Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL.) says the U.S. needs a bill that says, “if you come to America to work hard, if you come here for a better life, if you strengthen America, then we will allow you to earn your legalization.” (0:31)
U.S. Representative Mike Pence (R-Ind.) states that marriage must be protected because it is the only safe environment for a child to be raised in and is important to the survival of America. (0:25)
By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service
Rushed to a secret White House bunker on September 11, 2001, former Vice President Dick Cheney watched coordinated terrorist attacks unfold before his eyes.
“I’ll freely admit that watching a coordinated, devastating attack on our country from an underground bunker at the White House can affect how you view your responsibilities,” said Cheney today at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
In the days following 9-11, Congress passed a Joint Resolution that gave the President and other high ranking officials the power to act with “all necessary and appropriate force” to protect America, according to Cheney.
This meant the Bush Administration would use all tactics at their disposal to ensure the country’s safety, including the allowance of waterboarding against suspected terrorists and an offensive war to disrupt terrorist activities.
Cheney bluntly stated that the use of waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques were “legal, essential, justified, successful, and the right thing to do.”
Cheney defended the 183 instances of waterboarding employed by the CIA on Kaled Sheik Mohammed, the mastermind of the attacks.
“American personnel were not there to commence an elaborate legal proceeding, but to extract information from him before al-Qaeda could strike again and kill more of our people,” said Cheney.
Waterboarding was not used against every enemy combatant, but “only those terrorists of the highest intelligence value,” said Cheney.
However, Cheney asserted that high-ranking members of Congress were briefed on the CIA’s use of these techniques, including the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D Calif.). He criticized those members of Congress who demanded to be briefed saying that “they support them in private, and then head for the hills at the first sign of controversy.”
In response to Pelosi’s assertion that the CIA lied to her, Cheney stated that “people who consistently distort the truth in this way are in no position to lecture anyone about ‘values.’”
Pelosi has been one of the harshest critics of the Bush Administration and a leading advocate for a ‘Truth Commission.’
“It’s hard to imagine a worse precedent, filled with more possibilities for trouble and abuse, than to have an incoming administration criminalize the policy decisions of its predecessors,” said Cheney in regards to such a commission.
Cheney wants the government to release all torture documents, and he mocked the Obama Administration’s choice to only partially release these documents when he said that “the public has a right to know the method of the questions, but not the content of the answers.”
“Every senior official who has been briefed on these classified matters knows of the specific attacks that were in the planning stages and were stopped by the programs we put in place,” said Cheney.
Additionally, Cheney asserted that no matter what actions the Obama Administration takes, like the closing Guantanamo Bay or disallowing the use of enhanced interrogation, the terrorists will continue to hate America.
“The terrorists hate this country precisely because of the values we profess and seek to live by,” said Cheney.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) explains how he believes that the Truth Commission would be counter productive for the nation as America must “look forward and not back.” But if this committee does move forward, Boehner wants all the information to be released, specifically what Speaker Pelosi knew. (0:25)
By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
Today President Barack Obama announced a new effort to stimulate tomorrow’s economy by reviving higher education through expanding Pell Grants and removing barriers to success. The public face for his new initiative is to be Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice-President Joe Biden and Community College Professor.
Obama’s plan, detailed at opportunity.gov, would help the unemployed go back to school to build new skill sets, with the goal of helping them gain future employment through specialized technical training.
“The idea here is to fundamentally change our approach to unemployment in this country, so that it’s no longer just a time to look for a new job, but is also a time to prepare yourself for a better job,” Obama said. “Our unemployment system should be not just a safety net, but a stepping stone to a new future.”
Among the barriers to success that the President wants to break down are state programs in which a worker might lose temporary financial support if they were to enroll in an education program. Obama said that in some places a worker may be unemployed, but may not qualify for federal assistance to get an education because of the salary they had a year ago but no longer make. The President said that he is committed to working with states to change these laws.
The President said that knowledge is the most valuable skill that one can sell. He encouraged all Americans to aim for getting at least 1 year of higher education, whether it is a community college, a four year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship.
“By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world,” Obama said optimistically.
