encourages you to keep the baby.

Federal dollars fund these centers. But should they? And will funding, under a pro-choice Obama administration, continue?

Joining us on News Talk Online on Tuesday November 18 to discuss this issue will be Katherine Spillar and Nicolette Tomaszewski.

Spillar, executive editor of Ms Magazine has been overseeing coverage of anti-abortion groups that target women's reproductive health clinics such as Planned Parenthood. She is also executive vice president of the Feminist Majority Foundation where she has coordinated field operations in three statewide campaigns for women’s rights.

Tomaszewski is a woman who was pressured by a a local crisis pregnancy center in Tennessee where she was warned of horrible side effects of abortion by a volunteer who, she says, was not a medical professional. She says she was also told that, if she were to have an abortion, she likely would suffer side effects because the physicians employed in abortion clinics were from the "bottom of the barrel." She was not actually pregnant when she went in for counseling, but wanted to experience for herself the treatment she would receive after a pregnant friend, looking for an abortion, told her she was discouraged when she went to the clinic.

Spillar says many crisis pregnancy centers, like this one near Tomaszewski's college campus, masquerade as women’s health clinics often luring young women by offering free pregnancy tests. In reality, an FMF study reported on by Ms concludes that the vast majority of CPCs are not medical facilities.

To talk to Spillar and Tomaszewski on at 5 PM Tuesday November 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 an additional 12 million households.

Time For Change

Barack Obama promised change during his campaign. But what change should we expect? What change should we reject?

That was the question asked of the News Talk Online audience on Paltalk.com today.

The suggestion that he may issue an early executive order closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and move the detainees to the United States for trial was endorsed by several callers as a step toward regaining an ethical United States. But there were some who disagreed with closing Gitmo, citing the cost of holding trials in the U.S.

Others said they hope that Obama quickly tackles the issue of health care in the United States and do what Hillary Clinton failed as first lady ... establish a national system that ensures that all Americans are covered.

Others called for a tackling of the economic woes gripping the nation and the world. One caller called for more transparency in the bailout. It is, after all, taxpayer money that's being used. There should be, he argued completed accountability.

One caller noted that Obama's transition team has already pledged high ethical standards, transparency and opportunity for citizens to give their input.

One caller suggested that, now that the cost of gasoline has dropped, that the new administration impose an additional $1-a-gallon federal tax at the pump to fund research and development of alternative forms of energy.

Will Obama Help Our Vets?

Bowers

Much was said during the presidential campaign about the failings of the Bush administration in helping our returning veterans. Both John McCain and Barack Obama promised to improve things for them.

Now a leading veteran's group is pressuring the president-elect to live up to that commitment.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America says Obama should convene a presidential summit of veteran leaders to solicit input from them on how to fix the nation's veteran's programs. The IAVA hopes the president consults with the leaders before selecting a new head of the Veteran's Administration.

Three critical changes, the organization argued, must be made by the incoming administration.

The VA budget must be approved early enough to ensure that VA hospitals and clinics aren't forced to ration care at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Benefits of the new GI Bill must be made available to those who are already receiving fewer benefits under the old system.

And veterans, many of whom suffer depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, need to be given access to mental health professionals.

Joining us on News Talk Online to talk about these issues tomorrow, Thursday November 13 will be IAVA's Director of Government Affairs, Todd Bowers.

Bowers, an Iraq veteran, is a Marine Corps Reserves staff sergeant, a nationally recognized authority on the war in Iraq and issues affecting troops, military families and veterans. He has appeared on PBS, MSNBC and CNN and meets regularly with members of Congress from both parties to promote legislation to improve the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families.

On October 17, 2004, during his second tour, Bowers was wounded in Fallujah when a sniper bullet hit the scope on top of his rifle and exploded in his face. He suffered shrapnel wounds during the incident and hearing loss in his left ear, and was awarded the Purple Heart and Navy Commendation Medal with a combat “V” for valor.

To talk to Bowers on Thursday November 13 at 5 PM New York time 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.

A Call To Legal Arms

The Columbia Journalism Review is calling on other news media outlets to join Bloomberg in its suit against the Fed, an action seeking transparency in the Wall Street bailout.

