THE PROGRESS REPORT

by Christy Harvey, Judd Legum and Jonathan Baskin with Nico Pitney and Mipe Okunseinde

April 29, 2005

by Christy Harvey, Judd Legum and Jonathan Baskin
with Nico Pitney and Mipe Okunseinde

SOCIAL SECURITY
Massive Middle-Class Benefit Cuts

Last night the president proposed deep Social Security benefit cuts for middle-class Americans. He formally "backed a specific plan to reduce future benefits for tens of millions of Americans." Yet in presenting the idea of progressive indexation -- a change in law that will give workers less money by tying their benefits to inflation instead of wage growth -- President Bush described it as a system "where benefits for low-income workers will grow faster than benefits for people who are better off." Here is the part he skipped: the plan "would reduce annual benefits for an average wage-earner who is 25 today and retires in 2045 by 16 percent.... For an average-earner who retires in 2075, the benefit reduction would be 28 percent."

THE SHELL GAME: There are only two ways to improve Social Security's solvency: either increase the amount of money going into the system or decrease the amount of money leaving the system. If the president's plan solves as much of the system's funding problem as the White House claims it does, then it accomplishes this success through benefit cuts or increases in the payroll tax. Last night, the president dishonestly described his plan in a way that suggested it involves neither of those two options. Not only did the president not acknowledge the sweeping cuts that would be made under his plan, but his definition of a "high wage earner" was equally as misleading. A worker making $58,000 a year -- who will see his or her benefits cut by 42 percent under the president's plan -- certainly could not be considered "affluent."

WHERE'S THE BEEF?: In praising his plan, President Bush claimed that it guarantees "future generations [will] receive benefits equal to or greater than the benefits today's seniors get." But that isn't an improvement over the current system. The Social Security Administration estimates that the system's reserves will be exhausted by 2041; at that point, "benefits would be almost three-quarters what is currently promised, and considerably higher in inflation-adjusted terms than they are now." Bottom line: "If nothing is done to Social Security, the system will be able to meet the president's promise to ensure that all seniors receive a benefit larger than current levels."

ALL IDEAS ARE NOT ON THE TABLE: Bush was directly asked if he would "consider it a success if Congress were to pass a piece of legislation that dealt with the long-term solvency problem but did not include personal accounts." Bush responded, "I feel strongly that there needs to be voluntary personal savings accounts as a part of the Social Security system. I mean, it's got to be a part of a comprehensive package." His answer reveals the president is more concerned with his ideological agenda than solving Social Security's problems.


BUDGET
Bush Speaks Softly, Congress Carries Big Axe

Last night President Bush proposed changing Social Security so low-income Americans would never have to "retire into poverty." Thanks to the federal budget crafted by the president and passed last night by conservatives in both houses of Congress, they won't have to wait until they retire. Besides adding $5.3 billion in new, regressive taxes that will hit middle- and lower-income Americans hardest, the conservative budget features "cuts in scores of programs that middle- and low-income families rely on." Most notably, Congress voted to slash Medicaid -- the country's premier health program for the poor -- by $10 billion over the next five years.

THE MEDICAID "VICTORY": The $10 billion in Medicaid cuts is significantly less than what the president had asked to be included in his budget, but will nevertheless be devastating for cash-strapped states struggling to provide adequate care. Medicaid, already facing increased costs "driven primarily by enrollment growth due to the economic downturn," was the single largest proposed reduction in the Bush 2006 budget. Governors from across the country implored Congress to hold back on the cuts, and seemed to gain some traction when the Senate voted to strip Medicaid cuts and set up a bipartisan commission to study the problem last month. That's why White House officials counted the $10 billion blow to the country's poorest and neediest "as a victory."

BUSTING THE BUDGET: In the name of "fiscal discipline," the budget passed yesterday by Congress slashes funding for education, health care and job training, but clears the way for $106 billion in new tax cuts over five years. Conservatives wanted to make sure that much of that money could never be used for anything useful, so $70 billion is "shielded from a Senate filibuster," including extensions of Wall Street specials like the 2003 cuts to capital gains and dividend tax rates. As the Washington Post notes, "the cost of those tax-cut extensions would more than nullify the savings from the spending cuts." According to CBPP, the budget will actually "increase deficits over the next five years by $168 billion, compared with the deficits the Congressional Budget Office estimates would occur if there were no changes in policies." Take a look at an analysis by the Center for American Progress that examines the state-by-state impact of the federal Medicaid cuts.

THE POVERTY PRESIDENT: Last night, President Bush said the "whole goal" of his Social Security plan was to make sure "nobody retired in poverty." Bush's sudden concern about "poverty" is touching, but millions of Americans could use the help before they retire. In President Bush's first term, poverty rose for three straight years, especially for children. What does the new budget do to address this problem? It slashes programs that provide health care to needy children, scales back on a campaign pledge to increase Pell grants which help low-income kids get an education and cuts job training programs that help the unemployed lift themselves out of poverty. For good measure, the budget also calls for a $600 million cut in the Food Stamp Program, making it harder for more than 300,000 low-income Americans to eat.

Under the Radar

IRAQ -- A CHALABI FAMILY AFFAIR: Ahmed Chalabi -- the one-time darling of the neo-cons who still holds a tender spot in Vice President Cheney's heart -- has done it again. Though his bid to be Iraq's top leader sputtered out months ago, Chalabi nevertheless captured a key position in the newly formed government as acting oil minister, overseeing the world's second largest proved crude reserves until a permanent chief is found. "With his nephew also installed as finance minister, Chalabi and his family appear to have a firm grip on the country's purse strings," the Associated Press reports.

