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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (719548)	12/22/2005 7:55:08 PM
From: TideGlider	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Ferry Misfit!! Merry Fristmas!

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (719548)	12/22/2005 8:17:42 PM
From: Thomas A Watson	Respond to of 769670

Consumer Spending, Incomes Climb in Nov. liar boys and terrorists are losing their war against the American economy. WASHINGTON - Consumers' spending and incomes posted solid gains in November, giving retailers hopes for decent Christmas sales, while a key economic forecasting gauge flashed encouraging signals for 2006. ADVERTISEMENT The Commerce Department reported Thursday that personal spending rose 0.3 percent in November and was up an even bigger 0.7 percent when inflation was removed. It was the best inflation-adjusted showing since July, when spending surged as consumers responded to attractive auto sales incentives. Incomes last month increased a solid 0.3 percent, reflecting the fact that the economy created 215,000 jobs in November after two months in which thousands of jobs were lost along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. In a further bounceback from the hurricanes, the Conference Board reported that its Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose a healthy 0.5 percent as seven of the 10 forward-pointing statistics showed strength. The November gain followed an even bigger 1 percent rise in October as both months showed strength after a big slide in September related to the hurricanes. Analysts said the strength shown in the various statistics supported their view that retailers should enjoy a good but not great Christmas season with sales expected to rise by around 6 percent compared to 2004. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 55.71 points in light trading to close at 10,889.44. In a sign that inflation is remaining under control, a price gauge tied to consumer purchases fell by a record 0.4 percent last month, reflecting a rollback in energy costs. Inflation outside of food and energy was up just 1.8 percent in November, compared to a year ago, the smallest year-over-year increase since March 2004. "This is just more evidence that we have got pretty solid growth and very little inflation," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at Global Insight, a Lexington, Mass., forecasting firm. "The Fed seems to have engineered a soft landing," Behravesh said, referring to the Fed's goal of slowing the economy enough by raising interest rates to keep inflation under control without raising rates so high that it risks tipping the country into a recession. The government reported on Wednesday that the overall economy grew at an annual rate of 4.1 percent in the July-September quarter, the strongest pace in 1 1/2 years. Analyst believe that growth has slowed to around 3 percent in the final three months of this year, reflecting the fact that car sales have lagged following the huge success of the summer discounts and a plunge in the popularity of various gas-guzzling models. Growth is expected to bounce back to close to 4 percent in the first three months of 2006, reflecting stronger consumer spending and a boost from reconstruction efforts along the Gulf Coast. Behravesh said economic growth for all of 2006 would probably come in around 3.5 percent, little changed from the 3.7 percent he is expecting for 2005. In 2004, the economy grew by 4.2 percent, which had been the best showing in five years. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com, said even though growth next year will be close to the 2005 pace, Americans may not feel as prosperous. "Next year won't feel quite as good because inflation will be a tad higher, interest rates will be higher and the housing market, which has been going gangbusters, will weaken a bit," he said. In another report Thursday, the Labor Department said that 318,000 newly laid off workers filed claims for unemployment benefits last week, down by a better-than-expected 13,000 from the previous week. The overall claims included 1,400 related to hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, bringing total job losses from the three storms to 603,600. Disposable incomes, the amount Americans have to spend after paying taxes, rose by 0.3 percent in November after a 0.4 percent October increase. The savings rate, the amount left over after spending and taxes, remained in negative territory in November at minus 0.2 percent, marking the eighth month that the savings rate has been either negative or at zero. That means that consumers have been dipping into previous savings or borrowing to finance current consumption. news.yahoo.com

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (719548)	12/22/2005 10:05:56 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Respond to of 769670