The suit demands from the Federal Reserve information on who is getting $2 trillion in federal loans. It also asks what kind of collateral the taxpayers are putting up to back the loans.

One would think that if the government is dishing out money the public would have the right to know where the money is going. That we'd be informed without Bloomberg or other news agencies having to sue for what should be a simple matter of public record.

We're not talking about a municipality holding out on how much money from its law enforcement budget is being used for animal control. We're talking about the very solvency of our financial system, and the investment of our tax dollars into the bailout effort.

This bailout was shoved down the throats of Congress and the public as an emergency measure that had to be taken immediately. Well, now that it's been done, with no time for contemplation or review, shouldn't we at least know where our money is going?

Reversing Bush

Many of the policies the new president wants to enact can't be accomplished by the wave of a wand. Which makes, for example, the run on guns for fear that, after he is sworn into office, President-elect Obama will eliminate purchases of assault rifles just a bit of a welcome overreaction to gun dealers who, unlike other retailers, are actually making money in this faltering economy.

But there are some things a president can do by executive order. What one president gives the nation in the form of an executive order, another can take away. Candidate Obama promised change. And change is on the horizon.

Among the executive orders enacted by the current Bush administration that could be wiped out by the stroke of a post-January 20 presidential pen are restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, the continued operation of the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention facility and the prohibition on funding family planning organizations that perform or advocate abortions overseas.

The latter was initially implemented by the the Reagan administration, rescinded by President Clinton but then re-established by President Bush.

Clearly, President Obama will, as promised, be making changes, setting a new tone and direction for the nation.

We'll be discussing the changes the new president will likely make during today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com at 5 PM New York time. CLICK HERE to join in 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 an additional 12 million households.

The Palin Factor

Sarah Palin told Fox News she'd plow her way through a door for president if it's open in 2012. And she's been keeping a high profile since returning to Alaska having lost her bid for vice president of the United States.

She's reportedly talking to ghost writers to help her with her memoirs. She's doing interviews whenever possible. So while the campaign is over for her running mate, John McCain, it seem that it's continuing for Palin.

Today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com tackled the Palin phenomenon. Many admirers said they fully expect her to return to the national political scene in 2012. Her detractors suggested that her missteps on the campaign trail this year have been recorded for all time. And would be used against her, effectively, should she try another run for national office.

Clearly she was unpolished during this campaign and uninformed about some issues. But she was viewed as a breath of fresh air by many. A common person, a true outsider, running for high office.

Four years gives her plenty of time to brush up on the issues. She might even read a newspaper or news magazine on a regular basis by then. And be prepared to answer questions about which periodicals she reads.

Detractors who are quick to dismiss her may be surprised, and not happily, by Palin during the next presidential campaign.

Random Economic Thoughts

There's some good news on the economic scene. But there I also have a cautionary note to share.

The good news is for those who are struggling to make their mortgage payments to Citigroup.

The financial giant is announcing a moratorium on most foreclosures. Instead of kicking people out of their homes and letting them sit there vacant, having to maintain them, and hoping, futilely in this market, to sell them, Citigroup says it will work with at-risk borrowers. The intent: make it possible for them to remain in their homes.

I hope this program works and that other financial institutions follow suit.

Meanwhile, General Motors announced that GMAC Mortgage is at risk and may not survive. Another possible victim of the economic downturn.

Stop And Shop Supermarkets is taking a proactive approach to the crisis. Stop And Shop, which has supermarkets in a number of northeastern U.S. states, says it recognizes that, due to the economic problems, food banks are already not meeting the demand. So it is raising money at the checkouts for local food programs. What a wonderful way to funnel a bit of money, while paying for groceries we can afford, to those providing food to others who cannot.

Finally, I received a cautionary note from a friend in my e-mail inbox today. The holiday shopping season is approaching, and every year, the number of store bought gift cards increases. What a great gift to give to someone, especially a teenager, who we just don't know what to buy.

But the friend notes that chain retailers are declaring bankruptcy and/or are closing stores all the time. The suggestion in the e-mail is, don't buy store gift cards that may end up being useless before the recipient can use them.

If you can't think of something to give, why not try cash? In spite of the economic downturn, cash is still accepted at all stores in the United States!

