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To: elpolvo who wrote (21389)	1/19/2003 3:53:28 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 104155

Bush doublespeak on Iraq and taxes insults our intelligence BY RALPH MARTIRE Editorial The Chicago Sun-Times January 18, 2003 I wonder when we'll get straight talk from the president about the big decisions he's making for our country. For instance, take his public stance on Iraq and try to square it with his stance on North Korea. For months, Bush has been telling the American public to prepare for war with Iraq because of the threat from Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction and alleged sponsorship of al-Qaida. Yet, for months Bush had a special intelligence unit search for a link between al-Qaida and Saddam, only to come up empty. Now UN inspectors can't find a smoking gun and have asked for more time. In spite of the inability to develop any evidence of a real Iraqi threat to the United States, Bush remains bellicose, calling for ''regime change'' as the solution for the bad man of Baghdad. Meanwhile, North Korea not only admits it has nuclear weapons, it has broadcast its desire to export the technology. Intelligence reports verify North Korean nuclear capability. A few weeks ago, the United States intercepted a North Korean shipment of missiles to Yemen. Despite the seemingly more immediate danger North Korea poses, Bush is offering a peaceful resolution with Pyongyang. To date, there's been no cogent rationale offered for using diplomacy to defuse the real threat posed by North Korea, and war for the thus-far imagined threat posed by Iraq, just doublespeak. The president's penchant for misinformation doesn't end with foreign affairs. Consider his economic stimulus and tax cut package. You know, the one he doesn't want to hear ''class warfare'' arguments about. Whether or not you call it class warfare, ignoring the effects of a tax change on different income levels is, in economic terms, ignorant. Before you can make a tax change that will actually improve the economy, you have to know who has really benefitted from the economy. Most Americans haven't. From 1979 to 1999, on an inflation-adjusted basis, 60 percent of the American work force worked longer, harder and more efficiently. They also took home less money at the end of that 20-year span than they did at the beginning. That's almost two-thirds of our country working harder for less. The truth is, virtually all the growth in our economy during that period went to just the wealthiest 5 percent of income earners. But wait, there's more. The largest sector of our economy by far is consumer spending. Low- and middle-income working families are our best consumers. Putting two and two together, you'd assume that when the president claims his tax proposal is fair to all Americans, the relief would be targeted to the vast majority of Americans. You'd also be wrong. According to the Brookings Institute, no matter how you slice the president's recent proposal, whether it's the break on dividend taxes or accelerating income tax rate reductions, the lion's share of this 10-year, $674 billion boondoggle goes to the wealthiest 5 percent of income earners. You know, the same folks who sucked up all the growth in our nation's economy for two decades. Exactly how the president can keep a straight face while claiming this proposal benefits most Americans isn't clear. Just the other day, when discussing the Iraq situation, the president said he's tired of all the lies and deceit. I assume he means the ones emanating from Baghdad, not the beltway. If he's tired of spin, how does he think the American public feels about being fed a load of hooey to justify a war? And if the president doesn't like the nomenclature of class warfare, then he should stop engaging in it by pushing tax breaks that overwhelmingly benefit one class--the wealthiest--while ignoring most working Americans. ____________________________________________ Ralph Martire is executive director for the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. suntimes.com

To: elpolvo who wrote (21389)	1/19/2003 4:07:13 AM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 104155

Alinghi advances to America's Cup final DENNIS PASSA Associated Press Writer Saturday, January 18, 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (01-18) 22:31 PST AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) -- Oracle was finished before it even started the last race of the America's Cup challenger final. Taking advantage of Oracle's penalty during pre-start maneuvers, Switzerland's Alinghi advanced to the final against Team New Zealand with a 5-1 victory in the best-of-nine series. Alinghi crossed the finish line less than 10 seconds ahead of its San Francisco rival, but the victory margin grew to 2 minutes, 34 seconds after Oracle took its penalty turn. "I think we had a very good tactical series, particularly near the end," Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts said. "We were two very good teams, but I think we capitalized on our opportunities more than they did. I think that was the key." While Oracle completed the penalty turn, Coutts -- lured away from Team New Zealand -- and his winning crew shouted loudly, sprayed champagne and drank beer. Later, as the boats were towed into Viaduct Basin for the victory ceremony and Louis Vuitton Cup trophy presentation, Oracle's crew applauded Alinghi as the yachts drew close. Oracle's loss leaves the America's Cup without a U.S. boat in the final for the second straight time after American yachts participated in all previous finals in the 152-year-old event. It also is the third time in four challenger series that the winner has come from Europe -- Italy in 1992 and 2000 and Alinghi. Team New Zealand won the challenger series in 1995 and went on to beat Dennis Conner and the San Diego Yacht Club. After the race Sunday was delayed by nearly hours due to light wind, Oracle was penalized before the start for not keeping clear during pre-start maneuvers, causing the yachts to nearly collide. "He got one, he got one," Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth shouted to his crew even before the flag indicating a penalty to Oracle went up. Alinghi will attempt to end New Zealand's hold on sport's oldest trophy in the nine-race final scheduled to begin Feb. 15. New Zealand has won the last two regattas, in 1995 off San Diego and in 2000 in Auckland. Oracle led for the first two legs Sunday without taking its penalty, but fell behind after three legs, marking the fourth time in the series that the San Francisco boat lost the lead. Alinghi won the start by a second in nine knots of wind as it went up the committee boat side and headed for the right side of the course. Oracle took the left, but when the yachts crossed, Oracle had a lead of about a boat-length and led after the first mark by 15 seconds. Oracle doubled its lead early in the second leg, but Alinghi closed the gap as the blue light flashed on the umpire's boat indicating that Oracle's needed to complete the penalty turn. Alinghi, unable to do much to cut into Oracle's lead, trailed by 28 seconds after two legs. On the third leg, Alinghi threw a half-dozen tacks at Oracle to try to get cut into the lead. Alinghi closed the margin when it the wind fell dramatically around Oracle, which was sailing about 150 meters away. Oracle took a 10-second lead after the third leg, its first lead in the six-leg, 18.5-nautical-mile race. "I'll tell you, the shift didn't save us, in the end he (Oracle) just died in the corner," Butterworth told Alinghi's crew of the wind drop. Alinghi increased the margin to 24 seconds after four legs and regardless of the lead, Alinghi could sail confidently knowing Oracle had to take the penalty turn. On the final leg as Oracle closed on Alinghi, Oracle skipper Chris Dickson said "we can still win this thing." But Alinghi held its lead through a number of gybes. Oracle's campaign ended after 34 races, including a 12-4 record in the round-robin series and an 8-0 mark in two playoff series against OneWorld of Seattle. Oracle lost all four races to Alinghi in the first semifinal round and wasn't able to solve the Swiss boat in the challenger final. sfgate.com