Friday, September 10, 2010

Must We Do Something, Anything, about Global Warming?


Must We Do Something, Anything, about Global Warming?
Friday, September 10, 2010
by Robert Blumen

A friend of mine sent me a link to a video labeled "The Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See." According to YouTube, this video has been viewed over 3.5 million times. Narrator Greg Craven, a high-school science teacher, presents an application of the precautionary principle to the debate over anthropogenic global warming (AGW). Craven claims to have found an argument that does not depend on the resolution of the scientific controversy ­ a "silver bullet argument," an argument that leads to an "inescapable conclusion," one "that even the most hardened skeptic and the most panicked activist can agree on."

I beg to differ.

Craven starts out with the premise that we can reduce the problem to one of four possible outcomes, which he places on a grid (as shown below). The rows represent the proposition that the worst outcome of AGW (the end of human life on earth) is on its way or is not. The columns represent the choice to do something or do nothing.

Craven then proceeds to examine the implications of ending up in each one of his four quadrants. I have written an abbreviation of his conclusion in the cells of the table:

                          Do Something             Do Nothing

AGW - true
               avert total disaster             total disaster
AGW - false     wasted resources                 avoid waste of resources

According to Craven, because we cannot be totally certain about the science, we need to find another way to choose our course of action. And Craven aims to show that this is possible. He states that "we begin by acknowledging that no one can know with absolute certainty what the future will bring." This argument is a variant of Pascal's Wager, which structures the issue of belief in God the same way, with punishment for nonbelievers as the worst case.

Craven's reasoning is that the objective of our decision-making process should be to avoid the top right cell. He observes that we cannot control which row we are in because we don't know for sure the outcome of the science; but we can avoid the top right cell (total disaster) because we can control which column we are in. We should choose to "do something" to ensure that we end up in the right column rather than the left column.

There are many problems with this approach.

The first problem is that this argument proves too much. The premise ­ that something really, really bad might happen ­ is undoubtedly true: there is a virtually unlimited supply of hypotheses about things that might go wrong. The less evidence required for any particular catastrophe, the longer the list of bad things we can make. Craven's mode of argument could be used to prove that we should "do something" about any ­ or all ­ of them.

Go through the entire video and replace "global warming" with "Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction":

Saddam Hussein might have WMDs, which he could be planning to use against the United States. No one can prove that he does not because, as members of the neocon war party enjoyed pointing out, you can't prove a negative.

Even trying to use reason to figure out whether or not Saddam has WMDs is what Mr. Craven would call "row thinking," while what we need in dark times such as these is "column thinking."
As Craven would undoubtedly agree, we don't know whether Saddam has WMDs or not. In the worst case, Saddam has WMDs and he will use them against the United States. If we "take action" by invading Iraq and deposing Saddam, then we can eliminate the worst case. If we "do nothing" through "inaction" then the worst case might happen anyway.
It is true that we will incur costs by invading Iraq: dollars, some American deaths. Maybe we disrupt the lives of Iraqis a bit. But the cost of the worst case is incalculable.
The conclusion is therefore inescapable to all rational and right-minded people: we must invade Iraq.

Glenn Greenwald, in a recent piece, points out that this exact argument is being used to defend the decision to go to war in Iraq.  And now the war party is using the same argument to lie the country into a war with Iran (" we cannot allow a nuclear Iran") even though there is no credible evidence that Iran has a nuclear weapons program ­ it takes Scott Horton less than seven minutes to debunk the propaganda on this issue.

The second problem I will address is that Craven's argument proves nothing at all. His objective is to show that we should do something to avoid the worst case. But to prove that we must "do something" is to prove nothing. He organizes the problem around a set of abstract choices. But in life, we face only concrete choices, not abstract ones. While deciding to "do something" about an issue in your life that you have been ignoring might be an important psychological step, it is still not an actionable decision. What to do is the real decision and cannot be separated from the decision to "do something."

Another way of saying this is that the grid describing reality has more than two columns. It has infinitely many columns representing the infinite range of choices that exist in the real world. Craven's mode of argument provides no guidance as to how many resources should be expended or in what direction to address the problem.

The aim of Craven's argument is to show that we can avoid the worse case without resolving the science. But this is only true if we choose a concrete plan that has the desired result. We have an infinite range of choices that all involve doing something ­ and some other choices that involve watching and waiting. Because our resources are finite, we could not adopt all policy proposals. To avoid the worse case, we would have to evaluate whether each proposal might have any benefits at all and whether the benefits outweigh the costs. Should we choose one staggeringly expensive plan that might work? Or ten less expensive plans that each have a chance of working?

If we use up a vast amount of resources on one very small risk, then we will be in a worse position to deal with other problems that do materialize. Maybe the best course is to do nothing right now, relying on economic growth to increase our wealth and therefore our range of choices in the future?

The argument can be used to prove whatever conclusion you want, depending on what you posit as the worst case.  For example, try using the argument on the following worst case: we implement restrictive carbon-emission legislation and that causes even worse climate change.  Or this: destroy the world's economy fighting a problem that doesn't exist (AGW), and then a very real ­ and much bigger ­ crisis emerges (and, as Mr. Craven points out, science cannot prove whether this will or will not happen), but we have no more wealth left to address it. Craven's contention proves that we should do nothing now so that we can address the real worst case that has not yet shown its face.

This brings us to another gross deficiency in Craven's argument: the choice among the many concrete options that we have depends on our understanding the cause and effect of each choice. To "do something" is for us to create some causes that we believe have certain effects. We cannot evaluate the effect of any cause without relying on the science of the issue. The science applied to any concrete proposal is essentially the same controversial science that Craven claims we don't need in order to reach a conclusion about what to do.

As the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) explains in their excellent commentary on the precautionary principle,

[t]he precautionary principle is, however, a very useful one for consumer activists precisely because it prevents scientific debate. The burden of evidence and proof is taken away from those who make unjustified and often whimsical claims and placed on the scientific community which, because it proceeds logically and rationally, is often powerless to respond. This is what makes the principle so dangerous. It generates a quasi-religious bigotry which history should have has [sic] taught us to fear. Its inherent irrationality renders it unsustainable.

The deficiency is illustrated this way. If the goal is to avoid the worst possible outcome, then "do something" is not enough. We must do something effective. Some of the actions we might take would not be very costly but would also (probably) not meet Mr. Craven's criteria for effectiveness.

Suppose that we all wore Whip Global Warming Now buttons? Would that help us avoid the worst case? Some might say so, but the strongest objection to that plan would be that there is no scientific basis for the belief that wearing buttons has any impact on global climate change.

Suppose that I agreed with Craven's conclusion and suggested as the solution that we lengthen our commutes to work so we can drive more, and that we increase the use of coal-fired power plants. Oh, but that won't work, he might say, because it would increase carbon emissions. But this is only a constructive response if carbon emissions are really the cause of AGW. Without any science linking cause and effect, how do we know that reducing (not increasing) carbon emissions will help?

Though Craven doesn't present a concrete proposal, clearly he has something in mind ­ probably Cap and Tax or a similar scheme ­ because he is able to fill in the lower left quadrant of his grid with various economic costs ­ depression, lost jobs, lower wages, and the like. Similar legislative proposals would incur the absolutely stupefying cost of reducing carbon emissions to preindustrial levels.

So far I have been focusing on the columns. But there are also a lot more rows than Craven shows. His two rows representing AGW true/false correspond to the cases that either nothing much happens or it's the end of civilization. But there are a lot of points in between ­ something happens but it is benign, something bad happens but it is manageable, something really bad happens but it is not the end of human life altogether, etc.

Craven claims that the risk of inaction outweighs the risk of action. But as I have shown, an analysis entirely in terms of the abstract categories he uses does not reach any meaningful conclusion. Relative costs can only be understood in terms of the concrete choices and their actual or estimated costs. While it is true that it might be worth taking action to avoid a very small risk with a very high cost, rationality requires an estimation of the risk and the cost.