FOREIGN POLICY -- MORE BOLTON BULLYING: The Washington Post reports new evidence that President Bush's United Nations nominee John Bolton tried to manipulate intelligence and intimidate experts into following his personal policy agenda. John S. Wolf, who served as assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation and as President Bush's senior envoy to the Middle East, told Senate staff members that Bolton had indeed tried to punish two State Department officials because they disagreed with him on nonproliferation issues. And Alan Foley, who ran the CIA's weapons of mass destruction office, told the committee that Bolton "tried to fire a national intelligence officer" who believed Bolton was exaggerating evidence on Cuba.

GUANTANAMO BAY -- FAKING IT: According to Reuters, "Authorities at Guantanamo Bay staged interrogations of detainees for visiting politicians and generals to give the impression that valuable intelligence was regularly being gathered." Former Army Sgt. Erik Saar says, "the military chose detainees for the mock interrogations who previously had been cooperative and instructed them to repeat what they had told interrogators in earlier sessions." The visiting VIPs would then believe they'd seen successful interrogations in action. (Instead of witnessing beatings or the use of attack dogs to intimidate detainees, for example, visiting officials watched cooperative detainees receive ice cream rewards.) Saar charges, "'only a few dozen' of the 600 detainees at the camp were terrorists and that little information was obtained from them."

SUDAN -- CIA GETS BUDDY-BUDDY WITH GENOCIDAL GOV'T: The U.S. has buddied up to the top intelligence chief in Sudan, Maj. Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, maintaining a close friendship with the man who has played a "key role" in directing the massacres in Darfur. Just last week, according to the Los Angeles Times, the CIA ferried him to Washington "for secret meetings sealing Khartoum's sensitive and previously veiled partnership with the administration." It's all part of a Bush administration's plan to "forge a close intelligence partnership with the Islamic regime that once welcomed Osama bin Laden," offering Sudan increased ties and "normalized" intelligence relations in return for coordination in crackdowns on al-Qaeda militants and other suspected terrorists. White House officials insist the new ties won't lead to a softening of its policy toward Sudan, but an October report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service suggested just the opposite, stating the administration was "concerned that going after these individuals could disrupt cooperation on counter-terrorism." Just this month, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick "backed away from the Bush administration's assertions that the mass killings and village burning amounted to genocide," despite the fact that "Darfur's death toll is likely to be even more appalling this year than last," according to the Washington Post.

MEDIA -- WITH PRESS, WHITE HOUSE NOT COLOR BLIND: Breaking with standard practice, the Secret Service has requested racial information on journalists and guests scheduled to attend a reception for White House correspondents tomorrow with President Bush. The Washington Post reports that White House reporters were offended that "after furnishing the customary information -- name, date of birth and Social Security number -- they were also asked for the race of each person expected to attend the small reception scheduled before the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner." Such policy "has not been applied universally," and anecdotal evidence "suggests the Secret Service is more frequently asking for racial information from journalists." Just last month, for example, "the Orange County Register reported that Cheney's staff requested race and gender information before the vice president would meet with the newspaper's editorial board."

DAILY GRILL

"I was amazed by the report the other day that there is some $330 billion a year that goes unpaid by American taxpayers. It's a phenomenal amount of money." -- President Bush, 4/28/05

VERSUS

"First of all, real rich people figure out how to dodge taxes." -- President Bush, 8/9/04


DAILY OUTRAGE

According to a former Army translator, the U.S. military has staged "mock interrogations" for Congress and other officials to "make it appear the government was obtaining valuable intelligence." Cooperative detainees were rewarded with ice cream.

Russian president's historic trip to Middle East seen as part of bigger strategic effort

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0429/dailyUpdate.html

Full Circle: At the Pentagon, foreign policy is out and military transformation is in--again.

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=anuHU%2FmD...nyvIicbMQ%3D%3D

Crisis of Faith: For decades, the Republican Party has accommodated conservatives of faith and conservatives of doubt, their alliance lending the GOP ideological flexibility and longevity. But now, the theocons'
fundamentalism has become markedly more strident, threatening the party's commitment to individual freedom--and its long-term viability.

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050502&s=sullivan050205

PRESIDENT TOUTS 'BLUNT'
BOLTON FOR U.N. POST
By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
-----------------------------------------------------------
President Bush last night strongly defended John R. Bolton, his nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and even likened the no-nonsense diplomat to himself.

"John Bolton is a blunt guy; sometimes, people say I'm a little too blunt," Mr. Bush said in an hourlong, prime-time press conference in the East Room of the White House.

The president described Mr. Bolton as a tough-nosed reformer who will be able to shake up the scandal-plagued world body.

"It makes sense to put somebody who's skilled and who's not afraid to speak his mind at the United Nations," he said.

Mr. Bush also sought to dispel the notion that Mr. Bolton is dedicated to the demise of the world body. He recalled that he asked the nominee in the Oval Office whether he considered the United Nations "important."

"See, I didn't want to send somebody up there who said: 'Well, that's not worth a darn; I don't think I need to go,' " Mr. Bush said. "He said: 'No, it's important, but it needs to be reformed.' "

The president brushed aside questions about Mr. Bolton's temperament, which critics call abrasive.

"John Bolton has been asked the questions about how he handles his business by members of the United States Senate," he said. "He's been asked a lot of questions, and he's given very good answers."

Mr. Bush also disagreed with a recent statement by Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, that judicial filibusters are an attack on people of faith.

"I just don't agree with it. ... I think people are opposing my nominees because they don't like the judicial philosophy of the people I've nominated. I mean, some would like to see judges legislate from the bench. That's not my view of the proper role of a judge," he said.

"Faith plays an important part in my life individually," the president added. "But I don't ascribe a person's opposing my nominations to an issue of faith."

Regardless of their motives, Mr. Bush called on Senate Democrats to abandon plans to filibuster his judicial nominees.

"I certainly hope my nominees get an up-or-down vote on the floor of the Senate," he said. "For the sake of fairness, these good people I've nominated should get a vote. And I'm hoping that will be the case as time goes on."

