Source: http://www.ceousa.org/content/view/591/68/
Friday, May 23, 2008
Barack Obama must be too busy declaring victory to read a newspaper. How else can you explain the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's obliviousness to what is going on in Iraq at this very moment?
Both The New York Times and the Washington Post this week had front-page stories about successful operations by Iraqi forces to root out Shiite militias in Baghdad's Sadr City -- a significant turning point in the war and a huge accomplishment for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But there Obama was Tuesday evening patting himself on the back for his Oregon primary victory while once again repeating the same old tired formulation about the "failed" Bush policy in Iraq, "that asks everything of our troops and nothing of Iraqi politicians."
Sadr City has been a major problem for Maliki's fragile government. When Sunni tribal leaders last year began to turn against the insurgency -- whose forces were swelled with foreign fighters and which had killed thousands of Sunnis, as well as Shiites and Americans -- Maliki came under increasing pressure to rein in Shiite militias. His first effort to do so in Basra, a Shiite city the south of Iraq, was largely successful despite early reports of massive desertion by Iraqi troops and logistical problems. But Sadr City has always been the toughest nut to crack, with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militias ruling the streets in the enclave of 2 million people.
Iraqi troops were able to move into Sadr City and restore order there, allowing civil society to function, precisely because Maliki's Shiite-dominated government is making significant strides in political reconciliation with Sunnis. So why can't Obama acknowledge this improvement? Because he's invested too much in the Iraqis -- and the U.S. -- failing.
Now, Gen. David Petraeus, who currently leads U.S. forces in Iraq but has been nominated to take over the entire U.S. Central Command, says that things are going so well in Iraq that the U.S. will be able to withdraw more troops from there in the fall. But this type of good news is bad news to Sen. Obama, and most Democrats.
Obama and his fellow Democrats are stuck in a time warp. The Democratic candidates -- Hillary Clinton only slightly less so than Obama -- have been counting on military and political failure in Iraq. When things started improving with the surge in U.S. troops and the so-called Sunni Awakening last year, they couldn't retool their messages to take account of the improved situation.
It's not so surprising that much of the Democratic Congressional leadership would fall into this trap. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are, after all, baby boomers who came of age during the Vietnam War. Iraq was always Vietnam redux for them. But Obama claims he represents a new generation, new ideas -- in his words, "change."
But he certainly hasn't let the facts change his opinion about what is going on in Iraq or what the United States should do in response. Like a broken record, he just keeps repeating the same old tune. If he really were a new kind of politician, he'd cheer what's happening in Iraq, compliment Prime Minister Maliki for his strides, and rethink his promise to undercut the progress by a precipitous withdrawal of all American troops.
In his stubborn refusal to admit things have changed in Iraq, Obama is looking more and more like a throwback to the Vietnam protestors who actively promoted America's defeat in order to prove they were right in their opposition to the Vietnam War. He may not be old enough to remember firsthand the shouts of "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh," or the Viet Cong flags hoisted at anti-war rallies of that era. But the sentiment that the enemy must win in order for American policy to be thoroughly repudiated seems to hover just beneath the surface of his gloomy assessment of Iraq. Obama's pessimism is simply old school anti-Americanism dressed up in patriotic rhetoric.
Linda Chavez is the author of "An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal."
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Obama's Tired Old Formula By Linda Chavez
Obama's Gloomy Big-Government Vision By Lawrence Kudlow
Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/02/obamas_gloomy_biggovernment_vi.html
February 15, 2008
Senator Barack Obama is very gloomy about America, and he's aligning himself with the liberal wing of the Democratic party in hopes of coming to the nation's rescue. His proposal? Big-government planning, spending, and taxing -- exactly what the nation and the stock market doesn't want to hear.
Obama unveiled much of his economic strategy in Wisconsin this week: He wants to spend $150 billion on a green-energy plan. He wants to establish an infrastructure investment bank to the tune of $60 billion. He wants to expand health insurance by roughly $65 billion. He wants to "reopen" trade deals, which is another way of saying he wants to raise the barriers to free trade. He intends to regulate the profits for drug companies, health insurers, and energy firms. He wants to establish a mortgage-interest tax credit. He wants to double the number of workers receiving the earned-income tax credit (EITC) and triple the EITC benefit for minimum-wage workers.