Think about how you face the risk of extinction in your own life. Your life could end suddenly for many reasons ­ a car accident, an airplane crash, a predator-drone strike ( just kidding), or even a 16-ton weight falling on your head. What is a rational approach to managing these risks? Some of them are, for most of us, too remote to think about, while others justify modest costs to reduce them. You could avoid all risk of car accidents by staying at home all the time, but for most people that cost is too high.

Mr. Craven compares the problem to that of buying a lottery ticket, but a rational approach to even lottery-ticket purchases requires a calculation in terms of the cost of each ticket against the probability of winning and the expected winnings.

The point of Craven's argument is to reach a conclusion that we should support carbon-trading permits or some other incredible central-planning scheme that would fundamentally alter human society and economics without having to win on the science.

AGW promoters have good reason for steering people away from the science. Once you start to tug on that ball of yarn, the entire politically motivated fraud starts to unravel.


Robert Blumen is an independent enterprise software consultant based in San Francisco.

http://mises.org/daily/4673

TBD.com wants to talk to DC tea partiers




Molly's article posted today: http://www.tbd.com/articles/2010/09/capitol-hill-tea-partier-counts-herself-among-a-d-c-elite-9829.html

I'll leave commentary for others

On Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 11:46 AM, bruce <majors.bruce@gmail.com> wrote:

Molly Ball

mollyball@gmail.com


Molly Ball of TBD.com



But she ONLY wants to talk to DC residents.

Not Virginia or Maryland residents.

Because you people live on the wrong side of the metro tracks.






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Libertarian Alliance Essay Contest - £1,000 to be won



 

http://wp.me/p29oR-3B0

The 2010 Chris R. Tame Memorial Prize
£1,000 to be Won

In honour of Dr Chris R. Tame (1949-2006), The Libertarian Alliance offers
a yearly prize of £1,000 for an essay on a subject to be announced by Dr
Sean Gabb, Director of the Libertarian Alliance.

By Monday the 25th October 2010, contestants are invited to submit essays
to Dr Sean Gabb, Director of the Libertarian Alliance.

Essay Title: "Would a libertarian society deprive individuals of cultural
roots and collective identity?"
Essay Length: 3,000 words excluding notes and bibliography

Explanatory Note

Something that variously inspires and terrifies is that claim that Islam
resets the clock in any society where it is widely adopted. For example,
the ancient histories of Persia and Egypt were obliterated between the 7th
and the 9th centuries - so much so that they were only revealed to the
natives of those countries in the 19th century by western scholars.

Would the achievement of libertarian hegemony result in a similar wipe
out? Is it possible that the libertarian inhabitants of a future British
Isles would regard Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square with the same
utilitarian indifference as, until recently, Egyptian Moslems did the
Great Pyramid and the Temple at Karnak? Libertarianism, after all, is an
ideology of personal rights. Doubtless, a libertarians will continue to
get married and have children, and will form networks of friends. They
will trade and cooperate extensively. Many will go to church or whatever.
Most, one hopes, will take pleasure in charitable giving. But will they
have the same cultural roots and collective identity as Englishmen and
Frenchmen of our own day still have? Are these things actually valuable?
Are they simply part of a discourse that keeps people enslaved? Or are
they parts of a sedative that keeps us from seeing the full horror of
death and taxes?

These notes are not to be regarded as exhaustive prompts. The winning
essay may well take a different approach to the title. And originality is
welcomed. Entrants may wish to find a similarity between our title for
this year's prize and the "Libertarianism and Racial Nationalism" essay
contest run earlier this year by The Occidental Observer. While we are
unlikely to give £1,000 to someone for arguing that libertarianism is part
of a Jewish plot to destroy white racial identity, some familiarity with
this type of critique may be useful.

Rules

•Essays must be original and previously unpublished works.

•Essays must be fully referenced.

•Essays must be submitted in English and typed and in hard copy by sending
to The Libertarian Alliance, Suite 35, 2 Lansdowne Row, Mayfair, London
W1J 6H, United Kingdom.

•Essays must also be submitted by e-mail and in MS Word format to Sean
Gabb - sean@libertarian.co.uk .

•Essays must bear the name and full address of the author, including his
e-mail address. The name does not need to be genuine, but work submitted
under what Sean Gabb considers an absurd pseudonym may be rejected.
Certainly, the prize money will be by cheque, and so must be made out to a
real person.

•Essays must have been received ain both hard and soft copy no later than
Monday the 25th October 2010.

•The winner will be announced on the evening of Saturday the 25th October
2008, at the banquet of the Libertarian Alliance Conference, to be held at
the National Liberal Club in London.

•The winner may be required to make a ten minute acceptance speech on
Saturday the 30th October 2010, at the banquet of the Libertarian Alliance
Conference, to be held at the National Liberal Club in London. This speech
may be made in person, or by pre-recorded video, or may be read out by
Sean Gabb, .

•The prize will be £1,000, made out to the winner and payable in Sterling
by cheque drawn on one of the United Kingdom clearing banks. No other form
of payment will be considered.

•The winning essay will be published by the Libertarian Alliance. All
essays submitted will be published by the Libertarian Alliance.

•In all matters of deciding the winner of the Prize and in all associated
matters, the decision of Sean Gabb shall be final.

•The act of submitting an essay shall constitute full acceptance of these
terms

•This prize competition is not open to any Officer of the Libertarian
Alliance or of the Libertarian International, or to any previous winner of
the competition.

For all questions, please contact Sean Gabb, though be prepared to wait
for an answer.

--
Sean Gabb
Director, The Libertarian Alliance (Carbon Positive since 1979)
sean@libertarian.co.uk Tel: 07956 472 199
Skype Username: seangabb

http://www.libertarian.co.uk
http://www.seangabb.co.uk
http://www.hampdenpress.co.uk
http://www.richardblake.org.uk/
http://libertarianalliance.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/sean.gabb
http://vimeo.com/seangabb

Wikipedia Entry: http://tinyurl.com/23jvoz

Buy these novels by Richard Blake: "Conspiracies of Rome"
<http://tinyurl.com/l8uj8r> ("Fascinating to read, very well written, an
intriguing plot" Derek Jacobi); "Terror of Constantinople"
<http://tinyurl.com/n9ugw3> ("Nasty, fun and educational" The Daily
Telegraph); "Blood of Alexandria" <http://tinyurl.com/356mwdr>. "Sword of
Damascus" will be published in June 2011. Buy them for your own enjoyment.
Buy them as presents for your friends and loved ones.

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Quran burning on again? Pastor says maybe









Hopefully.  Anything that gets muslims, leftists, political chatterers and cowards upset, can't be all bad.


http://news.mobile.msn.com/en-us/articles.aspx?aid=39074573&afid=1

Quran burning on again? Pastor says maybe
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
9:29 PM EST September 9, 2010

The Florida pastor whose plan to burn Qurans on Sept. 11 generated worldwide outrage among Muslims and pressure by the U.S. government to relent said late Thursday that he might not call off the protest after all.

Pastor Terry Jones told NBC News that "we are a little back to square one" after a supposed deal involving a proposed Islamic cultural center in New York evaporated.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Jones had said he was canceling the Quran burning because a Muslim imam had assured him that the proposed Islamic center could be moved away from the World Trade Center site in return.

But the imam proposing to build the Islamic center near the World Trade Center denied that a deal had been struck to move the project.

"I am glad that Pastor Jones has decided not to burn any Qurans," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said in a statement. "However, I have not spoken to Pastor Jones or Imam Musri (of Florida). I am surprised by their announcement. We are not going to toy with our religion or any other. Nor are we going to barter. We are here to extend our hands to build peace and harmony."

