USA Politics
- Thread starter Genghis Khan
- Start date
Nasty, huh? So, how far are you from Fairfax? ( I think that's the name of the city) I was out there long time ago, and had to take the (ex) wife to a hospital there.
Wasted155 said:
Apparently, 13 miles, or 4 weeks if you're General McClellan.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Especially for Perun: 
President Barack Obama takes the oath of office for a second time in the Map Room of the White House in Washington, DC.
Out of what is claimed as "an abundance of caution," president Barack Obama has taken the oath of office for a second time on Wednesday night, January 21. The oath retake, taking place in the Map Room of the White House in Washington, DC, lasted for about 25 seconds. The event was closed to TV camera crews and news photographers. Only a few of Obama's closest aides were there, along with a White House photographer.
Concerning what prompts the oath retake, it is reported that Chief Justice John Roberts, who first administered the oath to Obama on Tuesday, January 20 on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, accidentally switched the word order when he administered the oath. He said "I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully," instead of, "I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States," Reuters reports.
Roberts quickly repeated the phrase upon realizing the fact that he had made a mistake, but without repeating the word "execute." Obama, who briefly interrupted the chief justice by starting the oath before Roberts finished reciting the first part, then repeated Roberts' original, incorrect version "... the office of president of the United States faithfully."
Speaking about that encounter, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told the press as quoting a statement from White House counsel Greg Craig, "We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the president was sworn in appropriately yesterday. But the oath appears in the Constitution itself and, out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath a second time."
"We decided that because it was so much fun ...," Obama jokingly told reporters before taking the second oath. Inside the Map Room, Roberts asked him, "Are you ready to take the oath?", to which he responded, "Yes, I am," adding, "And we're going to do it very slowly."
"Congratulations again," Roberts told Obama when he finished taking the oath. "Thank you sir," Obama replied.
President Barack Obama takes the oath of office for a second time in the Map Room of the White House in Washington, DC.
Out of what is claimed as "an abundance of caution," president Barack Obama has taken the oath of office for a second time on Wednesday night, January 21. The oath retake, taking place in the Map Room of the White House in Washington, DC, lasted for about 25 seconds. The event was closed to TV camera crews and news photographers. Only a few of Obama's closest aides were there, along with a White House photographer.
Concerning what prompts the oath retake, it is reported that Chief Justice John Roberts, who first administered the oath to Obama on Tuesday, January 20 on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, accidentally switched the word order when he administered the oath. He said "I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully," instead of, "I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States," Reuters reports.
Roberts quickly repeated the phrase upon realizing the fact that he had made a mistake, but without repeating the word "execute." Obama, who briefly interrupted the chief justice by starting the oath before Roberts finished reciting the first part, then repeated Roberts' original, incorrect version "... the office of president of the United States faithfully."
Speaking about that encounter, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told the press as quoting a statement from White House counsel Greg Craig, "We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the president was sworn in appropriately yesterday. But the oath appears in the Constitution itself and, out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath a second time."
"We decided that because it was so much fun ...," Obama jokingly told reporters before taking the second oath. Inside the Map Room, Roberts asked him, "Are you ready to take the oath?", to which he responded, "Yes, I am," adding, "And we're going to do it very slowly."
"Congratulations again," Roberts told Obama when he finished taking the oath. "Thank you sir," Obama replied.
A story I read yesterday said that Obama broke one of Bush's Oval Office rules...Bush was never in the Oval Office without a jacket on, for the entire 8 years of his two terms. Obama was seen yesterday in the Office without a jacket on. Appearantly, a news outlet thought this was important. 
Nigel Tufnel
Ancient Mariner
I think it is really too early to judge the Presidency of George W Bush. The really big mistake of his presidency was the invasion of Iraq. The use of Pratriotic pride and the tactics of fear used by the hawks in the Bush Administration intimidated alot of people into backing the Bush Doctorine. I don't know how much of the policies of the administration are to blame for the global economic crisis.
I am wondering how far we are from re-opening trade with Cuba. Castro can't live forever...
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
That's what bothers me. The U.S supposedly has a policy of not dealing with "leftist", "socialist", "communists", etc states. It essentially would not trade with nations who weren't 100% capitalist, which is why it didn't trade with Checoslovakia who weren't commies per se, but were not to the U.S's liking. All the shit they stirred in Central and South America, Vietnam, Korea... etc, fuck it, we all know that. Back to the point, what bothers me is that to this day they give Cuba shit, but they'll gladly trade with China and CHINA, not the U.S, is getting the better end of the deal.... blows my mind...
Nigel Tufnel
Ancient Mariner
Walmart has a big hand in our trade with China. Alot of the shit in thier stores are made in the PRC. Everyone wants to trade with China, but China is only interested in exports. I would really love for us to shut the door with them. Especially given all the human rights abuses they have and continue to inflict on dissidents. Our reasons for not dealing with Cuba has more to do with the embarrassment of letting a friendly regime in our own back yard being overthrown by Castro and Guevera, plus the failure of the Bay of Pigs. We deal with all kinds of despots but as long as they have'nt embarrased us. That's the same reason we don't deal with Iran either.