The Obama spend-o-meter is now up around $800 billion. And tax hikes on the rich won't pay for it. It's the middle class that will ultimately shoulder this fiscal burden in terms of higher taxes and lower growth.
This isn't free enterprise. It's old-fashioned-liberal tax, and spend, and regulate. It's plain ol' big government. The only people who will benefit are the central planners in Washington.
Obama would like voters to believe that he's the second coming of JFK. But with his unbelievable spending and new-government-agency proposals he's looking more and more like Jimmy Carter. His is a "Grow the Government Bureaucracy Plan," and it's totally at odds with investment and business.
Obama says he wants U.S. corporations to stop "shipping jobs overseas" and bring their cash back home. But if he really wanted U.S. companies to keep more of their profits in the states he'd be calling for a reduction in the corporate tax rate. Why isn't he demanding an end to the double-taxation of corporate earnings? It's simple: He wants higher taxes, too.
The Wall Street Journal's Steve Moore has done the math on Obama's tax plan. He says it will add up to a 39.6 percent personal income tax, a 52.2 percent combined income and payroll tax, a 28 percent capital-gains tax, a 39.6 percent dividends tax, and a 55 percent estate tax.
Not only is Obama the big-spending candidate, he's also the very-high-tax candidate. And what he wants to tax is capital.
Doesn't Obama understand the vital role of capital formation in creating businesses and jobs? Doesn't he understand that without capital, businesses can't expand their operations and hire more workers?
Dan Henninger, writing in Thursday's Wall Street Journal, notes that Obama's is a profoundly pessimistic message. "Strip away the new coat of paint from the Obama message and what you find is not only familiar," writes Henninger. "It's a downer."
Obama wants you to believe that America is in trouble, and that it can only be cured with a big lurch to the left. Take from the rich and give to the non-rich. Redistribute income and wealth. It's an age-old recipe for economic disaster. It completely ignores incentives for entrepreneurs, small family-owned businesses, and investors. You can't have capitalism without capital. But Obama would penalize capital, be it capital from corporations or investors. This will only harm, and not advance, opportunities for middle-class workers.
Obama believes he can use government, and not free markets, to drive the economy. But on taxes, trade, and regulation, Obama's program is anti-growth. A President Obama would steer us in the social-market direction of Western Europe, which has produced only stagnant economies down through the years. It would be quite an irony. While newly emerging nations in Eastern Europe and Asia are lowering the tax penalties on capital -- and reaping the economic rewards -- Obama would raise them. Low-rate flat-tax plans are proliferating around the world. Yet Obama completely ignores this. American competitiveness would suffer enormously under Obama, as would job opportunities, productivity, and real wages.
Imitate the failures of Germany, Norway, and Sweden? That's no way to run economic policy.
I have so far been soft on Obama this election season. In many respects he is a breath of fresh air. He's an attractive candidate with an appealing approach to politics. Obama is likeable, and sometimes he gets it -- such as when he opposed Hillary Clinton's five-year rate-freeze on mortgages.
But his message is pessimism, not hope. And behind the charm and charisma is a big-government bureaucrat who would take us down the wrong economic road.
Lawrence Kudlow is a former Reagan economic advisor, a syndicated columnist, and the host of CNBC's Kudlow & Company. Visit his blog, Kudlow's Money Politics.
Obama's African Achievements are highlights of Senate Career
Source: http://obamawtf.blogspot.com/2008/02/obama-tried-to-block-presidents.html
(AP)Highlights of the work done by Sen. Barack Obama since joining the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2005:
MAJOR TRIPS:
-- In 2005, Obama traveled with Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., to former Soviet states and visited sites where nuclear weapons were being dismantled.
-- In 2006, Obama visited Africa, where he and his wife publicly took HIV tests in Kenya to encourage citizens there to do the same. He also met AIDS researchers and activists and caused a stir by speaking out against corruption and the corrosive role of tribal loyalties in the Kenyan government.
-- Also in 2006, Obama traveled to the Middle East, where he met Israel's foreign minister, spent two days in Iraq talking to officials and military commanders, and stopped in the Palestinian territory, Jordan and Kuwait.
LEGISLATION:
-- In February 2008, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Obama's proposal to require a new strategy to reduce global poverty.