After that statement, Jones said the Quran burning had only been suspended.

"Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision," Jones said. "So as of right now, we are not canceling the event, but we are suspending it."

Jones wouldn't say if the church would burn Qurans but said "I'm praying" to decide what to do next.

At Jones' first press conference, he appeared with Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida and said that Musri had told him that the mosque would be moved.

"We are canceling the event because we have agreed, I take him at his word, he has agreed to move the Ground Zero mosque," Jones said. "I verified that three or four times with witnesses. I trust that man who gave me that. I believe he is a man of integrity, a man of his word, I do not believe that he lied to me."

Musri thanked Jones and his church members "for making the decision today to defuse the situation and bring to a positive end what has become the world over a spectacle that no one would benefit from except extremists and terrorists."

But later on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," Musri said that Jones was wrong about what he had said about the mosque. He said what he offered was a meeting among Jones, the New York imam and himself to talk about moving the mosque if Jones agreed to cancel the Quran burning.

Musri said that he had told Jones that with the ending of the Ramadan holiday, Muslims around the world would be praying at mosques and radical clerics might exploit the Quran burning to foment hatred against Americans. Musri said he told Jones that "time was of the essence" if he was going to cancel the burning.

"I told him clearly I am not in any way connected to the event in New York. I have no control over it. I cannot promise you that it will be moved. But my position is for it to be relocated to a more ideal somewhere we can avoid the controversy that's going on on that site."

Musri said he told Jones he was willing to go to New York to advocate for such a move and that Jones clearly understood there was no deal.

But after the statements by the New York imam and Musri, Jones said they "clearly, clearly lied to us" about moving the mosque.

Jones had been under pressure from the U.S. government to cancel the protest. President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Gen. David Petraeus and others had warned that the protest could bring attacks against U.S. troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Earlier Thursday, Obama implored Jones to call off his Quran-burning "stunt," telling ABC's "Good Morning America" in an interview aired Thursday that he hopes Jones listens to "those better angels."

"And as a very practical matter, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women who are in uniform," Obama said.

The State Department is cautioning Americans worldwide that there is a "high potential" for violent anti-American demonstrations if the church goes through with its plans. Officials noted that demonstrations have already been reported in Afghanistan and Indonesia and they urged Americans abroad to avoid areas where protesters might gather.

© 2010 msnbc.com



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The New "Its All About Me" Party


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Re: Katie Couric's All Time Greatest Hits!!

Is she still on tv?  lol

On Fri, Sep 10, 2010 at 11:47 AM, Keith In Tampa <keithintampa@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks to Brent Bozell and the Media Research Center, for the hard work, dedication, and truth in reporting:
 
 
Here are Katie Couric's top forty most biased quotes from her four years at CBS:


Ground Zero Mosque = American Values

 
"There is a debate to be had about the sensitivity of building this center so close to Ground Zero. But we can not let fear and rage tear down the towers of our core American values."
— Katie Couric on Ground Zero mosque for "Katie Couric's Notebook" on Couric & Co. blog, August 23, 2010. 


Shaking Pom-Poms for Obama

 
"Good evening, everyone. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, is about to begin a major overseas tour designed to bolster his foreign policy and national security resume, and help him be seen as a credible Commander-in-Chief and potential leader of the free world."
— Katie Couric kicking off the July 18, 2008 CBS Evening News.

"It has been an Obamathon ever since the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee touched down in Afghanistan. At today's press conference in Amman, a throng of reporters recorded his every move. In total, 200 journalists requested seats on 'Air Obama' — 40 of them were accepted. The bill for the trip? About $20,000 each."
— Couric wrapping up the July 22, 2008 Evening News from Amman, Jordan, as part of her network's coverage of Obama's trip.

"You campaigned to change the culture in Washington, to change the politics-as-usual culture here. Are you frustrated? Do you think it is much, much harder to do that than you ever anticipated?"
— Couric to Obama in an interview shown on the February 3, 2009 Evening News.

"You're so confident, Mr. President, and so focused. Is your confidence ever shaken? Do you ever wake up and say, 'Damn, this is hard. Damn, I'm not going to get the things done I want to get done, and it's just too politicized to really get accomplished the big things I want to accomplish'?"
— Couric in an exchange with Obama shown on CBS's The Early Show, July 22, 2009. [Video/audio (0:22): WMV | Mp3]

Couric: "Mr. Obama, by the way, has continued a presidential tradition, what Thomas Jefferson called 'neology,' making up a new word or giving new meaning to an old one....Talking about the fuss over health care reform, President Obama has introduced us to 'wee wee'd up.'"
President Obama: "There's something about August going into September where everybody in Washington gets all wee wee'd up."
Evening News, August 24, 2009.

"The 'Dream Team' pushing Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic summer games is nearly complete. First Lady Michelle Obama landed today in Denmark where Olympic officials are meeting....The team captain, meanwhile, President Obama, arrives Friday ahead of the final vote."
Evening News, September 30, 2009. [Video/audio (0:22): WMV | Mp3

Senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield: "This was very much like he was in the campaign. He went five or ten minutes without a single applause line. He said 'let me tell you how we got into this mess,' he reached out and said to people 'I'm not giving up my idea that we can change the tone of politics.'..."
Couric: "Well, as Tom Friedman said, 'He's better at making us smarter than making us angry.'"
— From CBS's live coverage following the State of the Union, January 27, 2010.

"In a poll conducted a month ago — just a month ago — 71 percent of the Jews in Israel surveyed said they dislike President Obama; 47 percent expressed a strong dislike....To change public opinion in your country, should you be more strongly advocating on his behalf?"
— Couric to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, July 7, 2010 Evening News.
 

Pressuring Opponents to Join Obama's Revolution


"A recent CBS News poll shows that 53 percent of the American people fully backs the stimulus package, 63 percent of people we polled thought the Republican opposition to the stimulus package was for political reasons. So, are you out of touch with the American people?...Do you think the Republicans are digging themselves in a hole by not being more supportive of the President's proposals?"
— Couric interviewing Republican House Leader John Boehner on the February 24, 2009 Evening News.

Couric: "President Obama made an in-person appeal to House Republicans to vote for his economic stimulus plan, but it didn't work. Not a single Republican joined the majority Democrats tonight as the House passed the more than $800 billion package...."
White House correspondent Chip Reid: "Republicans relentlessly attacked the bill despite the President's extraordinary efforts to get bipartisan support...."
Couric: "Chip, as you mentioned, I mean, the President went up to the Hill to personally appeal to Republicans already, so what more can he do?"
Evening News, January 28, 2009.

"Do you feel as if you owe President-elect Obama one [an apology]?...You said, on whether Senator Obama is a Marxist, you said, quote, 'It's a good question to ask.' Are you sorry you said that?...What really irritated — even enraged — some Democrats was your speech at the Republican National Convention. Did you understand at the time how nervy that might seem to some Democrats? How inappropriate?"
— Couric to Senator Joe Lieberman, who supported John McCain, November 19, 2008, Evening News.


Arizona's Immigration Law = Cops Gone Wild


"Tonight, Arizona's controversial new immigration law. Police will now be able to make anyone they choose prove they're here illegally. It triggers demonstrations by both sides and a warning from President Obama."
— Couric at the top of the April 23, 2010 Evening News. [Video/audio (0:12): WMV | Mp3]

"Hundreds of thousands of them [illegal immigrants] now live in Arizona. But as Kelly Cobiella reports, many no longer feel welcome."
Evening News, May 3, 2010.

"The uproar continues over Arizona's new immigration law. The commissioner of Major League Baseball today brushed off calls from Latino groups to move next year's All-Star game out of Phoenix. But Bill Whitaker reports, the boycott of Arizona is spreading."
Evening News, May 13, 2010.


