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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (106931)	1/20/2007 10:38:38 PM
From: Tommaso	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

There's nothing that GWB can do about the Constitution. The Constitution allows us to have Colbert, Garry Trudeau, Garrison Keillor, and assorted others. They can do what they want on TV, comic strips, and radio. I would like to include some women in that short list; do you have any nominees?

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (106931)	1/21/2007 2:26:25 AM
From: marcher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

Mike, I appreciate your analysis--thanks! I, too, think Edwards has a good shot. Dems need a candidate from the South to win. Unfortunately, I doubt that either Hillary or Obama could win...and not for reasons of character.

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (106931)	1/21/2007 10:37:53 AM
From: Freedom Fighter	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

KT, >She has one big asset: The first time in decades and the last time the country had peace, prosperity, a balanced budget, a strong dollar, civil rights and economic innovation was when her husband was President.< I remember that period. That was when Wall ST, Al.com, and the IMF were busy raping and pillaging the world with easy money, bubbles, lies, deceptions etc.... It guess it felt good if you didn't understand it, but I hated that period too, just for different reasons. ;-) I don't think someone like me will find anyone very appealing. I admire the goals of some of the contenders, but I'm convinced that government can't accomplish them because there's too much of a vested interest to overpromise and never eliminate things that are obviously not working. I also think that "X" percent of the people in this country are fairly disgusting and will simply use government to transfer wealth and power to themselves at the expense of the common good. I guess that makes me a libertarian. Despite the huge social holes some of my preferences would leave, I have more faith in the "Y" percentage of people in this country that are decent and that would find another way to fill those holes.

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (106931)	1/21/2007 11:01:25 AM
From: pikerman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

re: The first time in decades and the last time the country had peace, prosperity, a balanced budget, a strong dollar, civil rights and economic innovation was when her husband was President. Reminds me of a headline The Onion ran after Bush/Cheney won in 2000: At Last!! Our Long National Nightmare of Peace and Prosperity is Finally Over!! Thought it hilarious at the time, but not laughing so hard anymore. I saw this bumper sticker yesterday: "I wasn't using my civil liberties anyway" Bears or Saints? I'm thinking the matchup in the middle between Urlacher and McCallister (with Carney blocking) might be a key. Ground game necessary in cold weather. I'm pulling for the Saints, of course. Last week Deuce ran like no one was going to stop him. Piker

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (106931)	1/21/2007 9:15:20 PM
From: Pogeu Mahone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

City firms caught in FBI gaming inquiry By Karen Attwood Published: 22 January 2007 At least 16 investment banks, law and accountancy firms have been subpoenaed by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) to hand over any documentation connected with the online gaming industry. City sources said it is clear the DoJ is trying to build a case against individuals who have benefited from the industry, particularly the founders of online betting companies. In a move seen as a further encroachment on to British territory, City banks HSBC, JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, Dresdner Kleinwort, Investec and Deutsche Bank are understood to have been issued with official requests for information as part of the worldwide crackdown on internet gambling. One source said 16 banks had been targeted, but another believed it involved many more. "This is a trawl for information," he said. "People are being targeted. They are trying to get information out of witnesses in the UK. What is unusual is the fact that they are extending their jurisdiction to the UK, to anyone that has been involved with operations here." The subpoenas were sent in October, days after President George Bush signed into law a bill in effect outlawing internet gaming in the US, which critics saw as a protectionist move. It came months after David Carruthers, the former chief executive of BetsonSports, was arrested while changing planes in Dallas. The chairman of Sportingbet, Peter Dicks, was later arrested in New York. An investment boom was fuelled in London after companies such as Partygaming, the largest online poker company, BetonSports and 888 Holdings chose to list there. Founders and their advisers made a fortune, despite uncertainty over the legality of online gaming in the US. UK-listed companies have since withdrawn from their US operations, and seen their share prices plummet. Lawyers representing the banks and other companies have been talking to FBI investigators since October to try to clarify the meaning of the subpoenas, the details of which have only just emerged. One source said it was a blanket demand for all documentation, papers, e-mails and telephone records. "There isn't a lot of detail, so nobody understood what it was all about at first," he said. "It's very broad-reaching. Nobody knew who was being targeted, but now we have an understanding that they are targeting individuals who were behind the start-up operations and the day-to-day running of the operations. The DoJ will be looking for any evidence that points to transactions being carried out with US customers after the bill was passed into law." Last week, the Canadian founders of NETeller, a payment processor for the gaming industry, were arrested in the US and charged with laundering billions of dollars and tax evasion. London-listed NETeller was thought to be safe, as its involvement in the industry was indirect. It has now closed its US operations. Business leaders expressed surprise at the latest developments. David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said there was a feeling among industry chiefs that it was getting more difficult to do business with the US. "There has been the issue of steel import tariffs, more recently the heightened security measures, and demands to hand over the details of credit card transactions," he said. "You get the feeling that the US doesn't want to do business, or is certainly making it more difficult to do business, with the UK. I don't see any measures where it is actually becoming easier." The investment banks concerned were unable to comment. Also in this section