Ed comment: Sounds like Miss World contestant
-- In January 2007, the president signed Obama and Lugar's legislation aimed at improving nonproliferation efforts, including eliminating stockpiles of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Later that year, Obama proposed creating an internationally monitored uranium reserve that would guarantee fuel would be available for commercial nuclear reactors and dissuade countries from building their own uranium enrichment capability.
-- In June 2007, the Senate passed Obama's resolution condemning violence by the Zimbabwe government.
-- In January 2007, he proposed legislation that would have prevented President Bush from sending more troops to Iraq and required troop withdrawals to begin that spring. Last November, he introduced legislation that would make clear Congress had not authorized military force against Iran. Neither measure received a vote.
-- In July 2005, the Senate passed legislation co-sponsored by Obama to provide $13 million for the Special Court for Sierra Leone to use in the prosecution of former Liberian President Charles Taylor.
GOP intensifies call for offshore drilling: Reid touts anti-speculation bill By S.A. Miller
Source: http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/jul/08/gop-intensifies-call-for-offshore-drilling/
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Senate Republicans pressed the chamber's Democratic majority Monday to drop its opposition to more offshore oil drilling as the average price of gasoline hit a new high of nearly $4.11 per gallon.
"The American people are saying loud and clear - there is no ambiguity about it - they want us to do something [about gas prices] and they understand the law of supply and demand," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican.
Democrats did not budge, saying oil companies currently sit on unused oil-drilling leases for 68 million acres of federal lands and that they forgo tax breaks to develop alternative energy.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, instead touted bipartisan proposals aimed at reining in speculators in the oil futures market. Speculators have been blamed for creating artificially high prices.
"Even if the Republican proposal were enacted, it would take years - even decades - to conduct exploration and begin drilling," Mr. Reid said on the Senate floor. "And even then, the Republican plan wouldn't lower gas prices."
The energy debate overshadowed other business facing the chamber, including a $300 billion bill to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, a Medicare bill to reverse a planned 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors and an update of rules for government electronic eavesdropping on foreign terrorism suspects.
Mr. Reid accused Republicans of blocking the housing and Medicare bills and of stalling Democratic tax breaks for developing clean alternative fuels.
JOHN TULLY/THE WASHINGTON TIMES Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell addresses reporters at his office on Monday. The Kentucky Republican pushed the Democrats to accept more offshore oil drilling in a bid to combat rising gasoline prices.
"As the American people endure sleepless nights trying to figure out how to make ends meet and provide for their families, they deserve to know that their Congress is working hard to help," he said. "Instead, they are seeing Senate Republican leaders simply refusing to work with Democrats on legislation essential to our country in this economic recession."
Both sides said mounting pressure from voters would work in their favor.
Mr. McConnell, speaking to reporters in his Capitol office, cited a survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press that showed 45 percent of liberal voters say expanded energy exploration is the top priority, up from 22 percent with that view in February.
"I can't imagine that the majority is going to ignore that indefinitely," he said.
He said he was courting Democratic support for a bill that would give states the option to approve offshore oil drilling and lift the moratorium on oil-shale projects, which could produce as much as 800 billion barrels of oil in the U.S.
The Republican bill also would provide incentives for developing battery-powered cars and crack down on speculation in the oil futures market.
The measure, titled the Gas Price Reduction Act, is co-sponsored by 44 of the chamber's 49 Republicans but has no Democratic sponsors.
"The process of reaching out has begun," Mr. McConnell said. "I wouldn't say we have any on board."
Washington Times Editorial: Obama flips and flops
Source: http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/jul/08/obama-flips-and-flops/
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
As Barack Obama continues to campaign for the general election, his flip-flops increase along the way. Thus, he is jeopardizing the image he has cultivated as an authentic and principled candidate. His reversals are so egregious that, at this rate, he risks snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Mr. Obama's credibility was first breached during the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy. When video surfaced of Rev. Wright making inflammatory statements at Trinity United Church, Mr. Obama took a principled stand: "I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother." Yet, the Illinois senator subsequently denounced his pastor and then left Trinity United Church. Mr. Obama's statements throughout the controversy revealed that he was deceptive: Either he knew that Rev. Wright was a radical preacher and therefore initially feigned ignorance of his ideology, or, Mr. Obama did not know Rev. Wright had so many extreme viewpoints, which means he overstated his commitment and zeal for Trinity United Church. Mr. Obama's mishandling of the Rev. Wright controversy was the first major, visible crack in his public image as a man of principle.