ObamaCare Can't Come Soon Enough 

 
"More than 46 million Americans have no health insurance. So when it comes to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and good health, all men are not created equal."
— Couric, Evening News, March 12, 2007.

"The timing could not be worse. Just as he [President Obama] was pushing so hard for health care reform and having some pretty serious setbacks....How do you think the President can, if he can, resuscitate this whole effort?"
— Couric to Bob Schieffer, referring to the flap over Obama's crack that police acted "stupidly" in arresting Henry Gates, July 24, 2009, Evening News.

"Once again, we begin tonight with the battle over health care reform, but this time, we're not starting at a town meeting. Tonight, we're going to show you why many believe reform is desperately needed. These are just some of the tens of thousands of Americans who need health care but have no insurance or not enough of it, and they're lining up at a free makeshift clinic in Los Angeles."
— Couric opening the August 13, 2009 Evening News.

"I feel like right now, in many ways, we're a very angry nation....Maybe I'm naive and idealistic, but you would hope that there could be some conversations taking place where people, you know, really respected one another and talked about the different goals that they had, because I think providing health care for people who can't afford it is something that most people do agree with — that there has to be some kind of alternative other than our national, our nation's emergency rooms for people who need health care. And I read somewhere — I think it was in The New Yorker — that 45,000 people died needlessly because they simply don't have access to health care, and that just seems so unfair and so undemocratic."
— Couric in a December 22, 2009 Facebook video chat. The statistic Couric cited, which she also touted on the September 17, 2009 Evening News, was generated by the left-wing Physicians for a National Health Program. [Video/audio (0:51): WMV | Mp3]


Fretting Over Too Much Support for Iraq War

 
Katie Couric:
"[Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice] rejects the notion that the U.S. is a bully, imposing its values on the world."
Condoleezza Rice: "What's wrong with assistance so that people can have their full and complete right to the very liberties and freedoms that we enjoy?"
Couric: "To quote my daughter, 'Who made us the boss of them?'"
Evening News, September 24, 2006. [Video/audio (0:27): WMV | Mp3]

"I think certainly people who covered that [the prelude to the war in Iraq] fell down on the job in terms of getting the right information and kind of rolled over in terms of U.S. policy and really didn't do their due diligence....I remember at the time of the [troop] buildup, I felt really uncomfortable with the whole atmosphere of the country....You know, the whole culture of wearing flags on your lapel and saying 'we' when you were referring to the United States, which, and, and, you know, even the 'shock and awe' in the initial stages, it was just too jubilant and just a little uncomfortable....Anyone who questioned the administration was considered unpatriotic....I think everyone in this room would agree that people in this country were misled in terms of the rationale for war. I think that's clear."
— Couric talking to former CBS and NBC correspondent Marvin Kalb on the Sept. 25, 2007 Kalb Report shown on C-SPAN2 the next day. [Video/audio (2:03): WMV | Mp3]

Co-host Harry Smith:
"[Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan] talks about the failure of mainstream media to hold the Bush administration's feet to the fire in the run-up to the war. Is that an allegation that feels to you like it has merit or not?"...
Couric: "I think it's one of the most embarrassing chapters in American journalism. And I think there was a sense of pressure from corporations who own where we work and from the government itself to really squash any kinds of dissent or any kind of questioning of it. I think it was extremely subtle but very, very effective. And I think Scott McClellan has a really good point."
The Early Show, May 28, 2008. [Video/audio (0:30): WMV | Mp3] 

"Do you feel any sense of guilt that the Iraq war, which you helped sell to the American people, has resulted in the loss of life for thousands of American soldiers?"
— Couric to former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan in an Evening News interview, May 29, 2008.


Katie is Woman, Hear Her Roar

 
Couric: "More now on the history that was made by the Democrats last night. For the first time, a woman will become Speaker of the House....A lot has been made of the fact that you, if elected, and it appears that you will be, that you will be the first woman Speaker of the House and the highest ranking woman in the United States government. What does that mean to you?"
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "It's pretty exciting, I have to say. I'm just so excited that a Democrat will be Speaker of the House."
Couric: "So you're a Democrat first, a woman second?"
— Interview with a Pelosi after Democrats won control of Congress in 2006 midterm elections, Evening News, November 8, 2006.

"One of the great lessons of that campaign is the continued and accepted role of sexism in American life, particularly in the media. Many women have made the point that if Senator Obama had to confront the racist equivalent of an 'Iron My Shirt' poster at campaign rallies, or a Hillary nutcracker sold at airports, or mainstream pundits saying they instinctively cross their legs at the mention of her name, the outrage would not be a footnote. It would be front-page news."
— Couric in her "Katie Couric's Notebook" video commentary posted on CBSNews.com, June 10, 2008. [Video/audio (0:32): WMV | Mp3]


Bashing Palin: What Happened to Feminist Solidarity?


"I spoke with your running mate, Sarah Palin, and she told me that if action is not taken, a Great Depression is quote 'the road that America may find itself on.'...Isn't so much of this, Senator McCain, about consumer confidence and using rhetoric like the 'Great Depression' — is that the kind of language Americans need to hear right now?"
— Couric interviewing John McCain about the financial crisis on the September 24, 2008, Evening News. [Audio (0:25): Mp3]

"Everyone was waiting to see how the political newcomer would do tonight and perhaps the headline is Governor Sarah Palin did not embarrass herself or her running mate as some Republicans might have feared and some Democrats might have hoped."    
— Couric during live coverage following the vice presidential debate on October 2, 2008.


America Needs a Hug From Big Government

 
"Experts have been warning for years that this country's infrastructure is crumbling. But are taxpayers ready to spend the billions, maybe trillions, it would take to fix all the pipelines, tunnels and bridges?"
— Couric reporting on the Minneapolis bridge collapse, Evening News, August 2, 2007.

"In Britain, a government takeover of a bank last year helped to temporarily calm fears in the financial markets there. Nationalization may have a psychological impact as well, and Uncle Sam wrapping his arms around failing banks in this country might provide a big dose of confidence for the American consumer."
— Couric on the February 19, 2009 Evening News, talking about the Obama administration possibly taking over American banks. [Video/audio (0:29): WMV | Mp3]



Praising the Great 'Goreacle'

 
"[Gore winning an Oscar] might usher in a backlash against environmentalists....It seems like we're reaching critical mass when it comes to this issue. And all the experts agree. Well, almost every expert. (There are a handful of scientists — many of them on the payroll of big oil companies — who wonder if global warming is a reality.) But my fervent hope is that Hollywood's embrace of Al Gore doesn't give people an excuse to condemn and mock the effort — and oppose taking steps that we as a society need to take to deal with the issue of climate change."
— Couric writing about the Oscars on her CBSNews.com blog, Couric & Co., February 26, 2007.

"Also in Washington today, a lot of excitement on Capitol Hill. A movie star showed up to testify before Congress – a movie star named Al Gore."
Evening News, March, 21, 2007. [Video/audio (0:13): WMV | Mp3]
 
"He was once called 'Mr. Stiff.' Now he's known as 'The Goreacle,' the new Al Gore....Sharyn Alfonsi reports on Gore 2.0."
Evening News, May 25, 2007.

"I'm honored to be joined today by the Godfather of Green, the King of Conservation: Former Vice President Al Gore."
— Couric opening her November 2, 2009 "@KatieCouric" CBSNews.com webcast. [Video/audio (0:24): WMV | Mp3]


The Government Works So Hard...When Democrats Are in Charge


"In January a new Congress swept into Washington promising ethics reform, fiscal responsibility, and a change in direction for the war in Iraq. Now they're on August recess so how did they do? We called Thomas Mann, co-author of a book on Congress called The Broken Branch. The mood he said, continues to be ugly on Capitol Hill but this new crop worked much harder than the last. A big accomplishment was in challenging executive power with oversight hearings on Iraq, Medicare, the Department of Justice, and global warming. Stem cell legislation and immigration reform were stymied, but Congress did raise the minimum wage and pass an ethics and lobbying reform bill....Promises, promises. Sometimes they are kept even in Washington."
— "Katie Couric's Notebook," Couric & Co. blog, August 6, 2007.

