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The Obama campaign has shattered all fund-raising records, raking in $458 million so far, with about half the bounty coming from donors who contribute $200 or less. Aides say that's an illustration of a truly democratic campaign. To critics, though, it can be an invitation for fraud and illegal foreign cash because donors giving individual sums of $200 or less don't have to be publicly reported. Consider the cases of Obama donors "Doodad Pro" of Nunda, N.Y., who gave $17,130, and "Good Will" of Austin, Texas, who gave more than $11,000—both in excess of the $2,300-per-person federal limit. In two...

The Republican National Committee wants the Federal Election Commission to investigate the source of thousands of small contributions to the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, a committee lawyer said yesterday. The RNC's chief counsel, Sean Cairncross, said that there is mounting evidence that the Obama campaign was so hungry for donations it "looked the other way" as contributions piled up from suspicious donors, and possibly even from overseas, which would be illegal. "We believe that the American people should know first and foremost if foreign money is pouring into a presidential election," Cairncross said. He pointed to a report...

The Obama campaign has shattered all fund-raising records, raking in $458 million so far, with about half the bounty coming from donors who contribute $200 or less. Aides say that's an illustration of a truly democratic campaign. To critics, though, it can be an invitation for fraud and illegal foreign cash because donors giving individual sums of $200 or less don't have to be publicly reported. Consider the cases of Obama donors "Doodad Pro" of Nunda, N.Y., who gave $17,130, and "Good Will" of Austin, Texas, who gave more than $11,000—both in excess of the $2,300-per-person federal limit.

Obama doesn't weed out illegal cash, GOP says Sun Oct 5, 2008 5:15pm EDT By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican Party on Sunday said Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama had not done enough to screen out illegal campaign contributions and asked U.S. election officials to look into the matter. Citing news reports, the Republican National Committee said Obama had accepted contributions from foreigners and taken more than the $2,300 maximum from donors who give in small increments. The Obama campaign denied the charges. The RNC said it will ask the Federal Election Commission to examine Obama records in...

WHO is "Will, Good"? Mr. Good Will - who lists his employer as "Loving" and his profession as "You" - has contributed 1,000 times to the Barack Obama campaign. All the contributions have been in amounts of $25 or less. But they add up to $17,375 - far more than the legal limit of $4,600. That's $2,300 each for the primary and general election campaigns. Kenneth Timmerman, a reporter for NewsMax, a conservative Web site, discovered Mr. Good Will when he reviewed 1.4 million individual contributions in the latest Federal Elections Commission master file for the Obama campaign. Mr. Good...

A lawyer for the Republican National Committee today said the party will ask the Federal Election Commission to look into the source of thousands of small-dollar contributions to the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama. The RNC is alleging that the Obama campaign was so hungry for donations it "looked the other way" as contributions piled up from suspicious, and possibly even illegal foreign donors. "We believe that the American people should know first and foremost if foreign money is pouring into a presidential election," said RNC Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross. Cairncross alleged there was mounting evidence of this, and...

Snippets (you really have to read the whole thing): On Thursday at the [French] embassy, a contemporary mansion on Reservoir Road, the white marble floors, soaring ceilings and skylights helped make castoffs look chic... After they sipped wine and nibbled on salmon in champagne sauce, the crowd settled in for the fashion show..... "That's Goodwill?!" one woman gasped as a model wearing an impeccably tailored French wool suit peacocked down the runway. The chocolate-colored, satin sheath gown! That velvet, midnight-blue suit! The mink, oh, that MINK! Eschewing any facade of fashion ennui, members of the crowd cheered and whistled and...

(IsraelNN.com) The IDF, on orders from the Olmert government, removed 10 manned checkpoints in the Binyamin region and Samaria Thursday evening. The roadblocks were taken down near Ramallah, Shechem, Tal Karem and Kalkilya. Officials explained that the roadblocks were removed as part of a series of “goodwill gestures” to the Palestinian Authority. Ostensibly under US pressure, Israel recently agreed to remove dozens of checkpoints and roadblocks in Judea and Samaria in order to make travel easier for local Arabs. In return, the PA said it would try to stop terrorism. Daily attacks continue on roads in Judea and Samaria –...

HUSSEINIYA, Iraq, Feb. 29, 2008 – Children swarmed around the men in uniform and extended their hands, eager to receive a newspaper. Although some of the children could not yet read, the colorful pictures were enough to ignite their curiosity. Navy Lt. j.g. Clint Phillips (right), an Ontario, Calif., native, and 1st Lt. Dale Donaldson, a Bartlesville, Okla., native, walk down the street handing out newspapers with policemen in Husseiniya, Iraq, Feb. 26, 2008. Phillips serves as the team leader for Civil Affairs Team 11, Company B, 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, 360th Airborne Civil Affairs Brigade, and is currently...

There's a time for destruction and there's a time for rebuilding. For decades the regime of Saddam Hussein ignored basic infrastructure in the country, and much of what existed when his government fell to U.S.-led coalition forces succumbed in the insurgent battles that followed. In Khatoon al-Yarmook, long one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the city of Baquba, that meant to its sole symbol of stability and hope -- its elementary school. Al-Tabrea's cement walls and floors hadn't seen a can of paint for years when Saddam fell, and its septic tank had long ceased functioning. Battles last year...

