Louisiana Pork

October 12, 2005

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) has requested $250 billion in federal reconstruction funds for Louisiana. That's more than $50,000 per person in the state. This money would come in addition to $62 billion that Congress has already appropriated for emergency relief and payouts from businesses, national charities and insurers.

"All the money will be for the benefit of Louisiana and Louisianans," said Landrieu. "All expenditures for machinery, materials, labor and special handling fees will go to Louisianans. All we are asking is for someone else to pay for it."

The items on Landrieu's list include: $5 billion to fund ads promoting Louisiana seafood, $10 billion to fund Viagra for alligator breeding, $20 billion to replace liquor and drugs lost or stolen during the hurricane, $40 billion for substandard building materials, $100 billion for shoddy workmanship and $75 billion in assorted consulting fees and service charges.

Democrats Attack Bill to Boost Refineries

A new Republican-crafted energy bill, prompted by hurricane devastation and high fuel prices, came under sharp attack from Democrats. Supporters argue the measure is needed to spur construction of new refineries. In 1981, the United States had 325 refineries capable of producing 18.6 million barrels a day. Today there are fewer than half that number, producing 16.9 million barrels daily. No refineries have been built in the United States since 1976.

One outspoken critic of the proposed legislation is Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass). "It does nothing to curb unwarranted automobile travel," said Markey. "We need high gas prices to encourage more people to stay home."

Among the groups trying to kill the bill are the National League of Cities, nine state attorneys general, most environmental organizations and groups representing state officials in charge of implementing federal clean air requirements. They said the bill would hinder their ability to engage in litigation aimed at blocking energy production.

"Soaring fuel prices open an opportunity for Americans to get back to a more natural way of living," said Nathan Greenpants, spokesman for Earth First, an environmental lobbying organization. "We should be tending organic gardens or gathering fruits and nuts in the forest, not racing down concrete freeways at 80 mph. Katrina has sent us a wake-up call. We should listen."

Embryonic Cells without an Embryo

Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch of M.I.T. and Dr. George Daley of Harvard Medical School have started some unusual and difficult experiments.

Stem cells, a type of universal cell in early embryos, can in theory grow into any of the body's tissues and organs. But embryonic stem cells are drawn from human embryos that are destroyed in the process. The moral objection has been that this is destroying human life.

So, Dr. Daley and Dr. Jaenisch have tried to get stem cells another way by creating aberrant cell clusters that contain stem cells. The idea is to produce embryonic cells without the embryos and make everyone happy.

Not everyone is happy, though. Planned Parenthood was quick to condemn the proposed research. “Harvested stem cells are an important revenue source that helps keep our birth control clinics going,” said Amy Nought, director of communications for the organization. “Creating artificial stem cells is an affront to natural processes. It would be a step toward a Frankenstein culture that we find abhorrent.”

The organization says it will lobby Congress to outlaw the proposed research.

Sheehan Urges Governor Schwarzenegger to March on Washington

Vacaville mother and anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan is asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to send California's National Guard troops to Washington to arrest President Bush.

Sheehan wants to deliver a letter to the governor. The letter reads, in part: "California should exploit the element of surprise by attacking Washington while the president is preoccupied with Iraq. After California troops depose the Bush regime, you could declare yourself president."

The governor's office acknowledged the implied vote of confidence Ms. Sheehan has expressed for the governor, but rebuffed her suggestion calling it "infeasible and probably illegal."

Willey and Broaddrick to Tour Clinton Library

Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick, two of the women assaulted by former president Bill Clinton plan to visit his presidential library.

Broaddrick alleges that then-Governor Clinton raped her during a conference in Arkansas in 1978, and Willey says that Clinton fondled her when she worked in the White House in 1993. Both also charge that Clinton’s inner circle—including wife Hillary Rodham Clinton—subsequently attempted to pressure and intimidate them into silence.

Broaddrick expressed eagerness to see the wax version of Monica Lewinski squatting in the knee hole of the presidential desk and the sink where Clinton reputedly "finished himself off." Willey says she hopes to purchase one of the souvenir cigars and perhaps a copy of the famous blue dress, if they're not too expensive.

Terrorists Sabotage Relief Work in Kashmir

There has been no letup in terrorist activity in Kashmir despite the earthquake. This was evident from the unabated violence by terrorists since Saturday when the tragedy struck people on both sides of the Line of Control.

Terrorists killed 10 members of two families by slitting their throats and robbing them. The terrorists are reported to be from the Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen.

In an audio tape sent to the media, a spokesman for Hizbul Mujahideen promised more strikes against the enemies of Islam. “The earthquake is a message from Allah,” said the voice on the tape. “Death will be visited upon all who do not believe the words of the Prophet. Those that Allah does not strike down himself will feel our knives on their throats.”

The tape also offered to sell videos of the recent murders for $29.95 plus postage and handling.

Bush, Blair ‘War Criminals’

A former chief UN weapons inspector has compared British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George Bush to the Nazi war criminals who started World War II.

Scott Ritter, a former U.S. marine, said the U.S. and Britain's "aggressive warfare" in Iraq was similar to German actions in Europe 66 years ago.

"Both these men could be pulled up as war criminals for engaging in actions that we condemned Germany in 1946 for doing the same thing," he said. "Tony Blair and George Bush are guilty of the crime of planning and committing aggressive warfare."

He described pre-war Iraq as a “peace-loving” nation. “Saddam Hussein never hurt anyone,” said Ritter. “The Iraqi people revered him and repeatedly re-elected him by a huge margin.”

But he said the aim of the U.S. Government was to exterminate the Iraqis. “Abu Graib was a death camp,” Ritter asserted. George Bush is the Middle Eastern equivalent of Adolf Hitler."

Ritter called for the removal of U.S. and British troops from Iraq and the hanging of the war criminals.

Europe facing age 'time-bomb'

A low birthrate combined with increased longevity is placing severe stresses on the welfare state. The president of the European Central Bank, Henri Gaspaud, warned Eurozone governments that drastic measures may have to be taken.

Officials in Brussels reputedly are looking into an idea first broached in a movie called “Soylent Green.”

John Semmens got his start writing about politics for his college newspaper. Since then, he has written more than 400 articles that have been published. In addition to "Semi-News," John writes a recurring column for the East Valley Tribune.

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