Hopes For A Middle East Peace

Crossing one's fingers with regard to the Middle East is a good thing to do, says former Assistant Secretary of State Richard Murphy, who had a long foreign service career in the Middle East and continues to have a keen interest in peace there.



Murphy is hopeful positive comments about the incoming Obama administration's prospects for positively influencing the peace process from both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas will translate into true opportunity.



During an interview on News Talk Online on Paltalk, Murphy was critical of the past two administrations for doing little, until their twilight hours, to move along the peace process. He says the Bush administration was particularly unfocused because of distractions caused by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.



Asked about missed opportunities by the Palestinians, Murphy suggested that the situation is exceedingly complex. But he downplayed Palestinian rhetoric, including the Palestinian Authority's charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel.



Those strong words, he believes, were meant to "rally support among Palestinians."



"I didn't find that desire among the Palestinians to wipe Israel out," he said.

But when challenged about the realities of terrorist attacks during the Intifada, Murphy acknowledged that the words had the poisonous affect of creating suicide bombers.

Murphy says, however, that Hamas, negotiating through the Egyptians, has agreed to a cease fire that has held.



"I think," he concludes, "there are grounds for optimism."

Murphy, however, doesn't believe the United States will go it alone in the search for peace in the Middle East, but will likely work with other nations which also hope for an end to the conflict.

McCain's Staffers 'Jerks'

Sarah Palin is back in Alaska, telling anyone with a microphone who will listen that the John McCain campaign staffers who are leaking information about how she was a rock around the neck of the campaign "jerks."

And she implored the very news media she attacked as being unfriendly toward her during the campaign to do its job and out those who are making the statements.

Two conflicting observations about all this.

First, she has a point. Anonymous sources are difficult to respond to, and should only be used sparingly and when all else fails. It's not particularly fair to confront Palin with the accusations without giving her opportunity to confront the source. Perhaps there are mitigating circumstances surrounding the character of the source or his or her relationship with Palin that might color her response.

On the other hand, it's disconcerting to me that these stories of Palin not knowing that the United States, Canada and Mexico make up NAFTA and that she didn't know that Africa was a continent and incorrectly thought South Africa was a part of the "country" of Africa (like South Carolina or the south of France?) were not reported until after the election.

The Fox News Channel, which has been on the forefront of breaking this story, acknowledged in its reporting that they knew of these allegations before the election, but that the still unnamed sources swore them to secrecy until it was over.

Reporters on this one should have been more aggressive in verifying the allegations and getting them out to their readers, listeners and viewers before the election was held. The failure to do so makes them appear to be tools of the McCain campaign.

New Airport Scanners Raise Concerns

New scanners at airports which permit security officers to virtually strip search passengers are raising concerns among many in the flying public.

Budgettravel.com senior editor Sean O'Neill was my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com to discuss the scanners. He says they were put into place as an alternative to patting down passengers in several airports because tests have shown that TSA personnel have missed contraband during those one-on-one searches.

Some people find both the pat-downs and the scanners intrusive, including a Muslim woman who called the show who believed both to be affront to the modesty dictated by her religion.

Former Assistant Secretary Of State On Paltalk

Richard Murphy

Of all the problems, domestic and foreign, that face President-elect Obama, none is more perennially critical than the quest for peace in the Middle East.

Joining us to talk about the prospects for a solution to that quagmire on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com Monday November 10 will be former Assistant Secretary of State Richard Murphy.

Murphy spent 34 years as a career foreign service officer. After service in the U.S. Army he joined the foreign service of the State Department and from 1955-68 served in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

In 1971, President Nixon nominated him as ambassador to Mauritania and in 1974 he became ambassador to Syria. He then served as ambassador to the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. From 1983-1989 he served as assistant secretary of state under President Reagan. During that period he was. particularly active in the Israeli-Arab peace process.

Murphy has received the president’s Distinguished Service Award three times and the State Department’s Superior Honor Award twice. In 1985 he was named career ambassador, a title held by only five officers serving at any given time.

Retiring from government service in 1989, Murphy joined the Council on Foreign Relations in New York as senior fellow for the Middle East and has continued to visit that region several times a year.