Since then, the flip-flops abound - on small matters and large. Mr. Obama declared during the primaries that he would opt out of The North American Free Trade Agreement if it was not re-negotiated; he then stated that his rhetoric had been "overheated." He pledged to accept public financing; he then decided to forgo public financing because John McCain and the Republicans would "game the system." He stated that he was willing to meet rogue leaders "without preconditions" only to declare later that certain preconditions were necessary before engaging in talks. In a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, he stated that he would support an "undivided Jerusalem;" he then said he had been misunderstood. He declared that the D.C. gun ban was constitutional, only to later praise the recent Supreme Court ruling that the gun ban is unconstitutional. He was opposed to granting immunity to telecommunications companies for wire-tapping and yet he now favors this. When he came under fire during the primaries for not wearing a flag lapel pin, he stated that he stopped wearing it because it "became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism." He now wears a flag lapel pin.
Perhaps in isolation, each of these incidents could be justified. However, there is a pattern emerging: Mr. Obama does not stand his ground when it is not politically expedient. When he reverses course, he is willing to blame others for his errors in judgement. He also makes convoluted, misleading statements. The Democrat is both a flip-flopper and a deceiver. This is indeed a manifestation of audacity - but does not offer voters much hope for "new politics."
Monday, July 07, 2008
Retired Jews are the Florida key By Peter Worthington
Source: http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Worthington_Peter/2008/06/16/5890101-sun.php
Mon, June 16, 2008
It's clear that both John McCain and Barack Obama want the Jewish vote in their run for the U.S. presidency -- but which one are American Jews likely to support?
The Jewish vote is important, not because of their numbers, but because of their influence and money -- not necessarily in that order.
Traditionally, Jews vote for the Democratic ticket.
This year may be different, because of the candidates.
To a non-Jew (me), the choice seems a no-brainer, especially if one is concerned about the security of Israel and its continued existence.
This latter, is not carved in stone, and more uncertain than at any time since the 1950s when the repeated Arab intent was "to drive Israel into the sea."
Since the rise of Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the "elimination" of Israel is again echoing across the Middle East, endorsed by Hezbollah and Hamas, both supported by Iran or, more precisely, by Ahmadinejad and those who reflect his hate.
Although he yearns for nuclear weapons (right now limited to enriched uranium), we (the outside world) shouldn't panic prematurely.
Rather, we should realize there's a vibrant democratic movement inside Iran which, if not exactly democratic, at least is uneasy about Ahmadinejad.
AIR ATTACK
Last fall, an Israeli air attack demolished an intended nuclear plant in northern Syria that resulted in minimum publicity -- outrage from the supplier, North Korea, and muted dismay from Syria and Iran.
How about Obama's and McCain's individual pledges to stand by Israel if elected president? Which of them has the most credibility?
Obama's words are silken and honeyed, as he pledges: "Israel's security is sacrosanct, non-negotiable ... I will always keep the threat of military action on the table to defend our ally, Israel ... I will never compromise Israel's security ... do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." And so on. Sentiments echoed by Hillary Clinton, who seems determined to be vice-president.
McCain, on the other hand, isn't as eloquent on the subject. To him it's a given that he supports Israel. His policies alone, if successful, protect Israel. Words are unnecessary -- his actions speak volumes.
Unlike some, McCain I believable when he says: "There's only one thing worse than military action, and that's a nuclear-armed Iran."
If elected, he intends to keep American troops in the area until there's no need for them. Obama, on the other hand, wants to withdraw U.S. troops -- but would send them back if Israel's survival were threatened. If you believe that, you probably believe in Ahmadinejad's pacifism.
Without mentioning Israel, McCain has made it clear he intends to reduce the threat of Ahmadinejad and Iran. Obama favours unconditional talks with Ahmadinejad, Hamas and other Mideast factions. Small wonder the anti-Israel faction want Obama as prez -- and are uneasy about McCain.
DOMESTIC ISSUES
So how will American Jews vote? I'm told by people who know, that two-thirds of young American Jews base their vote on domestic issues, one third on the Israeli question.
California, New York and Florida are states with the most Jews. It's likely California and New York Jews will vote for Obama -- which won't affect the outcome, because these states are Democratic bastions.
