Former Vice President Dick Cheney comes in support of gay marriage. Cheney said that everyone should have a right to choose to enter into any union they want. (0:56)

 

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By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a brief statement to the press today with The Right Honorable David Miliband, M.P., Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland prior to their bilateral meeting which will discuss issues such as humanitarian issues in Sri Lanka and action in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

Clinton said, “He and I have already forged a close working relationship on not only out bilateral issues but on so many of the global concerns that we both care greatly about.”

 

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Talk Radio News Service, Victoria Jones, interviews Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation at the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Gottlieb talks about firearm policies and how by stopping gun shows will create black markets and take away rights from gun owners. (05:17)

 

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Anita M. Weiss, Professor in the Department of International Studies
at the University of Oregon, spoke today about women’s rights in
Pakistan at the Middle East Institute in Washington D.C. Weiss
stressed the importance of getting women’s rights developed in Pakistan. Educating more women was a main issue Weiss spoke about and
the creation of more schools for female education was presented
as a solution. She discussed the fact that only 4% of girls in Pakistan reach the education level of the ninth grade.

Weiss described the fact that Pakistan’s government is working on solutions
that will improve the status of women, but that more action is necessary.

Professor Weiss described three steps that need to be implemented in
order to strengthen women’s rights in Pakistan. The first step focuses
on the legislature and the need to create more laws that support women. The second step describes the need to increase women’s participation in political
elections, both within political candidates and voters.

Weiss discussed the importance of involving more women in the
political sphere, to be able to integrate women more in society.
The third step focuses on women’s economical rights, such as the right
to earn an individual income. If the economical rights are improved,
women’s status will raise in society.
By involving more women in the grass-roots levels, the problems and
solutions can be presented from the group that is affected and more
efficient ideas can be created.

Weiss also pointed out that by improving women’s rights in Pakistan,
it will not only help the women, but also the country’s development.
The U.S. can help Pakistan in this area by working with both the
Pakistan government and with different Non-Governmental-Organizations  (NGO’s).

The both can be assisted by the United States through economic
resources and also with the knowledge of equality and women’s rights. One
example of this is the area of judicial rights.

By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service

Sergio Bendixen, President of Bendixen and Associates; Dr Cynthia McClintock, Professor of political science and international affairs, and director of the Latin America and Hemispheric Studies Program at George Washington University, Eric Farnsworth, Vice-president of the Council of Americas and Ray Walser, senior policy analyst for Latin America in The Heritage Foundation’s Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy studies, gave testimonies today before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

The witnesses created a lot of attention, with people lining up outside to hear the testimonies on “U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in 2009 and Beyond”.

Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), said: “You can tell by the way the room is filled today the interest in the Western Hemisphere”.

Subcommittee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) opened the hearing by welcoming Congressman Connie Mack (R-FL) as the committee’s new Ranking Member and then outlined some positive steps he would like the Obama administration to pursue.

“First and foremost, I believe that President Obama’s participation in April’s Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago would send an extremely positive message to the heads of the state from Latin America, to the Caribbean. Second, as Chairman Berman moves forward with foreign aid reform and the Obama administration prepares its FY 2010 budget, it is essential that we increase funding for countries in the Western Hemisphere…Third, cooperation between the US and Brazil significantly expanded during the Bush Administration. This relationship needs to be further deepened under President Obama…Fourth, we must continue to support our friends in Mexico through the Merida Initiative…Fifth, I would urge President Obama to focus on Ecuador and Paraguay…and sixth, we must continue to support disaster recovery efforts in Haiti”, Engel said.

Chairman Engel then went on to discuss the attacks in a synagogue in Caracus, Venezuela.

“On Monday, I sent a letter, along with 19 of my colleagues, to President Chavez urging him to end the bullying and harassment of the Jewish community in Venezuela and to extend the community the robust protection it deserves in light of the threats it faces. The Venezuelan government must quickly change its tune with regard to the country’s Jewish community”.

Dr McClintock said: “In Lationobarometer surveys between 2000 and 2005, approval ratings of the United States fell by more than 20 points in Ecuador, Chile, Brazil and Bolivia; more than 30 points in Mexico and Uruguay; and more than 40 points in Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela”.

Ray Walser commented on America’s dependence on the oil industry, with Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL) backing up his argument and stated that America needs to stop “buying oil from a country {Venezuela} that is hostile to our interests”.

The committee also discussed the American economy and its ability to assist Latin American countries. Sergio Bendixen said: “We need to be realistic. Not only about what our friends want but what Latin America wants…we have economic limitations”.

Other issues the committee discussed were the desires from the Obama administration, the April 2009 summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, human rights in Cuba, immigration, drugs control and free trade.

Eric Farnsworth suggested in his testimony that Brazil and Mexico should be allowed to join the G8. “Listening to Latin America is important…the rest of the hemisphere also has good ideas”.

Chairman Engel said: “We cannot ignore our own backyard”.

The committee hearing ended after 120 minutes as Congress was called to vote.

by Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service and Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service

Talk Radio News Service speaks with Lilly Ledbetter after a news conference to discuss her Fair Pay Act 2009. January 22, 2009.

 

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This morning the Gay, Lesbian, Allied Senate Staff (GLASS) Caucus held a forum on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender/transsexual (LGBT) public policy agenda at the Russell Senate Office building.

Participants at the forum included both Democrats and Republicans, with a fully engaged crowd consisting of equally diverse members. Black and white, male and female, many people came out to discuss the future of gay rights.

The caucus focused on uniting its often philosophically different participants. Issues covered included the HIV/AIDS epidemic, hate crimes, and the forthcoming presidential election. “We are a truly united LGBT community,” said hopeful public policy advocate David Stacy. As the forum concluded, messages such as these suggest a hopeful future for the LGBT.