Murphy is a frequent commentator for NPR, CNN, BBC and FOX News. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, The International Herald Tribune and the Christian Science Monitor. He is a trustee of the American University of Beirut, on the Board of the Near East Foundation and former chairman of the Middle East Institute in Washington.

To talk to Murphy at 5 PM New York time Monday November 10 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.

Virtual Airport Body Searches Topic On Paltalk

New body scanning technology slowly being introduced into airports in the United States and elsewhere in the world is causing some to raise concerns of privacy. And once again the issue of how to balance security and civil liberties is being raised.

Publications such as Germany's Der Spiegel have published photographs depicting what security officers see as people pass through the scanners. Virtually everyone I've shown those pictures to say the scanners, which clearly show genitalia and even details of a person's buttocks is way too intrusive.

In the United States, the technology, which basically is tantamount to virtual body searches, is being employed at airports in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Miami and elsewhere.

Reporter Sean O'Neill, who has reported about the full-body scanners for Newsweek's Budget Travel site will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com tomorrow, November 7.

O'Neill's article questions if the TSA is violating the privacy rights of those who go through the scanners.

O'Neill reports that Germany has banned the scanners because of privacy concerns. But the TSA argues that they aren't invasive at all. Here in the United States, the American Civil Liberties Union opposes their use.

On its Evolution of Security website, the TSA says the millimeter wave devices produce a, "three-dimensional image of the body, with facial features blurred for privacy" which is displayed on a remote monitor for analysis.

"The image," the TSA says, "is not saved – once it’s off the screen it’s gone forever."

To talk to O'Neill about the virtual strip searches at 5 PM New York time tomorrow, Friday November 7 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.

Republican, Democratic Strategists Agree About McCain Campaign Failures

In this era of fractured partisan politics it was heartening to hear a Republican and a Democratic strategist agree over why the John McCain presidential campaign failed.

Democrat Hank Sheinkopf and Republican Steve Goldberg both believe McCain lacked a simple, direct message to present to the American people. While Barack Obama was clear, concise and consistent.

Both agree that McCain allowed the party to dictate how he conducted himself and that hurt him in the long run. The race, Goldberg suggests, might have been closer had McCain been permitted to be himself.

The two were my guests today on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Goldberg says McCain failed to define himself. Sheinkopf said Obama told the truth to the American people, while McCain, he believes, "didn't want to tell the truth."

Veracity, they agreed, is what a voting public, dissatisfied with the current administration and even more discontented over the performance of Congress, sought.

Both believe Obama faces immense obstacles. But both believe that and failing he has in delivering promises can be attributed for a long time to the state of the nation when President Bush left office.

All he has to do, says Sheinkopf, is be successful in several key areas to be considered an effective president.

Now What?

In the last scene of the film The Candidate Robert Redford's character pulls his campaign manager aside after being declared the winner of an election he entered with no intention of winning and asks, "what do we do now?"

Here's YOUR chance to sound off on what you'd like President-elect Barack Obama to do now.

Just go down to the comment section and add your thoughts.

Should be fun!

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39074150@N00/3007345627/

Hamas Comments On Obama Win

The Hamas terror group believes the election of Barack Obama is an "historic victory" for the world and an opportunity to change U.S. foreign policy toward engagement with America's foes.



Ahmed Yousef, Hamas' chief political adviser in the Gaza Strip, made those comments in an interview with World Net Daily's Jerusalem bureau chief Aaron Klein.



Yousef, speaking to Klein by cell phone from Gaza, said Hamas is drafting a letter of congratulations to be sent tomorrow directly to Obama. He disclosed the current draft of the letter praises the president-elect as "another John F. Kennedy, or great Roosevelt."



"We want to be one of the first to congratulate him," Yousef said. "This is an historic day, a turning point. I think this is the very first time in history that one country's election concerned everyone everywhere all over world," said Yousef.



"Everybody is looking forward to Obama's change, for a change in the U.S. policy, particularly in the Israeli-Palestinian equation, which is the mother of all conflicts." Yousef told Klein he believes an Obama administration will be more willing to engage in dialogue with Hamas.



Today on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, Elizabeth Bagley, who served as special assistant to Ambassador Sol Linowitz for the Camp David Accords, said she believed Obama would make as one of his first priorities re-engaging in peace talks in the Middle East.