Couric:
"One of the key players in getting this deal approved is the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. I talked to her this afternoon as Senate negotiators were announcing the agreement and we spoke right after she had been on the phone with the President. [to Pelosi] Are you surprised how intimately involved he is in the whole process?"
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "Quite frankly, yes. I said, 'Mr. President, neither of us has time for this conversation, especially you,' because we really, we understand each other. We know where we need to go."
Couric, smiling: "Can you tell us anything he said to you, like, 'Get cracking'?"
Pelosi, laughing: "No, never that. We're always cracking."
Evening News, February 11, 2009. [Video/audio (0:31): WMV | Mp3]

"Tonight, the President calls it 'astounding.' The recession has now cost nearly four-and-a-half million Americans their jobs. We'll show you the new jobs his stimulus plan is creating...."
— Couric introducing series of reports on the March 6, 2009 Evening News.


As Voters Move Right, GOP Should Move Left


"As Politico reported, there's growing concern among some GOP leaders that controversial commentators and far-right conservatives have hijacked the message. People like Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin appeal to the base, and you certainly need that base to win elections. But in an age when 42% of Americans call themselves 'independents,' you can't win with just the base, either....[A]s the number of declared Republicans hits a 26-year low, according to a poll in the Washington Post,...Republicans need to get the focus back onto the Big Tent where all are welcome and off the sideshows that are popping up along the party's fringe."
— Couric in her "Katie Couric's Notebook" video posted on CBSNews.com, October 27, 2009.
 

Christianity is Just Too Divisive

 
"Do you worry at all that non-believers may feel excluded and diminished at a time when we're so divided about so much?"
— Couric to The Nativity Story's Catherine Hardwicke and Mike Rich in a December 4, 2006 Evening News story about Hollywood movies based on Biblical themes. [Video/audio (0:13): WMV | Mp3]

"He [Pope Benedict XVI] is very conservative. And I know a recent poll says 62 percent of Catholics believe the church isn't reflective of their views. Does that mean entertaining issues like women as priests or use of birth control will be really off the table as long as he's Pope?"
— Couric to Father Thomas Williams on the April 15, 2008 Evening News.
 

John Edwards: A Profile in Courage

 
"Agree with him or not, he [John Edwards] deserves credit for pushing tough issues off the back burner. He encouraged his fellow Democrats to speak out for the disenfranchised and under-served. He was the first to raise issues like poverty, universal health care and climate change, proposing big ideas — sometimes controversial ideas — to meet big challenges. He bucked the conventional wisdom and took political risks, speaking honestly about why he wanted to raise taxes, for example. That took courage."
— Couric in a January 30, 2008 "Katie Couric's Notebook" video posted to CBSNews.com a few hours after Edwards quit the presidential race.



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"Here You Have' Virus E-Mail Spreads Online









 

 

'Here You Have' Virus E-Mail Spreads Online

E-Mail Worm Hits Offices Worldwide

By KI MAE HEUSSNER

Sept. 9, 2010—

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/virus-mail-spreads-online/story?id=11596433

Here you have... a royal pain in the neck.

A global e-mail virus spammed inboxes this afternoon, slowing -- and in some cases halting -- work at offices around the world as employees watched their inboxes inexplicably fill with e-mails under the subject line "Here you have." Some workers were forced to go without e-mail altogether, as the flood of spam put their services out of commission.

Organizations including NASA, Comcast, AIG, Disney, Proctor & Gamble, Florida Department of Transportation and Wells Fargo are just a few of the organizations apparently affected by the worm, which appears to have sent out hundreds of thousands, if not millions of e-mails.

When contacted by ABCNews.com, security firm McAfee said it was investigating the attack but confirmed that it had affected corporations around the world. Although McAfee did not disclose how widespread the attack was, around 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the subject of the spam e-mail, "Here you have," was the second hottest search on Google trends.

Dmitri Alperovitch, vice president of threat research at McAfee, told ABCNews.com that the company was investigating the attack.

"We do know that it's essentially an e-mail based worm that's propagating that has a link that alleges to be a pdf document that it wants the user to click on," he said. "In reality, it's a piece of malware that's obfuscating as a pdf and it has the capabilities to spread virally once it's installed on your machine."

Later, the company published a report about the virus on its website, saying that the risk for both home and corporate e-mail is "low." McAfee's report also identified the spam as a Trojan and said the origin is unknown.

On its blog, McAfee said that because multiple variants of the worm are spreading, it "may take some time to work through them all to paint a clearer picture."

E-Mail Subject: 'Here You Have.' 'Just For You'

One version of the spam e-mail simply says, "Hello: This is The Document I told you about, you can find it here" and includes a link that appears to be a pdf document.

Another version of the worm includes the subject "Just For you" and says "This is The Free Dowload Sex Movies,you can find it Here."

If a user clicks the link and downloads the virus, it spreads to contacts in that individual's e-mail account and continues to propagate. McAfee also said that it attempts to stop and delete security services. McAfee says it has coverage for at least the main strain of the virus.

If you receive the messages, McAfee says to delete the message without clicking the link and alert your IT office.

Security firm Symantec said the worm appears to be a new malware attack but is similar to the "Anna Kournikova" virus from 2001, which also carried the subject "Here you have." (The virus tricked users into opening an e-mail message supposedly containing a picture of tennis player Anna Kournikova.)

Symantec speculates that the threat -- initially named Trojan.Horse but renamed to W32.Imsolk.A@mm -- originated from a botnet and appears to be hitting "many, many companies indiscriminantly."

"Once the threat copies itself to another machine, if a user even opens the folder that contains the threat on this new machine, this will launch the threat and cause it to spread further through both email and over shared drives," the company wrote in a bulletin.

Department of Homeland Security Officials Investigate Virus

Department of Homeland Security officials are looking into the virus and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team and DHS National Cyber Security Division are expected to issue a bulletin later today. They will also conduct forensic analysis to try and determine where the worm originated. A DHS official said that several federal departments and agencies are experiencing the virus, although the official would only confirm NASA.

"US-CERT has received multiple reports from a number of federal agencies and private sector entities experiencing an email worm...US-CERT is in the process of collecting and analyzing samples of the malware and has developed and disseminated mitigation strategies," said DHS press secretary Amy Kudwa in a statement.

A spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation e-mail has been taken down at the agency because of the spam attack. He said six other agencies in Florida have also been hit by the virus.

While the trojan hindered communications, it hasn't had a major impact on operations, he said.

"It's not life and death, a bridge hasn't collapsed and killed anybody," said Nelson Hill, chief information officer for the Florida Department of Transportation.

Adobe systems on Tuesday advised computer security experts that there were vulnerabilities in the Adobe reader software, noting that hackers were looking to actively exploit a recently detected vulnerability. This could explain why the e-mail was being sent in a .pdf format.

NASA: 'Houston We Have a Problem... Spam'

As IT professionals raced to address the problem, annoyed employees took to Twitter to rant.

"Office servers offline, due to spam assault. No e-mail for anyone. Now maybe I can get some work done!" posted one employee.

"The world is coming to an end. The "here you have" email virus just took down times square," joked another.

NASA's Lunar Science Institute tweeted, "Houston, we have a problem... it's called spam."

ABC News' Jason Ryan, Marisa Bramwell, Lee Ferran and Sidney Wright contributed to this report.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Concerned about illegal aliens and an amnesty for them?

Tired of them breaking the laws without penalties?

