Principle of Universality: [Iran] Sees Nuclear Plans as a Boon, Not a Threat

“I'm not worried at all about putting in a new nuclear power plant. We're used to nuclear power around here. Plus, it'll create jobs, and one thing I've learned is that working people are happy people.”

Bill Whelchel, resident, Gaffney, S.C.

“I can't remember hearing a single negative comment from any local resident. …You add to [1,500 new jobs and tax revenues] the new home construction and the new businesses and it looks to be a really good things for this community and this county.”

Cody Sossamon, publisher, Gaffney Ledger.

“I found no single individual who had any concerns about the plant. The few who did have concerns were worried about increased traffic on the roads during construction.”

Henry B. Barron Jr., nuclear officer, Duke Power.

“We're looking at the kids who are in fifth grade. Those are the ones who need to start getting ready now for the jobs that are coming. That way they won't have to move away to find work if they don't want to.”

James P. Inman, executive director, Cherokee County Development Board.

“The financial impact here will be phenomenal. Right now, downtown's pretty much dead. Pretty much all we've got is Wal-Mart and the yellow mall. …I think people are just pretty much comfortable with nuclear power in this part of the country. We're getting farther away from Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.”

L. Hoke Parris, Gaffney resident.

Rick Lyman, “Town Sees Nuclear Plans as a Boon, Not a Threat,” New York Times, 4/10/06.

Bill Ford Jr.: Executive of the Year

“Too often in corporate America, you sit around the table, everyone nods their head and agrees to stuff they know isn't true, and then they go out and the hallway talk starts.”

William Clay Ford Jr., CEO, Ford Motor Co.

Micheline Maynard, “Bankruptcy Not an Option for Ford, Chief Says,” New York Times, 4/06/06.

Hassan Fatah: NYTs Newspeak

Democracy in the Arab World, a U.S. Goal, Falters: Steps toward democracy in the Middle East are slowing, blocked by legal maneuvers and official changes of heart

Hassan M. Fatah, Democracy in the Arab World, a U.S. Goal, Falters,” New York Times, 4/10/06.

Ambassador Brownfield: Persona Non Grata

“If the Washington government takes some measure against Venezuela motivated by provocations, you [U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield] will be responsible, you will have to leave here, sir. I will declare you persona non grata in Venezuela.”

Hugo Chávez.

Natalie Obiko Pearson, “Chavez Threatens to Expel U.S. Ambassador,” AP, 4/09/06.

Uncle Sam Buys The Farm

“U.S. farmers don't care what they sell their crop for because Uncle Sam tops it off for them, so they're never losing money.”

Paul Vogel, Canadian protest organizer.

“Thousands of Canadian Farmers Protest,” AP, 4/05/06.

Unions: “Sort of Taken Into Account”

“While unions might not have much in the way of power in a Chapter 11 case, they have a unique kind of influence. They might not get their way, but they've been sort of taken into account and things end up not being the way they would have been had the union not had this role.”

David Dykhouse, New York bankruptcy attorney.

Harry R. Weber, “Unions Wield More Influence in Bankruptcy,” AP, 4/07/06.

Fabrizio Induction: One Party US System

“These [low approval] numbers [for Republicans] are scary. We've lost every advantage we've ever had. The good news is Democrats don't have much of a plan. The bad news is they may not need one.”

Tony Fabrizio, fmr. pollster for Bob Dole, partner at Republican firm Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates.

Ron Fournier, “Bush, GOP Struggle for Public Approval,” AP, 4/08/06.

The End of the Rule of Law

“Because the rule of law has ended, that leaves us no choice but to take to the streets.”

Krishna Khanal, a university professor and activist.

Binaj Gurubacharya, “About 1,000 Activists March on Katmandu,” AP, 3/20/06.

Child Sorcerers

“Child sorcerers have the power to transmit any disease, including AIDS,
to their family members. AIDS is a mysterious disease that is used as a
weapon by those who practice witchcraft.

Prophet, specializing in child sorcery, Mbuji-Mayi, D.R. Congo.

What Future? Street Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch, April 2006, Volume 18, 2(A).

Bush: The Few Who Would Lead

“One way to help bring confidence to the Iraqi people that those few will not be able to determine the future of that country is for there to be unity government that steps up and says, `I'm willing to lead.’”

… a car bomb exploded Tuesday … killing at least 10 people. …At least a dozen other Iraqis were killed Tuesday…. They included a mother and two of her sons, 9 and 12, who died when a bomb exploded in front of their home in the capital.

