Obama faces off with fiercest critics: House Republicans

By James Oliphant

January 30, 2010

Reporting from Baltimore

In an unprecedented town hall meeting, President Obama went toe-to-toe Friday with some of his fiercest critics -- a ballroom-full of House Republicans -- accusing them of derailing his healthcare overhaul while they complained about being shut out of the political process.

The president's appearance at an annual retreat for House Republicans was intended to be a gesture of bipartisanship. Instead, it devolved into a respectful but surprisingly blunt exercise in political finger-pointing, defensiveness and gamesmanship.

Obama repeatedly defended his policies and accused Republicans of distorting his positions for political gain. He was especially critical of the GOP's efforts to derail the healthcare overhaul bill in Congress.

"You'd think this was some Bolshevik plot," Obama said . "That's how some of you guys presented this."

And he argued that constant political attacks on his agenda had almost robbed the GOP of any opportunity to contribute.

"What happens is that you guys don't have a lot of room to negotiate with me," Obama said. "The fact of the matter is, many of you, if you voted with the administration on something, are politically vulnerable in your own base, in your own party . . . because what you've been telling your constituents is, 'This guy's doing all kinds of crazy stuff that's going to destroy America.' "

The event was notable for its departure from the norms of the American political process, resembling more the British tradition of a leader taking fire from members of the opposition party -- and for the fact that it was broadcast nationally.

Like an audience does on a daytime talk show, the GOP members held microphones and questioned Obama. The president answered from behind a podium, his image displayed on large TV screens. The exchange went for 90 minutes -- longer than scheduled.

"I'm having fun," Obama said at one point.

For the most part, the Republicans held their tongues and praised the president for listening to their concerns. But when Obama said, "I am not an ideologue," murmurs of dissent could be heard throughout the room.

"I'm not," he repeated.

House Republicans, who have little political power because of the large Democratic majority in the chamber, were determined to use the occasion to rebut skeptics who argue that the GOP offers few ideas and opposes legislation out of political convenience, not principle. They handed Obama a thick document with Republican policy proposals when he was introduced at the event.

Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, part of the GOP leadership in the House, said before the session that his party needed to show voters that "we're ready to govern again" in advance of congressional elections this fall.

The president began by urging bipartisanship and cooperation in a manner similar to his State of the Union address Wednesday night. "I don't believe the American people want us to focus on our job security. They want us to focus on their job security," Obama said to a loud ovation.

Soon, however, bolstered by Friday's news of a jump in the nation's gross domestic product , Obama took the audience to task for opposing his economic stimulus plan a year ago, arguing that it contained the kind of tax breaks that the GOP typically advocates. And he accused lawmakers who opposed the stimulus of taking credit in their home districts for projects that benefited from the stimulus money.

"Let's face it," he said, "some of you have been at the ribbon-cuttings of some of these important projects in your communities."

Obama was pressed by freshman Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah on why he had not followed through on his pledge that healthcare negotiations would be broadcast on TV. Obama argued that most of the debate had in fact been aired, except for some of the talks close to the Senate vote.

"That was a messy process," Obama said. "I take responsibility."

Near the end of the session, the president pushed back firmly at Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling's insistence that the administration had dramatically inflated the nation's budget deficit. "That whole question was structured as a talking point for running a campaign," Obama charged, cutting Hensarling off in midsentence.

Though some in the room compared the scene to the biblical tale of Daniel entering the lion's den, the outcome was less transformative. Republicans did not leave the room purring like kittens, and some were dismissive of the president's attempt to engage them.

"A few times, I thought the furniture was going to float in the air," said Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona. "I think the man is a good speaker. His speeches are a little unconnected to the real facts on the ground."

Rep. Phil Gingrey of Georgia lauded Obama for making the trip, but said that he had adopted an overly defensive and lecturing tone.

"I think the president could be a little more diplomatic," Gingrey said. "The president reacts a little too much."