This announcement came on the same day as the release of April’s unemployment statistics, which saw the loss of more than half a million jobs. The unemployment rate for April was 8.9 percent, up from 8.5 percent in March and 8.1 percent in February. April’s numbers have already surpassed both the White House’s and the Federal Reserve’s projections for all of 2009, which were 8.1 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively.
Acknowledging that unemployment is as its highest rate in 25 years, the President urged patience, reminding us that the economic problems didn’t happen overnight, and couldn’t be fixed immediately.
“We’re still in the midst of a recession that was years in the making and will be months or even years in the unmaking,” Obama said. He continued, “We should expect further job losses in the months to come.”
Obama said that the Economic Stimulus Package is yielding real results, manifest in higher consumer spending and home sales, and an increase in construction spending. He praised the Recovery Act, and said, “Because of this plan, cops are still on the beat and teachers are still in the classroom; shovels are breaking ground and cranes dot the sky; and new life has been breathed into private companies.”
Fixing the economy and reforming education are two goals Obama has set for his administration. He said that in the weeks to come he would start working towards more education initiatives.
Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service
In the wake of backlash over President Obama’s decision to have diplomatic talks with Iran, high level Democrats are assuring the public that the U.S. commitment to Israel is as strong as ever.
But, “One enduring essential principle that will not change–United States support for Israel,” said Vice President Joe Biden to a standing ovation of more than 6,000 people at the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee’s annual convention.
“The path we have been on in recent years has not produced peace and security for Israel and Palestinians, nor will they produce these results,” Biden said. “Because peace has not occurred, does not mean that it cannot occur.”
U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who also spoke at the event, supports the Obama Administration’s policy with Israel. “You can count on Vice President Biden and President Obama in the future,” he said.
Kerry tried to calm fears about Obama’s decision to engage in open discussions with Iran because he believed that the previous administration’s strategy with the Middle Eastern country failed, and that a change is warranted. But, if diplomacy fails, hardline sanctions will be sure to follow, Kerry said.
Since December 2008, foreign criticism of Israel reached new levels. Israel decided to retaliate against Hamas by launching a full military incursion into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Government maintains that the action was an attempt to halt hundreds of rockets that are launched over Israeli borders by militant groups in neighboring countries.
“I heard of (Israeli) children in the second grade who had spent literally everyday of their lives never 15 seconds from danger/ Fifteen seconds… No child should live that way,” said Kerry to the audience.
Kerry is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and pledged to do everything in his power “to ensure that the $30 billion in security assistance that Congress pledged to Israel is delivered in full.”
Kerry and Biden presented a challenge to Israel: that the country needs to work toward a workable, long lasting and sustainable peace.
Biden believes that any peace is a “show-me plan,” that each side must make efforts to demonstrate their dedication for the process to continue.
Biden said that the building of Israeli settlements must be stopped and that Palestinians must be given freedom of movement so the young people see hope, and do not join Hamas.
But peace must be sought from Paestinians and Israelis. “You cannot make peace out of one side of their mouth and preach hate out of another,” said Kerry, adding that Palestinian geography books should be realistic by including Israel on the map.
Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry (D-Mass.) pledged his support for Israel at AIPAC’s annual convention. He ensured that Israel would receive the entire $30 billion appropriated for it. (0:27)
By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
At a press conference regarding the bi-partisan Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz) said, “In effect what we are saying to the few companies in the world who provide this refined gasoline to Iran is, ‘You can either do business in our $13 trillion economy with us, or you can do business with Iran with its $250 billion economy, but you can’t do both.’”
The Bill would expand on the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, giving President Obama the power to “stop companies who continue to sell refined gasoline to Iran or provide refining capacity from doing business in the United States or through the American banking systems,” said Kyl.
Ashely Tellis, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, outlines the future of American maritime policy. He believes that America must “straddle a state of complacency and paranoia,” as it cannot preemptively identify a threat, whether it be a nation or a smaller group. But must always be vigilant of the risks that emerging nations pose. (1:09)
Scott Snyder of the Asia Foundation describes a scenario of how America may be drawn into war against North Korea because of the alliance system. The basis of the system involves America’s duty to protect Japan if they are attacked by an external force. (0:34)