…a receptionist at the United Arab Emirates Embassy and his friend - both Iraqis - were slain as they left the building,…. Gunmen also killed a judge, an ice cream vendor and his companion and a policeman…. In Samarra … a car bomb exploded near a convoy carrying the son of a city council member, killing a security guard and a driver,…. In southern Iraq, gunmen killed one policeman and wounded another…. Two mortar rounds exploded near the British consulate in Basra during a reception,…. Police in Baghdad also found the bodies of four men,…. It was unclear when they were slain. The body of a U.S. Marine … was also recovered Tuesday,…. Six U.S. troops were killed and two remain missing after the Sunday accident in western Iraq.

Robert H. Reid, “Key Iraq Leader Calls for PM to Step Aside,” AP, 4/04/06. [emphasis added]

Bush Administration Priorities

“We can help our farmers and ranchers for the cost of just the crumbs falling off the table from our work in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think it's time that we got the job done here at home.”

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-Nd.).

Andrew Taylor, “Cost of Iraq War, Hurricane Aid Bill: $100B,” AP, 4/04/06.

Jack Straw: Paying Gives Us The Right

Q: (Via interpreter): Don't you think that this an interference in the Iraqi affair in determining its fate, then especially that Iraq is supposed to be sovereign and this is against the principles of democracy?

Sec. Rice: Okay. The question was whether or not this is interference in Iraqi affairs. Iraq is sovereign. And is it also -- is it democratic to do this, I guess, is the way to put it.

… we should not say and will not say who the prime minister of Iraq should be, who the president of Iraq should be, who the speaker should be. But that there must be -- and soon -- responsible leaders in those positions is something that I think the international community has a right to expect.

Jack Straw: we will recognize anybody who emerges democratically as the prime minister and vice president, president, and other leaders, whether it's Mr. A, Mr. B, Mr. C. But please, the Americans have lost over 2,000 people. We've lost over 100. There are 140,000 overseas troops here, helping to keep the peace in Iraq and billions -- billions -- of United States dollars, hundreds of millions of British pound sterlings have come into this country. We do have, I think, a right to say that we've got to be able to deal with Mr. A or Mr. B or Mr. C. We can't deal with Mr. Nobody. And that's a problem, okay.

SR: Jack, I'm sure we'd be all right with Miss A, B or C, too, right? (Laughter.)

JS: Yeah, we would.

SR: Who knows? (Laughter.) Let's leave it open.

Remarks With British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Baghdad, Iraq, 3/03/06. [emphasis added]

Energy Bill: Bush’s “12-Step Program”

“Saying that America is addicted to oil without following a real plan for energy independence is like admitting alcoholism and then skipping out on the 12-step program.”

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.).

David Espo, “Obama: Dems Should Stress Oil Independence,” AP, 4/03/06.

Rick Wagoner: “Doing What Matters”

Keith Naughton: What about the coverage has annoyed you the most?

Rick Wagoner: They talk about that we are not moving to address the problems. I want to say, “Ex­cuse me, what part of $15 billion in health care [cuts], 12 plants [closing], 30,000 people [cut], attrition programs, salaried health-care and retirement [cuts], salaried head-count reduction, a new sales and marketing strategy, advancing product programs—what part of that doesn’t exhib­it not only a sense of urgency, but most im­portantly a sense of urgency in doing what matters?”

Rick Wagoner, CEO, General Motors.

Keith Naughton, “Fighting Back,” Newsweek, 4/10/06.

Erdogan’s Non-Discrimination Policy

“For those who keep their children in the streets or allow them to be used by the (rebels), their tears tomorrow will be in vain. Our security will make the necessary intervention against those who have become the pawns of terrorism, even if they are children or women.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister.

Suzan Fraser, “Kurdish Protesters Ransack Gov’t Offices,” AP, 4/01/06.

Portman: “9 or 10 Areas” of “Free Trade”

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, once every 10 or 15 years, to reduce barriers to trade globally. If it doesn't happen, then you not only lose that opportunity, and the gains to the world economy ... but also you lose the development gains that the Doha Round was initiated for. …We have agreed to have senior officials in Geneva carry out simulations in nine or 10 areas. We came up with a list of things, not just to look at but to come up with results.

Rob Portman, U.S. trade representative.

Michael Astor, “Brazil, U.S. and EU Discuss WTO Impasse,” AP, 4/01/06.

Bush: Tax Day

“As tax day approaches later this month, many American families are now finishing their tax returns. And as you do, an important debate is taking place in Washington that will affect the amount you will pay in the years ahead.”