Florida Jews are older (retired), and more concerned about Israel. These are likely to vote for McCain, and are a significant factor in a swing state.
In other words, the Jewish vote is irrelevant in California and New York, but critical to both candidates in Florida. Here, McCain's prospects are better because his policies make Israel more secure than Obama's.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Indonesians report Obama was more active as a Muslim than he admits
Source: http://obamawtf.blogspot.com/2008/04/indonesian-papers-report-on-obamas.html
The Indonesian Newspaper Banjarmasin Post sheds light on Obama's early years. This report suggests that Obama has not accurately reported his early religious education. It also raises several legal questions relating to the fact that he was an Indonesian citizen, and whether he now needs to renounce his dual nationality. Clarification from Team Obama would be helpful
In summary the article states
1) Obama was active in the prayer room
2) Barry was at one time quite a religious Muslim
3) All his father's relatives were religious Muslims
4) Barry was registered as a Muslim and an Indonesian citizen at his school in 1968
5) Obama has now moved onto be a Christian
Here's a machine generated translation of the article, with the original directly below:
On Sunday, on July 09 2006 02:31
Obama small still was remembered by his teammates in Jakarta. Barry, the Barack call during small, flexible and easy-going. Apart from often played marble and football, he was active to the prayer room.
Barry was previously quite religious Islam. His birth father, Barack Husein Obama was the Muslim economist from Kenya. Before marrying Ann Dunham, Husein Obama married Kenyans and produced seven children. All the relatives a Barry's father were religious Islam. "We previously often asked him to the prayer room close to the house." If with the sarong, funny deh, said Rony Amir, Barry's teammate when living in Street H Ramli, the region Menteng Dalam, Jakarta. In fact, without wearing the sarong, Barry also appeared funny. This was because his body was fat, tall, and he had curly hair. Ronny when remembering the memory with Barry always laughed. "Funny no matter what," he said while terkekeh.
But, at this time Barry has moved the Christian religion. He lived happy with his wife, Michelle, with two daughters. Since being chosen as the US senator from Illinois, Barry's name was increasingly famous. About the challenged taken on by Barry in the USA, Rony took part in feeling proud. According to him, since childhood, Barry indeed liked to socialise. Perhaps this became important for Barry, so as to become a politicians who was respected in the USA. Be most startled enough also Rony when hearing Barry becoming the great person in US. Padahal, since small, Barry did not differ from children Menteng Dalam that liked to play marble and football. "That distinguished with us only, at that time his body was high big and black," said Rony.
In the beginning of the life in Jakarta, Barry the school in the Franciscan PRIMARY SCHOOL. Here he was registered by the name of Barry Soetoro. He entered this PRIMARY SCHOOL with the serial number 203. In his report, Barry was written was born in Honolulu, on August 4 1961. In the school document, Barry was written as the Indonesian citizen.
Barry entered the Franciscan PRIMARY SCHOOL on January 1 1968 and sat in the class of 1B. Agama Barry that was written in the document was Islam.
While his father had a name L Soetoro Ma that worked as the official of Director General's Geography of Topografi TNI Angkatan Darat of the Service.
Barry only went to school three years in the Asisi PRIMARY SCHOOL.
He only studied until the class 3.
In 1970, Barry moved to the Percobaan PRIMARY SCHOOL 04 Besuki, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat.
When moving to the Besuki PRIMARY SCHOOL, Barry also moved the house to Street Dempo, Matraman, Jakarta
Dozens of years did not meet, friends of Barry's PRIMARY SCHOOL in Jakarta then yearned for him.
Initially, they did not know Barack Obama.
However after they saw his photograph, they then just understood that the loop hair had black skin that was Barry.
"Oh... the black that."
He previously his name of Barry.
Intensively he, now he is the great person.
In America again.
When yes he to Indonesia again, said Irma Dewi Sukanti, one of the former friends of the senator who currently is talked about as the US presidential candidate 2008. competed with Hillary Rodham Clinton, the wife former US President Bill Clinton.
dtc/dws
Tranlated at http://www.toggletext.com/kataku_trial.php#Source Banjarmasin Post.
Sunday, 09 July 2006 02:31
SENATOR AS RASA INDONESIA (2-HABIS)
Bocah Negro Gemuk Itu Rajin Ke MushalaBarack Obama kecil masih diingat oleh teman-teman sepermainannya di Jakarta. Barry, panggilan Barack saat kecil, supel dan pandai bergaul. Selain sering bermain kelereng dan sepakbola, dia aktif ke mushala.