Mr. Bush faced several questions about whether his domestic agenda is stalled in the Republican-controlled Congress. He acknowledged that he was frustrated by the poisonous atmosphere in Washington over issues such as Mr. Bolton, judicial filibusters and ethics complaints against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican.

The president emphasized legislative victories on education, tort reform and bankruptcy reform. But on issues that are deadlocked, he blamed partisanship.

"When you bring a tough issue up like Social Security, you know, sometimes people divide into camps," he said. "I'm not surprised that some are balking at doing hard work."

Mr. Bush made it clear that Democrats, not Republicans, are responsible for the bad blood in Washington.

"I'm proud of my party," he said. "Our party's been the party of ideas."

The assertion was derided by Karen Finney, communications director for the Democratic National Committee.

"If that performance was supposed to put Bush's second term back on track, Americans are in for 31/2 years of great storytelling, but no real solutions to their problems," she said after the press conference.

Mr. Bush professed serenity in the face of numerous polls that show his job approval ratings near record low levels as he locks horns with Democrats over his domestic agenda.

"If a president tries to govern based on polls, you're kind of like a dog chasing your tail," he said. "I don't think you can make good, sound decisions based upon polls.

"And I don't think the American people want a president who relies upon polls and focus groups to make decisions for the American people," he added.

(http://insider.washtimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20050429-124431-5506r)

DEMOCRATS SCORN FRIST OFFER
By Charles Hurt
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
-----------------------------------------------------------
Majority Leader Bill Frist publicly offered a compromise to Democrats yesterday in a last-ditch effort to avoid a "nuclear" showdown in the Senate over judicial nominees.

However, the Senate's top Democrat immediately expressed doubt about the proposal, calling it "a big wet kiss to the far right."

Mr. Frist's proposal would end the current blockade of nominees by Democrats but also prevent future nominations from being stymied in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Republicans once blocked some of President Clinton's nominees.

"Whether on the floor or in committee, judicial obstruction is judicial obstruction," he said. "It's time for judicial obstruction to end, no matter which party controls the White House or the Senate."

When Mr. Frist finished offering his proposal, Minority Leader Harry Reid expressed doubt that it would be acceptable to Democrats.

"I don't really like the proposal given, but I'm not going to throw it away," Mr. Reid said. "I'm going to work on it."

Mr. Frist's proposal, which Republicans are calling the "fairness rule," would allow for up to 100 hours of floor debate on any nominee and require that the Judiciary Committee act on every nominee submitted by a president within a given period of time. It would do nothing to curtail filibusters against legislation.

From the outset, Mr. Reid and other Democrats have said they won't entertain any offer that doesn't begin by removing the so-called "nuclear option" from the table. That option -- now termed the "constitutional option" by Republicans -- is a rare parliamentary procedure that would thwart filibusters against judicial nominees.

Democrats have threatened to shut down the Senate for all nonessential business if Republicans employ the option, which is likely to come sometime next month if a deal is not struck before then.

Republicans have been adamant they want to resolve the issue before any vacancies arise on the Supreme Court, at least one of which is expected this summer.

"I sincerely hope the Senate minority does not intend to escalate its judicial obstruction to potential Supreme Court nominees," Mr. Frist warned yesterday. "That would be a terrible blow to constitutional principles and to political civility in America."

In his floor speech, Mr. Reid called Mr. Frist's proposal a "slow-motion nuclear option."

"After 100 hours, the rights of the minority are extinguished," he said, acknowledging that the purpose of the filibusters hasn't been to continue debate on nominees, but simply to stop them.

"This has never been about the length of debate," Mr. Reid said. Rather, it's about constitutional principle of sharing power with the minority in the Senate, he said.

Although Democrats have been unshakable about continuing the filibusters against the currently blocked nominees, Mr. Reid appeared to suggest that Democrats would not filibuster any new nominees if Republicans don't thwart the filibusters.

"I say to everyone within the sound of my voice: 'Test us,' "he said. "Let's see how we can do in the future. I can't say there won't be any filibusters, but I think we're going to have a much better situation."

During his presentation of the deal on the Senate floor, Mr. Frist also signaled that he has decided whose nomination would be used to employ the nuclear option.

"Priscilla Owen has served 10 years as a justice on the Texas Supreme Court, she won re-election with 84 percent of the vote in Texas," he said. "Yet, she can't get the courtesy of a vote to be confirmed by the Senate."

Ultimately, a deal appears unlikely given the immovable positions taken by the leaders of both sides.

"Resolving the judicial obstruction debate, for me, isn't about politics; it's about constitutional principles," Mr. Frist said. "It's about fairness to nominees. It's about senators doing their duty and doing what's right for our country."

(http://insider.washtimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20050429-124421-4679r)

SOARING COSTS OF ENERGY SLOW ECONOMIC GROWTH
By Patrice Hill
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
-----------------------------------------------------------
Record-high energy prices thwarted consumer and business spending in the first quarter, causing growth to fall off to a 3.1 percent pace, the slowest in two years, the Commerce Department reported yesterday.

The oil-induced "soft patch" set in last month when premium crude oil prices soared to more than $58 a barrel in New York trading, and most likely is continuing in the spring quarter, economists say.

Because no one can say how long oil and gasoline prices will stay elevated, it's difficult to predict how long and deep the effects will be on the economy.

Despite a setback in the last week, oil prices remained higher than $50 yesterday, while average gasoline prices remained only pennies below their nationwide record of $2.28 a gallon.

Worries that the slowdown may be long-lasting have plagued Wall Street, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted another triple-digit plunge of 128 points yesterday. The Dow is down nearly 800 points from its February high, sinking further with each new report showing a loss of economic momentum.

Some think Wall Street is overreacting.

Although growth is down from last year's robust 4.4 percent pace, it has fallen only to the average rate of expansion since the mid-1980s, noted Richard Yamarone, economist with Argus Research Corp.