The House Republican leader, Rep. John A. Boehner of Ohio, was more effusive after the exchange. "I thought the dialogue went very well," Boehner said. "We want to continue to find common ground."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-republicans30-2010jan30,0,1913429,print.story

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Schwarzenegger faces tough choice: Release Manson follower from prison?

Charles Manson has been denied 11 times.

Manson follower Susan Atkins, who stabbed actress Sharon Tate to death more than 40 years ago, was denied parole even when she was terminally ill. Leslie Van Houten has been rejected nearly 20 times.

But now, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will have to decide whether a member of the Manson family should be freed.

Bruce Davis, who was convicted in the 1969 killings of musician Gary Hinman and ranch hand Donald "Shorty" Shea, was recommended for parole this week. A two-member Board of Prison Terms panel recommended Davis, 67, for release following his 26th parole hearing at the California Men's Colony at San Luis Obispo, said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Davis has been in prison since April 21, 1972.

L.A. prosecutors opposed Davis' release -- and it's unclear whether law enforcement groups will lobby the governor to keep Davis behind bars.

After a review by corrections,  the governor has 30 days to review the board's decision. He can reject it, take no action or modify the decision by adding a parole condition or changing the date of release.

Davis, one of the lesser-known followers of cult leader Charles Manson, was convicted in 1972 of the Manson-dictated murders of Hinman and Shea, whom Manson suspected of being a police informer.

Davis was not involved in the infamous Manson family murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others, and that may have played a factor in the panel's decision.

Davis attorney Michael Beckman told the Associated Press that his client acknowledged for the first time that he shared responsibility for the Hinman/Shea murders. "He said, 'I was as responsible as everyone there,' " Beckman said.

Last year, Manson follower Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was released from prison. She tried to kill President Gerald Ford. Follower Steve Grogan was released in 1985.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/schwarzenegger-faces-tough-choice-release-manson-follower-from-prison.html#more

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From the Daily News

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Defense of inmate releases challenged

Lieu sent a letter to Matthew Cate, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, "demanding that CDCR stop misleading the public."

"In my over 15 years of public service, including serving on active duty to defend our country, I have never before seen this scale of deception and misleading statements being made by a California governmental agency to the media," said Lieu, D-Torrance.

The Corrections Department enacted a cost-saving effort on Monday, reducing its 170,000-inmate system by 6,500 inmates. A law passed late last year also calls for lifting the supervision of thousands of parolees, including about 7,700 in Los Angeles County.

State officials have defended the move, touting what they called improvements to the parole and corrections systems that will allow them to focus on the most dangerous offenders.

But Lieu and other critics say the state is putting a too-positive spin on the program and making false statements about some of its details.

For example, state officials said inmate releases were not imminent. But Lieu said under the new law's rules on credits, local counties have begun making early releases from their jails, including at least 260 inmates released in San Diego.

He also complained that statements about increased supervision of parolees were inaccurate, as were predictions of lowered crime rates.

But in a letter to Lieu, Cate stood behind those comments, saying the legislation will not result in the "immediate release of thousands of state prisoners."

Instead, he said, the releases will be made gradually under "proposals that are smart on crime" and following guidelines by expert panels.

"While this legislation does reward inmates who earn a GED or learn a trade with up to six weeks of additional sentencing credits, it will also reduce the likelihood of future criminality," Cate wrote. "Our communities are safer as a result of this legislation. We stand behind that belief unequivocally."

Lieu wrote that rehabilitation services and incentives in prisons were largely eliminated, not expanded, as part of the law.

The CDCR described the new law as a "landmark achievement" because it provided incentives for inmates to get a GED, learn a trade, get clean and sober - thus reducing recidivism and and crime, Lieu wrote.

But he noted that the state already had incentives for those improvements and the new law lessens requirements for rehabilitation while cutting staff and funding for rehab programs. The law also states that for every six months of incarceration, a prisoner's sentence is reduced by six months.

Cate said he agrees with the state's elected officials that California can no longer afford to use short-term prison stints of three to four months to punish low-risk parole violators.