AKRAB - Senator Obama bersama dua pendukung. Barry dulu memang beragama Islam. Ayah kandungnya, Barack Husein Obama adalah seorang muslim ahli ekonomi asal Kenya. Sebelum menikah dengan Ann Dunham, Husein Obama telah menikah dengan orang Kenya dan mendapat keturunan tujuh anak. Semua saudara sebapak Barry ini beragama Islam.
"Kita dulu sering mengajak dia ke mushala dekat rumah. Kalau pakai sarung, lucu deh," kata Rony Amir, teman sepermainan Barry saat tinggal di Jalan H Ramli, kawasan Menteng Dalam, Jakarta.
Sebenarnya, tanpa memakai sarung, Berry juga tampak lucu. Ini karena badannya gemuk, tinggi, serta berambut ikal. Ronny saat mengingat kenangan bersama Barry selalu tertawa. "Lucu pokoknya," ujarnya sambil terkekeh.
Tapi, saat ini Barry sudah berpindah agama Kristen. Dia hidup bahagia bersama istrinya, Michelle, dengan dua putri. Sejak terpilih sebagai senator AS dari Illinois, nama Barry semakin terkenal.
Tentang sepak terjang Barry di AS, Rony turut merasa bangga. Menurut dia, sejak kecil, Barry memang suka bergaul.
Barangkali inilah yang menjadi modal bagi Barry, sehingga menjadi politisi yang cukup disegani di AS.
Cukup terkejut juga Rony saat mendengar Barry menjadi orang top di AS. Padahal, semenjak kecil, Barry tidak beda dengan anak-anak Menteng Dalam yang senang main kelereng dan sepakbola.
"Yang membedakan dengan kita hanyalah, saat itu badannya tinggi besar dan hitam," ujar Rony.
Di awal-awal hidup di Jakarta, Barry sekolah di SD Fransiskus Asisi. Di sini dia terdaftar dengan nama Barry Soetoro. Dia masuk ke SD ini dengan nomor urut 203.
Dalam rapornya, Barry tertulis lahir di Honolulu, 4 Agustus 1961. Dalam dokumen sekolah, Barry tertulis sebagai warga negara Indonesia.
Barry masuk ke SD Fransiskus Asisi pada 1 Januari 1968 dan duduk di kelas 1B. Agama Barry yang tertulis dalam dokumen itu adalah Islam. Sementara ayahnya bernama L Soetoro MA yang bekerja sebagai pegawai Dinas Geografi Ditjen Topografi TNI Angkatan Darat. Barry hanya bersekolah tiga tahun di SD Asisi. Dia hanya belajar sampai kelas 3.
Pada 1970, Barry pindah ke SD Percobaan 04 Besuki, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat. Saat pindah ke SD Besuki, Barry juga pindah rumah ke Jalan Dempo, Matraman, Jakarta.
Puluhan tahun tidak bertemu, teman-teman SD Barry di Jakarta pun merindukannya. Awalnya, mereka tidak mengenal Barack Obama. Namun setelah mereka melihat fotonya, mereka pun baru paham bahwa si rambut ikal berkulit hitam itu adalah Barry.
"Oh...si negro itu. Dia dulu namanya Barry. Hebat dia, sekarang dia jadi orang top. Di Amerika lagi. Kapan ya dia ke Indonesia lagi," ujar Irma Dewi Sukanti, salah satu mantan teman senator yang kini disebut-sebut sebagai calon Presiden AS 2008. bersaing dengan Hillary Rodham Clinton, istri mantan Presiden AS Bill Clinton. dtc/dws
http://www.indomedia.com/bpost/072006/9/depan/utama4.htm
Employers use federal law to deny benefits
Employers use federal law to deny benefits
Saturday July 5, 11:31 pm ET
By Mark Sherman, Associated Press Writer
Workers -- and some judges -- frustrated in legal fights over benefits with large employers
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dying of cancer, Thomas Amschwand did everything he was told to make sure his wife would collect on the life insurance policy he had through his employer.
"He was obsessed with dotting every `i' and crossing every `t'," Melissa Amschwand-Bellinger recalled about her husband, who died in 2001 at age 30.