"A moderation to 3.1 percent isn't a bad thing," he said, adding that growth continues to be good enough to support the creation of about 155,000 new jobs a month.

Consumers continue to be buoyed by rapid growth in the value of their homes ? with housing giving a "blistering" performance of 5.7 percent growth in the otherwise "milquetoast" quarter, he said.

The "wealth effect" from rising home values has bolstered confidence and enabled consumers to finance spending on other items. Thus, spending growth slipped mildly to 3.5 percent from 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter in 2003.

The report showed that businesses were hit harder by the jump in costs for energy and other raw materials ? and may have been caught unawares. Business spending on computers and other investments dropped sharply to 4.7 percent from 14.5 percent, while unsold inventories soared by $80 billion ? the most since 2000.

"Businesses were spooked" and "pulled back on the investment and hiring reins," Mr. Yamarone said.

Although the unexpected pileup of inventories "could spell trouble" in the months ahead and force furloughs and production cuts at factories, Mr. Yamarone said he expects the pause to be temporary now that energy prices are coming down.

Others say the spring slowdown is just the beginning of the problems created by high energy prices.

"Paying so much for gas, consumers can no longer hold up the economy, and the anticipated boom in business investment is not materializing to pick up the slack," said Peter Morici, a University of Maryland business professor.

"Paper gains in housing values create the perception of growing wealth even as consumers spend their entire paychecks," he said.

The dark cloud over the economy from high oil prices poses a quandary for the Federal Reserve, as it seeks to stamp out the inflationary spiral ignited by rising energy costs while keeping the expansion alive, Mr. Morici said.

The Fed's interest-rate-setting committee is expected to approve another quarter-point increase in short-term rates next week to contain the doubling of inflation caused by energy in the last year.

"The impact on inflation will be limited," Mr. Morici said. "Oil prices are determined in global markets, and Fed policy has only a limited impact on global demand."

The slowdown is likely to be prolonged, he said, because of the squeeze on consumers caught between rising rates and oil prices.

Also, the serious financial problems of automakers Ford and General Motors are creating a "contagion in Midwest manufacturing." Cascading production cuts and job cuts by the automakers and their suppliers will weigh on the economy into next year, he said.

Roger M. Kubarych, economist with HVB Group, said the economy's deceleration will continue because the bulge in spending on autos and computers that boosted growth last year cannot be repeated. The tax write-offs for investments that induced last year's spending binge expired and are no longer available to businesses.

(http://insider.washtimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20050428-095328-2423r)

'MIRACLE' NEEDED TO WIN BACK SENATE
By Charles Hurt
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
-----------------------------------------------------------
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid raised a few eyebrows yesterday on the Senate floor when he said it would take a "miracle" for Democrats to win enough races next year to take back the Senate.

"I would like to think a miracle would happen and we would pick up five seats this time," he said during a floor debate over the filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees. "I guess miracles never cease."

Republicans were delighted by what they called an "admission" from the highest-ranking elected Democrat in the country.

"After listening to Senator Reid's political spin about judicial nominees for the last several weeks, it is good to hear him come back to reality -- if even for a brief moment," said Brian Nick, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "Senator Reid can do the math: A Democratic Party, plus no ideas, plus obstruction, plus over-the-top partisan rhetoric equals continued minority."

Partisans on both sides of the aisle privately acknowledged that it was a fairly stunning remark.

But Democrats pointed out that Mr. Reid was making a larger point about the so-called "nuclear option" that Republicans have threatened to use to unclog the filibusters -- that Republicans might one day regret abolishing the filibuster for judicial nominees.

"If the Republicans keep abusing their power, it won't take such a miracle," said Phil Singer, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Jim Manley, spokesman for Mr. Reid, noted that his boss "also said he believes in miracles."

"As a small-town boy from Searchlight, Nevada, who rose to become Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate, Senator Reid has shown that we can overcome the odds and is certain that we can win back the Senate," Mr. Manley said.

(http://insider.washtimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20050429-124430-4013r)

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?Stor...28-104952-3866r

Analysis: Deconstructing Vladimir Putin
Robin Shepherd

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Bush Recasts Message on Social Security
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He favors a means-based approach to benefits, though he does not offer specifics. It appears to be an effort to gain backing from Senate moderates.

By Doyle McManus
Times Staff Writer

April 29 2005

WASHINGTON ; President Bush, seeking support from Democrats and moderate Republicans for an overhaul of Social Security, said Thursday that he favored changing the pension system so that benefits for low-income workers would grow faster than those for wealthy retirees.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...0,7069024.story

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GOP's Budget Deal Cuts Programs, and Taxes
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House and Senate OK a rare curb in entitlement growth and pave way for Alaska refuge drilling.

By Janet Hook
Times Staff Writer

April 29 2005

WASHINGTON; Congress passed a 2006 budget blueprint Thursday, drafted by Republicans, that calls for new belt-tightening in major domestic programs, even as it allows $106 billion more in tax cuts and leaves a $382-billion deficit.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...0,1584736.story

Detainee Questioning Was Faked, Book Says

By Carol D. Leonnig

The U.S. military staged the interrogations of terrorism suspects for members of Congress and other officials visiting the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to make it appear the government was obtaining valuable intelligence, a former Army translator who worked there claims in a new book...

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

Experts See Problems for DeLay

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum

Now that it's clear that his controversial private-paid trips abroad will be put under a microscope in Congress, Tom DeLay is in serious danger of being declared in violation of House ethics rules, legal experts say.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

Bush finds ally in Hub executive Boston Globe

Dueling talks mark end of Bush's tour AZ Central.com
38 percent of Americans approved of Bush's handling of Social Security before the tour, and 31 percent approve at the end of the tour More >>>

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GOP Strategy: Build Clout to Last Decades
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Republican leaders meet in Ohio to discuss voter turnout and minority outreach. 'Conservatism is the ideology of the future,' one leader says.