Ask me how you can help to secure the border & the USA.

E-Mail me at: nafbpo[AT]gmail{DOT]com

 

 


 


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Re: DC Downsizers Are Heroic, Part 2

Thanks for sharing this link and article Jonathan,  I was unaware of this group, "Downsize D.C."; and there is some interesting articles and subject matter on their blog.
 
Have a great weekend!
 
KeithInTampa

On Fri, Sep 10, 2010 at 12:46 PM, Jonathan Ashley <jonathanashleyii@lavabit.com> wrote:

Quote of the Day: "Rome wasn't built in a day." -- Anonymous

In this message, the latest news about . . .

* Rand Paul
* BJ Lawson
* The Williamsport Tea Party,
* And how all three are moving our Downsize DC Agenda to the next level.

When we first introduced the Read the Bills Act no one in power had any interest. Your efforts changed that. As I explained in Part 1 of of "DC Downsizers Are Heroic," back in February . . .

* You funded me to speak to a packed room of conservative leaders in Washington, DC
* One person in attendance used his vast resources to turn a diluted version of "Read the Bills" into a centerpiece of the healthcare debate
* And another attendee caused the House Republican Study Committee to use "Read the Bills" to fight the stimulus bill, plus . . .
* A diluted version of "Read the Bills" (H.Res.554) now has 218 total sponsors (a majority), but is being kept from a vote by Nancy Pelosi, so . . . 
* One of the co-sponsors started a discharge petition. It now has 182 signers!. When it has a majority, it must come to a vote, no matter what Ms. Pelosi prefers.

Our ideas have also spread into the wider public. For instance, Tea Party gatherings almost always feature "Read the Bills" signs. And progress has continued on Capitol Hill since I wrote the first version of this report in February. For example . . .  

Republican leader John Boehner has pledged to make passage of the diluted "Read the Bills" his "highest priority," if his party becomes the majority, and he becomes Speaker.

Yes, this "Read the Bills" rule is not as strong as our proposal, BUT, we have always said that this will be the first step on the path to victory, for every proposal we make. Opportunistic politicians will always try to steal the idea and pass a diluted version first. This is a sign that we're well on our way, and yet . . .

A blogger wrote last week that Read the Bills was, "a somewhat dated proposal that had much promise." This is like saying the Constitution is dated and past it's promise simply because Congress has ignored it for the last 100 years.

This blogger also suggested that we "retire" and "shutter" the DownsizeDC.org website, because we haven't gained "a whole lot of traction," but in fact, we're getting exactly the traction we expected to get. The stages of progress are as follows . . .

1) Incumbent politicians try to get by with diluted versions of our ideas. This is happening!
2) Challengers pledge to sponsor the pure DownsizeDC.org bill. This is happening! Twelve have done this so far, and we've been contacted by eight other campaigns.  
3) Other grassroots groups take up the cause and begin to add to the pressure. This is happening! See below.
4) Viable candidates pledge to sponsor and even promote the pure DownsizeDC.org bill. This is happening too! See below.

GRASSROOTS GROUP TAKES UP THE CAUSE

The Williamsport Tea Party (a.k.a., the Susquehanna Valley Regional Tea Party) isn't your average Tea Party group. They weren't formed as a GOP front. They're a real grassroots organization. And even though they're hours away from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, they still attracted more than 4,000 people to the rally I spoke at in 2009. They also packed three buses for the 9/12 rally last year.

This group has issued a candidate's questionnaire. It has only four questions, and look what those questions cover . . .

1) The Enumerated Powers Act
2) The One Subject at a Time Act
3) The Write the Laws Act
4) The Read the Bills Act

I wrote about this group and published their candidate survey for the DownsizeDC.org blog yesterday

RAND PAUL

This U.S. Senate candidate from Kentucky has pledged TO YOU, both on YouTube, and on the radio with me last month, that he will introduce all of our bills, as well as co-sponsor the Enumerated Powers Act, the Free Competition in Currency Act, and the Fiscal Responsibility Act (which cuts Congressional pay if Congress runs a deficit).

Two recent polls show Paul leading in his race by 15 points!

B.J. LAWSON

This House candidate for the North Carolina's 4th District has made the same commitment as Paul. But his story is even more amazing. His campaign shouldn't be viable, but it is! The experts believe he should be losing by 20 points, because the district is heavily Democratic. But he's just picked up a bunch of endorsements, and . . .

A new poll suggests that he is TIED in a race against a 22-year incumbent (46.5 Lawson, 46.1 Price).

Lawson is a physician, an engineer, and a successful business owner who has distributed more than 50,000 copies of the Constitution. He's a long-time DC Downsizer. He has been the most articulate candidate on behalf of our Agenda, and keeps in direct contact with me.

Both of these campaigns still have battles ahead of them, because they expect to be outspent, but things are looking good. So what do you think? Are we losing traction? I don't think so. I think we're gaining traction. Yes, there are areas where we need to do better, like membership growth and money, but we're working on those problems, and expect to succeed.  

Meanwhile, let's do more in the areas where we have the most traction. For instance . . .

Let's get a majority on the discharge petition for the "Read the Bills" rule, H.Res.554. Here's what we need you to do . . .

Please send your Representative a letter instructing him or her to sign the Discharge petition if you do NOT find his or her name on this list: http://clerk.house.gov/111/lrc/pd/Petitions/Dis6.htm

You can send your letter using this campaign: https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/118/background  

- OR -

Please send a letter demanding a hearing for the 72-hour rule (the name for the diluted "Read the Bills" proposal) IF your Representative serves on the Rules Committee (Louise Slaughter, Chair). You can find the roster for the Rules Committee here: http://rules.house.gov/rules_members.htm  

Again, you can send your letter using this campaign: https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/118/background        

Please note that your letters will be copied to your Senators so they too can see how much support there is for "reading the bills."

My representative is not on the Rules Committee, so I can't ask her to work for a hearing. But she has not signed the discharge petition, and so, I appealed to her self-interest, using DownsizeDC.org's Educate the Powerful System . . .  

I see you have not joined 182 of your colleagues in signing the Discharge Petition for this rule. The failure to legislate responsibly is a major reason why your party stands to lose huge numbers of seats in November. Please show me that you are prepared to govern differently in the future. Sign this discharge petition. 

END OF LETTER

But please don't stop there.

1. Pass this Dispatch to others and ask them to do the action items.
2. Post the core of this Dispatch on your blog, if you have one. 
3. If you don't have a blog, show this to a prominent blogger or radio host.
4. Share this PROGRESS via Twitter and Facebook with this link: http://tinyurl.com/32clcp3

Thank you for being a DC Downsizer,

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h

Official email newsletter of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation.

SUPPORT the "Educate the Powerful System".

Feel Free to Forward or Reprint, as long as attribution and action links are retained/included. But we recommend you delete everything in this footer, i.e., below the words "Downsizer-Dispatch".

Sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, Inc. -- a non-profit educational organization promoting the ideas of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and small government. Operations office: 1931 15th St. Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223, 202.521.1200. Normally published 3-6 times per week. The Downsize DC Team would like to thank you for subscribing to the Downsizer-Dispatch, which you did by going to http://www.downsizedc.org/newsletter or by using our "Educate the Powerful System" to send a message.

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Katie Couric's All Time Greatest Hits!!

Thanks to Brent Bozell and the Media Research Center, for the hard work, dedication, and truth in reporting:
 
 
Here are Katie Couric's top forty most biased quotes from her four years at CBS:


Ground Zero Mosque = American Values

 
"There is a debate to be had about the sensitivity of building this center so close to Ground Zero. But we can not let fear and rage tear down the towers of our core American values."
— Katie Couric on Ground Zero mosque for "Katie Couric's Notebook" on Couric & Co. blog, August 23, 2010. 