George W. Bush.

Nedra Pickler, “Bush Pushes Case for Permanet Tax Cuts,” AP, 4/01/06.

Goldwater Suggests Enormous U.S. Prison

“Build us that wall - now!”

Don Goldwater, Arizona gubernatorial candidate.

Arthur H. Rotstein, “Minutemen Reopen Border Control Effort,” AP, 4/02/06.

Israel Again Rejects Universal Principle

As to the Hamas visit to Moscow, I believe this first contact was useful. … After Hamas had won in legitimate, democratic, free and fair elections and received a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council, there were no grounds not to forge contacts with this organization, which must become conscious of its responsibility for the fate of the Palestinian people. …Particularly since throughout its previous activity, apart from the armed struggle - a form which we disapprove, just as we do violence from the other side - Hamas has been doing a lot to solve economic and social problems in the Palestinian territories.

Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister.

Herb Keinon, “J’lem protests comparison to Hamas,” Jerusalem Post, 4/01/06.

“From my perspective, it's kind of like one hand clapping. We'd love to have a dialogue, but there needs to be someone to have a dialogue with.”

Maria Foscarinis, executive director, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

Allen G. Breed, “Post-Katrina Dialogue on Poverty Fizzles,” AP, 4/02/06.

Countering U.S. Preventive Policy

“Today, a remarkable goal of the Islamic Republic of Iran's defense forces was realized with the successful test-firing of a new missile with greater technical and tactical capabilities than those previously produced.”

Gen. Hossein Salami, Iranian Air Force.

Ali Akbar Dareni, “Iran Test-Fires Missle Able to Duck Radar,” AP, 3/31/06.

Iraqi, Japanese Public Opinion

“The creation of the Iraqi government is in no way complete ... We can't make definite decisions on withdrawal until the security and political situation becomes clearer. It's most desirable that we coordinate our withdrawal with British and Australian troops.”

Taro Aso, Japanese foreign minister.

Hiroko Tabuchi, “Japan to Hold Off Iraq Troop Withdrawal,” AP 4/02/06. [emphasis added]

Bill Ford: The Chance to Consider If…

“Once we know which way the Way, Way Forward plan will lead us, there's a good chance we'll be able to consider bringing the option of re-hiring some of those [82,000] hourly workers back to the table for discussion if we think it may prove beneficial to our shareholders, which is beneficial to our business, which is beneficial to America, which in turn is beneficial to American workers.”

Bill Ford, CEO, Ford Motor Co.

Ion Zwitter, “Ford Motor Co., in Cost Saving Measure, to Cease Automobile Production,” Auto Spectator, 4/01/06. [emphasis added]

High Compensation For Negative Performance

“Far too much compensation is delivered without any link to performance at all, with executives showered with golden hellos, golden goodbyes, tax payments and perquisites before during and after their employment.”

Corporate Library study.

“CEOs get big pay even as performance lags,” Reuters, 3/31/06.

Prized Pension Funds

“No one should want a foreign company to own a $34 billion pension fund -- worth more than twice Lucent's market value -- unless safeguards are in place to protect the pension and benefits of 235,000 retirees and their dependents.”

Ken Raschke, president, Lucent Retirees Organization, statement.

“Lucent retirees want protection in Alcatel talks,” Reuters, 3/31/06.

Lattieri: Nationalization Is Terrifying

“Most see [Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador] as pretty moderate. They are coming to realize he's not this terrifying communist bogeyman who is going to nationalize all kinds of sectors.”

Michael Lettieri, Council On Hemispheric Affairs, Washington, D.C.

Will Weissert, “Chavez a Hot Topic in Mexican Campaign,” AP, 3/29/06.

Taylor Law Always Results in “Harmonious Labor Relations”

“It is the administration's position that the Taylor Law has been effective over the years in helping to foster harmonious labor relations. The administration would oppose any legislation that attempts to diminish or dilute the positive effects that this law has had.”

James F. Hanley, NYC commissioner of labor relations, letter to NYC Council.

Thomas J. Lueck, “New York Labor Leaders Criticize Anti-Strike Law,” New York Times, 3/31/06.

Public Property Now Corporate Pork

In an effort to help erase the [internet access] divide, the federal government has provided low-cost connections for schools, libraries, hospitals and health clinics, allocated money to expand in-home access to computers and the Internet for low-income families and given tax incentives to companies donating computer and technical training and for sponsoring community learning centers.

Michel Marriot, “Digital Divide Closing as Blacks Turn to Internet,” New York Times, 3/31/06. [emphasis added]