By Peter Wallsten and Tom Hamburger
Times Staff Writers

April 30 2005

CLEVELAND; Returning to the 2004 battleground state that kept President Bush in the White House, Republican leaders on Friday plotted strategies that they hoped would sustain their political strength for decades.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...eadlines-nation

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Church Plans Divestment Vote Over Israel Issues
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By Teresa Watanabe
Times Staff Writer

April 30 2005

The 1.4-million-member United Church of Christ will vote this summer on whether to divest from certain U.S. firms doing business with Israel, a protest against the Jewish state's occupation of Palestinian territories, church officials said Friday.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...eadlines-nation

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He Pitched; No One Swung
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After Bush's Social Security message, scant attitude change is seen in in Democrats and GOP.

By Joel Havemann and Maura Reynolds
Times Staff Writers

April 30 2005

WASHINGTON; President Bush road-tested his new proposal for shoring up Social Security with a speech at a Northern Virginia community college Friday, but back home in Washington his plan received little but raspberries from Democrats and a lukewarm response from Republicans.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...eadlines-nation

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Messengers Share Pain of Loss
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In a ritual that is repeated almost daily, notification officers take on the solemn duty of informing families of war deaths.

By David Zucchino
Times Staff Writer

April 30 2005

FT. BRAGG, N.C.; After Army Pfc. Joel K. Brattain was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad a year ago, the painful task of notifying his family got underway thousands of miles from his hometown of Yorba Linda.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...0,3607164.story

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U.S., Italy Fail to Agree on Slaying
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From Reuters

April 30 2005

WASHINGTON; The United States and Italy disagreed Friday in the conclusions of a joint investigation into the slaying of an Italian agent by U.S. troops in Iraq, further straining ties between the two allies.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

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U.S. Downplays Remarks on N. Korea's Arms Ability
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Officials say the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency may have overstated Pyongyang's nuclear missile progress.

By Greg Miller and Mark Mazzetti
Times Staff Writers

April 30 2005

WASHINGTON; Although intelligence analysts are increasingly concerned that North Korea may be able to arm a missile with a nuclear warhead, U.S. spy agencies have not obtained evidence confirming that Pyongyang has developed that capability, intelligence officials and weapons proliferation experts said Friday.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,2283779.story

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Polls Push Governor to the Border
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As his popularity wanes, Schwarzenegger revisits a Republican mainstay: illegal immigration.

By Robert Salladay
Times Staff Writer

April 30 2005

SACRAMENTO; If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to speak out forcefully against illegal immigration seems familiar, it is. The governor is using a well-worn tactic to seize public attention amid plummeting approval ratings, analysts and others said Friday.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ar...0,7929804.story

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Bush Plan Aids Poor, Squeezes the Rest
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By Peter G. Gosselin
Times Staff Writer

April 30 2005

WASHINGTON; As the full dimensions of President Bush's Social Security plan come into view, so too does a broader vision: improving benefits for the poorest Americans while reducing the reliance of everyone else on government programs that long have seen them through economic difficulties.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...0,4856942.story

Colleges' Hottest New Major: Terror

By Susan Kinzie and Sari Horwitz

At hundreds of schools, September 11th is influencing how many topics are taught. The changes are being driven by legislation, student and faculty interest, employers' demands, a sense of mission - and money.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

Judge in Moussaoui Case Blocks Release of Sept. 11 Report

By Dan Eggen

The federal judge overseeing the prosecution of admitted al Qaeda operative Zacarias Moussaoui has blocked an attempt by the Justice Department's inspector general to release a report on FBI missteps prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to a ruling unsealed yesterday.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

England to Plead Guilty in Abu Ghraib Abuse Case

By T.R. Reid and Josh White

Pfc. Lynndie R. England, the woman seen holding an Iraqi prisoner on a leash in the iconic photo from the Abu Ghraib prison, will plead guilty to seven charges stemming from abuse of prisoners there, her attorney said Friday.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

Bush Extols Value of Private Investment

By Peter Whoriskey

President Bush brought his campaign to restructure Social Security to a Fairfax County community gym yesterday, taking the stage to hold conversations with five young local workers who fear that the system will have gone bust by the time they retire.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

Bush the Egghead

By E. J. Dionne Jr.

President Bush's critics have him all wrong. They think of him as an anti-intellectual, opposed to theory and disdainful of grand ideas.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

Bush Plan Greeted With Caution

By Jonathan Weisman

Key House Republicans unveiled plans Friday to hold hearings starting next month on a Social Security overhaul advocated by President Bush, but said they envisaged a broader package dealing with retirement in general and containing elements that appeal to Democrats.

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SENATE TARGETS PROBERS OF U.N.
By David R. Sands
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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The Senate panel probing the U.N. oil-for-food scandal will subpoena two investigators who quit the United Nations' own inquiry on the grounds that it was too soft on Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The announcement yesterday by Sen. Norm Coleman, Minnesota Republican, was the latest sign of the growing antagonism between congressional investigators and the $30 million U.N.-appointed inquiry headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.

Mr. Coleman, who chairs the Governmental Affairs subcommittee on investigations, said he told Mr. Volcker in a Thursday phone conversation of his ?grave and growing concerns about the credibility and independence? of the U.N. probe into the $64 billion oil-for-food program in Iraq -- the largest financial scandal in the world body's history.

The Volcker panel has resisted calls from at least three congressional committees to allow investigators Robert Parton and Miranda Duncan to explain why they abruptly left the U.N.-authorized investigation earlier this month.

Mr. Parton, a former FBI investigator, had been focusing on the relationship between Mr. Annan and his son, Kojo. An interim report by the Volcker panel last month stated there was "no evidence" that the senior Mr. Annan had steered a key oil-for-food monitoring contract to Cotecna, a Swiss company that employed his son.

The two investigators signed nondisclosure agreements with the inquiry and have not detailed their reasons for resigning.