But Spherion Corp., the temporary staffing company where Amschwand worked, told Amschwand-Bellinger she would not receive any of the $426,000 in benefits she believed she was due. When she went to court, Spherion succeeded in getting her lawsuit thrown out. The Supreme Court on June 27 refused to review the case.
Amschwand-Bellinger received a refund of the few thousand dollars in insurance premiums she and her husband dutifully had paid. The total, she said, would not cover the costs of his funeral.
The story has played out often under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Designed to protect employee benefits, the law has been used by employers as a shield against suits.
Federal appeals courts, interpreting Supreme Court decisions dating to 1993, consistently have said companies that offer health, life and retirement benefits under ERISA cannot be sued for large amounts of money, or damages. Instead, they can be sued only for typically smaller sums such as Amschwand's insurance premiums.
Several federal judges have bemoaned the unfairness even as they have felt constrained to rule in favor of employers.
"The facts ... scream out for a remedy beyond the simple return of premiums," Judge Fortunato Benavides of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in the Amschwand case. "Regrettably, under existing law it is not available."
The Bush administration has argued that the appeals courts are misreading the precedents and has asked the high court at least twice to clarify the earlier rulings. So far it has refused.
Congress, which could amend ERISA to make clear such suits are allowed, also has taken no action.
The result, in the view of ERISA experts, the administration and some lawmakers, is perverse.
"The beneficiary under the policy didn't get the promised benefit," said Colleen Medill, an expert on ERISA at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "To say we're just going to return your premiums, that's a total farce. That's not what they paid the premiums for. They paid them for the benefits."
Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said at a recent hearing that before ERISA became law, employees clearly could sue for benefits in state courts.
The court rulings, said Leahy, D-Vt., have left people "more vulnerable than they were before the law was passed."
Spherion's decision to deny benefits to Amschwand-Bellinger turned on an odd set of facts. Spherion, which employs about 300,000 people, switched insurers after Thomas Amschwand was diagnosed with a rare form of heart cancer. The new policy did not take effect until an employee worked one full day. Spherion never informed Amschwand of the requirement.
Amschwand asked repeatedly whether there was anything else he needed to do and was told no. He asked that the new policy be sent to him. Spherion never did so.
He died without returning to work. His widow said he easily could have worked a day if that was what it took to activate the new policy. Spherion could have waived the one-day-of-work provision, as it did for other employees but not for Amschwand.
Spherion spokesman Kip Havel issued a brief statement when contacted by The Associated Press after the high court declined to review the case. "We are pleased the court has made its decision and the matter has finally been resolved," Havel said.
The court also recently turned down an appeal from Louis Gerard "Gerry" Goeres, who sued Charles M. Schwab & Co. over hundreds of thousands of dollars in retirement plan benefits.
For 16 months, Schwab mistakenly refused to acknowledge Goeres as the beneficiary in the retirement plan of his domestic partner, Stephen Ward, a Schwab employee who died in 1999. By the time Schwab acknowledged its error, the value of the account had declined by more than $500,000. Goeres sued for the rest. Federal courts dismissed the suit. "Unfortunately, legal relief is not available," U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said in ruling against Goeres.
"You know the Schwab commercial, `Talk to Chuck?'" Goeres said. "I thought if Chuck knew this, he'd say, 'Oh my God, this is so wrong.' I live on naive dreams."
Schwab said in court papers that Goeres could have taken legal action soon after Ward's death, when he first was told he was not the beneficiary.
Amschwand-Bellinger said the cases show the need for either the court or Congress to provide "some sort of meaningful remedy for employees when employers have a breach of fiduciary duty."
A Texas native who lives in an unincorporated Houston suburb, she has since remarried and has an 18-month-old daughter. She is president and executive director of the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation, which she founded with her first husband.
She recognizes that she is more fortunate than many others who have fought similarly futile battles for benefits under ERISA. "What if we had had children and I was a stay at home mom?" said Amschwand-Bellinger, who previously worked for a public hospital system. "What if I was 60 years old, with no skill sets, and I had to go back to work?"
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Bill's Comment: If you are able to get your own health insurance, then go for it. The day will come when employers will say, "To heck with this." If Congress was to pass a bill in which the employee can use it as a tax write-off and not the employer, then that will, at least, get the ball rolling. The sooner we can get rid of the entitlement mentality, the better off we will be.