"This administration is rightfully redirecting some of those resources to better supervise our dangerous parolees and better train our parole agents, over and beyond the legislation itself," Cate wrote.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich also criticized the new law, citing a Harvard University study that found that releasing criminals costs more in the long run as they commit additional crimes and are rearrested, retried and re-sentenced.

The study found that for each criminal locked up, there is a reduction of between five and six reported crimes.

"Putting criminals back into our communities is an irresponsible and reckless way to balance the state's budget," Antonovich said.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_14299283

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Radon: The danger you need to know

MY mother, who was a nonsmoker, a marathon runner and in the best shape of her life, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer on Oct. 7, 2008. Our family was shocked; there was no reason for this. Her oncologist didn't have any answers, and she lost her battle in August 2009. She fought for 10 months.

My mission was to find out why. After spending countless hours on the Internet, I came across an article about radon gas and its link to cancer. I didn't have a clue about radon. Lung cancer has been the No. 1 cancer killer in the U.S. since 1987, when it surpassed breast cancer. Approximately 27,922 nonsmokers will die from lung cancer this year.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and the second-leading cause of lung cancer overall. Radon is responsible for 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, with 2,900 of those deaths happening to nonsmokers. Secondhand smoke is the third-leading cause of lung cancer and is responsible for an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

My mother's home had the second-highest level ever tested in Simi Valley.

Someone forgot to tell the California residents about this silent killer. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is released during the natural decay of uranium, which is found in most rock and soil. Radon is out there; you may live in an area of low radon potential yet your home can have elevated radon levels, while your neighbor's house has no radon.

Air pressure inside your home is usually lower than pressure in the soil around and under your home. Because the pressure is lower inside, radon is sucked into your house through cracks or holes in the slab or foundation.

Radon is odorless, tasteless, invisible. The only way to detect it is to test for it. The concentration of radon in the home is measured in picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L). National average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L. The higher a home's radon level, the greater the health risk to you and your family.

If the radon level in your home is between 2 and 4 pCi/L, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you consider fixing your home. I ordered a kit from a government site and performed a test on my mother's home. The test indicated that her home has a radon level of 19.9 pCi/L. My heart broke all over again when I received the results. Now I have an understanding of why.

This month is National Radon Action Month, and we all need to inform our families, friends, and neighbors of radon gas and its link to lung cancer. Radon tests are available to California residents during January through the state Department of Department of Public Health ( http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/environhealth/Pages/Radon.aspx ). It's easy to test, and if the level is between 2 and 4 or higher, it is not difficult to fix.

Let's do our part to protect our families. The Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009 has been reintroduced by Sens. Diane Feinstein of California and Sam Brownback of Kansas. This bill is to get the much needed and long overdue government funding for lung cancer research. Please write your senator/congressman, go to, www.beverlyfund.org/congress_sample_letter.pdf .

For more information about radon and its link to lung cancer, go to, www.CanSar.org and www.beverlyfund.org

http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_14242703

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From the Wall Street Journal

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Indiana Embraces Tax Caps Despite Hit to City Services

Indiana lawmakers are moving to enshrine property-tax caps in the state constitution, despite cuts in fire, police and other local services the limits have caused.

The push marks the latest round in a revenue tug-of-war between state and local governments amid plunging tax collections nationwide. States, forced to cut their budgets, have often held back funds pledged to local governments. In response, some cities, towns and school districts have raised property taxes—their main source of revenue—to partially fill gaps.

But property-tax increases started raising the ire of residents even before tax revenue fell off. A 2007 spike in Indiana's property-tax bills, just as the recession was gathering steam, led to a "tea party" protest, the ousting of the mayor of Indianapolis and a 2008 law limiting property taxes, which as of Jan. 1 may be no more than 1% of the assessed valuation for residential homes, 2% for rental properties and farms, and 3% for businesses.

The effective tax rate for homes in 2007 ranged from 0.19% to 3.13%, and the cap is expected to save homeowners $404 million statewide in the current fiscal year.