But Mr. Parton released a brief e-mail statement insisting that he had resigned "on principle," and not because his contract had expired, as a spokesman for the investigation had first suggested.

"The lack of an adequate explanation for their departure only fuels concerns about the credibility" of the Volcker investigation, Mr. Coleman said.

Mr. Volcker also spoke with at least two more congressmen looking into the oil-for-food program Thursday, expressing concern at efforts to force the two investigators to cooperate with U.S. investigators. He cited the confidentiality accords and the diplomatic immunity of the U.N. panel.

Mike Holtzman, a spokesman for the Volcker investigation, told the Associated Press yesterday the panel "had done everything possible to be transparent, consistent with conducting a fair and impartial investigation."

"We draw the line at exposing an investigator during an ongoing investigation."

Mr. Annan said last month that the Volcker inquiry had "exonerated" him of the key charge of interfering in the award of the Cotecna contract in 1997.

But he told reporters earlier this week there were still legitimate questions about his oversight of the program. U.S. investigators estimate the regime of Saddam Hussein managed to skim about $10 billion in illegal oil sales, kickbacks and other fraud during the seven-year program.

But the secretary-general also ripped critics who he said overlooked the program's humanitarian achievements, saying the criticisms "have gone beyond all zones of reasonableness."

Mr. Volcker in an interview with Fox News earlier this week said he did not consider his panel's findings an "exoneration" of Mr. Annan. Investigators strongly faulted the U.N. leader for a superficial investigation of the Cotecna deal after his son's connection came to light.

His inquiry "was not meant to be soft or hard" on Mr. Annan or the United Nations, Mr. Volcker said.

"We are out to get the facts, and I've said from the very beginning our responsibility is to follow the facts wherever they lead."

But Nile Gardiner, who has tracked the oil-for-food scandal for the Heritage Foundation, said Mr. Volcker's argument that his investigators have immunity because of their U.N. status undermines the argument that his inquiry is truly independent.

"I think it's ludicrous for Mr. Volcker to suggest that he has the right to bar his investigators from cooperating with Congress, especially investigators who are U.S. citizens themselves," Mr. Gardiner said.

"It only raises new questions about what the U.N. is still hiding, about how damaging their testimony might be," he said.
(http://insider.washtimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20050429-111718-1377r)

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RETIREMENT BILL BY JUNE
By Amy Fagan
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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House Republicans will craft by June a broad retirement bill that includes Social Security reform and aims to accomplish the goals President Bush outlined on television Thursday night, Capitol Hill party leaders said yesterday.

"The president has rightly stepped forward and the majority in the House is stepping forward to join him," said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas, the California Republican who will write a bill by June after holding a series of hearings beginning May 12.

Mr. Thomas said a broader package, possibly including improvements in the pension system, tax changes to encourage savings or other items, will garner bipartisan support.

"It won't just be a Social Security bill; it will be a retirement bill," he said.

"Republicans in Congress are ready to move forward to develop a bill to strengthen and preserve Social Security," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican who chided Democrats for a "failure to engage on this issue."

In addition to the private retirement accounts Mr. Bush has been pushing, on Thursday he endorsed the idea of reducing Social Security's long-term financial problems by changing the way benefits are calculated in the future. The idea is to slow the growth rate of Social Security benefits for higher-income workers while keeping a high-benefit growth rate for lower-income workers, who depend more heavily on the system.

Mr. Thomas and Rep. Jim McCrery -- the Louisiana Republican who chairs the Ways and Means Social Security subcommittee -- said their panel hearings will examine various ways to accomplish these reform goals.

Mr. Thomas said, however, that if benefits are restructured and higher-income workers take a hit, other changes can and should be made outside of Social Security to sweeten retirement for them. Options include improving the pensions system or making tax changes to encourage savings.

Democrats attacked the proposed benefits change, which they said would cut benefits for most working Americans and turn Social Security into a poverty program instead of a program for all.

"President Bush struck another blow to Americans' wallets last night when he proposed the single biggest cut in Social Security benefits for the middle class in history," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, said yesterday.

Democrats also repeated their mantra that they won't negotiate until Mr. Bush takes private accounts off of the table. "If he pulls privatization, we can then sit down and start talking," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat.

He said Mr. Bush foolishly advanced unpopular ideas Thursday because he is "boxed in" with an unpopular private accounts plan. "If anything, he's dug himself deeper into a hole."

In talking about the House bill however, Mr. Thomas was not wedded to the exact structure for private accounts that Mr. Bush laid out -- under which a portion of a person's Social Security payroll tax would be voluntarily diverted to a personal retirement accounts, which that person would own and invest.

Mr. Thomas said he "heartily" supports the "concept" of personal retirement accounts, but noted there are various ways to structure them and options will be examined in the hearings.

One option is to create accounts outside of Social Security, without using the payroll tax. The idea has generated some interest from both parties, but House conservatives met with Mr. Bush this week to urge him to reject this approach.

In the Senate, Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley aims to produce a Social Security bill by July. But the Iowa Republican this week said that if his panel doesn't have the votes to approve a bill containing Mr. Bush's private accounts, the full Senate can try to add the accounts on the floor.