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Andre Bundick, a Painter, Va., native with Troop A, 4th Squadron 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, hands out candy to eager kids in Baghdad's Karkh District. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alexis Harrison, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs. BAGHDAD — Keeping the balance between being a force to be reckoned with and being a symbol of peace and prosperity can be a difficult task. For many of today's Soldiers in Iraq, it's not part of the game, it is the game. Soldiers from Troop A, 4th...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMAYAH — Before she deployed, Spc. Diana Sokol used to listen to Soldiers tell stories about how Iraqi children asked them for soccer balls and other items. She would see photos of kids in the city with virtually nothing but the clothes on their back and always knew she would take action once deployed. So when the medic from Plano, Texas, and member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, attached to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Benning, Ga., arrived here, she started her goodwill mission. Sokol’s...

Van Nuys, Calif. — Carolyn Blashek is constantly sending her gratitude to the men and women serving in the military overseas. Blashek founded Operation Gratitude after she tried to join the military, but was told she was too old. Her goal: to show people in the service that they have not been forgotten back home by sending personal care packages directly to members of the United States armed services all over the world. The care packages include a variety of items from sunscreen to socks, candy to toothpaste. But, you may be surprised to know what the most important item...

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2007 – The hospital ship USNS Comfort will provide health care to disadvantaged citizens at several Latin American and Caribbean ports of call this summer, President Bush announced here yesterday. President Bush is dispatching the hospital ship USNS Comfort on a mission of goodwill to Caribbean and Latin American countries. In this file photo, the Comfort pulls into Naval Station Mayport, Fla., on Sept. 5, 2005, to take on supplies in support of Hurricane Katrina relief operations. U.S. Navy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The United States military is a symbol of strength for...

TEHRAN, Iran - A powerful leading rival of Iran's hard-line president said Wednesday that Tehran will "remove obstacles" blocking negotiations with the United States if Washington shows good will. President Bush dismissed the possibility of talks. Former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani, a high-ranking cleric, has no formal foreign policy portfolio but holds seats on two of Iran's most important government bodies. Seen as one of the country's most influential figures, Rafsanjani in recent weeks has become an increasingly high-profile public advocate of a more conciliatory stance towards the U.S. and its allies in the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program. "Any...

Provincial Reconstruction Teams help distribute humanitarian supplies. BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Feb. 7, 2007 — Units and Provincial Reconstruction Teams in eastern Afghanistan conducted humanitarian missions throughout the region. The Khost PRT worked with the Afghan Border Patrol to distribute hygiene kits, soccer balls and clothing to village elders from Tughu village. The Sharana PRT and sub-governor participated in a humanitarian assistance mission in Barlake Village. Food, clothes, first-aid kits and school bags were passed out. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment conducted a joint medical civic action program in conjunction with a shura in Giro District, Ghazni Province. The...

Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Smith talks with a group of Iraqi army soldiers through an interpreter at a checkpoint near Balad during a sphere of influence meeting. The sphere of influence meetings are intended for meeting key military leaders in the area and gathering information on the type of training the Iraqi soldiers have received. U.S. Army courtesy photo Soldiers Surprise Iraqi Troops With Goodwill Visit U.S. soldiers meet with the Iraqi soldiers in the first stage of a new plan for training. By Spc. Amanda Morrissey 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment BALAD, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2007 -- Iraqi...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said North Korea should not be driven into a corner if the world wants to rein in its nuclear weapons programme. He said some negotiators "failed to find the right tone" with the country. He was speaking in a live TV phone-in with Russians nationwide, broadcast on TV and radio. He said he would not try to run for office again when his term ends in 2008, but said he would try to continue to influence political affairs. On North Korea, Mr Putin said a solution could be found "with goodwill". "You must never push...

An Iraqi police officer fixes his equipment after trying on their new bullet-proof vest for the first time. Department of Defense photo by Army Sgt. Kevin McSwain. BAQUBAH -- Iraqi Police now have more protection thanks to the recent donation of 2,000 protective vests by a U.S. nonprofit.The vests, presented during an Aug. 15 ceremony in Baqubah, were shipped overseas free of charge and delivered by the U.S. Army to the Iraqi National Police.  One e-mail between an Army officer deployed in Iraq and the nonprofit group Brotherhood of the Badge paved the way for the donation. “When I received...

BERLIN. -- A cold dampness hovers over the streets and the skies turn bleak and dark early in the afternoon. Nevertheless, 'tis the season to be jolly. More than 50 Christmas markets celebrate the season, and none is as unusual as the one here at 14 Lindenstrasse, behind the provocative new Jewish Museum, lighted by a huge Channukah Menorah and traditional Christmas decorations celebrating an exhibition entitled "Chrismukkah." Christians and Jews gather to share a warm glass of Gluhwein, the seasonal spicy red wine, to warm the hands and lift the spirit, and to nibble a potato latke or a...