Cities already are laying off police officers and firefighters, as well as raising business fees, because the caps have reduced local tax revenues. The state Farm Bureau, which advocates for farmers, has raised concerns that homeowners are getting the biggest tax breaks despite using the most local-government services. Some companies dislike the caps because they set property-tax rates for businesses at three times the rate for homes.

Yet the proposed constitutional amendment is popular with Indiana residents, who will vote on the measure in November. A survey last month from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., found that 64% of voters favor the amendment. Even the mayors of some cities hit hard by the measure support it.

Groups that oppose the caps aren't certain how to proceed. "We've come up on the short end of the stick, in terms of this being very popular with voters, the legislature and the governor," said Kevin Brinegar, president of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Other states are taking aim at property taxes, too. Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat, signed into law on Jan. 20 a measure that says school districts must empty their cash reserves before raising local property taxes.

On Jan. 19, New York Gov. David Paterson, also a Democrat, proposed a four-year moratorium on new state mandates that must be funded by local governments, another initiative aimed at holding down property taxes. Colorado residents will vote in November on a ballot measure that, though its language is unclear, would appear to reduce property taxes statewide.

A handful of other states have property-tax caps. The most famous is California's Proposition 13, which a ballot measure passed in 1978 that limits property-tax increases to 2% a year.

Changing the Indiana constitution takes about five years. Two separately elected state legislatures must pass the measure, then a majority of voters must approve an amendment in a statewide ballot. Indiana lawmakers approved the proposed property-tax cap amendment in 2008 and again this month.

Some legislators worry it is too soon to install the property-tax formula in the state constitution, because the caps only took full effect Jan. 1. "If we should find out three years down the road that the process needs to be changed, we will be at a great disadvantage," said state Sen. Vi Simpson, a Democrat from Ellettsville who opposed the amendment.

When lawmakers imposed the caps, they raised the state sales tax to 7% from 6%, directing that extra revenue be used to fund schools. But sales-tax revenue has declined so much during the recession that Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, is ordering public schools to cut $300 million, or 3.5%, from their budgets.

The city of Muncie, with about 65,000 residents, was forced by the property-tax caps, disappearing industry and other revenue-shrinking factors to cut 32 firefighters—or about 29% of the department—and close two of seven fire stations. The city has stopped dispatching fire trucks to nonemergency medical calls.

Mayor Sharon McShurley, a Republican, said Muncie must cut $3 million to $8 million from its budget over two or three years because of the property-tax caps. Last year, Muncie's budget was $19 million, down $5 million from the previous year, as the caps were phased in.

Yet Ms. McShurley, who was elected in 2007, favors the caps. A shrinking budget has forced city hall to become more efficient, she said, by automating payroll deposits and giving all city employees email access. "It's a first for a lot of people, thinking about city government having to get smaller," she said.

Local governments also are scrounging for new revenue sources. Muncie raised business fees on permits, and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a Republican, is seeking fee increases there, too. Fitch Ratings took away Indianapolis's AAA bond rating in August, partly because of concerns over how the caps are squeezing city finances

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704194504575031192182383762.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5 #

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Scott Brown: 'People Aren't Stupid'

'And leaders should figure out they're better informed now than ever.'

Boston

When I arrived at his cramped state senate offices, Scott Brown had just opened one of the many packages he's received since his stunning U.S. Senate victory 11 days ago. A local artist has done up a version of the iconic red, white and blue collage from the 2008 presidential campaign that shows Barack Obama with the word "Hope." This one features a smiling Mr. Brown instead, but the word below is different. It reads "Change."

By filling the seat vacated by liberal lion Ted Kennedy in a state Mr. Obama carried by 26 points barely over a year ago, Mr. Brown has certainly changed the political landscape. We sit down the morning after President Obama's State of the Union message, an address in large part shaped by what's been called "the Scott Heard 'Round the World." Mr. Obama uncharacteristically recognized some unforced errors in pushing his liberal agenda, along with expressing some new flexibility on issues ranging from small business tax cuts to offshore oil drilling to nuclear power.