"Let's just assume I have to bring a bill out of committee without personal accounts in it because there's not the votes in committee," Mr. Grassley said in an interview Wednesday. "It's going to be an issue on the floor and the Senate's going to decide it in the final analysis anyway, so my job right now is to move the process along."
(http://insider.washtimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20050430-120316-8155r)

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/politics/30bolton.html

Bolton's Nomination is Questioned by Another Powell Aide

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/politics...html?oref=login

Speech Gives Republicans Lift in Social Security Fight
Robin Toner and Elisabeth Bumiller

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/politics...artner=homepage

President's Big Social Security Gamble
Richard Stevenson

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-04-29-voa75.cfm

Pentagon: No New North Korean Nuclear Weapon Capability

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-04-29-voa48.cfm

Bush, Democrats Differ on North Korea Approach

http://villagevoice.com/news/0518,Ridgeway...ds,63557,6.html

In the Name of Sibel Edmonds
Intelligence whistleblowers storm Capitol Hill, asking for the right to be heard.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GD29Ak03.html

Pentagon between Iraq and a hard place
Michael Schwartz

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Bolton's a Tough Guy With a Cause
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By Sonni Efron
Times Staff Writer

May 1 2005

WASHINGTON; When John R. Bolton charged into the State Department in 2001 as President Bush's top arms control official, he thought of himself as a loyal Republican soldier on a mission into hostile political territory, according to friends and colleagues.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...0,3196720.story

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Translation Capacity Still Spotty After 9/11
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Linguists across the country are linked by a network to process the intelligence backlog. The FBI has had mixed results in its recruiting.

By Richard B. Schmitt
Times Staff Writer

May 1 2005

WASHINGTON; Scores of translators of Arabic and other languages have been hired by the government since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to decode intelligence, help interrogate prisoners and testify in court.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...eadlines-nation

LEFT AIMS TO SMITE 'THEOCRACY' MOVEMENT
By Jon Ward
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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NEW YORK -- Secular humanists and leftist activists convened here over the weekend to strategize how to counter what they contend is a growing political threat from Christian conservatives.

Understanding and answering the "religious far right" that propelled President Bush's re-election is key to preventing a "theocracy" from governing the nation, speakers argued at a weekend conference.

"The religious right now has an unprecedented influence on American politics and policy," said Ralph White, co-founder of the Open Center, a New York City institution focused on holistic learning. "It is incumbent upon all of us to understand as precisely as possible its aims, methods, beliefs, theology and psychology."

The Open Center, founded 21 years ago, played host to the two-day conference at City College of New York called "Examining the Real Agenda of the Religious Far Right."

People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group that opposes religion in the public square, co-sponsored the conference, which drew about 500 participants.

"This may be the darkest time in our history," said Bob Edgar, general secretary of the left-leaning National Council of Churches and former six-term Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania. "The religious right have been systematically working at this for 40 years. The question is, where is the religious left?"

Speakers outlined such concepts -- others would say conspiracy theories -- as Christian reconstructionism and dominionism to a crowd that Mr. White said does "not understand the further reaches of religion."

Dominionism is the theory that the account in Genesis in which God gave man dominion over the earth has become a political teaching advocating that Christians gain and hold power. Christian reconstructionism is the theory that Christian conservatives intend to impose Old Testament law in America.

The United States is "not yet a theocracy," Joan Bokaer, founder of TheocracyWatch.org, said Friday night, but she argued that "the United States is beginning to fit the model of a reconstructed America."

Tax cuts combined with increased funding for faith-based social programs and decreases in welfare spending, Ms. Bokaer said, were examples of "the theological right ... zealously setting up to establish their beliefs in all aspects of our society."

She compared the Federal Communications Commission's threatened crackdown on indecency on television with the Taliban, the repressive Islamic rulers of Afghanistan who harbored Osama bin Laden's terrorist network until toppled by a U.S.-led invasion.

"Indecency police are a major part of theocratic states," Ms. Bokaer said, flashing a picture of Islamic women covered head to foot under the title, "Taliban: Ministry for the Protection of Virtue and Prevention of Vice."

Such rhetoric turned the volume up on warnings of theocratic revolution issued by some Democrats opposing Republican efforts to override their Senate filibusters of Mr. Bush's nominees for federal judgeships.

Former Vice President Al Gore said in a speech Wednesday that the move against judicial filibusters is driven by an "aggressive new strain of right-wing religious zealotry."

Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, asked in a speech April 15 about the case of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman: "Are we going to live in a theocracy where the highest powers tell us what to do?"

Sen. Ken Salazar, Colorado Democrat, last week called Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs Christian advocacy group, "the Antichrist of the world." He later apologized and said he meant to call James Dobson's organization "un-Christian, meaning self-serving and selfish."

Conferees here shared Mr. Salazar's disapproval of such Christian activist groups as Focus on the Family and such politicians as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican. When Ms. Bokaer showed a slide of Mr. Frist, some in the crowd hissed loudly. Others, however, said such scorn is not helpful.

"If we are going to ask the Christian right to stop engaging in demonization, we need to inspect some of our own language," Chip Berlet of the human rights watchdog Political Research Associates said in his talk Friday night.

"I'm uncomfortable when I hear people of sincere religious faith described as religious political extremists," he said. "What does that term mean? It's a term of derision that says we're good and they're bad. There is no content."

Afterward, in an interview, Mr. Berlet added: "The Democrats do just as much name-calling as the right. It's great for fundraising. [But] it's a heck of a way of building a social progressive movement."

(http://insider.washtimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20050501-124025-3104r)

Army Reservist Lynndie England to Plead Guilty in Abu Ghraib Scandal

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=D32DDA:2F72C9D

Private First Class Lynndie England was seen in photos holding a
hooded, naked Iraqi prisoner on a leash

Lynndie England (l) at Abu Ghraib prison

A U.S. soldier at the center of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal in
Iraq is to plead guilty Monday to reduced charges.

Her attorney says Army Reservist Lynndie England will plead guilty to
conspiracy, maltreating prisoners and dereliction of duty. Two charges
are to be dropped.

England was seen in widely publicized photographs holding a leash
attached to a naked detainee at Abu Ghraib and, in another photo,
smiling and pointing at a prisoner's genitals.

The judge must still accept the plea agreement that could bring a
maximum prison term of 11 years, instead of 16. The New York Times,
citing prosecution sources, says England is expected to receive a term
of 30 months.

England's ex-boyfriend, described as the ringleader of the abuse, has
already been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Some information for this report provided by AP.