Obama has named as chief of staff Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), who was born in Israel and whose father was a member of the Irgun.

As Catholics Vote So Votes The Country

Once again, the Catholic vote proved to be representative of how the rest of the nation voted in the presidential election.

Fifty-four percent of voting Catholics cast their ballots for Barack Obama.

Elizabeth Bagley, who was responsible for getting out the Catholic vote for Obama, says, around the world, people are celebrating his election. Because they feel he represents a return to diplomacy by the United States.

Bagley, who served in the diplomatic corps in both the Clinton and Carter administrations, believes the Bush administration repeatedly squandered opportunities to diplomatically solve some of the most serious problems of the world. A former U.S. ambassador to Portugal, Bailey, during an appearance on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, said Clinton left office having brought the Israelis and the Palestinians close to resolution. Yet the Bush administration refused to build on those efforts, against the wishes of Secretary of State Colin Powell.

She believes one of Obama's first orders of business will be to attempt to help broker a lasting peace in the Middle East. She also believes Obama will try to initiate diplomatic efforts with Iran.

McCain's Missteps

It all started, says presidential historian David Goldberg, with John McCain's change of campaign leadership.

McCain was suddenly controlled ... not his own man any longer.

Many people pointed to the negative campaigning from the Republicans and suggested a backlash. But in remarks on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, Goldberg noted that both campaigns were equally guilty of negative campaigning.

But Goldberg says McCain's biggest problem was George W. Bush. He couldn't separate himself from the current, unpopular president.

His choice, imposed perhaps by the Republican National Committee, of Sarah Palin as his running mate, was designed to shore up the party's conservative base, which wasn't overly enthusiastic that he was the nominee. But that failed to help him with the non-partisan undecided voters.

Had he chosen a more moderate running mate, Goldberg says, the results may not have been much different. Because some conservatives may have sat out the election, voted for Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr, or may have even voted for Obama.

Obama Campaign Official On Paltalk

Bagley

An official of the Barack Obama campaign will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com Wednesday November 5 at 5 PM New York time.

Elizabeth Frawley Bagley will discuss how the campaign was so successful in resonating with voters and what President-elect Obama now faces as he looks forward to at least four years in the White House.

Bagley was senior advisor to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright from 1997-2001. Prior to this appointment, she served as the U.S. ambassador to Portugal from 1994-1997.

An attorney specializing in trade and international law, Bagley was adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University in Washington until January 1993. She served as diplomatic liaison for the Clinton-Gore Presidential campaign. She was the State Department's congressional liaison officer during the Carter administration and served as special assistant to Ambassador Sol Linowitz for the Camp David Accords.

To talk to Bagley on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com at 5 PM New York time Wednesday November 5 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.

Democratic, Republican Strategists To Analyze Election On Paltalk

Sheinkopf

Two political strategists, one a Republican, the other a Democrat, will be my guests on News Talk Online on Thursday November 6 to analyze the presidential election and take a look at what the two parties must do now moving forward.

Democrat Hank Sheinkopf makes a return engagement to the show. Sheinkopf has been a political, public affairs and governmental relations consultant for nearly 30 years. He has worked on political campaigns and issue campaigns in four continents, 10 foreign nations, in addition to more than 600 domestic political and issue campaigns in 46 American states.

Sheinkopf was a member of President Clinton’s re-election media team producing ads for the only Democratic president re-elected since FDR.

Joining Sheinkopf will be Steve Goldberg, who pioneered some of the most successful consumer outreach and voter contact strategies employed today by candidates across the country.

Goldberg was recruited by Lee Atwater to work on President Ronald Reagan's re-election campaign in 1984. Following his involvement in Reagan’s landslide victory in 1984, Goldberg was asked to join then Vice President George H. W. Bush's campaign for the presidency in 1988. He helped devise and implement Bush's comeback victory in the New Hampshire primary, the contest that is credited with securing his party's nomination.

During 1988’s general election contest, Steve became the architect of a controversial direct-marketing telecommunications program which proved to be the largest voter contact program ever performed in the history of U.S. politics.

To talk to Goldberg and Sheinkopf at 5 PM New York time Thursday November 5 CLICK HERE. There is no charge.

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