At the last minute, again, Iraq begins destroying banned missels under UN supervision. -- ABC
LA is now the largest city to officially adopt an anti-war resolution. -- LAT
Mexico, who sits on the UN Security Council, apparently changes direction and appears to be willing to vote for another UN authorization for war. – MSN
AFL-CIO Executive Council unanimously adopts a resolution opposing TW’s unilateral war. The vote is the first time that the AFL-CIO has opposed the war plans of a sitting POTUS. The White House responds that the labor organization is becoming “attachments” of the Dem Party. – CNN
The US Military is telling Congress that occupation of Iraq will require hundreds of thousands of troops! – Independent
Some articles just make you think and this is one of them. As Americans, we sometimes assume that we have and have had the “corner” on democracy. Not entirely true as this article points out, and one of the reasons some in the world think America has no humility. – Guardian Unlimited
ECHO
Parliament supports Echo’s resolution for war against Iraq. The vote was 393 to 199. “But 199 parliamentarians backed an amendment to that motion stating that the case for war is unproven, fearing they will not get another say before military action begins. Embarrassingly for Blair, 122 of them came from his ruling Labor Party -- more than a quarter of the total in parliament -- dwarfing any previous internal rebellion he has faced in nearly six years in power. Blair's huge parliamentary majority and the support of most opposition Conservatives ensured he won the vote by 393 to 199. But the scale of the revolt far exceeded expectations and will add to the impression of a leader standing dangerously out on a limb with opinion polls showing most Britons would not support a new Gulf war.” -- Washington Post [Junkie: The vote was actually a “defeat” for Echo. For Junkies to understand, Michael Carmichael, Junkie Editor for European Affairs has written a brief note in Junkies Speak which is a must read.]
A member of the Labour Party warns Echo that more members of the Party will abandon support of his government if England participates in a war against Iraq without UN support. – Guardian Unlimited
ECONOMY
European markets closed on Tuesday at a 6 year low. – FT
Bad news from the US continues. Consumer confidence falls to a 10 year low. “The consumer confidence index fell to 64.0 in February, from a downwardly revised 78.8 in January. It was the third consecutive monthly decline. Economists on average had expected the index to fall to 76.8. Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board's Consumer Research Centre, said: "Lackluster job and financial markets, rising fuel costs and the increasing threat of war and terrorism appear to have taken a toll on consumers.” - BBC
There is reason for consumers to be in the dumps. Natural gas prices have increased 40% since last year and home heating oil costs are up by 50%. Last year “the average winter heating oil bill was $642, the Energy Department says. Bills might approach $1,000 this winter.” - CNN [Junkie: This is the price of TW’s war!]
RIGHT TO CHOOSE
The US Supreme Court, in an 8 to 1 decision, holds that Federal Courts cannot issue nationwide injunctions under RICO laws to stop anti-abortion protestors from interfering with abortion clinics. “’This opinion is a green light to the people who have been orchestrating this violence behind the scenes to proceed full speed ahead,’ said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. ‘What it means is that again women will be putting their bodies on the line to protect the clinics and patients.’ Other women's organizations said the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act largely protects women from the worst kinds of harassment outside clinics. The law requiring protesters to keep their distance was passed eight years after NOW sued Scheidler and other abortion opponents in federal court. -- CBS
ESTRADA
One Dem abandons the filibuster of Estrada’s nomination to the D.C. Curcit Court of Appeals. “President Bush picked up a fourth U.S. Senate Democrat on Tuesday, Bill Nelson of Florida, in support of his embattled nomination of Miguel Estrada to a federal appeals court.” Sen. Graham is also wavering. -- Yahoo As of Friday, it appears that the Dems may be gaining the upper hand. The Repubs have called for a cloture vote on Tuesday of next week. -- Fox [Junkie: Will the Dems hold? If so, TW may get the message that fanatic right wing ideologues will not become judges.]
THINKING OF RETIRING?
“The aging U.S. population will present ``daunting challenges'' to the economy and force Congress to restructure federal retirement programs, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said. As the so-called baby boom generation -- those born between 1946 and 1964 -- retire, the number of people with claims on Social Security and other federal entitlement programs will rise faster than the contributions made by working people who pay into these systems. Eventually, the economy will have to shoulder the burden in some form: higher taxes, lower benefits, deep budget cuts, or bigger deficits, the Fed chairman suggested. . . . ‘In particular, paying for retirement programs will strain the federal budget, he said, making our Social Security and Medicare programs unsustainable in the long run, short of a major increase in immigration rates, a dramatic acceleration in productivity growth well beyond historical experience, a significant increase in the age of eligibility for benefits, or the use of general revenues to fund benefits.' “ – FT
BILLIONAIRE AGAINST TW
“Billionaire capitalist George Soros, whose shrewd speculation conquered world markets, delivered a scathing denunciation of Bush administration policies yesterday, accusing the White House of shirking its responsibility as the world's only superpower. In a speech before 500 at Carnegie Mellon University, Soros said the Bush administration had a ‘visceral aversion to international cooperation,’ which is why it is willing to ignore world opinion in its rush to wage war with Iraq. ‘President Bush is pushing the wrong buttons when he says, 'Those who are not with us, are against us,' ‘ Soros said. ‘This is an imperialist vision in which the U.S. leads and the rest of the world follows.’ Soros characterized some members of the Bush administration, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General John Ashcroft, as having ‘an exaggerated view of their own righteousness.’ Bush's willingness to exert U.S. military power existed prior to the Sept. 11 attacks, which only served to enforce that tendency, Soros said. His solution, Soros said, is for the Bush administration to live by the rules it seeks to impose on the rest of the world. Soros said he liked former treasury secretary Paul O'Neill, though he thought the ex-Alcoa chairman ‘was not terribly well qualified" for the Cabinet post. The bigger problem at the Treasury Department, he said, was its neglect of responsibilities in regards to the international financial system. Soros added that he felt O'Neill, whose blunt and open style sometimes grated other members of the administration, was a breath of fresh air.” -- Post-Gazette [Junkie: This article, from a person in a position to say what he means, is worth reading every word.]
TAX REFORM
“Even before Congress begins debating President Bush's tax cut plan, Republican tax-writing aides have inserted a generous new provision for major corporations and their shareholders that some fear could open the legislation to a tidal wave of loopholes. The provision would be of tremendous benefit to such blue-chip giants as International Business Machines Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Electric Co., which otherwise would have had the value of billions of dollars in tax credits radically reduced by the president's plan to end the "double taxation" of dividends.” – Washington Post
MALPRACTICE REFORM
Members of Congress are discussing Jessica’s death in North Carolina as an example of how Repb malpractice “reform” will affect justice in individual cases. Jessica’s attorneys are appearing with members of Congress. – N&O