Reid All About It: Reid Plays Patriot Act Politics gop.com In 2001, Reid Stood With President Bush At PATRIOT Act's Signing; Now Reid Celebrates Blocking PATRIOT Act In 2001, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) And The Dems Backed President Bush And The PATRIOT Act: 2001: 48 Senate Dems Including Sen. Harry Reid Voted For PATRIOT Act. (H.R. 3162, CQ Vote #313: Passed 98-1: R 49-0; D 48-1; I 1-0, 10/25/01) Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE): "[T]he FBI Could Get A Wiretap To Investigate The Mafia, But They Could Not Get One To Investigate Terrorists. To Put It Bluntly, That Was Crazy! What's Good For The Mob Should Be Good For Terrorists." (Sen. Joe Biden, Congressional Record, 10/25/01, p. S11048) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): "I Have Never Had A Single Abuse Of The PATRIOT Act Reported To Me. My Staff E-Mailed The ACLU And Asked Them For Instances Of Actual Abuses. They E-Mailed Back And Said They Had None." (Sen. Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senate, Committee On The Judiciary, Hearing, 10/21/03) Now, Reid And The Dems Celebrate Blocking PATRIOT Act: 2005: 41 Dems Filibustered Patriot Act Reauthorization. (H.R. 3199, CQ Vote #358: Motion Rejected 52-47: R 50-5; D 2-41; I 0-1, 12/16/05) "'We Killed The Patriot Act,' Boasted Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, To Cheers From A Crowd At A Political Rally After The Vote." (Charles Hurt, "Patriot Act Extension Filibustered," The Washington Times, 12/17/05) Click Here To Watch The Video Of Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) As He Celebrates The Killing Of The PATRIOT Act. Fox News' Chris Wallace: "Senator, Is [Killing The Patriot Act] Really Something To Celebrate?" Reid: "Of Course It Is." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 12/18/05) The PATRIOT Act Has Made America Safer: Michael Battle, Director Of The Justice Department's Executive Office For U.S. Attorneys: "As A Federal Prosecutor, I Have Used The Act To Prosecute A Terrorism Case In My Hometown." (Michael Battle, "Reality Vs. Myths," USA Today, 7/7/05) Battle: "In Summer 2001, As A U.S. Attorney For New York State, I Began Investigating What Turned Out To Be An Active Terrorist Cell Within The USA." (Michael Battle, "Reality Vs. Myths," USA Today, 7/7/05) Battle: "Before The Law Passed, The Investigation Was Hamstrung By A Legal 'Wall' That Prevented Law Enforcement And Intelligence Officials From Sharing Information." (Michael Battle, "Reality Vs. Myths," USA Today, 7/7/05) "[I]ntelligence And Law Enforcement Communities, And Our Partners, Both Here And Abroad, Have Identified And Disrupted Over 150 Terrorist Threats And Cells." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05) "Worldwide, Nearly Two-Thirds Of Al Qaida's Known Senior Leadership Has Been Captured Or Killed - Including A Mastermind Of The September 11th Attacks." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05) "Worldwide, More Than 3,000 Operatives Have Been Incapacitated." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05) "Five Terrorist Cells In Buffalo, Detroit, Seattle, Portland (Oregon), And Northern Virginia Have Been Broken Up." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05) "401 Individuals Have Been Criminally Charged In The United States In Terrorism-Related Investigations." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05) "Already, 212 Individuals Have Been Convicted Or Have Pleaded Guilty In The United States, Including Shoe-Bomber Richard Reid And 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05) "Over 515 Individuals Linked To The September 11th Investigation Have Been Removed From The United States." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05) Third Party Groups Support PATRIOT Act: Chuck Canterbury, National President Of The Fraternal Order Of Police: "I Am Writing To Advise You Of The Strong Support Of The Fraternal Order Of Police For Legislation To Reauthorize The USA PATRIOT Act And Make Permanent Its Critical Intelligence And Intelligence-Related Authorities." (Chuck Canterbury, National President Of The Fraternal Order Of Police, Letter To Speaker Of The U.S. House Of Representative, J. Dennis Hastert, 6/23/05) The Center For Security Policy: "President Bush ... Deserve[s] Great Credit For Securing The Enactment Of This Critical Piece Of Legislation And For Utilizing It So Effectively On Behalf Of Us All." (The Center For Security Policy's Website, www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org, Accessed 12/20/05) "Dozens Of Former Criminal Justice Officials And Political Leaders Sent A Letter To Congress Supporting The USA Patriot Act, Saying It Played 'A Vital Role' In Protecting The Nation Against Terrorism By Removing Legal Barriers To Gathering Information." (Jerry Seper, "Notables Of Criminal Justice Support Patriot Act," The Washington Times, 9/27/04) "[The] Coalition For Security, Liberty And The Law Says The Act ... Allowed Police Officers, FBI Agents, Federal Prosecutors And Intelligence Officials To 'Protect Our Communities By Connecting The Dots To Uncover Terrorist Plots Before They Are Completed.'" (Jerry Seper, "Notables Of Criminal Justice Support Patriot Act," The Washington Times, 9/27/04) "Those Who Signed [The] Letter Include Three Former Attorneys General, Edwin Meese, Richard Thornburgh And William P. Barr; Two Former Deputy Attorneys General, Larry Thompson And George Terwilliger; Two Former Solicitors General, Robert Bork And Theodore B. Olson; And Former New York City Mayors Rudolph W. Giuliani And Ed Koch." (Jerry Seper, "Notables Of Criminal Justice Support Patriot Act," The Washington Times, 9/27/04) PDF Format

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (719548)	12/22/2005 10:31:38 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the skies, Air defenses were up, with electronic eyes. Combat pilots were nestled in ready-room beds, As enemy silhouettes danced in their heads. Every jet on the apron, each SAM in its tube, Was triply-redundant, linked to the Blue Cube, And ELINT and AWACS gave coverage so dense That nothing that flew could slip through our defense. When out of the klaxon arose such a clatter I dashed to the screen to see what was the matter; I increased the gain and then, quick as a flash, Fine-adjusted the filters to damp out the hash. And there found the source of the warning we'd heeded: An incoming blip, by eight escorts preceded. "Alert status red!" went the word down the wire, As we gave every system the codes that meant "FIRE!" On Aegis! Up Patriot, Phalanx and Hawk! And scramble our fighters--let's send the whole flock! Launch decoys and missiles! Use chaff by the yard! Get the kitchen sink up! Call the National Guard! They turned toward the target, moved toward it, converged. Till the tracks on the radar all finally merged, And the sky was lit up with a demonic light, As the foe met his fate in the high arctic night. So we sent out some recon to look for debris, Yet all that they found, both on land and on sea Were some toys, a red hat, a charred left leather boot, Broken sleigh bells, white hair, and a deer's parachute. Now it isn't quite Christmas, with Saint Nick shot down. There are unhappy kids in each village and town. For the Spirit of Christmas can't hope to evade All the web of defenses we've carefully made. But a crash program's on: Working hard, night and day, All the elves are constructing a radar-proof sleigh. So let's wait for next Christmas, in cheer and in health, For the future has hope: Santa's coming by stealth! from an email, author unknown ....