It's a very hard pill to swallow if a country was offered the Western lifestyle and returned it to sender. That's what happened in Cuba and Iran. It is inexplicable for people from the Western world why somebody would not want what we have, so we are looking for convenient explanations that go down to "it's not our fault, it's they who are wrong!". No thought is wasted on the fact that our way of life was shoved down their throat, in some cases quite literally.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Obama lifts ban on abortion funds
US President Barack Obama has lifted a ban on federal funding for foreign family planning agencies that promote or give information about abortion.
The US is one of the biggest supporters of family planning programmes globally, but former president George W Bush blocked funds for abortion services.
Powerful anti-abortion groups in the US have criticised the lifting of the ban.
But aid agencies welcomed the move, saying it would promote women's health, especially in developing countries.
A White House spokesman said Mr Obama signed the executive order without asking for coverage by the media late on Friday afternoon.
The issue of abortion services remains controversial in the US, pitting pro-life conservative groups against more liberal, pro-choice Americans who back a woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.
The BBC's Richard Lister in Washington says this may be why President Obama signed the order with so little fanfare.
Highly contentious
Organisations that had pressed Mr Obama to make the abortion-ban change were jubilant.
They called the funding ban the "gag rule" because it cuts funds to groups that advocate or lobby for the lifting of abortion restrictions.
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America hailed the president for "lifting the stranglehold on women's health across the globe with the stroke of a pen."
"No longer will health care providers be forced to choose between receiving family planning funding and restricting the health care services they provide to women," the organization said in a statement.
But anti-abortion groups were quick to criticise the reversal of the funding ban.
"President Obama not long ago told the American people that he would support policies to reduce abortions, but today he is effectively guaranteeing more abortions by funding groups that promote abortion as a method of population control," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee.
A 1973 decision by the US Supreme Court legalised abortion.
A Gallup poll conducted last year showed that 54% of Americans think abortion should be allowed under certain circumstances, 28% believe it should be legal under any circumstances, while 17% back a total ban.
See-saw issue
The policy has become a see-saw issue between Republican and Democratic administrations.
Former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, repealed the policy when he took office in 1993 and George W Bush reinstated it in 2001.
The ruling is also known as the Mexico City Policy, because it was first introduced at a UN conference there in 1984 by former Republican President Ronald Reagan.
In a move related to the lifting of the abortion rule, Mr Obama is also expected to restore funding to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in the next budget, the AP news agency reported.
The Bush administration contended that the fund's work in China supported a Chinese family planning policy of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilisation, claims the UNFPA has vehemently denied.
In a separate move earlier on Friday, US regulators cleared the way for the world's first study on human embryonic stem cell therapy.
While the decision of the US Food and Drug Administration is independent of White House control, Mr Obama is widely expected to adopt a more pragmatic and science-oriented approach to stem cell research.
US President Barack Obama has lifted a ban on federal funding for foreign family planning agencies that promote or give information about abortion.
The US is one of the biggest supporters of family planning programmes globally, but former president George W Bush blocked funds for abortion services.
Powerful anti-abortion groups in the US have criticised the lifting of the ban.
But aid agencies welcomed the move, saying it would promote women's health, especially in developing countries.
A White House spokesman said Mr Obama signed the executive order without asking for coverage by the media late on Friday afternoon.
The issue of abortion services remains controversial in the US, pitting pro-life conservative groups against more liberal, pro-choice Americans who back a woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.
The BBC's Richard Lister in Washington says this may be why President Obama signed the order with so little fanfare.
Highly contentious
Organisations that had pressed Mr Obama to make the abortion-ban change were jubilant.
They called the funding ban the "gag rule" because it cuts funds to groups that advocate or lobby for the lifting of abortion restrictions.
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America hailed the president for "lifting the stranglehold on women's health across the globe with the stroke of a pen."
"No longer will health care providers be forced to choose between receiving family planning funding and restricting the health care services they provide to women," the organization said in a statement.
But anti-abortion groups were quick to criticise the reversal of the funding ban.
"President Obama not long ago told the American people that he would support policies to reduce abortions, but today he is effectively guaranteeing more abortions by funding groups that promote abortion as a method of population control," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee.
A 1973 decision by the US Supreme Court legalised abortion.
A Gallup poll conducted last year showed that 54% of Americans think abortion should be allowed under certain circumstances, 28% believe it should be legal under any circumstances, while 17% back a total ban.
See-saw issue
The policy has become a see-saw issue between Republican and Democratic administrations.
Former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, repealed the policy when he took office in 1993 and George W Bush reinstated it in 2001.
The ruling is also known as the Mexico City Policy, because it was first introduced at a UN conference there in 1984 by former Republican President Ronald Reagan.
In a move related to the lifting of the abortion rule, Mr Obama is also expected to restore funding to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in the next budget, the AP news agency reported.
The Bush administration contended that the fund's work in China supported a Chinese family planning policy of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilisation, claims the UNFPA has vehemently denied.
In a separate move earlier on Friday, US regulators cleared the way for the world's first study on human embryonic stem cell therapy.
While the decision of the US Food and Drug Administration is independent of White House control, Mr Obama is widely expected to adopt a more pragmatic and science-oriented approach to stem cell research.