Settling into a pinkish-red upholstered chair that looks like what it is—a castoff from a state furniture inventory—Mr. Brown reflects on his new celebrity. "I have to rely on who I've been and still am. I'm still the guy who works out at the YMCA and hangs out at the coffee shop," he says. "The way to handle the attention is to fall back on normalcy."

But he knows things are no longer normal. A few hours after we talk he will appear on Jay Leno's TV show. His daughter Ayla—the one who performed on "American Idol"—has been offered a job by a major TV network. And the symbols that propelled his campaign forward are now a part of popular culture. On the day we meet, the Boston Globe has a lengthy article on the meaning of the brown leather "barn coat" he wore on the campaign trail. And then there is the pickup truck he drove around the state, which has become a symbol of his authenticity and "Everyman" origins as a kid who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and was scared straight by a judge after he was caught shoplifting as a 12-year-old.

The key to Mr. Brown's victory was politically independent voters in the Bay State, who favored him by 3-1. So how should other candidates court the independent vote, which in most parts of the country is growing faster than that of either major party?

"People out there are disgusted," he says, shaking his head. "Especially with any one party dominating government and talking down to them. They want straight talk, no BS. A focus on jobs and what really creates them. They want problem solvers in office, and it helped me that I was able to show I could work with Democrats in the legislature."

That last point has not gotten the attention it deserves. For all of the excitement Mr. Brown generated among conservatives, his actual legislative record reveals a man who rejects ideological rigidity on most issues.

A businessman who attended a fund-raiser for Mr. Brown a few years ago tells me that he marveled at how the man was able to navigate the abortion issue to the grudging satisfaction of both camps. "He directed people to his Web site for specifics, but mostly he listened and made clear that he respected the heartfelt views of everyone on the issue," he says. "That won him a lot of points from a tough crowd." Not exactly straight talk, perhaps, but certainly smart politics. (Mr. Brown does not favor rolling back Roe v. Wade , but supports parental notification, banning late-term abortions, and conscience clauses for medical workers.)

I ask Mr. Brown at what point during the four hard months he spent campaigning he felt he was truly connecting with Massachusetts' voters. He instantly replies that it was the first TV ad he ran in late December, which began in black and white showing John F. Kennedy pushing for his 1962 across-the-board cut in tax rates. The screen then slowly morphed into an image of Mr. Brown as he calls for a new tax cut by finishing Kennedy's remarks: "Every dollar released from taxation that is spent or invested will help create a new job and a new salary."

Massachusetts' senator-elect says he had always admired JFK as a president who "wanted to help everybody," and when he and his staff pored over that president's speeches his defense of tax cuts leaped out. "That's what we need now. Across-the-board tax cuts," he says. "A payroll tax cut would have been better than any government stimulus."

Mr. Brown says he designed his campaign to revolve around four issues: taxes, excessive spending, terrorism and health care. But it's clear that voter angst over ObamaCare was the rocket fuel propelling him to victory. "People got where I was," he says. He was often asked to sign his autograph with the number "41" next to it, meaning he was running to be the key vote to block health-care legislation from final passage.

Nonetheless, Mr. Brown is clearly sensitive—and a tad defensive—about his state's own universal health-care system. It now covers about 95% of the population; but it has also led to the nation's highest insurance premiums. It is driving hospitals towards bankruptcy and making it more difficult for people to see a doctor. Mr. Brown voted for the system in 2006 when it was proposed by then-GOP Gov. Mitt Romney. "Of course, it can be made better," Mr. Brown says today. "But it was bipartisan and it fit our local needs. We were being eaten alive by health-care costs." Universal coverage hasn't changed that, however.

Asked about the Senate committees he'd like to be a member of, Mr. Brown mentions Armed Services and Homeland Security (he's a 30-year National Guard veteran) along with Appropriations. The last choice seems mildly surprising; Appropriations is the Senate's "favor factory"—it parcels out earmarks. "I've not been shy in the legislature about telling people no," he says. "I've told groups I don't think a grant is for them, and we've improved the transparency of earmarks here in the legislature. Let's bring the power of the Internet to Congress so people can debate and control earmarks."