Shaking Pom-Poms for Obama

 
"Good evening, everyone. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, is about to begin a major overseas tour designed to bolster his foreign policy and national security resume, and help him be seen as a credible Commander-in-Chief and potential leader of the free world."
— Katie Couric kicking off the July 18, 2008 CBS Evening News.

"It has been an Obamathon ever since the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee touched down in Afghanistan. At today's press conference in Amman, a throng of reporters recorded his every move. In total, 200 journalists requested seats on 'Air Obama' — 40 of them were accepted. The bill for the trip? About $20,000 each."
— Couric wrapping up the July 22, 2008 Evening News from Amman, Jordan, as part of her network's coverage of Obama's trip.

"You campaigned to change the culture in Washington, to change the politics-as-usual culture here. Are you frustrated? Do you think it is much, much harder to do that than you ever anticipated?"
— Couric to Obama in an interview shown on the February 3, 2009 Evening News.

"You're so confident, Mr. President, and so focused. Is your confidence ever shaken? Do you ever wake up and say, 'Damn, this is hard. Damn, I'm not going to get the things done I want to get done, and it's just too politicized to really get accomplished the big things I want to accomplish'?"
— Couric in an exchange with Obama shown on CBS's The Early Show, July 22, 2009. [Video/audio (0:22): WMV | Mp3]

Couric: "Mr. Obama, by the way, has continued a presidential tradition, what Thomas Jefferson called 'neology,' making up a new word or giving new meaning to an old one....Talking about the fuss over health care reform, President Obama has introduced us to 'wee wee'd up.'"
President Obama: "There's something about August going into September where everybody in Washington gets all wee wee'd up."
Evening News, August 24, 2009.

"The 'Dream Team' pushing Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic summer games is nearly complete. First Lady Michelle Obama landed today in Denmark where Olympic officials are meeting....The team captain, meanwhile, President Obama, arrives Friday ahead of the final vote."
Evening News, September 30, 2009. [Video/audio (0:22): WMV | Mp3

Senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield: "This was very much like he was in the campaign. He went five or ten minutes without a single applause line. He said 'let me tell you how we got into this mess,' he reached out and said to people 'I'm not giving up my idea that we can change the tone of politics.'..."
Couric: "Well, as Tom Friedman said, 'He's better at making us smarter than making us angry.'"
— From CBS's live coverage following the State of the Union, January 27, 2010.

"In a poll conducted a month ago — just a month ago — 71 percent of the Jews in Israel surveyed said they dislike President Obama; 47 percent expressed a strong dislike....To change public opinion in your country, should you be more strongly advocating on his behalf?"
— Couric to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, July 7, 2010 Evening News.
 

Pressuring Opponents to Join Obama's Revolution


"A recent CBS News poll shows that 53 percent of the American people fully backs the stimulus package, 63 percent of people we polled thought the Republican opposition to the stimulus package was for political reasons. So, are you out of touch with the American people?...Do you think the Republicans are digging themselves in a hole by not being more supportive of the President's proposals?"
— Couric interviewing Republican House Leader John Boehner on the February 24, 2009 Evening News.

Couric: "President Obama made an in-person appeal to House Republicans to vote for his economic stimulus plan, but it didn't work. Not a single Republican joined the majority Democrats tonight as the House passed the more than $800 billion package...."
White House correspondent Chip Reid: "Republicans relentlessly attacked the bill despite the President's extraordinary efforts to get bipartisan support...."
Couric: "Chip, as you mentioned, I mean, the President went up to the Hill to personally appeal to Republicans already, so what more can he do?"
Evening News, January 28, 2009.

"Do you feel as if you owe President-elect Obama one [an apology]?...You said, on whether Senator Obama is a Marxist, you said, quote, 'It's a good question to ask.' Are you sorry you said that?...What really irritated — even enraged — some Democrats was your speech at the Republican National Convention. Did you understand at the time how nervy that might seem to some Democrats? How inappropriate?"
— Couric to Senator Joe Lieberman, who supported John McCain, November 19, 2008, Evening News.


Arizona's Immigration Law = Cops Gone Wild


"Tonight, Arizona's controversial new immigration law. Police will now be able to make anyone they choose prove they're here illegally. It triggers demonstrations by both sides and a warning from President Obama."
— Couric at the top of the April 23, 2010 Evening News. [Video/audio (0:12): WMV | Mp3]

"Hundreds of thousands of them [illegal immigrants] now live in Arizona. But as Kelly Cobiella reports, many no longer feel welcome."
Evening News, May 3, 2010.

"The uproar continues over Arizona's new immigration law. The commissioner of Major League Baseball today brushed off calls from Latino groups to move next year's All-Star game out of Phoenix. But Bill Whitaker reports, the boycott of Arizona is spreading."
Evening News, May 13, 2010.


ObamaCare Can't Come Soon Enough 

 
"More than 46 million Americans have no health insurance. So when it comes to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and good health, all men are not created equal."
— Couric, Evening News, March 12, 2007.

"The timing could not be worse. Just as he [President Obama] was pushing so hard for health care reform and having some pretty serious setbacks....How do you think the President can, if he can, resuscitate this whole effort?"
— Couric to Bob Schieffer, referring to the flap over Obama's crack that police acted "stupidly" in arresting Henry Gates, July 24, 2009, Evening News.

"Once again, we begin tonight with the battle over health care reform, but this time, we're not starting at a town meeting. Tonight, we're going to show you why many believe reform is desperately needed. These are just some of the tens of thousands of Americans who need health care but have no insurance or not enough of it, and they're lining up at a free makeshift clinic in Los Angeles."
— Couric opening the August 13, 2009 Evening News.

"I feel like right now, in many ways, we're a very angry nation....Maybe I'm naive and idealistic, but you would hope that there could be some conversations taking place where people, you know, really respected one another and talked about the different goals that they had, because I think providing health care for people who can't afford it is something that most people do agree with — that there has to be some kind of alternative other than our national, our nation's emergency rooms for people who need health care. And I read somewhere — I think it was in The New Yorker — that 45,000 people died needlessly because they simply don't have access to health care, and that just seems so unfair and so undemocratic."
— Couric in a December 22, 2009 Facebook video chat. The statistic Couric cited, which she also touted on the September 17, 2009 Evening News, was generated by the left-wing Physicians for a National Health Program. [Video/audio (0:51): WMV | Mp3]


Fretting Over Too Much Support for Iraq War

 
Katie Couric:
"[Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice] rejects the notion that the U.S. is a bully, imposing its values on the world."
Condoleezza Rice: "What's wrong with assistance so that people can have their full and complete right to the very liberties and freedoms that we enjoy?"
Couric: "To quote my daughter, 'Who made us the boss of them?'"
Evening News, September 24, 2006. [Video/audio (0:27): WMV | Mp3]

"I think certainly people who covered that [the prelude to the war in Iraq] fell down on the job in terms of getting the right information and kind of rolled over in terms of U.S. policy and really didn't do their due diligence....I remember at the time of the [troop] buildup, I felt really uncomfortable with the whole atmosphere of the country....You know, the whole culture of wearing flags on your lapel and saying 'we' when you were referring to the United States, which, and, and, you know, even the 'shock and awe' in the initial stages, it was just too jubilant and just a little uncomfortable....Anyone who questioned the administration was considered unpatriotic....I think everyone in this room would agree that people in this country were misled in terms of the rationale for war. I think that's clear."
— Couric talking to former CBS and NBC correspondent Marvin Kalb on the Sept. 25, 2007 Kalb Report shown on C-SPAN2 the next day. [Video/audio (2:03): WMV | Mp3]

Co-host Harry Smith:
"[Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan] talks about the failure of mainstream media to hold the Bush administration's feet to the fire in the run-up to the war. Is that an allegation that feels to you like it has merit or not?"...
Couric: "I think it's one of the most embarrassing chapters in American journalism. And I think there was a sense of pressure from corporations who own where we work and from the government itself to really squash any kinds of dissent or any kind of questioning of it. I think it was extremely subtle but very, very effective. And I think Scott McClellan has a really good point."
The Early Show, May 28, 2008. [Video/audio (0:30): WMV | Mp3] 

"Do you feel any sense of guilt that the Iraq war, which you helped sell to the American people, has resulted in the loss of life for thousands of American soldiers?"
— Couric to former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan in an Evening News interview, May 29, 2008.