Researchers Find Herceptin Prevents Reoccurrence of Breast Cancer

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=D32DDD:2F72C9D

Drug appears to be very effective in preventing reoccurrence of a
common type of breast cancer

Researchers have found a drug that appears to be very effective in
preventing the re-occurrence of a common type of breast cancer. This
drug, herceptin, was so effective, that clinical trials were stopped
early to inform the participants of the results.

Four years ago, Adriana Jenkins was diagnosed with breast cancer. She
says, "My cancer was extremely aggressive, and I wanted to do
everything I could possibly could, to make sure it didn't come back."

Following surgery to remove the tumor, Adriana received chemotherapy
and herceptin, a drug that is given intravenously. Herceptin is
normally used to treat breast cancer patients after their cancer has
returned.

Adriana Jenkins But in Adriana's case, she took the drug to prevent
the cancer from coming back. Researchers used the same approach in
treating other breast cancer patients.

In clinical trials, women reported that after four years, cancer
returned in 15 percent of those who received chemotherapy and
herceptin, compared to 33 percent of those who got only chemotherapy.

Doctor Eric Weiner of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute explains how
herceptin works. He says, "This drug robs the cancer of a growth
factor that is a chemical that drives the cancer to grow."

Although herceptin fights breast cancer, some women have experienced
side effects such as a weakened heart. But despite that, doctors say
the benefits are so strong, they are encouraging many women to add
herceptin to their cancer treatments

Memorial Visitors in Washington React to Vietnam War's 30th
Anniversary

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=D32DDF:2F72C9D

The controversial conflict in Vietnam that claimed so many American
lives three decades ago is still a vivid part of America's national
story April 30 marks the 30th anniversary of the end of the war in
Vietnam. The veterans of that war are graying. Yet the conflict that
claimed the lives of over 58,000 American servicemen is still a vivid
part of our national story - a story whose meaning and message
continues to be controversial today. VOA's Adam Phillips sampled some
opinions during a recent visit to the Vietnam Memorial on the National
Mall in Washington D.C..

Three young visitors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial examine the
names of the dead VOA Photo - A. PhillipsAt barely 9 o'clock one
recent sunny morning, scores of solemn tourists were already touching
the names engraved on the granite face of the Vietnam Memorial. It
commemorates the casualties of an era long before any of the students
in Michael Sikes' high school tour group were born.

Michael Sikes and Mizrak led a high school trip to the Memorial"We
just arrived with our kids here," said Mr. Sikes, who was only 6 years
old himself in 1975, when the conflict ended. "I was told by our guide
that the average [age] of the soldiers [was] about 18, and I was just
astonished that such young people were sent off to battle." Mr. Sikes
was silent for a moment, then added, "They knew very little about
life, and here they were thrown into the middle of a war where they
could possibly lose their life. They might not even know about why
they are fighting, and here they are laying that life on the line."

Pat Gofrin once opposed the war, but has softened her stancePam Gofrin
of Alameda California, a parent who was accompanying another class
trip, protested the war in Vietnam while it raged. Yet today Ms.
Gofrin is more sympathetic with the foreign policies that sent
American soldiers to fight. "We brought a lot of junior high school
children here so that they might experience part of history," she
said, "and [learn] how we were fighting for the freedom of the South
Vietnamese against communism. And hopefully, they can interpret that
as our country helping another country fight for their freedoms."

Tom, a tour guide at the Memorial remarked on the war's divisivness
That's not how a tour guide named Tom saw the war when he first
arrived in the U.S. during the mid-1960s as an immigrant from India.
"I was not at all for the war," he said. "It was one of those tragic
experiences in American history that split the nation … and still the
wound is there. And this memorial is very private, very personal and
very emotional for that reason. I am kind of unbalanced when I come
here, even though I have come here hundreds of times." He conceded
that it's been a long time since the war was over, but added, "The
legacy of the war is still there. The intensity of the feeling has not
died."

For many Vietnam-era veterans, memories of the war remain both intense
-- and fresh. A young visitor named "Mizrak" told a reporter about a
veteran she has become friends with. "He just told me stories about it
and how horrible it was and the nightmares he still has from it," she
said. One of those stories was about a child that was shot by a friend
of his. "[The child] was approaching them with a basket of what they
thought might have been fruit," Mizrak shuddered, recounting the
veteran's story, "but they weren't sure if it had grenades in it. And
so they had to kill the child."

To this day, tears are freely shed over the war in Vietnam. A Michigan
visitor named Beth was openly weeping - for those who lived as well as
those who died. "I guess as a mother you look at all the names and you
think of all the mothers who lost their sons. And it's so sad!," she
sobbed. "You always think of the poor people who died, but [if] you
think of the parents who go through raising all their sons and then
they lose them. And they have to live with that."

U.S. Sees Drop in Terrorist Threats

By Dana Priest and Spencer Hsu

Reports of credible terrorist threats against the United States are at their lowest level since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to U.S. intelligence officials and federal and state law enforcement authorities.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5043001147.html

Untangling a Lobbyist's Stake in a Casino Fleet

Abramoff Breaks Silence About Investigations

By David Finkel

Jack Abramoff, the Washington lobbyist who is under federal investigation for his lobbying activities on behalf of Indian tribes and is a central figure in separate probes into alleged ethical improprieties by his close friend House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), has begun publicly defending...

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For Catholic Laity, a Spirit of Change

By Peter Slevin

INVERNESS, Ill. -- The leadership of Holy Family Catholic Community gathered the other night to discuss parish business. Seventy-five men and women, none of them ordained, shared readings from Isaiah and John. A Latin hymn rose from a baritone in the back row, and everyone joined in.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...er=emailarticle

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/01/politics...artner=homepage

Never Shy, Bolton Brings a Zeal to the Table

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/01/nyregion...059&partner=AOL

Security Concerns Force a Review of Plans for Ground Zero