Mr. Brown's election has touched off a debate among Democrats about the direction their party should take, as populists tangle with moderates over how or whether to play the class-warfare card. So why does he think Democratic attacks on him for opposing Mr. Obama's bank tax didn't seem to gain traction? "People are mad at banks and the TARP money. But the banks are paying off that money with interest," he says. 'They get that a bank tax will be transferred down to individuals through ATM fees and the amount of money they can lend to create jobs will also be reduced."

Mr. Brown says it frustrates him that too many politicians still believe that people will be fooled by what they're proposing. "People aren't stupid, and leaders should figure out they're better informed now than ever." Perhaps that explains how Scott Brown was able to pull off his improbable Cinderella story.

Back in September, picking up on the rising tide of public anger over health reform, excessive spending, and one-party arrogance, he fashioned a simple, compelling narrative to deal with it: no to a rushed, confusing health-care bill, yes to a freeze on federal spending and to introducing some sunlight into government. Mr. Brown repeated it over and over with the inner confidence that his message would eventually resonate. It did.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703389004575033160663975610.html#printMode

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Utah Teacher Fatally Shot in Preschool Parking Lot

January 30, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY — 

A teacher was shot and fatally wounded in the parking lot of her preschool Friday, and a 70-year-old woman accused in the attack called 911 and then calmly waited for police, authorities said.

Tetyana Nikitina, 34, a single mother of two children, was rushed to Intermountain Medical Center but died of her wounds, officials said.

Police Lt. Don Hutson told The Associated Press in an interview that the suspect knew the victim but investigators were trying to determine their exact relationship.

Several shots were fired at the teacher as she prepared to leave in her car from the Salt Lake Community Action Program Head Start. No children were at the school, but teachers were there for training.

"One of the teachers was in the rear parking lot ... when an elderly woman came up and confronted her and eventually ended up firing multiple rounds from a handgun," Hutson said. He said Mikitina was hit by at least two bullets.

"That woman remained at the scene and also called 911 shortly after the shooting," he said. When police arrived she "set the gun down and gave up."

Police recovered five shell casings in the parking lot and five bullets remained in the .38 caliber handgun, Hutson said.

Authorities only identified the suspect as a 70-year-old Taylorsville resident, but the Salt Lake Tribune gave her name as M. Nance Hanson.

Nikitina taught young kids at the program for two years.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,584362,00.html

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Police Search Minivan Belonging to Husband of Missing Utah Mom

January 29, 2010

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah  — 

Police in suburban Salt Lake City have searched a minivan belonging to the husband of a Utah woman who has been missing since early December.

West Valley City police Capt. Anita Schwemmer said investigators impounded Josh Powell's minivan on Thursday after obtaining a search warrant.

Susan Powell was last seen at home on Dec. 7. Josh Powell told police he saw his wife about 12:30 a.m. as he left with the couple's young sons for a winter camping trip on the Pony Express trail west of Salt Lake City.

Josh Powell, 34, has been called the sole person of interest in the case, but has not been arrested. He moved away from Utah weeks ago to stay with family in Washington state.

He was back in Utah on Friday to prepare his West Valley City home to sell or rent.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,584358,00.html

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Muslim Parents of Ohio Christian Convert Reject Resolution

January 29, 2010

COLUMBUS, Ohio — 

Muslim parents of an Ohio girl who ran away from home claiming she feared harm for becoming a Christian have rejected a deal meant to resolve the conflict with counseling.

Mohamed and Aysha Bary of New Albany in suburban Columbus withdrew their consent in a court filing Thursday that alleges misrepresentation in the plan approved Jan. 19.

The Barys and their daughter, 17-year-old Rifqa Bary, had agreed she would stay in foster care and they would undergo counseling instead of going to trial to determine where the girl should live.

The Barys now allege that Franklin County Children Services are permitting Rifqa to communicate with a Florida pastor and his wife who helped her run away last summer.

A Florida law enforcement investigation conducted after the girl fled Ohio found no credible threats to the girl.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,584350,00.html

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From the FBI

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