Katie is Woman, Hear Her Roar

 
Couric: "More now on the history that was made by the Democrats last night. For the first time, a woman will become Speaker of the House....A lot has been made of the fact that you, if elected, and it appears that you will be, that you will be the first woman Speaker of the House and the highest ranking woman in the United States government. What does that mean to you?"
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "It's pretty exciting, I have to say. I'm just so excited that a Democrat will be Speaker of the House."
Couric: "So you're a Democrat first, a woman second?"
— Interview with a Pelosi after Democrats won control of Congress in 2006 midterm elections, Evening News, November 8, 2006.

"One of the great lessons of that campaign is the continued and accepted role of sexism in American life, particularly in the media. Many women have made the point that if Senator Obama had to confront the racist equivalent of an 'Iron My Shirt' poster at campaign rallies, or a Hillary nutcracker sold at airports, or mainstream pundits saying they instinctively cross their legs at the mention of her name, the outrage would not be a footnote. It would be front-page news."
— Couric in her "Katie Couric's Notebook" video commentary posted on CBSNews.com, June 10, 2008. [Video/audio (0:32): WMV | Mp3]


Bashing Palin: What Happened to Feminist Solidarity?


"I spoke with your running mate, Sarah Palin, and she told me that if action is not taken, a Great Depression is quote 'the road that America may find itself on.'...Isn't so much of this, Senator McCain, about consumer confidence and using rhetoric like the 'Great Depression' — is that the kind of language Americans need to hear right now?"
— Couric interviewing John McCain about the financial crisis on the September 24, 2008, Evening News. [Audio (0:25): Mp3]

"Everyone was waiting to see how the political newcomer would do tonight and perhaps the headline is Governor Sarah Palin did not embarrass herself or her running mate as some Republicans might have feared and some Democrats might have hoped."    
— Couric during live coverage following the vice presidential debate on October 2, 2008.


America Needs a Hug From Big Government

 
"Experts have been warning for years that this country's infrastructure is crumbling. But are taxpayers ready to spend the billions, maybe trillions, it would take to fix all the pipelines, tunnels and bridges?"
— Couric reporting on the Minneapolis bridge collapse, Evening News, August 2, 2007.

"In Britain, a government takeover of a bank last year helped to temporarily calm fears in the financial markets there. Nationalization may have a psychological impact as well, and Uncle Sam wrapping his arms around failing banks in this country might provide a big dose of confidence for the American consumer."
— Couric on the February 19, 2009 Evening News, talking about the Obama administration possibly taking over American banks. [Video/audio (0:29): WMV | Mp3]



Praising the Great 'Goreacle'

 
"[Gore winning an Oscar] might usher in a backlash against environmentalists....It seems like we're reaching critical mass when it comes to this issue. And all the experts agree. Well, almost every expert. (There are a handful of scientists — many of them on the payroll of big oil companies — who wonder if global warming is a reality.) But my fervent hope is that Hollywood's embrace of Al Gore doesn't give people an excuse to condemn and mock the effort — and oppose taking steps that we as a society need to take to deal with the issue of climate change."
— Couric writing about the Oscars on her CBSNews.com blog, Couric & Co., February 26, 2007.

"Also in Washington today, a lot of excitement on Capitol Hill. A movie star showed up to testify before Congress – a movie star named Al Gore."
Evening News, March, 21, 2007. [Video/audio (0:13): WMV | Mp3]
 
"He was once called 'Mr. Stiff.' Now he's known as 'The Goreacle,' the new Al Gore....Sharyn Alfonsi reports on Gore 2.0."
Evening News, May 25, 2007.

"I'm honored to be joined today by the Godfather of Green, the King of Conservation: Former Vice President Al Gore."
— Couric opening her November 2, 2009 "@KatieCouric" CBSNews.com webcast. [Video/audio (0:24): WMV | Mp3]


The Government Works So Hard...When Democrats Are in Charge


"In January a new Congress swept into Washington promising ethics reform, fiscal responsibility, and a change in direction for the war in Iraq. Now they're on August recess so how did they do? We called Thomas Mann, co-author of a book on Congress called The Broken Branch. The mood he said, continues to be ugly on Capitol Hill but this new crop worked much harder than the last. A big accomplishment was in challenging executive power with oversight hearings on Iraq, Medicare, the Department of Justice, and global warming. Stem cell legislation and immigration reform were stymied, but Congress did raise the minimum wage and pass an ethics and lobbying reform bill....Promises, promises. Sometimes they are kept even in Washington."
— "Katie Couric's Notebook," Couric & Co. blog, August 6, 2007.

Couric:
"One of the key players in getting this deal approved is the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. I talked to her this afternoon as Senate negotiators were announcing the agreement and we spoke right after she had been on the phone with the President. [to Pelosi] Are you surprised how intimately involved he is in the whole process?"
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "Quite frankly, yes. I said, 'Mr. President, neither of us has time for this conversation, especially you,' because we really, we understand each other. We know where we need to go."
Couric, smiling: "Can you tell us anything he said to you, like, 'Get cracking'?"
Pelosi, laughing: "No, never that. We're always cracking."
Evening News, February 11, 2009. [Video/audio (0:31): WMV | Mp3]

"Tonight, the President calls it 'astounding.' The recession has now cost nearly four-and-a-half million Americans their jobs. We'll show you the new jobs his stimulus plan is creating...."
— Couric introducing series of reports on the March 6, 2009 Evening News.


As Voters Move Right, GOP Should Move Left


"As Politico reported, there's growing concern among some GOP leaders that controversial commentators and far-right conservatives have hijacked the message. People like Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin appeal to the base, and you certainly need that base to win elections. But in an age when 42% of Americans call themselves 'independents,' you can't win with just the base, either....[A]s the number of declared Republicans hits a 26-year low, according to a poll in the Washington Post,...Republicans need to get the focus back onto the Big Tent where all are welcome and off the sideshows that are popping up along the party's fringe."
— Couric in her "Katie Couric's Notebook" video posted on CBSNews.com, October 27, 2009.
 

Christianity is Just Too Divisive

 
"Do you worry at all that non-believers may feel excluded and diminished at a time when we're so divided about so much?"
— Couric to The Nativity Story's Catherine Hardwicke and Mike Rich in a December 4, 2006 Evening News story about Hollywood movies based on Biblical themes. [Video/audio (0:13): WMV | Mp3]

"He [Pope Benedict XVI] is very conservative. And I know a recent poll says 62 percent of Catholics believe the church isn't reflective of their views. Does that mean entertaining issues like women as priests or use of birth control will be really off the table as long as he's Pope?"
— Couric to Father Thomas Williams on the April 15, 2008 Evening News.
 

John Edwards: A Profile in Courage

 
"Agree with him or not, he [John Edwards] deserves credit for pushing tough issues off the back burner. He encouraged his fellow Democrats to speak out for the disenfranchised and under-served. He was the first to raise issues like poverty, universal health care and climate change, proposing big ideas — sometimes controversial ideas — to meet big challenges. He bucked the conventional wisdom and took political risks, speaking honestly about why he wanted to raise taxes, for example. That took courage."
— Couric in a January 30, 2008 "Katie Couric's Notebook" video posted to CBSNews.com a few hours after Edwards quit the presidential race.



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